World Football

Despite talks between Neymar and the MLS' Chicago Fire, it remains "unlikely" that the Brazilian star will sign a deal with the club, according to Paul Tenorio and Mario Cortegana of The Athletic.

Per that report, "Sources cautioned that MLS is not currently a priority for Neymar and his family, despite the exploratory dialogue between his camp and representatives of the Fire."

Neymar, 32, currently plays for Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, though injuries have limited him to just seven appearances since transferring from PSG in Aug. 2023. He'll be out of contract over the summer, though leaving for MLS wouldn't secure him anything close to the reported $103 million he's making per year at Al Hilal.

Tenorio and Cortegana noted that previous reporting put Neymar's prospective earnings at Chicago around $20 million, similar to what Inter Miami is paying Messi. Partnerships with Apple, Adidas and Fanatics likely take Messi far about the $20 million figure, however, and his deal with Inter Miami includes the option to purchase an ownership stake in the club upon his retirement.

Whether Neymar would have been offered such perks is unclear.

In his prime, the Brazilian superstar was one of the sport's most exciting players, both for club and country. His playing days included stops at Santos, Barcelona—where he was teammates with Messi and Luis Suárez and won two La Liga titles and won Champions League title—and PSG. He is Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer (79 goals in 128 caps).

Despite his recent issues with injuries, he would be a huge draw for MLS. While his return may not ultimately come with Chicago, Neymar has expressed an interest in potentially reuniting with Messi and Suárez again.

"Obviously, playing again with Messi and Suárez would be incredible," he told CNN's Aleks Klosok and Amanda Davies earlier in January. "They are my friends. We still speak to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio. I'm happy at Al Hilal, I'm happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises."

Inter Miami does not currently have room to add Neymar as a designated player, however, as Tenorio and Cortegana noted. And if he's not interested in playing MLS soccer in general, it's all a moot point.

Neymar could be joining the MLS soon.

Per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle, the Brazil and Al Hilal star is in talks with three MLS teams about a possible transfer. According to Carlisle, one of the three teams Neymar is talking to is Chicago Fire FC, but Lionel Messi's Inter Miami is not currently in the running.

Last week, Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano said that while "every coach in the world wants" Neymar, MLS restrictions would make adding the striker "impossible."

"We cannot talk about Ney because we have nothing," Mascherano told reporters at MLS media day. "Obviously Ney is a great player. Every coach in the world wants him but at the moment, but you know the MLS rules around the salary cap. So for us in this moment, it's impossible to try to think about him."

According to Carlisle, Neymar is still "holding out hope" of joining his former Barcelona teammates Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami.

Neymar, who was with Paris Saint-Germain from 2017 to 2023, joined Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal in 2023 for a fee of $97.6 million. His time with the club has not gone as he would have hoped as he dealt with a handful of injuries since his arrival.

Shortly after making his debut for his new club in September of 2023, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty in October, ending his club season after just five games.

He returned to the field this fall, but a hamstring injury has limited his play this season. He's played just seven games and has registered one goal during his time with Al Hilal.

His Al Hilal contract runs through June and he can begin negotiating contracts with a new team.

Even if he is unable to join Messi, Neymar's MLS debut would undoubtedly be highly anticipated if he decides to join the league.

Neymar is open to reuniting with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez on Inter Miami.

The Brazilian star told CNN Sport's Amanda Davies that joining the pair in MLS "would be incredible."

"They are my friends," he said. "We still speak to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio. I'm happy at Al-Hilal, I'm happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises."

Over the years, MLS has been derided as a "retirement league" because it would sign aging stars in an effort to cash in on their popularity and the credibility they established on the pitch. While that label doesn't apply as much anymore, Inter Miami signing not just Messi and Suárez but also Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba certainly didn't help.

As much as they've surrounded Messi with his friends from Barça, Neymar might be where the Herons would draw a line, assuming they could even make it work under MLS' salary cap system.

The 32-year-old's last appearance in a Saudi Pro League match for Al-Hilal was back in September 2023. He suffered a torn ACL that October on national team duty, and his recovery has been slowed by a series of lesser injuries.

There was a period when Neymar was the brightest young talent in world football. His career has never been the same since he left Barcelona and signed with Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, though. The ACL injury raised even bigger questions about what lies ahead.

As an attraction, Neymar would likely bring Inter Miami and MLS even more attention than they're already receiving. As a sporting endeavor, this wouldn't be a wise investment.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson and international soccer star Lionel Messi are among 19 people being honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.

The White House issued a statement on Saturday announcing the recipients of the award (h/t NPR's Franco Ordoñez).

"These nineteen Americans are great leaders who have made America a better place," the White House statement said. "They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world," the White House said in a statement."

All 19 honorees will be awarded their medal during a ceremony on Saturday.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States.

Per the White House archive, individuals selected to receive the honor "have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

Honorees are chosen either directly by the President of the United States or are recommended to the President.

A total of 652 people have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom since it was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy.

Former Yale and United States Olympic team swimming coach Robert J.H. Kiphuth was the first person from the sports world to receive the award in 1963.

Other notable athletes and coaches who have been bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom include Jesse Owens (1976), Jackie Robinson (1984), Muhammad Ali (2005), Billie Jean King (2009), Michael Jordan (2016), Tiger Woods (2019) and Simone Biles (2022).

Messi is one of the most accomplished soccer players in history. He is the only eight-time recipient of the Ballon d'Or and led Argentina to a victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. His teams have won a total of 45 trophies, highlighted by 12 Big Five league titles.

Johnson's accomplishments include five NBA championships, three NBA MVP awards and an Olympic gold medal with USA Basketball in 1992. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Along with his professional accolades, Johnson has been an activist for HIV since he publicly announced he was diagnosed with the virus in 1991.

The best talent in college soccer found out where they'll be playing in the MLS on Friday night.

San Diego FC got the first pick when the MLS SuperDraft started on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.

Ahead of its inaugural 2025 season, San Diego received the first choice of 477 eligible players from 150 schools available in the draft.

The other 29 MLS clubs selected in reverse order of the 2024 standings through three rounds, with reigning champions LA Galaxy originally slated to select last in each round.

After a busy afternoon of drafts and trades, find the complete results of the first 30-team SuperDraft here.

Round 1 Draft Results

1. San Diego: Manu Duah, midfielder, UC Santa Barbara (Generation adidas)

2. San Jose: Max Floriani, defender, Saint Louis

3. Chicago: Dean Boltz, forward, Wisconsin (Generation adidas)

4. Colorado (from SKC): Alex Harris, forward, Cornell (Generation adidas)

5. San Jose (from NE): Reid Roberts, defender, San Francisco

6. Colorado (from NSH): Matthew Senanou, defender, Xavier

7. St. Louis: Emil Jaaskalainen, forward, Akron

8. Kansas City (from COL, from PHI): Jansen Miller, defender, Indiana

9. Charlotte (from SD, from TOR): Mikah Thomas, defender, Connecticut

10. D.C. United: Hakim Karamoko, forward, North Carolina State

11. Dallas: Enzo Newman, defender, Oregon State

12. Colorado (from ATX): Efetobo Aror, midfielder, Portland

13. Montréal: Michael Adedokun, forward, Ohio State

14. Portland: Ian Smith, defender, Denver

15. Vancouver: Tate Johnson, defender, UNC Chapel Hill

16. Colorado: Sydney Wathuta, forward, Vermont

17. New York City (from SD, from CLT): Max Murray, defender, Vermont

18. New England (from HOU): Donovan Parisian, goalkeeper, San Diego

19. Salt Lake: Jesus Barea, forward, Missouri State

20. LA (from CIN): Jason Bucknor, defender, Michigan

21. Salt Lake (from CLB): Max Kerkvliet, goalkeeper, Connecticut

22. LAFC (from MIA): Alec Hughes, forward, Massachusetts

23. Toronto (from DC, from ATL): Reid Fisher, defender, San Diego State

24. San Diego (from NYC): Ian Pilcher, defender, UNC Charlotte

25. Minnesota: Roman Torres, midfielder, Creighton

26. Colorado (from VAN, from LAFC): Joshua Copeland, forward, Detroit Mercy

27. Orlando: Joran Gerbet, midfielder, Clemson

28. Seattle: Ryan Baer, midfielder, West Virginia

29. RSL (from RBNY): Lineker Rodrigues Dos Santos, forward, Marshall

30. RSL (from LA): Sergi Solans, forward, Oregon State

San Diego FC kicked off the SuperDraft by selecting midfielder Manu Duah out of UC Santa Barbara.

Because Duah has already signed a Generation adidas contract, he is guaranteed a spot on the San Diego FC roster, at least as a reserve, for three years.

The selection marks the first time in history a UCSB student has gone first overall in a professional draft. Duah earned the honor after impressing as a defensive midfielder in 14 games during his freshman college season.

The San Jose Earthquakes meanwhile drafted SLU defender Max Floriani with the second pick of the draft. A key part of the St. Louis defense for three seasons, he was the only pre-signed senior in the SuperDraft.

Chicago added Wisconsin forward Dean Boltz with the No. 3 pick, marking the highest draft position in program history. Boltz was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after scoring 10 goals and adding four assists in his first college season.

Forward Sydney Wathuta and defender Max Murry were selected with back-to-back picks by Colorado and New York City after helping lead Vermont to a national championship.

Round 2 Results

31. San Diego: Harrison Bertos, defender, Washington

32. San Jose: Nick Fernandez, midfielder, Portland

33. Chicago: Travis Smith Jr., defender, Wake Forest

34. Kansas City: Anthony Samways, defender, Ohio State

35. New England: Eric Howard, defender, Georgetown

36. Nashville: Alioune Ka, forward, Cornell

37. St. Louis: Joey Zalinsky, defender, Rutgers

38. Colorado (from PHI): Charlie Harper, defender, UNC Chapel Hill

39. Toronto: Michael Sullivan, midfielder, Pittsburgh

40. D.C. United: Daniel Ittycheria, forward, Princeton

41. Dallas: Samuel Sarver, forward, Indiana

42. Austin: Riley Thomas, defender, UNC Chapel Hill

43. Minnesota (from MTL): Kieran Chandler, defender, Connecticut

44. Montréal (from POR): Arik Duncan, forward, UC Berkeley

45. Vancouver: Nikola Djordjevic, defender, SMU

46. Orlando (from RSL, from COL): Titus Sandy Jr., defender, Clemson

47. Charlotte: Andrew Johnson, defender, Cornell

48. Houston: Bo Cummins, defender, Wake Forest

49. Salt Lake: Nick Dang, defender, UVA

50. Montréal (from CIN): Caden Grabfelder, forward, Penn State

51. Columbus: Cesar Ruvalcaba, defender, SMU

52. Miami: Bailey Sparks, midfielder, SMU

53. Atlanta: Ronan Wynne, defender, Denver

54. New York City: Collin McCamy, midfielder, Northwestern

55. Minnesota: Logan Dorsey, forward, Kentucky

56. San Diego (from LAFC): Samy Kanaan, forward, San Diego

57. Orlando: Collins Oduro, forward, Indiana

58. Seattle: Demian Alvarez, defender, Seattle

59. RSL (from RBNY): Trace Alphin, goalkeeper, Wake Forest

60. LA: Jacob Woznicki, forward, Hofstra

Real Salt Lake made a series of trades to stock up on SuperDraft picks, including three in the first round and five overall.

Round 3 Draft Order

61. San Diego: Donovan Sessoms, forward, Sacremento State

62. Colorado (from SJ): Donovan Phillip, forward, NC State

63. Chicago: Geni Kanyane, defender, Dayton

64. Kansas City: Leon Koehl, midfielder, Maryland

65. New England: CJ Williams, defender, Boston College

66. Nashville: Ethan Ballek, forward, USC

67. St. Louis: Colin Welsh, goalkeeper, Western Michigan

68. Colorado (from PHI): Shawn Smart, defender, Las Vegas Lights

69. Toronto: Joseph Melto Quiah, forward, Dayton

70. D.C. United, Jonah Biggar, defender, USC

71. Dallas: Mohamed Cisset, defender, Penn State

72. Austin: Patrick Gryczewski, forward, Rhode Island

73. Montréal: Arthur Duquenne, defender, Clemson

74. Portland: Lukas Burns, goalkeeper, Providence

75. Colorado (from VAN): Matthew Van Horn, midfielder, Georgetown

76. Seattle (from COL): Trace Terry, forward, Bowling Green State

77. Charlotte: Barzee Blama, forward, Mercer

78. New York City (from HOU): AJ Smith, forward, UVA

79. Salt Lake: Liam O'Gara, midfielder, Wake Forest

80. Cincinnati: Ben Augee, midfielder, Gonzaga

81. Columbus: Drew Kerr, forward, Duke

82. Miami: Michael Appiah, forward, Florida International

83. Atlanta: William Kulvik, defender, Maryland

84. New York City: Arnau Farnos, forward, Oregon State

85. Minnesota: Nick Collins, defender, Rutgers

86. D.C. United (from LAFC): Grant Bailey, defender, Loyola Chicago

87. Orlando: Takahiro Fujita, defender, Marshall

88. New York City (from SEA): Nicholas Cavallo, UCLA

89. RSL (from RBNY): Aleksandar Vukovic, Marshall

90. LA: Nicklaus Sullivan, Los Angeles FC II