soccer

Thomas Müller has often enjoyed the upper hand in his longtime rivalry with Lionel Messi. But on Saturday, in the latest marquee showdown between the two stars, it was Messi's turn.

The World Cup draw takes place Friday, featuring four debuting teams: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. The tournament, expanded to 48 nations, will run from June 11 to July 19 across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Haiti returns to World Cup after more than five decades and Curaçao has made history by becoming the smallest nation by population to qualify for a World Cup.

The deal was announced Thursday, a day before Inter Miami's playoff opener against Nashville. Messi's presence is expected to boost ticket sales as the club prepares for the move into the stadium near Miami International Airport.

A Spanish soccer league game featuring iconic team Barcelona at Hard Rock Stadium was canceled on Tuesday after players staged extraordinary on-field protests. It would have been the first time that La Liga hosted a game outside of Spain.

The friendly match was supposed to be played on Oct. 13 at Soldier Field in Chicago but will be moved to Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are reviewing the final details of a contract extension to keep him with the club until at least 2026, a person with knowledge of the matter tells The Associated Press.

While there was not a sellout game in the opening week, 10 of the first 24 matches have seen crowds in excess of 40,000, for an average of around 36,000. But optics, not just numbers, matter for a tournament FIFA hopes will become one of the most important in sport.

As Miami and 10 other U.S. cities ready for the FIFA Club World Cup, concern over such things as travel, fan safety and even economic uncertainty threaten to diminish enthusiasm for the tournament. The tournament starts next week, amid reports of foreign tourists being detained and visa processing delays.

South Florida will host eight high-stakes matches at this summer's FIFA Club World Cup, featuring iconic teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors — as well as Inter Miami — as they fight it out to be crowned the world's best soccer club.

With less than 500 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Miami is ramping up preparations to welcome an estimated 600,000 fans to South Florida next summer. The new CEO of the Miami Host Committee spoke to WLRN about her vision for the event.

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an interactive soccer mural during Miami Art Week has fused art with tech and the history of Overtown, Miami's historically Black neighborhood.