Men's National Teams

Nigeria confirmed top spot in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group with a dramatic last-gasp 1-0 win away over neighbor Benin on Saturday, having already secured their place at the finals before kick off.

Nigeria’s place at the tournament in Cameroon next January was confirmed earlier on Saturday when the other two countries in Group L — Lesotho and Sierra Leone — played out a drab goalless draw in Maseru, ensuring at least a top-two finish for leaders Nigeria.

Add yet another first to Stéphanie Frappart’s impressive resumé. The French referee became the first woman to officiate a men’s World Cup qualifier, taking charge of the Netherlands’ 2-0 win over Latvia on Saturday.

Canada’s men’s national team is guaranteed to qualify for at least its second-ever World Cup appearance in 2026 as one of three host nations (along with the U.S. and Mexico). Before that, the Canucks are trying to qualify the hard way for the 2022 World Cup. And when we say the hard way, we mean it. But after watching Alphonso Davies and his teammates torch Bermuda on Thursday, they might just be up to the task.

Over the years FIFA has been opposed to players, teams and fans engaging in protests or sloganeering but it seems global soccer's governing body is perhaps now prepared to tolerate a blurring of the line it once drew between politics and sport.

On Wednesday, Norway's national team players wore T-shirts declaring "Human rights - on and off the pitch" as they lined up before their World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar, and the following day Germany made a similar protest before its qualifier against Iceland in Duisburg.

Midfielder Christian Pulisic returned to the United States men's national team after a 17-month absence in a 4-1 win against Jamaica on Thursday in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.

Sergiño Dest scored his first goal in his sixth match in the 34th minute and Brenden Aaronson made it 2-0 in the 52nd before Jamaica's Jamal Lowe halved the deficit in the 70th minute. Sebastian Lletget scored in the 83rd and 90th minutes to seal the win.

This Sergiño Dest goal vs Jamaica deserves to be hung in the Louvre.

The Barcelona defender played out of his mind in the opening 45 minutes of the USMNT’s friendly against Jamaica. Playing in the left back position — as opposed to his typical right back position with Barcelona — didn't faze Dest at all.

After bagging a brace for Barcelona on Sunday against Real Sociedad, Dest kept his shooting boots laced up with this beauty from 25 yards out.