National Teams

DOHA - "Stop! Can't you see the metro station is full? Stop!" a frazzled supervisor shouted as green-vested marshals linked arms to contain thousands of fans streaming from the stadium that will host soccer's World Cup final in Qatar.

It was after midnight on Friday and, for hours, nearly 78,000 people had been filing out of the stadium after a near-capacity match tested the small Gulf state's readiness for the tournament, which kicks off on Nov. 20.

After recent friendlies against sides ranked 47th, 25th and 46th in the world, the USWNT is now preparing for an October that'll either certify its status as the 2023 World Cup favorite or potentially shift that tag to a European rival. 

We already knew about the showdown between the United States and European champion England at Wembley on Oct. 7, but on Monday, the U.S. announced another heavyweight clash — at trip to El Sadar in Pamplona to play Spain on Oct. 11.

As the 2022 World Cup nears, the focus shifts from qualifying and the group-stage draw to final preparations. With one more international break before the World Cup kicks off in November, the biggest remaining question for U.S. fans is who Gregg Berhalter picks to join him on the plane to Qatar. Here is our USMNT World Cup roster prediction. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina will play Russia in a friendly match in November, the Bosnia Football Association said on Friday.

The match will take place in St Petersburg on Nov. 19, one day before the World Cup in Qatar is scheduled to start.

NS/FS BiH je prihvatio ponudu za odigravanje međunarodne prijateljske utakmice od strane FS Rusije.https://t.co/AzZ8WI9nbY pic.twitter.com/ExNWAxIWbr

Megan Rapinoe is no longer a starter for the USWNT. Mallory Pugh has made the left flank her own, and it was the 24-year-old Chicago Red Stars forward who forced the opener on Tuesday night against Nigeria at Audi Field with a low cross that resulted in an own goal from the Super Falcons.

However, after Nigeria had surprisingly found an equalizer in the 50th minute through Tigres forward Uchenna Kanu, it was Rapinoe's introduction in the 65th that brought the crowd back to life before her quality in the final third restored the USWNT's advantage just one minute later. 

HONG KONG - Iran hopes history will repeat itself at this November's World Cup in Qatar, 24 years after overcoming a fractious build-up to score a memorable triumph over the United States — the country's decades-long geopolitical rival — in France.

As the teams prepare to clash again, and their governments wrangle over reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear pact, the Iranian side's preparations have been thrown into turmoil by a divided squad and maneuvering over its leadership.

The United States women’s national team took care of business with a 4-0 victory vs. Nigeria on Saturday during an international friendly in Kansas City.

This was the first game for the USWNT since the team won the Concacaf Women’s Championship in Mexico in July. The U.S. defeated Canada 1-0 in the final.

A litany of Americans played on Saturday across Europe, however not everyone finished the day healthy. The latest USMNT injury update saw two Americans miss game time.

USMNT Injury Update

Saturday Injuries: Antonee Robinson & Jordan Pefok

What happens to Christian Pulisic now?

It’s a question on the minds of many U.S. fans after Pulisic didn’t secure a loan or transfer away from Chelsea. With the summer window now closed, the next couple months look bleak for the USMNT’s No. 10.

Pulisic wanted a move out of London, but the club denied him.

After being told he wouldn't play a minute at Barcelona this season, Sergiño Dest has successfully engineered a move away from the Camp Nou by joining AC Milan on a one-year loan with an option to make it permanent for $20 million.