Malawi has not only qualified for the Women’s World Cup for the first time, it will play in the final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday in Rabat. Its stars are sisters Temwa Chawinga and Tabitha Chawinga. The big news in Africa: Nigeria’s perfect World Cup participation record is over.
Paul Kennedy
Paul Kennedy edited Soccer America for 41 years (1985-2026). He began writing for SA in 1974. He started writing for France Football in 1978 and has served on in Ballon d'Or jury since 2007.
Posted inSoccer America Daily
COLLEGE SOCCER: Expanded women’s season kicks off
The 2026 NCAA Division I women’s season begins on Wednesday. The season has been expanded by two weeks, starting one week earlier and ending a week later with the Women’s College Cup being held in conjunction with the Men’s College Cup. As usual, ACC teams top the list of contending teams.
Posted inSoccer America Daily
NWSL: Thorns end skid thanks to Pietra Tordin hat trick
The 4-3 win against Boston Legacy in Rhode Island was powered by a 37-minute hat trick. It ended a four-game winless streak for the Thorns, who were playing without Olivia Moultrie (knee injury).
Posted inSoccer America Daily
YOUTH SOCCER: U.S. U-17 women will hold final camp before team picked for World Cup
Ciara Crinion will look at 24 players in Fayetteville before she names her roster for the 2026 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Posted inSoccer America Daily
NWSL: Plans for early 2027 kickoff, attendance ups and downs and next media rights deal
The NWSL will kick off its 2027 league season on Feb. 11 in Los Angeles, three days before the NFL’s Super Bowl, which will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The 2027 scheduling plans call for seven weeks off in the summer.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
Larry Berg and shining light on MLS’s ‘crown jewel’
Berg, named MLS’s next commissioner on Monday, is a private equity investor with a long background in the education business. That makes sense because MLS’s priority has to be its academies.
Posted inSoccer America Daily
What They’re Saying: JT Batson
“For us to win World Cups, we know a lot of things have to be true. We have to have great coaches, we have to have great youth pathways, we have to have great clubs. We have to have great youth national teams, to create world class experiences for those players so your first time trying to win a trophy isn’t a senior World Cup and they believe that all those things need to be true …” — U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson on working with Mauricio Pochettino and Jesus Perez.
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Max Arfsten joins Aidan Morris and Sebastian Berhalter at Middlesbrough
Boro will pay a reported $7.5 million to the Columbus Crew for Arfsten, who rose to prominence on the USMNT under Mauricio Pochettino. Elsewhere, Tanner Tessmann’s Lyon struggled in Champions league opener.
Posted inSoccer America Daily
USL: Portland Hearts of Pine unveil plans for new stadium
The Portland Hearts of Pine plan to privately fund a $50 million stadium at an industrial site on the Portland waterfront. ETA: early 2029. In its second season, Portland sells out the Fitz, a city-owned high school stadium and ranks second in attendance in the USL League One (behind AC Boise) and seventh among all USL men’s pro teams.
Posted inSoccer on TV
Soccer on TV: August 4, 2026
Leagues Cup kicks off. The USA faces Guatemala for a spot at the 2027 Under-20 Men’s World Cup.