World Football

Major League Soccer is considering a massive playoff format change for the 2023 season, per Sam Stejskal and Pablo Maurer of The Athletic.

The league is considering expanding its playoff structure from 13 to 30 games, with The Athletic duo providing the reasoning:

"Sources said that the league is considering expanding its playoff format in part so it can increase its overall inventory of postseason matches in the first year of its new media rights agreement with Apple. The league and Apple announced a 10-year, $2.5 billion broadcast deal in June which will see the tech giant show every single MLS regular season and playoff match on its Apple TV streaming service starting in 2023."

With the shift to 30 games, therein lies the possibility of a "World Cup-style playoff tournament" to account for the postseason matchup increase.

The specifics and logistics of that tournament are not known, but one source "hypothesized" that it could consist of 16 teams advancing to a playoff with four groups (two East, two West). The top two seeds in each group would then advance to an eight-team round robin, followed by the MLS Cup.

The current MLS playoff format consists of seven teams from each conference advancing to a 14-team tournament. It is a single-elimination competition in which the top two teams in the East and West get byes.

There is also the possibility of the current format expanding from single- to double-leg, making for a 25-game playoff.

The format will be discussed at MLS' Nov. 15 board of governors meeting. Nothing has been approved as of yet.

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo returned to training with the club Tuesday.

Ronaldo was omitted from the squad for United's 1-1 draw with Chelsea. In their previous match, a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, he left the bench before full-time, and manager Erik ten Hag subsequently confirmed the Portuguese refused to enter the fixture as a substitute.

According to ESPN's Rob Dawson, Ronaldo and Ten Hag have maintained a "constant dialogue" following the Chelsea draw.

"Ten Hag happy issue has been dealt with and keen to move on," per Dawson.

This situation is driving home how Ronaldo needs Manchester United more than Manchester United need Ronaldo.

The 37-year-old is no longer so good to where he's automatically on the teamsheet for each and every match. His 18 goals in the Premier League last season don't paint an accurate picture of his full impact on the pitch, and now you can't count on him to regularly provide goals, either. He has one goal through eight league fixtures, and his 0.26 goals per 90 minutes are on pace to be his lowest since 2004-05, per FBRef.

Ten Hag basically holds all of the cards because Ronaldo can't afford to remain confined to the bench—or frozen out altogether—with the 2022 FIFA World Cup on the horizon.

Even presuming he doesn't get dropped by Portugal coach Fernando Santos, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will want to be in form once the event rolls around next month. Both he and the national team will suffer if he's struggling for match fitness.

Earlier in his career, Ronaldo effectively had carte blanche because being one of the best players in the world affords you special privileges. Today, he's bound to come out on the losing end in any head-to-head battle with his manager.

As a result, the Portuguese is forced to make do for now until he can seek greener pastures in the January transfer window or upon the expiration of his contract in the summer.

The family of Spanish trekker Santiago Sanchez say he has gone missing while attempting to hike from Madrid to Doha, Qatar, for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

According to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), Sanchez last contacted his family on Oct. 2 after making his way to Iran. His last post on Instagram, where he has been documenting his journey, was one day earlier.

Sanchez's parents reported him missing on Oct. 17.

"After a few days, we didn't worry about him not posting; it matched what he had said," his mother, Celia Cogedor, said. "But after eight or nine days, my daughter and his closest friends ... we already began to think that we had to report his disappearance."

Spain's ambassador in Tehran, Iran, is "handling the matter."

Sanchez intended to give an interview with a Tehran-based television station about his experience. He planned to then make his way to Bandar Abbas, which is along Iran's southern coast. From there, the 41-year-old would complete his final leg to Qatar by boat.

The World Cup is scheduled to kick off Nov. 20, with host Qatar playing Ecuador. Spain, which was drawn in Group E, will begin play Nov. 23 against Costa Rica.

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly received "no interest" from other clubs despite Manchester United making him available for a free transfer to any side willing to take on the remainder of his £500,000-a-week contract.

ESPN's Mark Ogden reported Saturday that United, with support from the Glazer family ownership, has sought out potential suitors since the summer transfer window, when Ronaldo expressed a desire to leave Old Trafford, to no avail.

The update comes after United announced Ronaldo would be left out of the matchday squad for Saturday's Premier League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after refusing to come on as a substitute during Wednesday's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

He then left the pitch prior to the final whistle.

"We will miss him tomorrow," United manager Erik ten Hag told reporters Friday. "It's a miss for the squad but it's important for the attitude and mentality of the group and now we have to focus on Chelsea as that is important. He remains an important part of the squad."

Ronaldo, 37, has started just two of United's 10 Premier League matches so far this season. He's recorded two goals and one assist in 12 appearances (six starts) across all competitions.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner posted a statement Thursday on Instagram:

Ronaldo is expected to remain in a headline role for Portugal at the men's FIFA World Cup next month despite his limited club involvement, and United are hopeful his play in the tournament can create more interest heading into January's winter transfer window, per Ogden.

If a full transfer can't be found—Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal is the only one to even make an inquiry so far—it's also possible the forward could be loaned out at a reduced rate for the rest of the term, according to Ogden.

Ronaldo's contract with United is set to expire in June.

Meanwhile, a victory over the Blues on Saturday would push the Red Devils into fourth place in the Premier League table.

The reigning champions, the United States women's national team, were placed in Group E alongside the Netherlands, Vietnam and a playoff winner during Saturday's draw for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

While the USWNT figures to enter next year's tournament as the favorite despite a recent string of lackluster results, other top contenders include a quartet of European sides: England, France, Germany and Spain.

Here's a look at some more key information for the event:

• Where: Australia and New Zealand
• When: July 20 through August 20, 2023
• Match Schedule: FIFA.com

The playoff tournament to determine the final countries in the 32-team field will take place in mid-February.

In 2019, the United States cruised through the group stage, winning all three games by a combined score of 18-0, before beating Spain, France, England and the Netherlands in the knockout rounds to capture the country's fourth World Cup title.

Carli Lloyd, who helped the U.S. capture the 2015 and 2019 World Cup trophies before retiring in 2021, sees a landscape where the "world has caught up" to the once unstoppable Americans.

"For so many years in the U.S., we've been a little bit ahead of the game," Lloyd told reporters. "We've had the support, we've had the investment. But now that support and investment is coming across the globe, and that's what you want. In order for the U.S. to continue to be great, they need others to continue to push them. And this isn't just going to be the biggest and best World Cup—it's also going to be the hardest."

Her comments follow the USWNT's back-to-back friendly losses to England and Spain in early October.

Pressure has started to mount on head coach Vlatko Andonovski to find the right combination of established veterans and rising stars to build next year's squad. A pair of friendlies against Germany in November will be the latest test of the squad's progress.

Germany is second on the all-time list with two Women's World Cup titles. Norway and Japan round out the past champions as the tournament heads toward its ninth edition in 2023.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag confirmed Friday that Cristiano Ronaldo refused to enter Wednesday's 2-0 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur as a substitute before walking down the tunnel in the match's final minutes.

Ten Hag added he'd already given Ronaldo a warning about his behavior after a similar incident during a preseason match against Rayo Vallecano when he entered the locker room early, saying a coach must establish a "top sport culture."

"We are a team, and in the team, we have values and standards, and I have to control that," Ten Hag told reporters. "After Rayo Vallecano, I told [him] it was unacceptable, but he was not the only one, but that is for everyone, so when it's the second time, there will be consequences. I sent a warning at the start of the season, next time there has to be consequences. Football is a team sport, and you have to fulfill certain standards. And I have to control it."

United announced Thursday that Ronaldo won't be part of Saturday's matchday squad to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as a result of his midweek actions.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner posted a statement on Instagram, saying "sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us:"

Ten Hag said Ronaldo is expected to rejoin the squad Monday ahead of a Europa League clash with Moldovan side FC Sheriff on Thursday.

"We will miss him tomorrow," the United boss said Friday. "It's a miss for the squad, but it's important for the attitude and mentality of the group, and now we have to focus on Chelsea as that is important. He remains an important part of the squad."

The 37-year-old Portuguese legend has tallied two goals and one assist across 12 appearances (six starts) for United this season.

His displeasure comes after a summer when he sought a transfer to a Champions League club that never materialized.

Pete Hall of iNews reported Thursday the Red Devils are now considering whether to release the forward if no deal can be found in January during the winter transfer window.

Ronaldo rejoined United in August 2021 after previously emerging as one of the world's most dynamic attackers during his first stint with the Premier League club from 2003 through 2009. He's also played for Sporting CP, Real Madrid and Juventus.

He's expected to feature prominently for Portugal during the 2022 FIFA World Cup starting next month in Qatar despite his limited involvement for United so far this term.

How he performs on the international stage could help determine whether there's significant transfer interest from marquee clubs come January.

Bernd Reichart, the new CEO of A22 Sports Management, said his company will attempt to relaunch the European Super League during the 2024-25 season.

Reichart explained Wednesday on the Spanish radio show El Larguero (via ESPN's Adriana Garcia) the league faces a "long journey" amid legal challenges, but there's still a commitment to move forward with the idea after a failed attempt in April 2021.

"It's very much alive. There are some who want to declare that it is dead, but if they say it a lot, there is much to suspect," Reichart said. "There are clubs in Europe that surely share the vision of Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona, and now they have the opportunity to share what they think. There is a broad consensus that football needs reform. Football cannot continue as it is designed now."

The Super League proposal featured 12 full-time clubs—AC Milan, Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur—along with eight spots up for qualification each season.

It received immediate backlash from FIFA, UEFA, uninvolved clubs and fans, most of which stemmed from the idea it was an idea to help the sports rich get even richer.

The six Premier League clubs quickly backed out amid the criticism, causing the idea to get put on hold just two days after the initial announcement.

Now, 18 months later, Reichart confirmed the renewed plans include no full-time spots for high-profile teams, per Garcia.

"The concept of a fixed [guaranteed] placement is not something that we are currently considering," he said. "Sporting merit will be applied to all members of that Super League."

Reichart also noted the idea of potentially playing weekend matches has also been dropped in favor of more traditional midweek fixtures for European competitions, similar to the UEFA Champions League.

"The Super League has never been intended to harm the domestic leagues, or the calendar, but we are talking about European competition during the week, yes," he said.

In June, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin declared the Super League idea is "dead because nobody wants to participate" and defended the sport's European governing body.

"I will say that UEFA is not a monopoly," Ceferin told Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Marca's Diego Zarazua). "You are free to be in it or not. You can participate in our cups or organize your own. But then, it's logical that you don't play in ours, isn't it?"

While Barca, Juve and Real Madrid have remained committed to the Super League project, questions remain about whether Premier League clubs would participate given the fierce opposition they faced during the first attempt.

Reichart said the Super League will "extend its hands to all members of European football," including those from England's top division.

The European Union's Court of Justice heard arguments from Super League representatives in July about UEFA being a "monopolistic entity."

A ruling in the case, which could come in early 2023, will likely have a significant impact on whether the Super League has future viability in the European club space.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who didn't start or play for Manchester United in the club's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, made headlines when he walked down the tunnel into the locker room before the final whistle blew.

Manager Erik Ten Hag said it was a situation that would be addressed.

"I don't pay attention [to that] today, we will deal with that tomorrow," he told reporters. "The focus today was on a magnificent performance from all the 11 players. I have to correct myself, not just 11 players but the substitutes who came on, it was a squad performance. We deal with that [Ronaldo] tomorrow. What we see today is 11 players who defend and 11 who attack."

Ronaldo's actions became a primary storyline in what should have been a jubilant evening for a United side that moved just one point behind fourth-place Chelsea after the Blues posted a disappointing scoreless draw against Brentford.

United and Chelsea will face off on Saturday. If the aftermath of Ronaldo's actions on Wednesday were any indication, his situation will remain a talking point until that match:

Ronaldo has been making headlines for the wrong reasons all season long after trying unsuccessfully to force a move away from Manchester United during the summer in an effort to get to a club playing Champions League football this season.

This week alone, he already raised eyebrows after being visibly unhappy with being subbed off in Sunday's scoreless draw against Newcastle in the 72nd minute.

Ten Hag defended that decision.

"We have to recover," he told reporters. "Four games in 10 days and especially for the strikers, I want to keep them fresh. I want to keep them all fresh, we have to rotate because of some problems we have. [Anthony] Martial is not available in this moment, then Rashy [Marcus Rashford] was not well, so he did not have energy for the whole game. We had to plan to cover for the four games because we want to win or at least get a result in all four games."

Ten Hag also acknowledged that the 37-year-old Ronaldo wasn't happy earlier in October when he didn't play at all in a 6-3 loss to Manchester City.

"Of course, he wants to play, and he's annoyed when he's not playing," he told reporters. "It's clear."

"He's really competitive, as we all know. He's not happy, of course, when he's not playing," Ten Hag added. "But I already said and, I have to repeat, he's training well, he has a good mood, he's motivated, and he gives his best. That is what we expect."

If Ronaldo's end game is to keep his name in the headlines and to cause drama around the club to force a move in January, he's at least succeeding in the first part of his plan.

Whether another club will be willing to pay his huge wages, regularly start a player who is still a solid poacher but offers little in the way of pressing off the ball—a style of play more and more clubs have gravitated toward in the modern game—and is always a threat to cause drama and unrest if he's unhappy is another question entirely.