With the FIFA World Cup one year away, USMNT's struggles continue in blowout loss against Switzerland
Elsewhere on the Golazo Starting XI newsletter, the mini-transfer window has wrapped up ahead of the Club World Cup
Hello there! The soccer calendar might be taking a beat before the Club World Cup and Gold Cup take center stage but teams are keeping busy ahead of those competitions and ahead of the big one – the 2026 World Cup, which will officially begin one year from today. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest.
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⚽ The Forward Line
🏆 One year to go until the World Cup
Today officially marks the one year countdown to the 2026 World Cup, which comes just as most of the world's national teams wrap up the international break. Next year's World Cup was top of mind for most of them, whether they played in qualifiers or friendlies, and the last week's fixtures served as a check-in for many as their plans begin to take shape.The host nations — the U.S., Mexico and Canada — will continue their preparations with the Gold Cup but are at very different stages of their journeys to the World Cup. While each of Mexico and Canada had at least one win in their pre-Gold Cup matches, the U.S. men's national team head into the competition on the back of four straight losses, the most recent a 4-0 loss to Switzerland. It's a notable losing streak as Chuck Booth notes, but not of the good kind.
- Booth: "This is the first time that the USMNT have lost four consecutive games since 2007, and they're now winless in seven straight matches against European teams. While regulars like Christian Pulisic aren't with the squad due to rest and some having Club World Cup obligations, losing to this degree was still unexpected for the squad. They've consistently struggled against top European sides, and while the coach has changed, the results have stayed the same. Questions have to be asked of the player pool."
Elsewhere, a new batch of favorites is slowly emerging. Spain and France are currently the oddsmakers' favorites to win the whole thing next year, each squad boasting a combination of excellent performers at the club level who have successfully translated that play to the international stage. Spain, the reigning European champions, will likely be led by teenager Lamine Yamal as they target their first World Cup since 2010 while France can count upon Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, two members of the team that won the title in 2018.
So far, 13 teams including the three host nations have made the cut, the most star-studded of which are reigning champions Argentina. Lionel Scaloni's side have barely put a foot wrong since lifting their third World Cup in 2022, succeeding even with Lionel Messi's frequent absences over the last few years. Two teams have also already booked their World Cup debuts – Asia's Uzbekistan and Jordan.
With one year to go, there are still plenty of exciting question marks, chief among them how several high-profile managers will settle into the cadence of life in charge of national teams. While Germany's Julian Nagelsmann already got a taste for it at last year's Euros, the USMNT's Pochettino will be joined by the likes of Brazil's Carlo Ancelotti and England's Thomas Tuchel as respected club managers who will be tasked with a statement-making showing next year. The results are mixed for that group – Brazil finally have their first win under Ancelotti and are in the World Cup after an underwhelming debut, while England are coming off an unimpressive win over Andorra and a loss to Senegal.
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⌛ Mini transfer window comes to a close
While the countdown continues for the 2026 World Cup, final preparations are underway for the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup, which begins on Saturday. For some of the Club World Cup's participants, that includes making some last-minute signings in the mini transfer window that FIFA created to accommodate them before the competition.
Manchester City were particularly busy in the final days of the truncated transfer window, signing Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Rayan Cherki from Lyon. City spent nearly $50 million in transfer fees on each player, marking a second consecutive transfer window in which the English side demonstrated their financial might. Both players provide manager Pep Guardiola with new options but if there's one that feels like a perfect fit, it's Cherki. Here's James Benge on the France international's move to City:
- Benge: "It is impossible to replace the creative force of Kevin De Bruyne but in pure output terms Cherki comes as close as almost anyone. His average of 0.48 assists per 90 minutes placed him fourth across Europe's top five leagues last season, his 0.52 expected assists a fair way clear of anyone else. Cherki is a ball progressing machine, hugely effective at getting the ball into the penalty area and creating shots for his team mates. … Where exactly he fits into the City XI shouldn't matter all that much given that he has the talent to enhance it in so many spots. This could be something special indeed."
Meanwhile, there will be not one, but two Bellinghams at the Club World Cup this summer after Jobe completed a move to his brother Jude's former club, Borussia Dortmund. Sunderland could collect a transfer fee as high as $43.4 million for the younger Bellingham's services, making him Dortmund's record signing. How quickly he will become a presence in Dortmund's team is a fair question but the Bellingham brothers may be looking forward to a potential quarterfinal matchup at the Club World Cup between the German side and Jude's Real Madrid.
Saudi Pro League side Al-Hial also made a dent in the transfer window after much chatter, landing N'Golo Kante on a short-term loan from Al-Ittihad. Outside of landing manager Simone Inzaghi last week, it is the only high-profile move for the Club World Cup despite their efforts, which included a small transfer saga involving Cristiano Ronaldo.
🔗 Top Stories
🇸🇦 Al-Hilal's transfer window: Al-Hilal talked a big game but struggled to make all of the major signings they hoped to before the Club World Cup.
🇮🇹 Italy's head coach search: Genaro Gattuso might be leading the race to replace Luciano Spaletti as Italy's head coach … but is Jose Mourinho actually the right person for the job?
🆕 Frank to Tottenham: As Thomas Frank inches closer to a move from Brentford to Tottenham Hotspur, here's a look at why he's a nice fit for Spurs after the Ange Postecoglou years.
1️⃣1️⃣ NWSL TOTW: Gift Monday and Michelle Copper are amongst the standouts in the NWSL team of the week, while Savy King earns a spot as the captain as she continues her recovery from heart surgery.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- FIFA World Cup: champion
💰 THE PICK: Spain to win the World Cup (+550) – They may have fallen short in Sunday's UEFA Nations League final but Spain may still be the best-equipped team to win the World Cup in one year's time and are currently the joint favorites alongside France. Spain re-emerged as a contender on the global stage with last year's triumph at the Euros, boasting a new generation of elite talent that makes them one of the teams to watch at next year's World Cup. The headlining act at this point is Lamine Yamal, who is already amongst the world's best at 17 years old, while Pedri and new Real Madrid recruit Dean Huijsen add to the youthful, but experienced vibe of the squad. Mix in some veterans like new UEFA Champions League winner Fabian Ruiz and the Arsenal-bound Martín Zubimendi and it is hard not to call Spain a contender – and that's just pulling from their Nations League final lineup.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.
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