Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. ‘Tis the season for company holiday gatherings, commercialism, and soccer. Of course, it’s always soccer season somewhere, which makes dealing with the rest just a little bit easier. For now, let’s get to the links.

MLS Off-Season Kicks Off

Major League Soccer’s “silly season” is upon us. MLS has released the End-of-Year Waivers list and the dates of when the 2025 MLS Re-Entry Draft will occur, including the list of eligible players and the list of eligible free agents. Obviously, we know that former Orlando City players like Pedro Gallese and Cesar Araujo are available for other teams. Looking through the lists does make one wonder who — if anyone — Orlando City might try to sign.

Orlando City Tickets on Sale

It’s never too early to start planning for next season and you can do exactly that as single match and “Hat Trick Packs” tickets are available for purchase now that the schedule is out. The Hat Trick Packs are for three different and specific sets of matches, not just any three you want. Of course, each of the packs does include at least one match against actual “rival” clubs. It might seem a long way off, but the season kicks off on Feb. 21, so it’s not actually too far out if you know what your schedule looks like.

USMNT Players Abroad

The World Cup draws ever closer and now that the USMNT knows (most of) its opponents for the group stage, it’s not too soon to look at how U.S. players are doing. There were several standout performances by Americans in Europe over the weekend, including Christian Pulisic’s brace. A couple of Americans made the grade Monday with Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun scoring goals in the Champions League.

You love to see it. There are more chances to watch Americans in Europe over the next couple of days, including a potential showing by former Orlando City striker Daryl Dike.

USWNT Schedule Update

The USWNT will finish the January camp with a friendly against Chile on Jan. 27. The match will take place at at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, CA. This is the second announced match for the camp, with the team also playing Paraguay on Jan. 24. This is the first time that the team will play in Santa Barbara, which is an example of how Emma Hayes is trying to take the national team to new markets around the country.

Free Kick

• Is the World Cup “group of death” dead? Even if it isn’t, there’s a bit of interesting history behind the concept.
• MLS announced the top 45 invitees for the 2025 MLS College Showcase taking place in Mesa, AZ. Orlando City’s Joran Gerbet was an invitee in 2024.
• LAFC exercised the permanent transfer option on midfielder Mathieu Choinière from Grasshopper Club Zürich of the Swiss Super League. 
• Breaking News! FIFA’s Gianni Infantino being investigated by the ethics committee. Also, grass is green.

• Congratulations to the Florida State University women’s soccer team for winning its fifth national championship Monday night with a 1-0 win over Stanford.

That will do it for today. Check back as we finish our Orlando Pride Season in Review pieces. Vamos Orlando!

Good morning, everyone. The 2025 MLS season is officially over, which means it’s time to start looking ahead to 2026. The start of next season is still over two months away, but there are still plenty of things going on in the soccer world during the meantime. We’ve got a lot to discuss this morning so let’s get right into the links.

Thomas Williams Traded

Orlando City announced on Monday that it has traded Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to Nashville SC. In exchange, Nashville sent Orlando its first-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft and will also send up to an additional $100,000 in General Allocation Money if certain performance incentives are hit. That first-round pick is the 20th overall selection in the draft, meaning that Orlando now has the fifth, ninth, 14th, and the 20th overall picks, for a whopping four first-round selections. Williams’ departure means that Orlando will likely need to sign a fourth center back to join Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and David Brekalo, although whether that happens in the draft or via the transfer window/trade market is anyone’s guess.

World Cup Will Have Hydration Breaks

FIFA has announced that every game in the 2026 World Cup will be paused for three minutes during each half for a hydration break, regardless of weather conditions. The break will occur 22 minutes into each half, and effectively splits the game into four quarters. After some games in the Club World Cup were played in over 100-degree heat, the decision to include water breaks was made to prioritize player safety, and the choice to have breaks even in games where conditions don’t call for one is intended to ensure competitive balance. The decision is a sensible one when it comes to player welfare, but don’t be at all surprised when FIFA uses the three-minute time frame to run advertisements, because I guarantee that’s what will happen.

UEFA Champions League Returns

The UEFA Champions League is back for its sixth round of league phase matches this week, and there are several eye-catching matchups on the docket. Today’s action is highlighted by Liverpool traveling to the San Siro to face Inter Milan, and the Reds will be hoping for a repeat of the Round of 16 tie between the two teams back in 2021-2022, when they beat the Italians 2-0 in Milan. Meanwhile, Chelsea will hope to build off an impressive 3-0 win over Barcelona on matchday five, when the Blues travel to Bergamo to face Atalanta. The tentpole match on Wednesday sees Real Madrid host Manchester City, with the match marking the fifth straight season that the teams have played each other in the Champions League.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The January transfer window will be here before we know it, and as expected, the rumor mill is firing on all cylinders. Up first, Napoli is said to be increasing its efforts to sign Kobbie Mainoo on loan next month, as the Italian club needs capable bodies in a midfield that’s been wracked by injuries. Atletico Madrid is reportedly interested in signing Valentin Barco from Strasbourg, but Chelsea may have an advantage in landing his signature due to the fact that Strasbourg and Chelsea are sister clubs. AC Milan is said to be planning to use Luka Modric’s connection to Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to help sign the Ukrainian shot stopper if current goalkeeper Mike Maignan leaves at the end of the season. Finally, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Manchester United are all said to be interested in signing Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, but the French club wants a fee in the area of €60 million.

Free Kicks

• Here’s a peek at some of the off-season renovations underway at Inter&Co Stadium.

• The NWSL will be hosting a combine for the first time.

• Christian Pulisic scored a brace off the bench to help AC Milan to a 3-2 comeback win over Torino on Monday.
• This is a good breakdown of how travel will impact all of the 48 teams at the 2026 World Cup.
• The Houston Dash have signed goalkeeper Hillary Beal.
• Sporting Kansas City has reportedly acquired goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland from Austin FC.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work while covering high school basketball and wrestling this week. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride defender Zara Chavoshi, who turned 23 Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

World Cup Draw Reveals Favorable Group for USMNT

The FIFA World Cup draw was completed Friday in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Men’s National Team will face Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of UEFA Path C which will be decided between the winners of Turkey vs. Romania and Slovakia vs. Kosovo. FIFA also announced the match times, location, and full schedule for all the 2026 World Cup matches. The opening World Cup match for the USMNT will be June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The Yanks will play again June 19 against Australia at Lumen Field in Seattle, before facing the UEFA playoff winner on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium.

As for the cohosts, Mexico was drawn with South Korea, South Africa, and the UEFA Path D winner between the victors in the Czech Republic vs. Ireland and Denmark vs. North Macedonia matches. Canada will face Qatar, Switzerland, and the UEFA Path A winner between whoever survives the bracket with Italy vs. Northern Ireland and Wales vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Inter Miami Wins MLS Cup

Inter Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 Saturday at Chase Stadium to win its first MLS Cup, because sometimes evil triumphs over good. Miami went ahead early on an own goal by Vancouver defender Edier Ocampo. In the second half, the Whitecaps’ Ali Ahmed scored the equalizer, but Rodrigo De Paul pulled Miami back in front at 2-1. In stoppage time, Tadeo Allende added an insurance goal for Miami. Lionel Messi had two assists and was named the MLS Cup MVP. It’s the third consecutive year Miami has won a trophy since Messi’s arrival, taking the Leagues Cup title in 2023 and the Supporters’ Shield in 2024. The Whitecaps’ stellar MLS Cup playoff run ended with questions surrounding the club’s future. The Whitecaps remain for sale, but according to The Athletic, the club may relocate if it can’t secure a new lease at BC Place.

Americans Abroad

It was another busy weekend for Americans abroad in Europe. Weston McKennie added an assist for Juventus, but his side fell 2-1 to Napoli. Brenden Aaronson came off the bench in the second half, played 25 minutes, and notched an assist in Leeds United’s 3-3 draw against Liverpool. Malik Tillman played 81 minutes but Bayer Leverkusen fell 2-0 to FC Augsburg. Joe Scally played 90 minutes as Borussia Monchengladbach beat Mainz 1-0. In France, Tim Weah played 90 minutes but his side fell 1-0 to his former team Lille. Mark McKenzie played a full 90 as well, as Toulouse beat Strasbourg 1-0. Today, Christian Pulisic and AC Milan will face Torino in Serie A league action.

San Diego Wave FC Wins World Sevens Tournament

The San Diego Wave defeated Tigres 3-0 Sunday at Beyond Bancard Field in Fort Lauderdale to win the World Sevens Soccer Tournament and take home $2 million in prize money. Adriana Leon scored two goals in the match. The Wave went undefeated in the tournament, winning five matches and scoring 14 goals while conceding only three. The Wave defeated Deportivo Cali, beat Club America in a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw, and beat Nacional in the group stage, while cruising to a 5-1 win over Flamengo in the semifinals. The Wave weren’t the only NWSL side in the competition; the Kansas City Current also participated but were eliminated in the group stage.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic’s Croatia side will face England, Panama, and Ghana in Group L of the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer.

• Detroit City FC acquired former Orlando City B forward Ates Diouf via a transfer from Lexington SC and signed him to a two-year contract through 2027 with a club option for the 2028 season.

• St. Louis City announced that Technical Director John Hackworth will leave the club to become the head coach of the U.S. Naval Academy men’s soccer program.
• LAFC announced the appointment of Marc Dos Santos as the club’s new head coach. Dos Santos has served as an assistant coach for LAFC for the past four seasons.
• Concacaf announced key details for the 2026 Champions Cup. The tournament will begin in February and end with the final on May 30. The draw for the tournament will take place Tuesday.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.