Morgan retires, Ronaldo scores 900th goal and USMNT loses to Canada
Kick the week off with all the news from this past weekend
Good morning and happy Monday!
This week we take a closer look at players — two of them in particular — as most of Europe’s top leagues took the weekend off to make way for the FIFA international window.
Alex Morgan and Cristiano Ronaldo both made news over the last few days, while the UEFA Nations League and 2026 World Cup qualifying dominated the headlines over the last few days.
As for the United States, they were involved in a friendly against neighbors Canada. The 2-1 defeat — another disappointing result — takes place as the Americans await the arrival of a new coach.
3. Morgan calls it quits
After becoming one of the more recognizable athletes in the United States during her brilliant 15-year pro career, Alex Morgan officially announced that she’s retiring from the game.
The 35-year-old striker said she’s hanging up her cleats because she’s pregnant with her second child.
Morgan said she’s confident that she’s done all she can — both on and off the field — for the women’s game.
“This decision wasn’t easy, but at the beginning of 2024 I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season that I would play soccer,” she said. “Soccer has been a part of me for 30 years, and it was one of the first things that I ever loved. I gave everything to this sport and what I got in return was more than I could have ever dreamed of.”
Morgan and husband Servando Carrasco, a former MLS player, have a 4-year-old daughter, Charlie.
Morgan played her final match with the San Diego Wave on Sunday against the North Carolina Courage at Snapdragon Stadium.
2. Ronaldo reaches historic milestone
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 900th goal of his career in Portugal’s UEFA Nations League group match against Croatia in Lisbon last Thursday.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner tapped in a volley from a Nuno Mendes cross in the 34th minute of the first half to double Portugal’s lead in the 2-1 win.
An emotional Ronaldo celebrated the goal by holding out his arms as he raced to the corner of the field before placing his hands on his face and dropping to the ground.
Ronaldo’s goal — his 131st for Portugal — extended his record for most international goals. In addition to his 769 goals scored during his club career, the Portugal captain becomes the first men’s player in history to score 900 goals in official matches.
“It means a lot,” Ronaldo said after the game. “It was a milestone I wanted to reach for a long time. I knew I would reach this number, because as I continue to play, it would happen naturally.”
1. USMNT keeps on disappointing
Following a disappointing Copa America earlier this summer that involved exiting in the first round which triggered the firing of manager Gregg Berhalter, the United States continued to display an alarming lack of intensity that resulted in its first home loss to Canada since 1957.
Jacob Shaffelburg and Jonathan David scored off defensive misplays, and Canada dominated 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.
It marked just the second win for Canada against the USMNT in 27 matches over 99 a span of 00 years on American soil.
Interim U.S. coach Mikey Varas didn’t hide his disappointment after the match.
“The mentality is on the players. Sorry, they know it,” he told reporters. “That mentality to fight and to run and to sacrifice, I can’t do that for them. I can’t do that for them. That’s on them.”
The U.S. Soccer Federation has been trying to reach an agreement for Mauricio Pochettino to become manager, but has not commented on the talks that began last month. An official announcement could come as early as this week.
In other news: France defeated Argentina 3-2 on penalty kicks under the lights of the Eiffel Tower for the gold medal in blind soccer on the penultimate day of the Paralympic Games in Paris. Frederic Villeroux scored the decisive spot kick to get the partisan home fans’ party underway after the teams drew 1-1 in regulation on Saturday. … In MLS, Albert Rusnák scored a hat trick, Jordan Morris had a goal and an assist and Seattle Sounders FC rolled to a 4-0 victory over Columbus on Saturday, taking advantage of a first-half red card on goalkeeper Abraham Romero in his league debut. … Ron Yeats, who captained Liverpool to six trophies in the 1960s, has died, the English club announced. He was 86. Yeats “suffered with Alzheimer’s in recent years,” Liverpool said in a statement, adding that he died late Friday. Signed from Dundee United in 1961, Yeats was immediately named captain and became a key defender in Liverpool manager Bill Shankly’s teams, helping lift the club out of an extended spell in the second division.