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Two-time World Cup winning defender Becky Sauerbrunn, a mainstay with the United States women’s national team for over 15 years, as well as in the NWSL, announced her retirement from professional soccer on Tuesday.

She made the announcement via Instagram as well as through the USWNT.

“I learned early on that we were all just renting our jerseys,” Sauerbrunn said in a statement via US Soccer. “That I got to wear the U.S. Soccer crest once was an honor and privilege for which I’m forever grateful.

“The fact that I got to do it over 200 times is truly humbling. I competed with and learned from some of the greatest players and leaders this sport has ever seen, and I consider myself beyond lucky to have been able to play a small part in this program’s storied history.”

A steady, consistent defender whose reading of the game was made her one of the best in the world, the St. Louis native was part of the victorious U.S. World Cup teams in 2015 and 2019, and also was also in the gold medal-winning squad at the 2012 Olympics.

Kansas City Current), the Utah Royals, and most recently the Portland Thorns. She won a pair of NWSL titles with Kansas City in 2014 and 2015, and another with the Portland Thorns in 2022. She was also part of the Thorns sides that won the Community Shield in 2020, as well as a trifecta of titles in 2021 that included the NWSL Challenge Cup, the International Champions Cup, and the NWSL Shield.

Off the field, Sauerbrunn’s was among those at the forefront of the USWNT’s push for equal pay, which culminated in the landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2022 that saw the USWNT achieve equity with their USMNT counterparts. She also was a strong advocate for women’s rights and racial quality, adding to her already considerable legacy of excellence in all manner of endeavors.

Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/43025281/becky-sauerbrunn-announces-retirement-usa-club-soccer

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Privacy Manager

Source: https://frontofficesports.com/soccer-europe-unify-league-super-league/

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At just 25 years old, Deyna Castellanos has cemented her status as the “queen” of soccer in Venezuela, blazing a trail for her country and women in sports worldwide. Earlier this year, Castellanos made headlines when she signed a four-year, $1.8 million contract with Bay FC, a San Francisco-based women’s professional soccer team, as informed by NBC. 

The deal made her the highest-paid foreign player in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), a historic moment for the Venezuelan star. 

© Getty Images

 A Record-Breaking Career  

Before her groundbreaking signing with Bay FC, Castellanos had already built an impressive resume. She played for Atlético de Madrid, Manchester City, and the Venezuelan national team, where she holds numerous records. She remains the top scorer in South America’s under-17 championships and the U-17 Women’s World Cup, where her performance first put her on the global map.  

© UEFA via Getty Images

Castellanos’ ultimate dream remains tied to her national team despite her individual success. “My biggest dream is to qualify with the Venezuelan women’s team for the World Cup,” she said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo. “We are growing, we are maturing, and we are evolving in many ways. The goals may change, but the dreams remain the same.”  

From Venezuela to the World  

Castellanos credits a pivotal moment in her life for propelling her career to new heights. At the age of 16, she earned a scholarship to Florida State University, where she scored 47 goals in 77 games, breaking collegiate records. “Being a student-athlete in the United States changed my life,” she reflected, emphasizing the discipline and principles she gained while balancing her academic and athletic commitments.

Coming from Venezuela, however, her path was far from typical. “When I was little, they didn’t help you apply for an academic and sports scholarship in the United States,” she said, adding that opportunities for female soccer players in her country were practically nonexistent.   

Giving Back Through Her Foundation  

Castellanos is working to change that reality for the next generation of athletes. She helps young soccer players secure scholarships in the United States through her foundation. “We have already sent 50 girls to the United States,” she said, emphasizing that the initiative isn’t limited to Venezuelans. “Not just from Venezuela, but from all over the world, which is crazy.” 

© Getty Images

 Her foundation’s ambitious goals include expanding its reach and increasing the number of players it helps each year. “We have to keep looking for funds that can change our goal of sending 15 to 20 players to the United States each year, and maybe even 20 to 40,” she said. “We want to change things.”  

Advocating for Equality in Soccer 

 While Castellanos’ achievements and salary are groundbreaking, they also highlight the gender pay gap in soccer. “I don’t know if we will ever see equality in salaries. Let’s hope so,” she said, acknowledging the disparity between men’s and women’s soccer. Still, she remains optimistic about the future. “Women’s soccer has evolved a lot and will continue to grow, and salaries will be better every year.”  

© Getty Images

 A Safe Space in Women’s Soccer  

As a member of the LGBTQ community, Castellanos also champions inclusivity in women’s soccer. She described the sport as a welcoming space for everyone. “We have always felt at home, we have not felt judged, whether you are heterosexual, bisexual, gay — I think women’s football does that very well.”  

Source: https://www.hola.com/us/celebrities/20241216736292/deyna-castellanos-soccer-players-scholarships-in-the-us-through-foundation/

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The 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year has been revealed at the awards ceremony in Morocco on Thursday.

Nigeria and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has won the award for the first time in his career.

Lookman beat out competition from Achraf Hakmi, Ronwen Wiliams, Serhou Guirassy and Simon Adingra.

The Atalanta forwarrd becomes the sixth player to win the prestigious accolade after Nwankwo Kanu, Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Ikpeba, Victor Osimhen and Rashidi Yekini

Meanwhile, the Women’s Player of the Year award went to Zambia and Orlando Pride star Barbra Banda.

Full Awards List: 

Men’s Player Of the Year: Ademola Lookman

Women’s Player Of the Year: Barbra Banda

Men’s Interclub Player of the Year: Ronwen Williams

Women’s Interclub Player of the Year: Sana Massoudy

Goalkeeper of the Year (Men): Ronwen Williams

Goalkeeper of the Year (Women):Chiamaka Nnadozie

Young Player of the Year (Men): Lamine Camara

Young Player of the Year (Women): Doha El Madani

Men’s Coach of the Year: Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)

Women’s Coach of the Year: Lamia Boumehdi (Morocco)

National Team Of the Year (Men): Cote d’Ivoire

National Team of the Year (Women): Nigeria

Club of the Year (Men): Al Ahly

Club of the Year (Women): TP Mazembe

Source: https://www.snl24.com/soccerladuma/international/african-football/official-2024-caf-award-winners-list-20241216

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Professional soccer in Europe is poised for significant changes following a series of antitrust rulings that challenge the current governance structures of FIFA and UEFA. These decisions, according to Reuters, underscore the need for reform in the rules governing participation in competitions, team composition, and player movement across teams. The legal outcomes have also drawn parallels to similar challenges faced by other sports, such as professional swimming and collegiate athletics in the United States.

At the center of these rulings is the question of whether FIFA, the global governing body for soccer, and UEFA, its European counterpart, hold a dominant position that violates European antitrust laws. Recent judgments, including one by the European Court of Justice (CJEU), have highlighted the potential for these organizations to abuse their positions of economic and monetary control over soccer competitions and related commercial rights.

The European Super League and Antitrust Scrutiny

A critical test of this issue arose with the proposed European Super League, an alternative competition that sought to rival existing UEFA tournaments. FIFA and UEFA had sought to prevent teams from joining this new league and threatened sanctions against participants, sparking legal challenges that reached the CJEU.

The court found that the rules set by FIFA and UEFA could indeed restrict trade if they were not founded on clear, transparent, and non-discriminatory principles. According to Reuters, the CJEU noted that the governing bodies’ economic monopoly over organizing and marketing events, as well as their control over financial and commercial rights, placed them in a potentially dominant position. Without substantive safeguards, these rules risked constituting an abuse of dominance under EU competition law.

Read more: Antitrust Authority Fines Italian Soccer Federation €4.03 Million

Following the CJEU’s guidance, the case returned to a national court, which ultimately ruled that FIFA and UEFA’s regulations did not meet the necessary legal standards, rendering them unlawful. This outcome affirms the rights of alternative competitions to establish themselves, provided governing bodies fail to implement fair and objective procedures to regulate such endeavors.

Broader Implications for Sports Governance

These legal decisions are likely to have far-reaching consequences beyond soccer. They signal a shift toward stricter oversight of governing bodies’ roles in managing sports competitions, requiring greater accountability and adherence to antitrust laws. In professional swimming, for example, similar legal challenges have emerged, with disputes over participation in alternative leagues like the International Swimming League.

In the United States, the governance of collegiate athletics has also faced scrutiny, particularly regarding restrictions on athlete transfers and team composition. These developments, according to Reuters, highlight a global trend toward rethinking how sports organizations balance their regulatory authority with the principles of fair competition and market access.

Source: https://www.pymnts.com/cpi-posts/major-antitrust-rulings-signal-change-for-eu-soccer-governance/

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NELSPRUIT, SOUTH AFRICA – DECEMBER 16: Nasreddine Nabi of Kaizer Chiefs Football Club during the Betway Premiership match between TS Galaxy and Kaizer Chiefs at Mbombela Stadium on December 16, 2024 Nelspruit, South Africa. (Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images)

Source: https://www.snl24.com/soccerladuma/local/premiership/kaizer-chiefs/nasreddine-nabi-wants-new-signings-at-kaizer-chiefs-for-christmas-20241216

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