Presenting the biggest U.S. soccer stories of 2025, with the World Cup ready to grab the headlines and then some next year.

From Mbappe to Messi, the world’s biggest soccer stars collide in North America this summer. Here's how to watch the action without a pricey subscription.

Next summer's event will be the first ever 48-team World Cup, with those nations being broken up into 12 groups of four. From there, 104 matches will be played at 16 venues across the U.S., Canada and Mexico to determine a World Cup champion.

North America will be the center of the sporting world during the summer of 2026 as the World Cup will be held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico, with a matchup between host nation Mexico and Group A challenger South Africa. In 2010, South Africa became the first African nation to host a World Cup.

FIFA announced that the 2026 World Cup winner will earn a record financial prize, with the total fund increasing by 50% from the last event in 2022.

In this file photo, a mockup of the FIFA World Cup trophy is seen during a news conference in Houston, Thursday, May 15, 2025. The Houston Zoo recently posted about a large, glowing trophy sculpture set up at the zoo, and invites guests to snap photos with it.