Nashville wins MLS Supporters’ Shield as LAFC clinches playoff berth

Nashville claims MLS Shield; LAFC secures playoff berth

Nashville SC clinched its first Supporters’ Shield with a 2-0 win over CF Montréal, locking up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The club has 21 wins and is five points short of the single-season points record, with three games remaining. Montréal’s loss also eliminated the club from playoff contention.

LAFC came back from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 with the LA Galaxy, earning the point it needed to clinch a Western Conference playoff spot. Joseph Paintsil scored twice for the Galaxy before Denis Bouanga and Leo Walter levelled the match.

Pulisic, McKennie and Weah score in European wins

Christian Pulisic opened the scoring in AC Milan’s 2-0 win at Udinese, controlling Luka Modrić’s sixth-minute pass and finishing past Maduka Okoye. Omari Hutchinson added Milan’s second; the win put the club fourth in Serie A, with 10 points from its last four league matches.

Weston McKennie scored in Juventus’ 2-0 win at Lecce, while Timothy Weah scored for Marseille in a 4-3 victory over Le Havre and captained the team. Joe Scally scored and assisted in Borussia Mönchengladbach’s first win of the season, a 3-2 result against Stuttgart.

Gotham moves within a point of NWSL Shield

Gotham FC beat Orlando Pride 2-1, with Midge Purce scoring in the 22nd minute and Tierna Davidson adding a goal in the 62nd. Solai Washington pulled Orlando within one three minutes later. Gotham leads the NWSL standings with 58 points, three ahead of San Diego, with one regular-season match remaining.

A win or draw against Utah Royals on Nov. 1 would give Gotham its first Shield. San Diego stayed in contention with a 2-2 draw against Boston, leaving the Wave on 55 points; they need a win over Bay FC and a Gotham loss to finish level and bring the tiebreaker into play.

Bethune sets NWSL single-season assists record

Kansas City Current midfielder Croix Bethune recorded her 11th assist of the season in a 2-1 win over Washington Spirit, setting a new NWSL single-season record. Her pass set up Vanessa DiBernardo’s 17th-minute goal. Bethune had shared the previous record of 10 with Tobin Heath and Utah’s Cloé Lacasse.

Bethune made her first start since Sept. 4 after dealing with a hip injury. Kansas City enters the final matchday in fourth place, two points behind Washington.

Chattanooga advances to MLS NEXT Pro conference final

Chattanooga FC beat CT United FC 3-1 to reach the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Final for the first time. Tate Robertson opened the scoring with a free kick, Alex Krehl converted a penalty after CT United equalized, and Steeve Louis Jean scored in the 83rd minute.

Second-seeded Chattanooga will host Columbus Crew 2 on Nov. 1 after Columbus defeated top-seeded Crown Legacy FC 2-1. The top seeds also fell in the West: LAFC 2 beat Austin FC II 1-0, and Ventura County defeated Portland Timbers2 by the same score.

Ballon d’Or ceremony returns to England

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is set for the London Palladium, 70 years after the first award was presented to Stanley Matthews at Blackpool town hall. Matthews’ family plans to attend the event, which returns to England from its usual home in Paris as a tribute to the first winner.

Rose Lavelle is the only U.S. international among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or Féminin, ESPN reported. The outlet noted that a Spanish player has won each of the last five Ballon d’Or and FIFA Best awards, while Megan Rapinoe was the last U.S. winner, in 2019.

NWSL removes High Impact Player eligibility limits

The NWSL and its players’ association reached a settlement resolving six grievances, including an agreement to remove eligibility requirements for the High Impact Player rule starting in 2027. The rule allows teams to spend up to $1 million above the salary cap on qualifying players; the change gives clubs more freedom to use that allowance.

The settlement also covers the league’s rejection of Washington Spirit’s initial contract with Trinity Rodman, expands performance bonuses and increases transparency over revenue-sharing contributions to the salary cap. The union said the agreement secures gains in compensation, transparency and contractual protections.

Balogun to miss World Cup match after red card

Folarin Balogun was automatically suspended for one game after receiving a red card in the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, ABC News reported. FIFA told ABC the on-field decision cannot be overturned or appealed, and U.S. Soccer said there is no appeal mechanism.

The red card came in the 64th minute, after Balogun scored the opening goal. The United States will face Belgium without him, according to ABC.

Cavan Sullivan’s ankle injury puts November USMNT camp in question

Philadelphia Union teenager Cavan Sullivan missed the club’s 2-1 loss to New England after an ankle injury, Sports Illustrated reported. The outlet said the injury’s severity and recovery timeline were not known, with the USMNT scheduled to convene on Nov. 9 for Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti.

Sullivan had started regularly for Philadelphia since the World Cup and has seven goals and 14 assists this season, according to Sports Illustrated. The Union’s loss ended a 15-game unbeaten run.

Bournemouth beats Manchester United as Adams plays 90 minutes

Tyler Adams played all 90 minutes as Bournemouth beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford, following a 3-0 Europa League win over AC Milan. Soccer America reported Bournemouth had won four straight matches across the two competitions.

Adams covered more ground than any other player, created a chance and made 12 defensive contributions, LiveScore reported. He also received a yellow card, his fourth booking in his last six starts for club and country.

Columbus NWSL team names OhioHealth training facility

Columbus NWSL 2028 and OhioHealth announced a partnership naming OhioHealth the club’s official healthcare provider and the naming-rights holder for its training facility, the OhioHealth Training Grounds. The organizations also released renderings of the facility.

OhioHealth will provide healthcare and performance services at the training grounds and ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. The partnership also plans community and fan events, including programs connecting team personnel with patients and healthcare providers.

Scally scores and assists in Gladbach’s first win

Joe Scally scored his third goal of the season and added an assist as Borussia Mönchengladbach beat Stuttgart 3-2 for its first victory of the season after six losses, Soccer America reported.

Malik Tillman made his longest Bundesliga appearance since Matchday 2 in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-0 loss to Hoffenheim. Santiago Castaneda helped Paderborn beat Hamburg 1-0, moving the club to 13th place and out of the relegation zone.

Real Madrid beats Barcelona 2-1 after late Mbappé goal

Kylian Mbappé scored twice as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1, with his late goal completing the victory after Raphinha had equalized. The Guardian reported that the result ended Barcelona’s nine-game winning run in the league and its run of unbeaten matches since returning to the Camp Nou a year earlier.

The Guardian said Jude Bellingham’s play helped set up the late move, with Eduardo Camavinga finding Mbappé for the finish.

MLS and NWSL Decision Day fixtures set for Nov. 1

Nashville will host Red Bull New York on Nov. 1, while LAFC will host Minnesota United and New England will host Inter Miami. The final listed MLS regular-season matches that day also include Vancouver against Seattle and Portland against Houston.

All NWSL matches on Nov. 1 kick off at 5 p.m. ET. Gotham hosts Utah, and San Diego visits Bay FC; the day’s other fixtures include Kansas City at Racing Louisville and Washington at home against Chicago.