1. What happens next is up to Mo Salah
When pressed by Clarence Seedorf about Mo Salah’s future following Wednesday's win at Inter Milan, Arne Slot gave an excellent answer: “The first thing should be, does the player think he made a mistake as well? … The next question is should the initiative come from me or from him?” Seedorf essentially asked if there was a way back for Salah and argued that everyone makes mistakes. Slot held his ground and got to the main question: Does Salah believe he made a mistake?
Nothing Salah's done publicly since his scathing comments suggests he does. If that's the case, Liverpool cannot allow him to keep poisoning what's become an extremely challenging season. If he's expressed remorse privately and is willing to accept a reduced role, he can be a valuable player for the rest of his contract. Salah was effective off the bench Sunday, picking up an assist to break Wyane Rooney's record for the most Premier League involvements with a single club. His Liverpool career doesn't have to have an ugly ending. It's his call.
2. The USMNT is getting what it always hoped for
From the minute the United States was announced as the primary host nation for the 2026 World Cup, the objective was to have the team's stars – all in their prime – in the best possible form heading into the tournament. That's why players were allowed to back out of the Gold Cup and why everyone is trying to find clubs where they will get on the field consistently. For the most part, it's working. A sick Christian Pulisic came off the bench and scored twice in 12 minutes on Monday. He's been one of the best players in Serie A.
Floarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi both found the back of the net in the Champions League on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Weston McKennie joined Pulisic as the only male U.S. internationals with double-digit goal contributions in the competition. What's fascinating is that these players have not been the driving force behind the national team’s recent resurgence. McKennie especially will have a hard time convincing Mauricio Pochettino the team is better with him in it. Pochettino has to decide what he's going to prioritize.
3. The issues keep coming for FIFA
The World Cup draw took place Dec. 5. In the nine days since, President Gianni Infantino was accused by an English human rights organization of violating FIFA’s rules on political neutrality and Egypt and Iran have publicly complained about being assigned to play in Seattle's “Pride Match.” The LGBTQ+ celebration was scheduled before the teams playing in the game were determined. It is expected to be a topic of conversation at the upcoming FIFA Council meeting.
Unsurprisingly, FIFA has refused to comment on the situation. While there were policies put in place to restrict pro-LGBTQ+ messages in Qatar, they were specifically related to what happened in the stadium. Seattle is organizing a community event FIFA has no control over, which means there's only so much it can do if it wants to appease Egypt and Iran. Infantino has brought much of this on himself as well as the organization he leads through his actions and behavior. Everyone will be looking to him for a resolution.
4. The NWSL still has plenty of work to do if it is going to solve the problem
Reports surfaced Thursday that the National Women's Soccer League’s board of governors approved a “High Impact Player” rule to pay stars above the salary cap. The development could potentially allow the Washington Spirit to get a deal done with Trinity Rodman, and it's no coincidence that the mechanism was approved as her future is up in the air. It is important to note that the NWSL Players’ Association also must approve any change like this.
If the NWSLPA – which has already filed a grievance on Rodman's behalf – isn't on board, good luck trying to get anything done. This has to be a collaborative effort. It also doesn't guarantee that the league's biggest names will stick around. Rodman herself has been outspoken about her desire to play in Europe. There is something special about the Champions League that the NWSL simply can't replicate. The “High Impact Players” idea won't fix everything, and it might not fix much at all. Time will tell.
5. Jamie Vardy keeps doing the thing
Ballon D’Or winner Luka Modrić signed with AC Milan just before his 40th birthday. He has started every Serie A game for the team. As remarkable as that is, there is another former Premier League star doing something that is arguably even more impressive. On Wednesday, Jamie Vardy became the first English player to ever win Serie A’s player of the month award. Vardy turns 39 in less than four weeks and plays for a team that was expected to be in a relegation fight.
In his short time at Cremonese, Vardy is scoring more goals per 90 minutes (0.46) than he did in his last two Premier League seasons combined. He is nearly halfway to matching his league goal total from last season in just 10 Serie A appearances. When his time at Leicester City ended, Vardy could have any number of lesser leagues and made his job easier. He opted for a difficult situation in one of the world’s best, and it couldn't be going a whole lot better.