Matthew Bunch

Matthew Bunch has lived in Miami since 2005, covering a variety of collegiate and professional sports. As Editor in Chief of The Miami Hurricanes, the student newspaper of the University of Miami, Matthew and his staff won the paper's first ACP Pacemaker Award since 1992. With the return of professional soccer to Miami-Dade County in 2016, Matthew channeled his professional interest with his personal passion for the Beautiful Game. You can contact Matthew at bunch.mcs@gmail.com.

How does Miami stack up as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

United 2026 FIFA World Cup Bid Evaluation Report Cover. Image by FIFA.

Now that we know that the United States will be hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, the next drama to unfold will relate to the cities that are chosen to host group and knockout stage games. 23 cities were included in the Bid Book, but only 16 will make the final cut.

We know that three cities in Canada and Mexico will host matches. That means out of the 16 American cities included in the book, 10 will make the final cut. What clues exist to the 10 that could be chosen? Some valuable information can be found in the Bid Evaluation Report submitted by the 2026 Bid Evaluation Task Force to the FIFA Council earlier this month.

The Miami FC 2 avoids tripping up against Palm Beach United

The Miami FC 2 hosts Palm Beach United. Photo by Drew Housman.

The Miami FC 2 got back on track Wednesday night, defeating Palm Beach United 4-1 at Bobcat Field at St. Thomas University.

Palm Beach United isn’t generally considered in the top echelon of the National Premier Soccer League’s Sunshine Conference. However, they’ve managed two wins against teams who are in that top tier (Miami United and Jacksonville Armada). For the second time this season, through, Miami FC 2 was able to handle the matchup with ease.

Colombia, Venezuela to face off at Hard Rock Stadium

Colombia Venezuela

Hard Rock Stadium announced Monday afternoon that Colombia and Venezuela’s national teams will square off at the stadium on Sept. 7.

CMN Sports and Relevent Sports are partnering to arrange the game. Relevant Sports is part-owned by Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium owner Stephen Ross.

Earlier this year, there were reports that Colombia would be facing off against the United States. It’s uncertain how this game may affect negotiations for that game.

Colombia and Venezuela last played each other in World Cup Qualifying on Aug. 31, 2017 (a 0-0 draw). The two squads last played in a friendly on Sept. 3, 2010 (Colombia won, 2-0).

Women from Fresno and men from Los Angeles claim Neymar Jr’s Five national titles

Neymar Jr's Five

On a rainy but exciting weekend in Wynwood, the women’s and men’s national titles in the Neymar Jr’s Five were awarded. Los Zorros of Fresno won the ladies title, while TC Broders from Los Angeles claimed the men’s title.

The two-day event was a festival of soccer, with a particular focus on five-a-side futsal and freestyle soccer tricks. The highlight of Friday night’s festivities was a celebrity pick-up game with former U.S. Men’s National Team captain and current YouTube celebrity Jimmy Conrad.

LIVE: Miami United FC hosts Orlando City SC in U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round

Miami United FC Orlando City U.S. Open Cup

Miami United FC earned a historic matchup when it defeated Jacksonville Armada FC in the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup: Orlando City SC is traveling to Hialeah tonight. You can check the Magic City Soccer pregame show here!

The game will kick off at 7:30 pm from Ted Hendricks Stadium. If you can’t catch it live, you can watch it here!