beIN SPORTS

Messi's omission from the FIFA Men's Player of the Year Award shortlist kicks off the debate on Monday's episode of The Locker Room.

Jeremy St Louis, Ray Hudson, Phil Schoen, Thomas Rongen and Gary Bailey also discuss Ronaldo’s Serie A scoring drought and wonder if the time has come to worry about Atletico Madrid.

On the occasion of Clint Dempsey's retirement, we had to get beIN SPORTS' two foremost U.S. Soccer voices – longtime broadcaster Phil Schoen and former scout/coach Thomas Rongen – to discuss Deuce's legacy and tackle the eternal debate of Dempsey vs. Landon Donovan as the USMNT's Greatest Of All Time.

Thomas tells the story of when he first scouted Dempsey as a college player at Furman and they both weigh in with their top-five USMNT players, plus the next generation of stars who could break into that conversation.

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The Locker Room panel of Kay Murray, Ray Hudson, Phil Schoen, Thomas Rongen and Gary Bailey discuss this week's biggest topics and look ahead to the weekend. On this episode they debate:

- Is Jose Mourinho's still "one of the greatest managers in the world" as he claims?

- Cristiano Ronaldo suspiciously absent from an awards ceremony where he's not winning Player Of The Year.

- Is 7 just a number? Not when Real Madrid gives it to Mariano immediately after Ronaldo.

- The best and worst transfer business of the summer.

- American legend Clint Dempsey says deuces to professional soccer.

The Locker Room panel of Kay Murray, Ray Hudson, Phil Schoen, Thomas Rongen and Gary Bailey discuss this week's biggest topics and look ahead to the weekend. On this episode they discuss:

- The state of Valladolid's pitch

- Dembele's role at Barcelona

- The Lopetegui effect at Madrid

- PSG's attacking trio

- Yet another shambolic Man United performance

The Locker Room panel of Kay Murray, Ray Hudson, Phil Schoen, Thomas Rongen and Gary Bailey discuss this week's biggest topics and look ahead to the weekend. On this episode they debate:

- Could Real Madrid really be shopping for Mbappe or Neymar? If so, which should they want?

- Does a rumored Rakitic-to-PSG move make sense?

- Zlatan starting to get frustrated with his MLS stay?

- Who should be in Barcelona's starting XI?

- Why are LaLiga players threatening a protest over games in the U.S.?

- Super Pepino!

The crew discusses Real Madrid's convincing start to life without CR7, and wonder, in the case of Barcelona, whether there's such thing as too much squad depth. The aforementioned CR7 failed to score on his Serie A debut, while wunderkind Kylian Mbappe lit up Ligue 1 on his first game back after the World Cup, although not everyone is singing the PSG striker's praises. But one thing everyone can agree on: Gary Bailey's beloved Red Devils are in turmoil.

The Future of U.S. Soccer: Inclusion and Access by beIN SPORTS

In the second installment of our three-part mini series, the conversation turns to the contentious topic of Pro/Rel. Are the barriers to entry anti-competitive? Is the current closed system partly to blame for the men's national team failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup? Can newly-elected USSF president Carlos Cordeiro relinquish control from the de facto gatekeepers, the MLS owners?

Kevin Egan sits down with NASL interim commissioner Rishi Sehgal, 13-year MLS and NASL veteran Hunter Freeman, five-year NWSL veteran Stephanie Ochs, and a man who has seen (and called) it all, Phil Schoen, to discuss the future of the sport in America.

The U.S. men's national team missing out on the 2018 World Cup sent shockwaves through the soccer world and saw Sunil Gulati call an end to his 12-year reign as USSF president.

In the presidential election that followed, one word rang louder than all others: 'change'.

The eight candidates vying for the job all promised change in some form or another, whether it be to do with the current scouting networks, pay-for-play, inequality in the women's game or the need for promotion/relegation.

When asked about the federation's top priority though, the election's eventual winner, Carlos Cordeiro, said his first order of business would be securing co-hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup - along with Canada and Mexico.

Using the new president's comments as a jump off point, Kevin Egan sits down with NASL interim commissioner Rishi Sehgal, 13-year MLS and NASL veteran Hunter Freeman, five-year NWSL veteran Stephanie Ochs, and a man who has seen (and called) it all, Phil Schoen, to discuss the future of the sport in America.

Part one of our three-part series focuses on how to best marry the business side of the game with youth development.