MLS

Wayne Rooney was happy to spread a little Christmas cheer with Donald Trump ... 'cause the soccer legend was 45's guest of honor at the White House over the weekend!!

It all went down at Trump's Christmas party Sunday ... where Rooney and his wife, Coleen, and their kids hit up 1600 Pennsylvania Ave to enjoy some holiday fun.

Of course ... Barron Trump is a HUGE soccer fan and an even bigger Rooney supporter -- so the D.C. United superstar's presence was a big-time gift from Papa Trump.

It's interesting ... many high-profile athletes -- from Steph Curry to LeBron James -- have turned down trips to Trump's White House 'cause of their political beliefs.

If Christian Pulisic ends up with Chelsea ... it'll be a monumental moment for U.S. Soccer ... so says Alexi Lalas, who tells TMZ Sports whoever lands the superstar will have to whip out the checkbook.

Depending on who you ask, 20-year-old Pulisic could land with big-time Premier League giants like Chelsea or Liverpool ... but Pulisic himself has been mum on his future come January.

Of course, other stars like Landon Donovan have played for teams like Bayern Munich and Clint Dempsey suited up for Tottenham ... so it's not uncharted territory for a Team USA player.

But, the big difference here is with the transfer fee involved ... as reports are saying it could cost clubs up to $80 MILLION to land C.P., who was just named the youngest captain in USMNT history.

Eric Wynalda -- the former soccer star who was once the all-time leading scorer for the USMNT -- says his home just burned down in the California wildfires ... and he had to watch it on live TV.

Flames have ravaged Southern California since Thursday afternoon ... and Wynalda says his house was one of the casualties of the destruction.

In fact ... the former MLS star tells the San Diego Union-Tribune he had to watch it burn down on a local news station after he evacuated early Friday morning.

"We lost our home but we are safe," Wynalda confirmed on his Twitter page ... "You can rebuild homes, replace belongings, you can’t replace life. We cannot forget that now more than ever."

"Please support the ones who need it the most and continue to honor those who serve to keep us safe. Count your blessings folks- I am."

Wynalda retired from the USMNT as the all-time leading scorer (34 goals in 106 appearances) ... and held the record until Landon Donovan caught it back in 2007.

Zlatan can run ... Zlatan can score ... Zlatan CAN DANCE!!!

The soccer legend went on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" and proved there's a lot of walk behind all his talk -- nailing a perfect floss dance right on cue.

In fact ... Corden was so impressed -- he wanted some lessons!!!

So, what was the reason for the night-time dance party?? James needed to figure out if Zlatan really CAN do anything.

The first test? Name three Kardashians.

The second test? Open a jar of pickles.

The third test? Hit the floss.

Done, done and BIG-TIME done.

Then, for good measure, he pronounced his full name with a mouth full of marshmallows. Impressive.

Will Ferrell turned 22,000 soccer fans into RAGING LUNATICS on Sunday ... and the video is pretty great.

The comedy legend -- who's part owner of LAFC -- got hands-on with his futbol team's crowd in a game against Vancouver ... leading an epic chant that turned Banc of California Stadium into a zoo.

"Jump for LA Football Club, OLE! OLE!" Ferrell roared.

The stadium loved it ... and other angles of the chant revealed a DOPE scene.

Bad news for Will ... LAFC ended up tying the Whitecaps, 2-2, and is now in jeopardy of losing out on a top-two seed in the MLS' Western Conference.

Good news for Will ... L.A.'s still going to the playoffs, baby!!

Usain Bolt was Usain GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLTT in his Australian pro soccer game on Friday ... hittin' the back of the net TWICE ... and celebrating with the "shoot" dance!!

The 8-time Olympic gold medalist suited up for the Central Coast Mariners -- wearing a #95 jersey -- and he BALLED OUT in his second appearance for the club ... scoring 2 goals.

Of course, Bolt christened the goals with his signature "lightning bolt" pose for the first goal he scored, an hour into the match ... then followed up with the BlocBoy JB dance for his 2nd goal in the 69th minute.

BTW -- even though he's on a trial with the Mariners, Bolt is serious about this whole soccer thing ... and he's even told TMZ Sports he'd be down to join the MLS -- if they pay up.

The challenge for Bolt, he's gotta convince the old school soccer dudes he's for real -- because when we spoke with Alexi Lalas about Usain joining the MLS, he basically told us there's no shot.

But, if Bolt continues to torch defenses ... ya gotta think it's a matter of time before he gets a contract offer.

With rumors swirling that AC Milan has interest in bringing 37-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to Italy ... we had to ask the L.A. Galaxy star straight-up -- true or false?

Good news -- we got an answer!

Bad news -- well, here's what he said ...

"There is always rumors. The whole world wants me. It's okay."

Keep in mind, reports suggest Zlatan has serious interest in going back to Milan -- where he scored 56 goals between 2010 and 2012. But, he didn't seem like he was bursting with excitement when we asked him about it.

The issue ... most people thought Zlatan came to L.A. to wind down his career with the Galaxy, where he's got a pretty good thing going -- 20 goals in 24 games.

So, think he's ready to give it up for one last ride in Serie A?

There's more ...

Remember that 7-year-old singer Malea Emma who impressed Zlatan with her national anthem performance before a Galaxy game last month?

We asked Ibra if he considered her a "lucky charm" and wants to bring her back.

Bad news, San Diego ... the Chargers ain't coming back.

Good news, San Diego ... Landon Donovan's working on your replacement -- YOUR VERY OWN MLS SOCCER TEAM!!!

Philip Rivers and the rest of the Bolts packed their bags for L.A. last year ... and in their wake -- they left a giant plot of land for the city to use.

That's when Donovan stepped in and helped spearhead an effort to fill that space with a new stadium, restaurants, housing, shopping -- and a new MLS futbol team.

So, what'll it take for Landon to get all this done??

"If people in San Diego want this to happen and want this to be a part of the future of this city and impact people for decades to come," Donovan tells us, "then they can vote 'yes.' Our measure is Measure E."

The vote's Nov. 6 ... and Donovan's promising a space of land that will rival what L.A.'s got downtown by the Staples Center if it goes down.

Move over, Whitney Houston ... 7-year-old Malea Emma just DOMINATED the National Anthem at the L.A. Galaxy game over the weekend!!!

Okay, maybe she's not at Whitney levels yet -- but she's on track!!!

Emma took the mic and belted out 1 minute and 48 seconds of PURE MAGIC while International soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic smiled and nodded with great approval.

In fact, Zlatan loved it so much he tweeted after the game, "MVP of the game!"

By the way, Emma had to win a contest in order to sing at Sunday's game. The team challenged singers to post a video to social media using the hashtag "#GalaxySocial" to show off their chops.

Emma won by a landslide and, when she showed up to the stadium -- she made the most of her moment.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he's a big fan of David Beckham's plan to bring Lionel Messi to MLS -- telling TMZ Sports the Argentinian superstar should "absolutely" come to the U.S. in 2020.

Beckham is reportedly targeting Messi to lead Inter Miami for the team's inaugural season in 2020 -- and there's talk Becks is willing to write a MASSIVE check to get the deal done.

Of course, Messi is in the middle of a deal with Barcelona -- which doesn't end until the end of the 2020-21 season ... but hell, anything's possible if the price is right.

Enter Zlatan ... who left Manchester United to play for the L.A. Galaxy earlier this season -- and seems to be loving it.

So, when we saw Zlat leaving Avra in Beverly Hills on Monday -- We asked what he thought about Messi possibly following his lead.

He likes it.

Meanwhile, you see the insane goal Zlatan scored this weekend? The 500th goal of his career??

Insane.

Chad Ochocinco wants to be an MLS goalie ... and Alexi Lalas says he already has one major keeper skill mastered ... he's crazy!!

We spoke with Lalas about Ochocinco's 2-year plan to try out for David Beckham's new expansion team in Miami ... and surprisingly, he's not completely shutting down the idea -- he actually thinks 85 could be ready SOONER than 2020.

"The only thing I know about goalkeepers is that they're crazy," Lalas says. "So he'll fit right in!"

"He doesn't need 2 years, he's crazy now! I love him!"

As for Ochocinco seeking the career change at 40 years old ... Lalas seems shocked, but it's clear he's not putting it past the guy to actually follow through with it.

Chad Ochocinco's first go-around with the MLS didn't go so well ... but he's got a new plan to make the futbol league -- telling TMZ Sports he's coming back as a keeper!!

And, yeah, he says he's "dead ass" serious.

Remember ... Chad once tried out for Sporting Kansas City during the NFL lockout in 2011 -- and actually got in a reserve game ... but the MLS told him "thanks, but no thanks" afterward.

Now ... Chad's telling us he's got a new way to revive that soccer dream ... getting set to return to the pitch as a goalie for David Beckham's Miami club -- which kicks off its inaugural season in 2020.

"I really think I can be exceptional at goalie with the proper training for the next two years," Chad says.

"So, when Beckham has his team, I'm going to go try out for goalie. Period."

It makes sense ... dude is a freak athlete who caught everything that came his way as an NFL wideout for 11 seasons -- so why not?!

David Beckham crushed this poolside pose and burger ... after revealing the name of his brand spankin' new MLS team.

Becks ditched the shirt, grabbed some shades and headed to the pool Wednesday in Miami. A perfect way to celebrate the announcement of the name and new crest for his pro football club, Inter Miami CF.

The team's official title is Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami ... a name chosen to help reflect the 305's Spanish-speaking community. Beck's team will launch in 2020, six years after the plan to bring a team to Miami was hatched.

You'll remember -- Beckham joined the L.A. Galaxy back in 2007 -- and, when signing his deal, negotiated a way to one day own a future expansion team.

Sorry, Clint Dempsey -- you had a great career ... but it still doesn't compare with Mia Hamm's -- so says soccer legend Alexi Lalas.

Alexi spoke with TMZ Sports after Clint hung up the cleats Wednesday ... and when we asked about greatest U.S. soccer players of all time -- Lalas told us Nomar Garciaparra's boo was better than Clint.

"You can put Mia Hamm higher than Clint Dempsey," Lalas says.

Don't feel too bad for Clint ... Lalas did have a bunch of great things to say about him when it came to MALE players -- even if he had him behind Landon Donovan in his rankings.

"If I needed a goal scored in a World Cup Final, I would go to Landon Donovan," Lalas says.

"But, if I needed someone to have my back in a bar, I'm going with Clint Dempsey."

Alexi appreciated Dempsey's care-free, on-field attitude too ... and you gotta hear the expletive-laced quote that he says sums up Clint perfectly.

Team USA soccer legend Clint Dempsey is hanging up his cleats -- announcing he's retiring from professional soccer.

"'After a lot of thought, my family and I have decided that this is the right time for me to step away from the game,” 35-year-old Dempsey said.

"I’d like to thank all of the teammates, coaches and support staff that I’ve worked with throughout my career. It has always been my dream to make it as a pro. I’m grateful to have been on this ride."

Dempsey first appeared on the Team USA World Cup squad back in 2006 -- and became a leader due to his aggressive and passionate style of play. He scored goals in 3 consecutive World Cup tourneys (2006, 2010 and 2014).

Dempsey is tied for 1st as the U.S. Men's National Team all-time leading scorer with 57 international goals. He's tied with Landon Donovan.

Among active international soccer players, Dempsey only trails Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Villa in most goals scored.

He was drafted by the New England Revolution in the 2004 MLS Draft. He was later loaned to Fulham of the Premier League and scored 50 goals during his time with the team.

Dempsey then went to Tottenham Hotspur from 2012 to 2013 -- notching 7 goals in 29 appearances.

From there, it was back to the MLS where he finished up his career with the Seattle Sounders.

"I would like to thank all of the fans who have supported me throughout my career with the New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham, Seattle Sounders and the U.S. Men’s National Team," Dempsey said.

"Y’all have always made me feel at home, and it is something that I will always remember.”

Remember when Alexi Lalas said Wayne Rooney was washed up -- and explained why it would be a mistake for D.C. United to sign him???

Yeah, so do we ... that was in May before Rooney joined the MLS and SET THE LEAGUE ON FIRE!! Since then, Rooney's been a beast on the pitch -- so we went to Lalas to see how he felt about being so wrong.

His response was amazing.

"This would not be the first team that should be paying me in order to be motivating their players," Lalas joked ... "So I say, 'You're welcome D.C. It's my gift to you, it's my gift to you, Wayne, and my gift to soccer.'"

The 32-year-old has already racked up 3 goals and 3 assists in the 8 games he's played with D.C. United -- and the team is 5-2-1 in games Rooney has played in.

Plus, the INSANE play Rooney made during the August 12 game against Orlando City S.C. went crazy viral and some are hailing it as one of the greatest plays in MLS history.

It all went down during stoppage time of a 2-2 tie ... when Rooney chased down an opposing player around midfield, stole the ball with a slide tackle and fired up a 50-ish-yard cross to a teammate who headed the ball for the game-winning goal.

Ya gotta watch ... it's nothing short of spectacular.

On a serious note, Lalas says Rooney's presence is making his teammates better -- and the sky is the limit for D.C. United.