(NEXSTAR) -- It's officially a FIFA World Cup year and despite a quiet month on the United States men's national team front, the international soccer stage provided drama and a look into what to expect from some teams at the tournament this summer. FIFA's random draw selection for tickets to the tournament concluded after a 33-day application period, with over 500 million requests made. According to the international soccer body, they received about 15 million requests per day and came from all 211 member associations. Those selected will be notified in February and for fans who are not selected, FIFA says there will be an official resale marketplace via their ticketing website. Other ticketing resale apps already have some tickets on their marketplaces ranging from several hundred to tens-of-thousands of dollars for some matches. At the time of this writing, one site had a ticket for the final on sale for over $99,000. A quiet January for USA star Christian Pulisic. He finished the month with zero goals for his club AC Milan. The Hershey, Pennsylvania-native remains a key member of second-place AC Milan's offense as they push to overtake their eternal rivals, Inter Milan, who sit at the top of the table. Not far in Torin, Italy, American midfielder Weston McKennie has three goals for his side to start the year, including a goal in their Champions League match against Portuguese side Benfica. McKennie looks to carry that momentum into the national team's upcoming friendlies in March, as well as into the tournament in the summer. Defender Alex Freeman made a case for his name to be included in the roster at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after standout performances in last year's Gold Cup and friendlies. Now, the 21-year-old has made the move to Spain's top-flight, joining Villareal from Orlando City on a reported $7 million transfer fee. The Africa Cup of Nations ended in dramatic fashion when Senegal defeated tournament favorites and hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time. The final was muddied in controversy when the referee awarded a penalty to Morocco in the dying minutes of regulation, moments after disallowing a Senegalese goal. Both calls were criticized by pundits and fans, including those in the stands who attempted a pitch invasion and confronted stadium security. The Senegalese team, also unhappy with the referee's decisions, decided to leave the pitch before the final whistle. Captain and Senegal national team legend Sadio Mane eventually convinced his team to come back and finish the game. Moroccan forward Brahim Diaz ended up missing the awarded penalty kick, sending the game into extra time. In the first period of extra time, 27-year-old Papa Gueye found the back of the net, securing Senegal's second AFCON title.