Category: Sports

According to a Monday ESPN report, the Los Angeles Lakers have reached a one-year contract agreement with free agent forward Matisse Thybulle, with the deal valued at $3.3 million.

The 29-year-old Thybulle has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, taking the court in only 45 games over the past two seasons due to a string of injuries affecting his knee, ankle, hip, and thumb. Despite those setbacks, the former first-round draft pick earned second-team All-NBA defensive honors in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Across seven NBA seasons, Thybulle has played in 377 regular-season games — spending time with the 76ers from 2019 to 2023 and then the Portland Trail Blazers from 2023 to 2026. His career averages stand at 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.

While Thybulle shot just 32.5% from three-point range during his time in Philadelphia, that number climbed to 37.4% with Portland. Over his final two seasons, he connected on an even more impressive 41.1% of his attempts from beyond the arc, giving him a career three-point percentage of 34.9%.

With this addition, the Lakers would carry 16 guaranteed contracts heading into the 2026-27 season — one more than the league’s standard roster limit allows. Meanwhile, the team has also been exploring a potential sign-and-trade deal with the Atlanta Hawks involving Jonathan Kuminga, though ESPN noted Monday that those discussions have not made meaningful progress.

Notah Begay III, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour who has dedicated much of his life to supporting Native American youth and their communities, was announced Monday as the 2026 recipient of the prestigious Payne Stewart Award.

The annual honor is presented to a player who reflects the values of the late Payne Stewart — character, charity, and sportsmanship.

Begay, recognized as the only full-blooded Native American to have played on the PGA Tour, expressed deep gratitude for the recognition in a press release. “Payne Stewart represented the very best of our game, not only in how he competed, but in how he lived his life and gave back to others. To be associated with his legacy is truly special,” he said.

He continued: “Golf has given me a platform to serve, and I’ve always believed it’s our responsibility to use that platform to uplift others, especially the next generation. This recognition allows me to make a meaningful impact in the communities I’ve had the privilege to represent.”

Since stepping away from competitive play, Begay has moved into broadcasting, currently serving as an analyst for Golf Channel. Throughout his career and beyond, he has worked to mentor young Native Americans and open doors for greater access to the game of golf within their communities.

In 2005, Begay established the NB3 Foundation, an organization centered on improving the health, development, and physical activity of Native American children.

The formal presentation of the award will take place on August 25 at the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony, held alongside the 2026 TOUR Championship in Atlanta.

Payne Stewart, an American golfer who won 11 times on the PGA Tour — including three major championships — died in a plane crash in 1999.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to bring in right-handed reliever Seth Halvorsen via a trade with the Colorado Rockies, according to reports from multiple outlets published Monday.

Per the New York Post, Colorado will receive two prospects in return — right-hander Nick Frasso and outfielder Landyn Vidourek.

Halvorsen, 26, has posted a 0-1 record with a 4.74 ERA across 21 relief outings for the Rockies this season. Over three major league campaigns with Colorado, he carries a 3-4 record and a 4.31 ERA in 75 total relief appearances.

The right-hander recently returned from the injured list after dealing with right shoulder inflammation. He made a rehab appearance at Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, throwing a scoreless inning. Los Angeles is expected to assign Halvorsen to its Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Frasso, 27, went 1-0 with a 4.74 ERA in 21 appearances — including one start — for Oklahoma City this season. Vidourek, 22, was hitting .170 with six home runs and 24 RBIs in 59 games at the Single-A level in Ontario.

In a separate move Monday, the Dodgers optioned right-hander Kyle Hurt to Oklahoma City. Hurt had served as the extra 27th roster spot for the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the New York Yankees, during which he threw two scoreless innings.

Dallas Wings standout guard Paige Bueckers has been ruled out for Monday’s matchup against the New York Liberty in Arlington, Texas.

The Wings, who currently hold a 17-8 record, announced that Bueckers will sit out for rest purposes after she took a alarming fall late in Sunday’s 90-82 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks.

The frightening moment came in the fourth quarter when Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike was dribbling up the court, got fouled, and lost her footing. Ogwumike fell into Bueckers’ legs, sending the Wings guard to the floor, where she appeared to strike the back of her head on the hardwood.

Following the game, Bueckers underwent evaluation and was cleared of a concussion. The team confirmed she is not in concussion protocol, though she is experiencing soreness from the fall.

Despite the scary incident, Bueckers finished Sunday’s game on a high note, leading all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. She also added five assists and four rebounds over 32 minutes of play.

The 24-year-old leads her team in both scoring and assists this season, averaging 20.9 points and 6.2 assists per game to go along with 4.2 rebounds across all 24 of her starts.

Bueckers earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2025, the same season Dallas selected her with the top overall pick in the draft out of UConn.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey wasted no time setting the record straight when conference media days got underway in Tampa on Monday, addressing doubts about whether talks of breaking away from the NCAA are actually serious.

“So they’re real. People have talked about that,” Sankey said. “They’ve opined about the frustrations that bring them to the point of saying we should look at something significantly different. I do not believe that is a leverage point. I think that’s just honest communication.”

Sankey added that he would rather those conversations stay behind closed doors rather than show up in the press the following morning, but acknowledged he cannot control everything. He framed the remarks as a reflection of deep dissatisfaction with the current state of college athletics.

“I would prefer that stay in a meeting room or on a videoconference, not be part of the D1.ticker the next morning, but I don’t control all of that. What I think is important is those comments represent a high level of frustration with the circumstance in which we find ourselves. We have regulated ourselves more progressively than other colleagues by choice, across our league. We’ve had different academic eligibility restrictions in the past. So we have different transfer restrictions in the past. Some of what you hear comes out of a culture that we can regulate ourselves,” he said.

Sankey made clear that the NCAA must operate in what he called “a healthy manner” or risk those frustrations growing into something far more serious.

As the leader of one of college sports’ most dominant conferences, Sankey did not shy away from describing where the SEC and the broader NCAA membership are at odds. Points of contention include a potential end to conference championship games — Sankey is firmly in favor of keeping the SEC’s title game — disagreements over the size of the College Football Playoff, and concerns about how other conferences approach scheduling.

“We had what I’ll call an unsatisfactory conversation with members of the College Football Playoff staff and some of their advisers in Destin,” Sankey said, referring to the disparity between the SEC’s demanding nine-game schedule and the easier roads some other conferences have to the playoff. “That’s rehashing from a couple months ago, that’s not a secret. That’s a reminder of that process needing to continually improve.”

“My confidence is that people will act with integrity. I do think we have questions about the understanding of the strength and rigor associated with competing in the Southeastern Conference,” he added.

Beyond conference matters, Sankey has increasingly found himself navigating the political landscape, making trips to Capitol Hill and participating in video calls as part of efforts to shape the Protect College Sports Act.

The bipartisan bill, which was introduced with backing from former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and others connected to college athletics, quickly drew opposition from both the SEC and the Big Ten in June, ahead of Congressional hearings.

Sankey has pushed Congress on several fronts on behalf of the SEC, including the need for nationwide eligibility and transfer standards, health and safety expectations for student-athletes, support for educational opportunities, scholarship protections, and oversight of agent activity. While negotiations over the bill’s provisions continue, Sankey made clear he does not view the current version as adequate.

“We support the effort behind the Protect College Sports Act. However, we believe changes to the act are necessary to make it most effective,” Sankey said. “If Congress is going to act, and again I believe it should for the reasons identified, we have one opportunity to get this legislation right. If Congress passes a bill and it’s signed into law, we won’t be returning to DC in a year or two asking and receiving help to correct the gaps that exist. That’s why it’s important that these commonsense areas be addressed now before the bill becomes law.”

St. Louis City SC has secured the services of defender Jaziel Orozco for the foreseeable future, announcing a contract extension Monday that will keep the young player with the club through the 2028-29 MLS season.

The agreement with the 22-year-old, who hails from Mexico, also carries an option that could extend his stay into the 2029-30 campaign.

Since joining St. Louis City in 2025, Orozco has made 17 appearances and found the back of the net once. Prior to his time with the club, he played in four matches with Real Salt Lake back in 2022.

Sporting director Corey Wray expressed enthusiasm about keeping Orozco on the roster long term. “Jazi has put in consistent performances this season and it is clear he has a good understanding of what is being asked of him tactically,” Wray said. “Over the last six months, he has shown qualities that we value with his tactical flexibility and versatility both in and out of possession. We are excited to keep him at the club for years to come and help him continue developing as a player.”

St. Louis City is set to resume action following the FIFA World Cup break, heading into Wednesday night’s road match against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The New York Yankees sent right-handed pitcher Elmer Rodriguez down to their Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.

The 22-year-old had been brought up to the big league roster on Sunday to serve as the designated 27th player during the second game of a split doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, Rodriguez never got into the game before being sent back down.

Since breaking into the majors on April 29, Rodriguez has struggled to find his footing, going 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA while logging 17 innings across four starts at the major league level.

Top-ranked professional golfer Brooke Henderson has announced she is engaged to Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Ricky Castro, sharing the exciting news with fans through an Instagram post on Sunday.

The announcement came just one week after Henderson narrowly missed capturing the Evian Championship title, falling to South Korea’s Haeran Ryu in a playoff. The couple’s engagement officially took place two days after that tournament.

The couple’s joint post captured the joy of the moment: “Engaged! 7/14/26. The beginning of forever. We are beyond excited and blessed to announce our engagement with one another! God is so good for giving us each other!”

Henderson and Castro began their relationship in March 2025 after crossing paths in Naples, Florida, where Henderson owns a home.

Henderson, 28, is one of the most accomplished golfers on the LPGA Tour, having claimed 14 victories including two major championships — the 2016 Women’s PGA Championship and the 2022 Evian Championship. The Canadian star added to her legacy with a win on home soil at the CPKC Women’s Open in Mississauga, Ontario, in August 2025.

Castro, 26, is a right-handed pitcher currently competing at the Triple-A level with the St. Paul Saints. In 10 appearances this season — including four starts — he holds a 2-1 record with a 4.13 ERA.

Authorities in Pennsylvania are on the hunt for suspects after the home of Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was burglarized over the weekend.

Officers with the Tredyffrin Township Police Department, located roughly 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia, responded to the residence in the early morning hours Saturday after receiving a report of a burglary in progress. By the time police arrived on scene, the suspects had already taken off.

In a news release, police confirmed that neither Barkley nor any members of his family were injured during the incident. Investigators also released an image of a white SUV that may be connected to the break-in.

Authorities said no other burglary reports were filed in the surrounding area, and they are actively looking into whether Barkley’s home was specifically singled out as a target.

The Chester County District Attorney’s office has joined the investigation and is calling on the public for assistance. “We are asking the public to help us identify those responsible by checking any home security cameras for suspicious activity in the area” from early Saturday, the office said in a statement.

As of Monday, police and the district attorney’s office had not responded to requests for comment. Messages were also left with representatives for the Eagles and Barkley seeking a response.

The break-in comes against a backdrop of a broader pattern of athlete-targeted burglaries. Back in May, Argentine authorities arrested two Chilean citizens suspected of belonging to a transnational criminal gang responsible for orchestrating home burglaries targeting well-known athletes. Among the reported victims were NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, as well as former tennis player Juan Martín del Potro, and NBA players Luka Doncic and Mike Conley Jr.

In 2024, the NFL sent a security alert to all teams and the players’ union in the wake of the burglaries connected to Mahomes and Kelce’s homes.

On the field, Barkley had a somewhat quieter 2024 season compared to his record-breaking year when he racked up 2,504 rushing yards across the regular season and playoffs — the most in NFL history. Last season, he still managed to rush for 1,140 yards and scored nine total touchdowns.

NFL owners are moving toward locking in a contract extension with Commissioner Roger Goodell, with a deal expected to be finalized “in the coming months,” according to a Monday report from Front Office Sports.

Goodell’s existing contract is set to expire in March 2027. A new extension would keep him at the helm to guide two major upcoming negotiations — a fresh collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union and new broadcasting rights deals.

At 67 years old, Goodell is approaching a significant milestone: this coming September marks his 20th year leading the NFL.

According to the report, there is currently no known opposition among owners to extending his tenure. An announcement could come as early as the special owners’ meeting scheduled for August 26 in Atlanta, where the proposed sale of the Seattle Seahawks is also expected to be approved. Owners are also set to gather for a quarterly meeting in New York in October.

The NFL did not respond to requests for comment regarding the Front Office Sports report.

The league’s current collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association is in place through the 2030 season. One of the biggest issues on the horizon is a potential expansion to an 18-game regular season schedule.

The NFL’s existing broadcast rights agreements, signed back in 2021, are valued at $110 billion over an 11-year span — though the league holds the option to exit those deals early.

Jack Campbell, a former NHL goaltender, made his retirement official on Sunday after an eight-year career between the pipes at the professional level.

Campbell, 34, last suited up for the Edmonton Oilers during the 2023-24 season. Over the course of his career, he posted a record of 93-52-18 with 10 shutouts, a .909 save percentage, and a 2.76 goals-against average across four different teams.

He earned NHL All-Star recognition with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2021-22 season and later signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers in July 2022. The Oilers ultimately bought out the final three years of that deal and placed him on waivers on November 7, 2024.

In a video shared to his Instagram account, Campbell opened up about both his career and the personal challenges he faced along the way.

“I grew up my entire life chasing one dream and that was to play in the NHL,” he said. “I was fortunate enough to accomplish that goal of playing eight seasons in the NHL, becoming an NHL All-Star (2021-22) and thankfully on paper, living a pretty awesome life. Super grateful for my days of playing but what a lot of people don’t see is the personal battles that I went through throughout my career. Not having somebody to hold me accountable for having a well-balanced life, that’s when I found four years ago my life coach, who’s completely changed everything for me.”

Campbell was originally selected by the Dallas Stars with the 11th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. He made his first NHL appearance with Dallas in 2013-14 before going on to play for the Los Angeles Kings from 2016 to 2020, the Maple Leafs from 2020 to 2022, and the Oilers from 2022 to 2024.

In his announcement, Campbell also reflected on what ultimately drew him away from the sport he spent his life pursuing.

“Walking away from hockey wasn’t easy,” he said. “It gave me more than I could have ever imagined. But over the last few years, I realized the work that brought me the most fulfillment wasn’t stopping pucks, it was helping people become who they’re capable of becoming.”

During his NHL playoff career, Campbell appeared in 18 postseason games, going 7-8 with a 2.28 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage, and two shutouts.

Campbell says he is now embarking on a new chapter as an identity and performance coach.

The University of Michigan confirmed Monday that Athletic Director Warde Manuel will be leaving his role at the end of the calendar year, with the school set to launch a search for his replacement.

The departure comes in the wake of two significant misconduct investigations tied to the Wolverines’ football program. Former head coach Sherrone Moore was fired in December 2025 after it was discovered he had an impermissible relationship with a female staff member, and his predecessor Jim Harbaugh was entangled in a sign-stealing controversy during the program’s 2023 national championship run.

A university spokesperson shared the news with The Detroit News, saying: “At this time, the university does not have additional public statements planned regarding these matters, nor does the university plan to release any associated documents. We can confirm, however, that Director of Athletics Warde Manuel will step down at the end of the calendar year and a search for a new AD will be conducted.”

University president Domenico Grasso announced Monday that an independent law firm, Jenner & Block LLP, had wrapped up a “culture review” of the athletic department. That review involved close to 350 interviews with 300 witnesses and an examination of more than 20,000 documents.

The school released a statement summarizing the findings: “The culture review found that weaknesses in accountability, organizational structure, oversight, and reporting created conditions in which misconduct was not always addressed consistently, promptly, or in accordance with University expectations.”

The review also noted that while Manuel showed genuine strengths — particularly in his dedication to student-athletes — he fell short when it came to acting quickly and decisively on allegations of wrongdoing by staff members within the athletic department.

Despite the controversies, Manuel’s tenure, which began in 2016, included notable athletic success. Michigan captured national championships in football in 2023, men’s basketball in the 2025-26 season, women’s gymnastics in 2021, and men’s gymnastics in 2025. Manuel, 58, had received a five-year contract extension in December 2024 worth a base salary of $1.9 million annually, a deal that was set to run through 2030.

The situation surrounding Moore was particularly serious. He was fired for cause on December 10 after being found to have maintained a long-running relationship with his then-executive assistant, Paige Shiver. On the day of his firing, Moore allegedly went to Shiver’s apartment, where she told authorities he forced his way in, grabbed two butter knives, and cornered her.

Moore was taken into custody and spent two nights behind bars. He originally faced charges of home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering — offenses that carried potential prison sentences of up to five years.

In April, Moore was sentenced to 18 months of probation with no jail time. He was also fined more than $1,000 and prohibited from contacting Shiver or using drugs or alcohol during his probation period. The sentence came after a plea deal in which Moore entered a no-contest plea to reduced misdemeanor charges of malicious use of a telecommunications device and trespassing. Prosecutors in Washtenaw County, Michigan, then dropped the original charges, which had included third-degree felony home invasion.

On the field, Moore had compiled a 16-8 record at Michigan after taking over from Harbaugh, under whom he had served as offensive coordinator. Both coaches were caught up in the sign-stealing scandal involving former staff member Connor Stalions during the 2023 championship season. Moore ultimately received a two-game suspension as a result.

A separate scandal also loomed over the program. Former co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss was fired on January 20, 2023, after completing his second season on Michigan’s staff. Weiss has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of aggravated identity theft and unauthorized computer access. His trial is currently scheduled for September.

Meanwhile, Harbaugh departed Michigan for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, and men’s basketball coach Dusty May left following the team’s championship run to take the head coaching job with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks in June.

The All-Star break did nothing to cool off the Boston Red Sox, who have now rattled off 13 consecutive victories heading into a highly anticipated series against another AL East team on a roll.

Boston wrapped up a sweep of first-place Tampa Bay on Sunday, pushing their streak to 13 straight wins. The franchise’s all-time record of 15 consecutive victories dates back to 1946, and the Red Sox now have a real shot at topping it this week when the Baltimore Orioles come to Fenway Park — a Baltimore squad that has itself won seven games in a row.

With the August 3 trade deadline approaching fast, teams hovering around the playoff picture may use the next week or two to decide whether to buy or sell. Boston sits at 50-48, just above the .500 mark, and currently holds the American League’s third wild card spot. Cleveland, which holds the second wild card, is only one game ahead of the Red Sox.

Seattle trails Boston by a game, and Baltimore is another game back after sweeping Houston in a three-game series. That sweep dropped the Astros to 4.5 games outside a playoff position.

Houston does have another route to October baseball, however. The Astros are actually four games out of the AL West lead — closer than they are to a wild card berth.

Detroit finds itself in a comparable situation. The Tigers are 4.5 games out of a wild card but only 6.5 games behind the AL Central-leading White Sox. How Detroit handles the trade deadline — particularly regarding star pitcher Tarik Skubal — will be closely watched around the league.

On the All-Star front, the American League defeated the National League 4-0 on Tuesday night. Cody Bellinger became the fourth New York Yankee in history to earn All-Star MVP honors. The other three? Giancarlo Stanton in 2022, Mariano Rivera in 2013, and Derek Jeter in 2000 — an award that has existed since 1962.

In other action, Colorado’s Hunter Goodman slugged three home runs in a 9-6 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. It was his second three-homer game in less than a month — he also accomplished the feat at Minnesota on June 27. Goodman is the first player in Rockies history to hit three home runs in a single game twice in the same season.

Meanwhile, Arizona pulled off a stunning comeback against St. Louis, winning 8-7 in 10 innings despite trailing 7-0 heading into the sixth. The Cardinals surrendered two bases-loaded walks during Arizona’s three-run sixth inning. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a two-run inside-the-park home run in the seventh, and Nolan Arenado knotted the score with a two-run blast in the eighth.

St. Louis then squandered a golden opportunity in the top of the 10th. With runners on first and third and no outs, Jordan Walker hit a broken-bat flare toward shortstop Perdomo, who charged and caught the ball on the fly. Baserunner Bryan Torres, apparently anticipating the ball would drop, had strayed too far off first base and was doubled off.

Max Kepler’s hit in the bottom of the 10th sealed the victory for Arizona. According to Baseball Savant, the Diamondbacks’ win probability dipped as low as 1.5% during the sixth inning. Despite that near-miracle, Arizona’s playoff odds sit at 27.4% according to FanGraphs — and the team is just a half-game behind St. Louis for the National League’s final wild card spot.

Spain Defeats Argentina to Claim World Cup Title

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Spain captured the FIFA World Cup championship with a 1-0 victory over defending champion Argentina, with substitute Ferran Torres delivering the decisive blow in the 106th minute. Spain controlled the match throughout in terms of possession and scoring chances, but Lionel Messi and Argentina managed to hold on through regulation and into extra time. In the opening moments of the second 15-minute extra time period, Torres pounced on a bouncing ball inside the penalty area and drove a left-footed shot just beneath the crossbar and into the net to seal the title.

What to Watch Now That the World Cup Is Over

The World Cup may have wrapped up, but soccer fans won’t have to wait long for their next fix. Within weeks, many of the tournament’s top players will return to their club teams in competitions like England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, and Germany’s Bundesliga. Europe’s elite clubs will also compete in the Champions League, considered the pinnacle of club soccer. In the meantime, MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX are already underway, offering fans year-round action and a chance to continue following their favorite World Cup stars.

Spain’s Champions Return Home to Royal Welcome and Madrid Parade

MADRID — Spain’s World Cup-winning squad was set to arrive back in Spain on Monday afternoon, where a celebration awaited them. The 11-man team was scheduled to be received at the Spanish royal palace and by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez before making their way through central Madrid in a victory parade. Fans were expected to line the streets as the team traveled from Moncloa Palace to Cibeles Square. Spain secured the championship on Sunday by defeating Argentina 1-0 in New Jersey — the country’s second World Cup title, following their 2010 triumph in South Africa. Thousands flooded the streets of Madrid in celebration, though the festivities were tragically overshadowed by the death of a 13-year-old in Salamanca during the revelry.

Post-Match Scuffles Mar Spain’s World Cup Celebration

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The joy of Spain’s World Cup victory was briefly clouded by on-field confrontations between players after the final whistle. Video footage captured several players involved in a physical altercation, with Argentina defender Leandro Paredes seen appearing to grab Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat. When Spain substitute Gavi stepped in to intervene, Paredes shoved him to the ground. Other players and Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni moved in quickly to calm the situation. It remained unclear whether any of the players involved would face disciplinary action. Spain had won Sunday’s final 1-0 after extra time.

Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel to Step Down After Buyout Agreement

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan and athletic director Warde Manuel have reached a buyout agreement, with Manuel set to leave his position at the end of the year. The departure ends a decade-long tenure that included four national championships but also a series of controversies. The university cited ongoing investigations into former football coach Sherrone Moore’s relationship with his executive assistant, as well as a broader inquiry into the athletic department’s culture, as factors in the decision. Under Manuel’s leadership, the department celebrated a men’s basketball national title this year and a football championship in 2023.

Ryan Fox Claims British Open Title at Royal Birkdale

SOUTHPORT, England — Ryan Fox took an unlikely path to becoming a major champion, having not turned professional until his 20s and nearly walking away from the sport early in his career. That journey made his British Open victory all the more meaningful. Fox drained a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole to edge Cameron Young by a single stroke at Royal Birkdale. The win came on a dramatic day that saw four different players share the lead at various points, with Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood also in the mix. Fox is now the oldest first-time major champion in a decade.

Red Sox Ride 13-Game Win Streak Into Series with Streaking Orioles

The All-Star break did nothing to interrupt the Boston Red Sox’s hot stretch. After completing a sweep of division-leading Tampa Bay on Sunday, the Red Sox have now won 13 consecutive games. The franchise record stands at 15 straight victories, set back in 1946. Boston will have a chance to chase that mark this week when the Baltimore Orioles come to Fenway Park — a team that arrives riding a seven-game winning streak of their own, setting the stage for a compelling AL East showdown.

Ohtani’s Knee Issue Keeps Him Off the Mound for Dodgers

NEW YORK — Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will not take his next scheduled turn as a starting pitcher due to irritation in his left knee, and there is no clear timetable for his return to the rotation. Ohtani received a lubricant injection in the knee just before last week’s All-Star break and had been expected to pitch Wednesday against Philadelphia. However, he still did not feel fully healthy while playing catch over the weekend, leading him and the team to hold off on any mound activity. Ohtani has not pitched since July 3. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted that Ohtani experiences no pain in the knee when batting.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. Homer Lifts Yankees Over Dodgers to Split Doubleheader

NEW YORK — Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning as the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader, splitting the twin bill. Five Yankees pitchers combined to limit the Dodgers to four hits. Cody Bellinger had contributed an early RBI single for New York, which had won just once in its previous 11 home games. The victory prevented a three-game sweep by the Dodgers, who were making their first trip to the Bronx since winning the 2024 World Series. In the opener, the Dodgers cruised to an 8-2 win behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw a complete-game four-hitter — his first in 66 major league regular-season starts.

Logano Snaps Drought with Win at North Wilkesboro

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Joey Logano held off Denny Hamlin to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season Sunday night, triumphing in the first points race held at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 30 years. The victory was Logano’s 38th in Cup Series competition and ended a personal 45-race winless stretch dating back to May 2025 at Texas Motor Speedway. At 36 years old, Logano extended his streak of winning at least one race per season to 15 consecutive years — the longest active streak in the sport. The all-time record belongs to the late Kyle Busch, who won in 19 straight seasons from 2005 through 2023. Hamlin crossed the line in second, followed by Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, and Shane Van Gisbergen.

HAYWARD, Wis. — A small Wisconsin town was the site of some record-breaking athletic achievement this weekend, as three new women’s world records were shattered at the annual Lumberjack World Championships — a competition filled with roaring chain saws, flying wood chips, log-rolling on open water, and enthusiastic cries of “Yo-Ho!”

This year’s three-day event in Hayward drew 66 men and 40 women, wrapping up Saturday. Athletes came from 16 different states and nine countries to compete.

Competitors take their equipment very seriously. Custom-built chain saws, meticulously sharpened axes, and single buck saws are all part of the trade — with sharpening alone on some saws costing more than $400.

Karolina Urbanová of the Czech Republic made history twice in one competition. She claimed first place in the Women’s Underhand Chop, slicing through 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) of white pine in just 21.28 seconds. She then topped the podium again in the Women’s Standing Chop, cutting through 9 inches (22.8 centimeters) of white pine in 19.38 seconds — both performances setting new world records.

Meredith Ingbretson, who is from Hayward itself, also made the record books. She sprinted across the water and back over eight red cedar logs in 13.78 seconds to set a world record in the Women’s Boom Run.

Women have been part of the championships since its very first year in 1960, though their role has grown considerably over time. Organizers noted that female competitors originally only participated in log-rolling, but now take part in more than 20 different timber sports events.

“When I started chopping I was chopping with the men,” said Nancy Zalewski, who has competed for 27 years and has coached others, including fellow competitor Kate Witkowski.

The roots of lumberjack competition stretch back to the 1890s, according to the organization behind the event. The championship takes place at the Lumberjack Bowl along the shores of Lake Hayward — a site that once served as a holding pond for log drives along the Namekagon River.

The lumberjack spirit is everywhere at the event. Kids show up in flannel shirts, suspenders, and lumberjack-themed socks, while vendors hand out inflatable axes and toy chain saws. Beyond the competition area, attendees can enjoy wood-carving demonstrations, log-rolling practice sessions for children, live music, food trucks, and a variety of axe-themed activities.

“The culture of it I think is really wonderful,” Witkowski said. “I don’t know any other sports where the athletes support each other like we do here because it’s such a niche sport and because the gear is so hard to come by that we’re all just trying to get better.”

The Kansas City Royals have placed right-handed pitcher Stephen Kolek on the 15-day injured list after he suffered a right flexor strain during a rehab outing on Saturday.

Kolek had been pitching for Triple-A Omaha in an effort to get back up to speed and rejoin the big league club as early as this week. He had been away from the team on the family medical emergency list for an extended stretch.

The plan called for Kolek to throw four innings or up to 65 pitches, but he was pulled after just 2 2/3 innings and 51 pitches — 30 of which were strikes — against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He left the game in the third inning alongside the Omaha Storm Chasers’ trainer.

During his time on the mound, Kolek surrendered two runs on six hits, hit one batter, walked no one, and struck out three.

Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro spoke about Kolek’s condition on Sunday. “He said he didn’t feel great playing catch, but then as he got on the mound, he felt better,” Quatraro said. “The first couple of innings were pretty good. In the third inning, he felt more aggressive discomfort. They thought it was best to get him out of there.”

Kolek, who is 29 years old, is set to undergo imaging on Monday to determine the extent of the injury.

His most recent major league appearance came on July 2, when he gave up three runs on four hits across two innings in a 5-2 home loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

According to MLB.com, Kolek has been away from the team since before the birth of his daughter, Faye, who arrived seven weeks premature on June 25. He has been at the hospital with his wife, Jessica, and their newborn, stepping away only for that July 2 start. The Royals placed him on the family emergency medical list three times and the paternity list twice, as well as the restricted list on July 11, per MLB.com.

With his daughter showing improvement, Kolek had been preparing to return to the Royals, including Saturday’s rehab start. Major League Baseball granted the Royals special permission to allow Kolek a rehab assignment — something that is not standard practice for players on the restricted list.

On the season, Kolek is 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA, one shutout, 12 walks, and 34 strikeouts across 54 innings over 10 starts.

For his career, he holds a 12-10 record with a 4.13 ERA, 55 walks, and 150 strikeouts in 213 1/3 innings over 71 appearances, including 29 starts, split between the San Diego Padres (2024-25) and the Royals (2025-present). The Padres sent Kolek and right-hander Ryan Bergert to Kansas City in exchange for catcher Freddy Fermin on July 31, 2025.

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese was forced to leave Sunday’s 93-91 home victory over the Chicago Sky after suffering a left leg injury just 15 seconds into the fourth quarter, and she did not return to action.

The injury occurred as Reese drove toward the basket for a layup. As she released the ball, she appeared to roll her left ankle and collapsed to the floor. Courtney Vandersloot was initially whistled for a foul on the play, but a replay review showed no contact was made, and the call was reversed. Reese had also been wearing a sleeve on her left knee during the game.

Reese managed to get back on her feet but went back down to the floor before eventually making her way to the bench. She was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, and the team offered no update on her condition going forward.

Head coach Karl Smesko spoke with reporters after the game and described the difficult moments during the timeout when his team’s attention turned to Reese.

“It’s hard because we’re in the timeout. It seemed like a really long timeout, and there wasn’t a lot being said because we were all just looking at Angel,” Smesko said. “And when I was looking at her, it seemed like she was in a lot of pain, and she wanted to go out there and keep playing because she’s competitive and she wants to win the game. … I just didn’t feel comfortable with it because she looked like she was in a lot of pain.”

Reese, who earned All-Star honors in each of her first two seasons with Chicago, came into Sunday’s matchup averaging a career-high 15.7 points per game along with a league-best 11.8 rebounds per contest.

She was traded from Chicago to Atlanta this past offseason, along with a second-round draft pick, in exchange for two first-round selections.

Before leaving the game, Reese had contributed eight points and five rebounds in 20 minutes of play.

Women’s professional tennis players will now be required to pass a one-time genetic screening test before they can compete on the tour, the Women’s Tennis Association announced following a policy update on Sunday.

The test screens for the SRY gene, which is used to help determine biological sex. Players can complete the screening through either a cheek swab or a blood test. The updated policy officially takes effect on Tuesday.

Under the previous WTA policy, transgender women were allowed to compete if they identified as female and maintained a reduced testosterone level for at least two years prior to playing in tournaments.

At this time, there are no known transgender women competing at any level of professional tennis.

A WTA spokesperson explained the new policy to Reuters: “Eligibility to participate in WTA tournaments will be confirmed through a required, one-time screening process for the SRY gene.”

The spokesperson added that actual player screenings won’t begin until 2026 and will be carried out “following all appropriate confidentiality and data privacy safeguards and concurrent with a comprehensive player engagement program.”

“The WTA recognizes that this is a sensitive and complex issue and is committed to treating all players with dignity and implementing the policy in a respectful and thoughtful way,” the spokesperson said.

The debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports has long been present in tennis. Transgender player Renee Richards competed on the women’s professional tour from 1977 to 1981 and later coached tennis legend and gay rights advocate Martina Navratilova.

Navratilova, who has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, has been a vocal opponent of allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. Current world number one Aryna Sabalenka echoed similar sentiments last year, saying she believed it would be unfair for women to compete against transgender players.

On the other side of the debate, Billie Jean King — a 12-time Grand Slam singles champion best known for winning the original “battle of the sexes” match in 1973 — has argued that barring transgender athletes from competition is a form of discrimination.

The WTA is not alone in adopting this type of policy. Several other sports governing bodies, including World Athletics and World Boxing, have introduced comparable gene-based eligibility tests in recent years.

This past March, the International Olympic Committee also announced that only biological female athletes whose gender has been confirmed through a one-time test would be eligible to compete in female category events at the Olympic Games.

Advocacy groups supporting transgender athletes contend that such policies amount to discrimination, while critics of transgender inclusion argue that undergoing male puberty provides physical advantages that transitioning does not eliminate.

Max Kepler came through with a clutch RBI in the 10th inning Sunday, capping an eight-run comeback as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7 in Phoenix.

With one out in the 10th, Kepler plated automatic runner Jorge Barrosa against Luis Gastelum (1-1) to complete Arizona’s remarkable rally. Juan Morrillo (3-4) earned the win after throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

The Diamondbacks found themselves down 7-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, then began chipping away with three runs in that frame. Geraldo Perdomo added a two-run inside-the-park home run in the seventh, and Nolan Arenado knotted the score with a two-run blast in the eighth to force extras.

For St. Louis, Blaze Jordan finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs. The Cardinals had jumped out to their big lead by scoring five runs against Eduardo Rodriguez in the third inning.

Brewers 3, Marlins 1

William Contreras launched a three-run walk-off home run with one out in the ninth inning, lifting Milwaukee to a victory over visiting Miami and completing a three-game series sweep.

The Brewers managed just two hits through eight innings before rallying against Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks (3-4). Jackson Chourio singled to lead off the ninth, and Brice Turang drew a walk. Following a strikeout, Contreras crushed a 1-2 cutter 411 feet to center field for his 10th homer of the season. Robert Gasser gave up one run on three hits over five innings, and Grant Anderson (3-3) tossed a scoreless ninth to earn the win.

Miami’s Eury Perez was dominant but had nothing to show for it, surrendering just one hit across six innings while striking out nine, walking three and hitting one batter in a 93-pitch outing. Esteury Ruiz hit the Marlins’ only run on a third-inning homer off Gasser.

Padres 19, Royals 2

Jackson Merrill, Ty France and Fernando Tatis Jr. combined for five home runs and 13 RBIs as San Diego avoided a series sweep by routing host Kansas City.

Merrill went 4-for-6 with two homers and four RBIs, while Tatis added a homer, four RBIs and three runs scored. Both of France’s hits left the yard — a grand slam in the eighth inning and a solo shot in the ninth — accounting for five RBIs.

With the game well out of hand, Royals position player Tyler Tolbert took the mound in the ninth and surrendered six runs, including two home runs. Jac Caglianone homered and doubled for Kansas City, which had won four consecutive home games entering Sunday.

White Sox 3, Blue Jays 0

Sean Burke held Toronto to two hits and a walk while striking out five over 6 2/3 innings as visiting Chicago shut out the Blue Jays.

Colson Montgomery went 2-for-4 and belted a solo home run for the White Sox in the deciding game of the three-game series. Grant Taylor allowed an infield single by Ernie Clement and a bunt single by Nathan Lukes to open the ninth but escaped the jam on a lineout and a double-play grounder to secure his fifth save of the season. Lukes finished with two of Toronto’s four hits.

Braves 8, Rangers 5

Austin Riley and Drake Baldwin each went deep twice as Atlanta topped visiting Texas.

Riley finished 3-for-4, connecting for his 11th and 12th home runs of the year while driving in four and scoring twice. Baldwin had a career-best 5-for-5 day, hitting his 17th and 18th homers with two RBIs and a stolen base. Atlanta starter Grant Holmes (6-4) worked five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. The Braves totaled 14 hits, with Matt Olson, Michael Harris II and Brewer Hicklen each contributing two.

Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (9-8) lasted just four innings, giving up four runs on six hits — three of them home runs. Wyatt Langford went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs, including a homer, while Nicky Lopez also had three hits for the Rangers.

Red Sox 6, Rays 1

Sonny Gray delivered six innings of one-run pitching and Willson Contreras added a two-run home run as Boston completed a four-game sweep of visiting Tampa Bay.

The victory pushed the Red Sox’s winning streak to 13 consecutive games. Gray (12-1) scattered five hits for his ninth straight quality start and has now allowed one run or fewer in five straight outings. Tampa Bay went 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Chandler Simpson (2-for-4) was the only Rays batter with multiple hits. Shane McClanahan (8-6) surrendered six runs — four earned — on five hits over five innings.

Mets 6, Phillies 1

Nolan McLean fanned 10 over six scoreless innings as New York beat host Philadelphia in the deciding game of their weekend series.

Francisco Lindor went 3-for-3 with a walk twice, a long home run and three RBIs. That was more than enough backing for McLean (7-6), who yielded just two hits and two walks while lowering his ERA to 0.75 across his last four starts. Philadelphia starter Alan Rangel (0-3) lasted four innings, giving up five runs, seven hits and three walks. Alec Bohm’s home run accounted for the Phillies’ lone run.

Dodgers 8, Yankees 2 (Game 1)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a complete-game four-hitter as Los Angeles scored three times off Cam Schlittler before pulling away late in the opener of a day-night doubleheader against host New York.

Yamamoto (10-6) allowed two runs in what was his first career regular-season complete game, following back-to-back complete games last postseason. He struck out seven without issuing a walk, throwing first-pitch strikes to 21 of 30 batters. A five-run eighth inning against the Yankees’ bullpen sealed the outcome. Trent Grisham homered and Anthony Volpe had an RBI single for New York, which has gone 18-21 since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib. Schlittler (9-6) allowed three runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out eight but needing 98 pitches to record 13 outs.

Pirates 7, Guardians 1

Billy Cook had three hits and drove in his first two runs of the season as visiting Pittsburgh topped Cleveland.

Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez provided a cushion with a two-run homer in the ninth inning. Pirates ace Paul Skenes (9-8) won his third straight start, with the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner allowing one run on seven hits with eight strikeouts across seven innings. Jared Triolo, Jake Mangum and Nick Gonzales each contributed two of Pittsburgh’s 11 hits. Cleveland’s Steven Kwan had two hits, including an RBI bunt single in the third inning. Guardians starter Joey Cantillo (8-5) was charged with four runs on seven hits in five-plus innings.

Orioles 5, Astros 2

Brandon Young pitched seven strong innings, Leody Taveras delivered a clutch two-run, two-out single and visiting Baltimore completed a three-game sweep of Houston.

The Orioles stretched their season-best winning streak to seven games and have now won 10 of their last 13. Young (8-2) recorded his eighth quality start, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out seven. Houston’s Hunter Brown (1-1) struggled in his sixth start since returning from a two-plus-month stint on the injured list, giving up four runs on three hits and a career-high six walks over 4 2/3 innings. Brown has walked 15 batters over his last three outings.

Cubs 10, Twins 1

Nico Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a triple and four RBIs as Chicago rolled past visiting Minnesota.

Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, who claimed the rubber match of the three-game series. Michael Busch went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs, and Pedro Ramirez added a 2-for-4 performance with an RBI. Left-hander Shota Imanaga (6-8) held the Twins to six hits over seven scoreless innings. Minnesota’s Zebby Matthews (4-7) surrendered 10 runs — eight earned — on nine hits in just over three innings. Royce Lewis went 1-for-3 with a double, the Twins’ only extra-base hit.

Angels 3, Tigers 2

Rookie Ryan Johnson allowed one run on two hits over five innings and Oswald Peraza went 2-for-4 with an RBI as Los Angeles salvaged the final game of a three-game series against Detroit in Anaheim, Calif.

Nolan Schanuel had three hits and Vaughn Grissom chipped in two hits, including a double, helping the Angels snap a four-game skid. Johnson (2-4) walked three and struck out five before Ryan Zeferjahn closed it out for the save. Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene each homered for the Tigers, who suffered just their fourth loss in their last 15 games.

Nationals 5, Athletics 2

Foster Griffin tossed seven innings of one-run ball and home runs by CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews powered Washington past the host Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.

Griffin (11-2) struck out just two but generated 12 groundball outs, two of which resulted in double plays, helping him limit the damage from the eight hits he allowed. Curtis Mead and Harry Ford drove in the other runs for Washington. Shea Langeliers went 2-for-4 with a double for the A’s, while Alika Williams hit two doubles batting ninth. Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson each had an RBI for Oakland, which out-hit Washington 11-7 but still lost. Jacob Lopez (4-4) allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Reds 9, Rockies 6

Tyler Stephenson belted two home runs, Sal Stewart and Nathaniel Lowe each hit three-run shots and Cincinnati held off Hunter Goodman’s three-homer day to beat Colorado in Denver.

Hunter Greene (2-1) allowed three runs on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts over six innings to help the Reds take the rubber match of the series. Stephenson hit a two-run homer in the first, a solo shot in the fifth and a double in the seventh. Goodman homered three times in a game for the second time this season and drove in five runs for Colorado, which has lost four of its last five. Willi Castro added a solo homer in the ninth. Cincinnati scored five runs on four hits in the opening inning off Rockies starter Ryan Feltner (3-4).

Mariners 6, Giants 3

Pinch hitter Luke Raley hit a go-ahead home run and Cole Young followed with a two-run shot as Seattle returned to the .500 mark with a win over visiting San Francisco in the rubber match of their interleague series.

Logan Gilbert (8-6) delivered six quality innings for the Mariners, giving up three runs on four hits while striking out 10. Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier and Andres Munoz combined for three scoreless innings of one-hit relief with six more strikeouts. Josh Naylor and Weston Wilson added RBI singles for Seattle. Bryce Eldridge got San Francisco on the board with a solo homer in the first inning, and Luis Arraez — who struck out twice for the first time this season — gave the Giants a 3-2 lead with an RBI double in the sixth. Giants starter Robbie Ray lasted four-plus innings, allowing three runs — one earned — on seven hits. Adrian Houser (2-7) surrendered the final three runs.

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers gave fans a scare Sunday night when she was knocked to the floor during her team’s 90-82 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in Arlington, Texas, departing the game with 3:33 left on the clock and never coming back.

The incident unfolded when Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike was dribbling upcourt, got fouled, and lost her footing. Ogwumike stumbled into Bueckers’ legs, sending the second-year player falling straight backward onto the floor.

When Bueckers landed, the back of her head appeared to make contact with the hardwood, and the 24-year-old immediately reached up to grab her head in response.

After spending a brief moment lying face down on the court, Bueckers managed to walk off on her own, though Wings staff members stayed close on either side of her as she continued holding her head and walked with a slight limp.

Before leaving the floor, Bueckers embraced Ogwumike after both players got to their feet. The two share something in common off the court as well — both were named to the WNBA All-Star Game set for July 25 in Chicago.

Prior to her exit, Bueckers had put together a strong performance, leading all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including 2 of 4 attempts from beyond the arc, while adding five assists and four rebounds across 32 minutes. Ogwumike paced the Sparks, who fell to 10-15, with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Team officials offered no update on Bueckers’ condition after the final buzzer. The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, who was the No. 1 overall draft pick out of Connecticut, had been averaging 20.7 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 38.1% from three-point range heading into Sunday’s contest.

With the win, Dallas improved to 17-8, good for fourth place in the WNBA standings and just a half-game back of the Las Vegas Aces for the third spot.

Severe weather forced the postponement of the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix to Monday at 3 p.m. ET, after back-to-back storms made it impossible to hold the race Sunday evening at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee.

The event, which marks the 12th race of the IndyCar season, had originally been scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

Complications began even before the first raindrop fell. The IndyCar Series’ official X account announced that the race start was being held until the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup final. Fox, which carries both the IndyCar Series and the World Cup, was broadcasting the Spain-Argentina championship match, which went to extra time and extended past 5:30 p.m. ET. Spain ultimately won the match 1-0.

Once the soccer final ended, a storm moved through the Nashville area, leaving the track wet. Race organizers attempted to dry the surface, and since Nashville Superspeedway is equipped with floodlights, there remained a possibility of getting the race in Sunday night.

That hope was short-lived. A second, more intense storm swept through the area and drenched the track all over again. A Fox host on the broadcast captured the moment, saying, “The dry track has been utterly sodden in a sudden and almighty deluge.”

When cars finally line up for Monday’s race, Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood will be starting from the pole position.

The Los Angeles Lakers announced Sunday that they have signed forward Ziaire Williams, bringing the five-year NBA veteran into the fold on a new deal.

The team did not disclose contract details, but several media outlets reported Monday that the agreement is a one-year contract worth $3 million.

The 6-foot-9 Williams will be teaming up again with Bronny James, a former classmate and teammate at Sierra Canyon high school in California. Williams, originally from Lancaster, California, was a McDonald’s All-American and a consensus five-star recruit coming out of the 2020 class.

Selected 10th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies out of Stanford University, Williams has averaged 8.7 points per game throughout his professional career. He spent three seasons in Memphis before moving to Brooklyn, where he put together his best statistical season last year, averaging a career-high 10.2 points per game for the Nets.

During his first year in Brooklyn, Williams set personal bests across multiple categories, including games played and starts (63 and 45, respectively), total points (632), field goals made (214), three-pointers made (103), rebounds (287), assists (84), and blocked shots (28).

The 24-year-old also showed efficiency at the free throw line, converting 85% of his attempts — hitting 119 of 140 — in the 2025-26 season. For his career, he has made 82.4% of his free throw attempts.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are mourning the sudden loss of team captain Jayden Dalke, who died in a car accident Saturday evening. The Canadian Football League team confirmed the tragic news in a statement released Sunday.

Dalke, who was 30 years old and originally from Leduc, Alberta, had been drafted by Saskatchewan in the sixth round of the 2022 CFL Draft. He went on to be part of the team’s 2025 Grey Cup championship victory.

The organization expressed deep grief over his passing, describing him as a driven and inspiring presence. “A relentless warrior on the field, Jayden’s determination, toughness and work ethic inspired his teammates, who cared deeply for him and are heartbroken by his passing,” the Roughriders said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the entire Dalke family, who traveled the country to watch Jayden live his dream.”

Over the course of his CFL career, Dalke appeared in 68 regular-season games, recording 69 tackles, 31 special-teams tackles, three forced fumbles, one interception, and one sack.

CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston also released a statement honoring Dalke, calling him a “passionate competitor who played with incredible heart.” Johnston added, “The CFL has lost a teammate, a Canadian brother and a friend.”

NEW YORK — When the dust settles on the 2026 World Cup, the tournament’s biggest legacy may not be the name of the champion, but rather a question left unanswered: how much of soccer’s American-style transformation will stick once the games move out of North America?

Throughout the competition, FIFA leaned heavily into elements borrowed from U.S. sports culture. Mandatory water breaks effectively carved each match into four segments. The winning team walked away with championship rings. The final featured a full halftime entertainment production. For many longtime soccer fans, the sport they knew was beginning to look like something else entirely.

The mid-match breaks were officially justified as a player welfare measure, given the heat and humidity of a North American summer. But once in place, they took on a life of their own. Coaches used them as tactical timeouts. Broadcasters recognized them as natural commercial opportunities. And supporters accustomed to the uninterrupted flow of the game found themselves watching something that felt more like four quarters than two halves.

Whether those breaks become a permanent fixture is now a serious question in soccer circles. FIFA has a ready-made argument for keeping them — player safety — and the commercial value of guaranteed mid-half pauses is not lost on the sport’s decision-makers. But the idea would face fierce pushback in Europe, where uninterrupted play is considered a core part of the game’s identity. UEFA has already made clear it will not allow hydration breaks lasting longer than one minute under its own rules.

The halftime show at the final ran 27 minutes — nearly double the traditional 15-minute break — and drew inevitable comparisons to the Super Bowl. Spain, the winning nation, received championship rings in a ceremony that felt straight out of North American professional sports. Neither change altered how the game is actually played, but together they reinforced the impression that FIFA was not simply hosting the World Cup in the United States — it was reshaping the World Cup to fit American sporting expectations.

There was a certain irony at play. American host cities witnessed firsthand what makes international soccer unique: massive traveling fan groups, city centers draped in national flags, supporters singing for hours before and after matches, and national teams carrying a sense of cultural identity that no franchise-based sports league can easily replicate. The U.S. appeared to be soaking in soccer’s global culture even as FIFA was busy importing American entertainment values into the sport.

Politics also cast a long shadow over the tournament. FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s notably close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump became one of the most talked-about off-field storylines. Critics argued that Infantino’s proximity to Trump went well beyond the normal diplomatic relationship expected between a global sports organization and a host country’s leader.

That tension came to a head in the disciplinary case involving Folarin Balogun. After Trump publicly commented on the matter and praised FIFA’s handling of it following his own involvement, questions arose about whether political pressure had influenced the process. FIFA maintained that its judicial bodies operated with full independence, but the episode left many with the uncomfortable feeling that the boundary between sports governance and political influence had grown dangerously thin.

Refereeing was another source of ongoing controversy. Officials were tasked with enforcing new rules and interpretations while managing the usual pressures of a major tournament. The result was frequent debate — not just over individual calls, but over whether the laws of the game had become too complex for anyone to fully understand in the moment.

Video review technology remained central to major decisions, but it did not eliminate arguments. In many cases, it simply moved the dispute from a referee’s on-field judgment to the interpretation of slow-motion replays and technical rulings. Conspiracy theories spread rapidly on social media, and FIFA’s refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina pushed back against allegations of bias, stating that match officials acted with complete independence.

The expanded 48-team format drew a mixed response. More nations participated, more matches were played, and more countries got a chance to compete on the world’s biggest soccer stage. But with 104 total matches, the tournament felt less like an intense, focused event and more like a sprawling sports season crammed into a few weeks. That scale served FIFA’s financial goals and worked with the geography of three host nations, but whether it made for a better sporting competition remains up for debate.

Despite all the noise, the tournament still delivered what World Cups always do — unexpected heroes, stunning upsets, heartbreak for some nations and joy for others. But when future generations look back on 2026, the most significant takeaway may not be a single match or a winning team. It may be the precedent set for how the sport is packaged, presented, and governed. The real consequences of that precedent, analysts say, will become clearer in 2030.

Just two days after the NFL handed down an indefinite suspension to Arizona Cardinals director of college scouting Ryan Gold, his legal team fired back — calling the charges against him completely untrue and vowing to fight the ruling.

The league announced its decision on Friday, saying it had determined that Gold leaked confidential information about upcoming draft picks and placed wagers on football games. The NFL did not identify who received the inside information.

According to league investigators, Gold revealed details about Arizona’s 2026 draft selections before they were officially announced. The probe also found that he participated in parlay bets on both NFL and college football games.

The suspension went into effect immediately, though the league’s rules do allow for an appeal process.

Attorney Mike Caspino released a statement Sunday defending his client. “Ryan Gold has been an outstanding NFL executive for over a decade,” Caspino said. “The accusations made by the league regarding his participation in prohibited gambling activities are blatantly false. We have demanded an appeal and we look forward to clearing his good name.”

Caspino offered an explanation for the gambling activity, saying it was actually Gold’s wife, Jennifer, who was placing $10 weekly parlay bets with a group of her high school friends — and that Gold had no involvement in those wagers.

The attorney also argued that Gold could not have leaked draft pick information because only Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort knew who the team intended to select, and neither shared that knowledge with Gold.

Under NFL rules, employees of the league and its clubs are forbidden from betting on sports, helping others place bets, or sharing non-public information that could be used for gambling purposes.

In its Friday statement, the NFL noted: “Although there is no reason to believe the integrity of any NFL game was affected, the league takes any violation of the gambling policy with the utmost seriousness.”

League investigators conducted interviews and reviewed electronic records during the inquiry. They found no evidence that any other Cardinals player, coach, or staff member was aware of or involved in Gold’s alleged actions. There was also no indication that the outcome of any game had been influenced.

The Cardinals released their own statement Friday expressing that they “fully support the league’s decision in this matter.” The team also removed Gold’s biography from its official website.

Gold was heading into his 13th season with the Cardinals and his second year as director of college scouting. He was elevated to that role in June 2025 following three seasons as assistant director of college scouting, a position he held after spending four years with the organization as a college scouting coordinator.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Spain navigated every twist and turn the beautiful game could throw at them Sunday, blending elegance with grit, and emerged as World Cup champions with the ball firmly in their control and confidence running through their veins.

The Spanish side defeated Argentina 1-0 in a result that was less a break from their style of play and more a reaffirmation of it. Spain passed relentlessly, probed for openings, and treated possession like something precious — never wavering even as Argentina held firm and the match pushed deep into extra time.

In a moment that perfectly captured the team’s philosophy, the decisive goal came from players who had entered from the bench. Substitutes Nico Williams and Ferran Torres combined for the winner — marking the third time in the knockout stage that a replacement player delivered the game-winning blow for Spain.

That detail speaks volumes about the squad built by manager Luis de la Fuente. This is not a team driven by individual stars seeking the spotlight, but rather a collective unit where even those coming off the bench are fully prepared to deliver when called upon.

Spain finished the match controlling more than 65% of possession, registering 12 shots on target, and completing more than twice as many passes as Argentina. The Argentine side managed their first attempt on goal — which missed — only near the closing minutes of extra time.

Spain dominated without delivering a knockout blow. Their well-known vulnerability — the lack of a traditional center forward — showed in the number of chances they created but could not convert.

Still, that shortcoming remains perhaps the only real crack in an otherwise tightly bound team built on collective strength.

Spain swept several major individual awards from the tournament. Pau Cubarsi was named Best Young Player, Unai Simon took home the Best Goalkeeper honor, and Rodri was recognized as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The only individual prize that slipped away from them was the Golden Boot, which went to France’s Kylian Mbappe.

Even that felt fitting. Spain’s success was never built around a single scorer. Their 14 goals across eight matches were distributed among eight different players — echoing their European Championship run in 2024, when 10 different players shared a tournament-record 16 goals.

The victory over Argentina also pushed Spain’s unbeaten streak to 38 consecutive matches, surpassing Italy’s previous mark and cementing three years of dominance on the international stage.

The championship also served as a personal vindication for De la Fuente, who was once mocked by Spanish media with the nickname Luis de la “Who” — a nod to his long years working quietly within Spain’s youth football system. He has now converted that patient, behind-the-scenes career into the sport’s greatest prize.

This Spanish squad also mirrors the diversity of the country itself, bringing together players from various regions, backgrounds, and cultures. Players from the Basque Country such as Mikel Oyarzabal, Simon, and Mikel Merino share the field with Borja Iglesias from Galicia, Torres from Valencia, Rodri from Madrid, Fabian Ruiz and Gavi from Andalucia, and Pedri from the Canary Islands. Cubarsi and Marc Cucurella are among nine players born in Catalonia, while Lamine Yamal and Williams represent the country’s immigrant communities and a changing Spain.

Spain has long drawn strength from the distinct regions and peoples that make up the nation. On Sunday, those differences were not erased — they simply ceased to be divisions.

For one night at least, football accomplished something that politics rarely manages: it made Spain feel united.

Crowds at New York New Jersey stadium made their feelings known Sunday, raining down boos as U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino stepped onto the field for the World Cup trophy presentation ceremony.

Infantino had announced ahead of the ceremony that Trump would be the one to hand the trophy to the winning team.

Spain took home the championship, defeating defending title holders Argentina by a score of 1-0.

By the time Trump and Infantino began distributing medals to players and coaching staff, the crowd’s booing had died down.

Spain captured their second World Cup title on Sunday, defeating a stubborn Argentina side 1-0 in extra time in a largely frustrating final played in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

It was substitute Ferran Torres who delivered the decisive blow, finding the back of the net just 37 seconds into the second period of extra time. Winger Nico Williams headed a cross from Pedro Porro back across goal, setting up Torres to fire the ball into the roof of the net and send Spain’s bench into a frenzy.

Spain, the reigning European champions, controlled much of the match against their South American counterparts but struggled to convert their dominance into goals throughout regulation play.

Argentina’s night grew even more difficult when midfielder Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card in stoppage time at the end of the first 90 minutes, leaving his team with only 10 players. Up to that point, Argentina had not managed a single shot on the Spanish goal, dashing their hopes of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive World Cup titles.

With the championship slipping away in the final minutes, Argentina finally pushed forward with attacking intent — but the effort came far too late to change the outcome. Captain Lionel Messi, 39 years old, was left to absorb defeat in what is likely his third and final World Cup final appearance.

Spain came close to sealing the win before extra time when Lamine Yamal, widely regarded as a future rival to Messi’s legendary status, curled a free kick over the defensive wall near the end of regulation. Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who made numerous crucial saves throughout the match, managed to keep it out.

Martinez produced another outstanding stop early in the first extra-time period, denying a close-range header from Williams. The goalkeeper was eventually beaten by the same winger three minutes later, but the referee disallowed that goal due to a foul in the buildup.

Spain’s victory matched their 2010 World Cup triumph, though celebrations were briefly marred by an ugly on-field confrontation involving Argentina players after the final whistle.

A short but intense brawl broke out at the end of Sunday’s World Cup final after Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes knocked Spain’s Gavi to the ground as the final whistle blew and Spain’s substitute players flooded onto the field to celebrate their 1-0 victory.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni stepped in to help defuse the situation following the heated conclusion to the match.

The South American side had already been dealt a blow before the final whistle, with midfielder Enzo Fernandez receiving a red card and being sent off during second-half stoppage time.

Spain secured the championship win over Argentina in extra time, with substitute Ferran Torres delivering the decisive goal to give Spain their second World Cup title.

Since the first FIFA World Cup kicked off in 1930, the tournament has crowned champions from across the globe. Here is a full rundown of every host nation and winner in World Cup history.

Uruguay 1930 – Uruguay

Uruguay claimed the very first World Cup title, defeating Argentina 4-2 in the championship match held in Montevideo. The inaugural tournament featured just 13 participating nations, with only four of them coming from Europe. Many European players were reluctant to make the long journey to South America, worried they might lose their jobs during the extended absence.

Italy 1934 – Italy

Playing on home soil, Italy defeated Czechoslovakia 2-1 in Rome in a tournament structured around a Round of 16. Defending champions Uruguay sat out the competition to protest the fact that several European nations had refused to travel to South America for the previous tournament. That same year, Egypt made history as the first African country to compete in the World Cup.

France 1938 – Italy

Italy captured their second consecutive World Cup title, topping Hungary 4-2 in the final. The tournament also saw Dutch East Indies — now known as Indonesia — become the first Asian nation to appear in a World Cup.

Brazil 1950 – Uruguay

The first World Cup held after World War Two also marked England’s debut in the competition. Uruguay secured their second world title with a 2-1 victory over host nation Brazil in a match that has since become known as the “Maracanaco.” That game drew 173,850 spectators, a figure that still stands as the largest crowd ever to attend a World Cup match.

Switzerland 1954 – West Germany

West Germany captured their first World Cup championship with a dramatic 3-2 final victory over Hungary.

Sweden 1958 – Brazil

The only World Cup ever held in a Nordic country introduced the world to a 17-year-old Brazilian named Pele, who scored six goals and helped Brazil defeat host nation Sweden 5-2 in the final. France’s Just Fontaine set a record that still stands today, scoring 13 goals throughout the tournament.

Chile 1962 – Brazil

Brazil successfully defended their title, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final in Santiago.

England 1966 – England

England’s only World Cup victory came on home soil, as they edged West Germany 4-2 in extra time. The tournament also marked the debut of both North Korea and Portugal, with Portuguese striker Eusebio finishing as the competition’s leading scorer.

Mexico 1970 – Brazil

Brazil claimed their third World Cup in what turned out to be Pele’s final tournament appearance, rolling past Italy 4-1 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The competition was notable for several firsts: no player was sent off throughout the entire tournament, substitutes were permitted for the first time, and yellow and red cards were introduced. It was also the first World Cup broadcast in color television and the first to feature an officially sponsored match ball.

West Germany 1974 – West Germany

The host nation lifted their second World Cup trophy after defeating the Netherlands 2-1 in the final. A brand-new trophy was unveiled for the tournament after Brazil was allowed to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently, having won it three times.

Argentina 1978 – Argentina

Argentina became the second consecutive host nation to win the World Cup, beating the Netherlands 3-1 in the final at Estadio Monumental. In another notable result, Tunisia’s 3-1 win over Mexico marked the first time an African team had ever won a match in World Cup history.

Spain 1982 – Italy

Italy became world champions for the third time, defeating West Germany 3-1. The tournament also introduced the penalty shootout to World Cup play for the very first time.

Mexico 1986 – Argentina

Mexico hosted the World Cup for the second time, and Argentina’s Diego Maradona dominated the competition, steering his country to a second world title with a 3-2 win over West Germany in the final. Perhaps the most remembered moment came in the quarterfinals against England, where Maradona scored the controversial “Hand of God” goal and also produced a breathtaking individual run and finish that was later named the “Goal of the Century.”

Italy 1990 – West Germany

West Germany won their third World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in Rome. Cameroon made history by defeating Argentina in the group stage before advancing to become the first African team ever to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

United States 1994 – Brazil

The first World Cup staged on American soil featured several high-profile teams and players. Brazil’s Romario and Bebeto led their team to the final against Italy and Roberto Baggio. After a low-scoring, tense match, the first-ever penalty shootout in a World Cup final decided the winner — Brazil claimed their fourth title after Baggio’s decisive miss.

France 1998 – France

The 1998 tournament was the first to feature 32 competing nations. France, captained by Didier Deschamps, won their first World Cup by defeating Brazil 3-0 in the final.

South Korea/Japan 2002 – Brazil

The World Cup was co-hosted by two nations for the first time and was also the first held on Asian soil. Ronaldo played a starring role as Brazil captured their fifth world championship with a 2-0 win over Germany in Yokohama.

Germany 2006 – Italy

Italy defeated France on penalties in Berlin, winning 5-3 in the shootout after the match ended 1-1 following extra time. The final was overshadowed by Zinedine Zidane receiving a red card for head-butting Marco Materazzi. A separate infamous moment came in the Round of 16 when Portugal beat the Netherlands 1-0 in a match dubbed the “Battle of Nuremberg,” which set a record for a FIFA international match with four red cards and 16 yellow cards shown.

South Africa 2010 – Spain

Africa hosted the World Cup for the first time, and Spain made history by winning their first-ever world title, defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final after extra time.

Brazil 2014 – Germany

Germany secured their fourth World Cup championship, beating Argentina 1-0 in the final.

Russia 2018 – France

France won their second World Cup title with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final. Coach Didier Deschamps became only the second person in history to win the World Cup as both a captain and a manager — following Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer — having previously led France to victory in 1998. The tournament also marked the debut of Video Assistant Referee technology, known as VAR.

Qatar 2022 – Argentina

Argentina claimed their third World Cup title in one of the most dramatic finals in the tournament’s history, defeating France on penalties after the match finished 3-3 following extra time. Lionel Messi scored twice for Argentina, while Kylian Mbappe netted a hat-trick as France fought back from a 2-0 deficit.

United States, Mexico and Canada 2026 – Spain

Spain won their second World Cup with a 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina after extra time, with the winning goal coming from Ferran Torres. Argentina’s 39-year-old captain Lionel Messi became only the second player in history to appear in three World Cup finals.

Spain claimed the World Cup title on Sunday with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina in extra time at East Rutherford, New Jersey.

It took a goal from substitute Ferran Torres to break the deadlock early in the second half of extra time. Torres pounced on a rebound to fire home and deliver the European champions their second World Cup crown.

Argentina’s night was made even more difficult when midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off after picking up a second yellow card in stoppage time during the second half, leaving the Argentines to play out the remainder of the match with 10 men.

The defending champions struggled throughout the contest, failing to register a single shot — either on or off target — for 115 minutes of play.

Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente, 65 years old, made history by becoming the oldest coach ever to win a World Cup.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi, 39, also etched his name in the record books, becoming only the second player in history to appear in three World Cup finals and the oldest outfield player ever to take part in a final.

SOUTHPORT, England — Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, stepped forward Sunday to defend fellow American Bryson DeChambeau, declaring him “definitely not a cheater” following a two-stroke penalty that damaged DeChambeau’s chances at the British Open.

Tournament officials handed down the penalty after DeChambeau completed his second-round 66 on Friday, determining that he had unintentionally improved his swing path on the fifth hole after his drive landed in the rough.

DeChambeau was transported back to the location of the incident in a golf cart, where he engaged in a heated exchange with an official. Rory McIlroy publicly described DeChambeau’s reaction as “performative.”

The penalty had a significant impact on the standings. Rather than sitting just one shot behind the leader heading into the weekend, DeChambeau entered his third round three strokes back. He managed a 69 on Saturday to stay within range, but his challenge unraveled Sunday when he posted a two-over 72 to close out the tournament.

Scheffler had largely stayed quiet on the matter throughout the week, but spoke up after his own bid to defend his Open title came to an end Sunday. He finished with a 67, leaving him tied for fourth place.

“I’ve been really focused on the tournament,” Scheffler told reporters. “All I can really say is I think maybe we need to be a little bit more strict in the way that we are policing guys.”

He went on to note the unique scrutiny that high-profile players face. “Certain guys like Bryson who every shot he hits is going to be shown on TV. When you have camera angles that are far away, things can look different than they do when you’re there,” Scheffler said.

“I hate saying stuff out here because I don’t want anything to get taken out of context. All I’ll say is Bryson, I’ve known him for a long time and he’s a lot of things, but he’s definitely not a cheater,” he added.

The R&A, golf’s governing body for the event, maintained that the ruling was straightforward, pointing to footage showing DeChambeau appearing to flatten some long grass near where his ball had come to rest. However, officials stopped short of suggesting he had intentionally tried to gain an unfair advantage.

Scheffler drew on his long history with DeChambeau to back up his defense. “I’ve never seen him cheat once, whether we were having a putting contest on the putting green or chipping contest, or anytime we played amateur golf, I never saw anything suspicious,” he said.

“Maybe he was a touch careless around his ball but I don’t think he did anything intentionally,” Scheffler concluded.

Capitalizing on the momentum from World Cup excitement, Telemundo has secured exclusive rights to broadcast UEFA Champions League matches and all other UEFA men’s soccer events in Spanish across the United States, The Athletic reported Sunday.

The terms of the financial agreement were not made public. The deal spans three years and gets underway starting with the 2027-28 season.

Viewers will be able to watch matches across several platforms, including Telemundo, Peacock, Universo, and Telemundo’s dedicated streaming channel.

The agreement builds on Telemundo’s already extensive soccer broadcasting portfolio, which includes U.S. Spanish-language rights to the Premier League, the U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams, and Olympic soccer competitions.

Telemundo Enterprises chairman Luis Fernandez spoke to The Athletic about the significance of the deal. “There are two major brands in world soccer: World Cup and Champions League,” he said. “After a truly memorable World Cup for Telemundo, if you ask what comes next, the answer is simple: Champions League.”

The network reported that it drew an average total audience of 6 million viewers per World Cup match through the semifinals, a figure that combined Peacock’s simulcast of the Telemundo broadcast on its platform.

Meanwhile, FIFA has yet to finalize any deal — for either English-language or Spanish-language coverage — for the 2030 World Cup.

If the Open Championship had come down to driving alone, Rory McIlroy might have walked away with his seventh career major title Sunday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. But golf, of course, requires far more than a powerful tee shot.

McIlroy topped the field at The Open in strokes gained off the tee, posting an impressive 7.98, and led all competitors in driving distance with an average of 339.3 yards. Unfortunately for the Northern Ireland native, the rest of his game simply didn’t measure up.

His final-round 71 — one over par — left him at 1-under 279 for the tournament, a full nine shots behind New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who claimed the championship.

“I just sort of stuck in neutral for most of the week,” McIlroy said following his round, which included three birdies and four bogeys. “Obviously shot a good one on Friday to get myself in for the weekend and back in it. Yeah, even par over the weekend is not going to get it done. Yeah, I just felt like any time I got a little bit of momentum out there, I seemed to make a bogey.”

McIlroy revealed that he had switched back to a heavier driver setup that he felt more comfortable with, a change that paid dividends off the tee.

“I went into it at — I think it was Memorial, maybe,” he said. “I started to use the heavier driver again. Then I think I led — might have led the field in driving in Shinnecock (at the U.S. Open). Certainly led it last week in Scotland, and I’m up there again this week.

“That’s a huge positive going forward, especially accuracy-wise. The length is the length, and I’m always going to have that, but just getting the ball in play a little bit more with the driver was a struggle at the start of the year, and I figured that out. It’s just trying to get the rest of the game to match up to it.”

Before diving back into serious practice, McIlroy said he plans to take some time off and go on holiday with his wife and daughter.

When he returns to competition, he’ll be splitting his schedule between the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup and events on the DP World Tour. He also mentioned looking ahead to the Irish Open, scheduled for mid-September.

“I’ve really enjoyed my stretches of golf in Europe and heading into — like going back to India again, the Middle East, Australia — really enjoyed that part of the year last year, and looking forward to that again, for sure,” McIlroy said.

Reflecting on the week at Royal Birkdale, McIlroy noted that the course felt noticeably different from when he finished tied for fourth there at The Open in 2017.

“I feel like with a lot of the changes they made, the greens were raised up and a lot of the fall-offs and stuff, it didn’t play like a traditional links course,” he said. “I didn’t feel like you could run the ball up to a lot of greens. There was a lot of stuff where you still had to fly the ball on.

“I’m not saying that’s the reason I didn’t play well this week, just it wasn’t — it didn’t feel like it was sort of your typical links test or certainly wasn’t the links test that Birkdale presented in 2017.”

The World Cup final between Argentina and Spain pushed into extra time Sunday after neither team could break through during regulation play, with the score sitting at 0-0 after 90 minutes at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Should the deadlock continue through the additional 30 minutes of play, the championship title will be settled by a penalty shootout.

Argentina’s situation became even more difficult late in the match when midfielder Enzo Fernandez was issued a second yellow card during stoppage time — a foul on Pau Cubarsi — leaving the team to compete with just 10 players on the field heading into extra time.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final made history Sunday with its first-ever halftime show, featuring a lineup of global music superstars performing at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Madonna opened the Super Bowl-inspired spectacle with her hit song “Music,” beginning her performance from within the stadium’s tunnels before making a dramatic entrance onto the field aboard a dune buggy driven by Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

K-pop sensation BTS took the stage next, dressed in black-and-red outfits and performing their energetic hit “Dynamite.” American actors Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt then appeared in their roles as coaches from the popular TV series “Ted Lasso” to introduce Justin Bieber, who brought a quieter moment to the show with an acoustic rendition of “Everything Hallelujah” — tweaking the song’s closing lyrics to say “World Cup Hallelujah.”

Colombian superstar Shakira and Nigerian artist Burna Boy then joined the stage together to perform “Dai Dai,” the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup.

The halftime show had already drawn criticism before the match even began, with some questioning whether it would conflict with the sport’s official rulebook. Under the International Laws of the Game, players are entitled to a halftime break of no more than 15 minutes. While tournament regulations do reference a 15-minute interval, they stop short of prohibiting a longer break.

The musical performances themselves ran about 11 minutes, but when factoring in the time needed to set up and clear equipment from the field, the total halftime break stretched to roughly 27 minutes.

Bryson DeChambeau’s turbulent week at The Open Championship came to a close just as it started — with the golfer refusing to face reporters after his round.

For the third consecutive day, DeChambeau turned down requests to speak with the media following his final round at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Starting the day four strokes behind Sam Burns, DeChambeau carded a 2-over-par 72, wrapping up the tournament at 4 under par and tied for 14th place — six shots back of champion Ryan Fox of New Zealand.

DeChambeau’s ongoing avoidance of the press was a constant storyline throughout the week, though it was largely overshadowed by a two-stroke penalty handed down after his second round on Friday. The penalty, issued by the R&A, knocked him from one shot off the 36-hole lead to three strokes behind the leaders.

He was never able to claw his way back into contention, posting a 1-under 69 on Saturday before a triple bogey on the 11th hole Sunday effectively ended any remaining hope of a comeback.

The only time DeChambeau spoke to anyone outside of television during the entire week was following his opening-round 67 on Thursday — and even then, he bypassed a traditional press conference in favor of a one-on-one conversation with an R&A representative.

On Friday evening, while DeChambeau drove balls on the Royal Birkdale practice range well after dark, his agent stepped in to speak on his behalf. The controversy centered on the fifth hole, where rules officials ruled that DeChambeau had improved the path of his swing by stomping down tall grass behind his ball — a charge he disputed directly with officials at the time.

“He’s a lot of things. He’s not a cheater,” agent Brett Falkoff told reporters. Falkoff also noted that DeChambeau had seriously considered withdrawing from the tournament in protest. “He’s a big boy. He’ll see how he feels. But he certainly feels he was unfairly penalized.”

Shortly after midnight local time, DeChambeau took to X to share his thoughts: “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”

The uncertainty surrounding whether DeChambeau would actually withdraw caused the R&A to delay releasing third-round tee times longer than usual, frustrating fellow competitors.

“It was a bit of a joke, really,” said Englishman Marco Penge. “I’m staying at home this week, which is an hour away, and not getting a tee time until 11 p.m. is not great, really, when the tournament probably finished at — we could have at least got a heads up for what time the first tee time was going to be. Obviously there was a lot of commotion, so that delayed things.”

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was equally unimpressed. “Late night for everyone,” he said. “Yeah, look, I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I’m not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it’s performative. I think a lot of it’s for attention. To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look.”

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had stayed quiet on the matter during Saturday’s round but opened up after Sunday’s final round, making clear he does not view DeChambeau as someone who cheats.

“I hate saying stuff out here because I don’t want anything to get taken out of context,” Scheffler said. “All I’ll say is Bryson, I’ve known him for a long time, and he’s a lot of things, but he’s definitely not a cheater. I’ve never seen him cheat once, whether we were having a putting contest on the putting green or chipping contest, or anytime we played amateur golf, I never saw anything suspicious. When you’re watching him there from that camera angle, maybe he was a touch careless around his ball, but I don’t think he did anything intentionally.”

The Open was the only major championship in 2026 where DeChambeau made the cut. The LIV Golf star’s two major titles came at the U.S. Open in 2020 and 2024.

For the first time since 2023, Scottie Scheffler has gone through an entire men’s major championship season without hoisting a trophy.

The World No. 1 put together a final-round 3-under-par 67 on Sunday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in one last attempt to climb the leaderboard, but it wasn’t enough. Scheffler wrapped up the week at 7 under par, sharing fourth place with Englishman Tommy Fleetwood at the Open Championship.

Cameron Young had already set the clubhouse target at 9 under, but New Zealand’s Ryan Fox came charging late to claim the Claret Jug, finishing at 10-under 270 to win the championship.

Scheffler reflected on his strategy heading into Sunday’s round. “Going into today, I had some experience in comebacks in stuff like this,” he said, “and I told myself if I could go out and shoot 4 under on the front nine, I’d be right in it because the leaders wouldn’t have barely teed off yet, and that would have put me at 8, and (54-hole leader Sam Burns) would have been at 10.”

Despite the outcome, the world’s top-ranked player said he had no regrets about how he approached the day. “I definitely don’t regret any of the decisions that I made, either off the tee or going into greens today. I did a good job of staying aggressive and was committed to what I’m doing, and I was very proud of kind of how I played this week when I felt like things weren’t going necessarily my way. It was mentally, for me, I think, a really, really good week.”

Scheffler reached the turn 3 under for the round and 7 under overall. A birdie putt of 14 and a half feet at the par-3 12th hole moved him to 8 under for the first time, putting him briefly in contention.

However, the wheels came off at the 13th hole. Scheffler’s tee shot found the rough on the right side, and his second shot barely moved, staying on the hillside just in front of him. The resulting bogey stung, and a weak chip at the par-3 15th led to another dropped shot.

Scheffler — who struggled with his putter throughout the week — recovered with an 11-foot birdie at the 16th before a dramatic sequence unfolded at the par-5 17th.

After another missed fairway, Scheffler attempted a blind 3-wood from behind a large mound. The ball had enough distance to reach the green but veered sharply left, coming to rest near some tournament infrastructure.

As volunteers began hunting for the ball, Scheffler waved them off. A rules official traveling with his group granted him relief from the obstruction.

“The rules official said it landed just barely left of the grandstand thing,” Scheffler explained. “I don’t know what you call that, like a sponsor area or something. And (caddie Ted Scott) had a bead right on where it was coming down.”

Scheffler said he weighed his options carefully. “We tried to figure it out. I said, ‘If I find it, does that help me; can I drop it?’ — since that would be about 50 yards closer to the hole. He said, ‘Yes, you can then use that spot, but you might have to go to the other side of the TIO (temporary immovable obstruction),’ which I didn’t know exactly where that would be, and that’s not a great angle coming across there. So decided to stop the search and go back and drop it doing point-of-entry TIO relief.”

The calculated decision worked in his favor. Scheffler dropped the ball short of the grandstand, giving himself a clear view of the pin. He then stuck his third shot 11 feet away and drained the birdie putt to get back to 8 under — an unlikely outcome from a chaotic situation.

But the 18th hole proved to be his undoing. Needing a birdie to match Young at the top of the leaderboard, Scheffler again missed the fairway. His approach settled next to a bunker short of the green, and he failed to get up and down for par, sliding back to 7 under to close out his week.

Scheffler, 30, has not won a tournament of any kind since The American Express back in January — his 20th career PGA Tour victory. He also arrived in England coming off his first missed cut in four years at the Scottish Open the previous week. Still, he downplayed any concern about the recent dry spell.

“Just those little kind of bounces,” he said. “My ball on 14 I think is in the fairway, I come up there, it’s in the pot bunker. Little stuff like that over the course of the week tends to add up. I competed really well this week. I did a good job of staying patient and hit the ball really nice over the course of four days. Maybe yesterday was the only day I didn’t strike it as well as I would have liked to.”

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and his family were targeted in a burglary at their suburban Philadelphia home early Saturday, according to the Tredyffrin Township Police Department.

The incident happened around 5 a.m., when officers were sent to Barkley’s home after a burglary-in-progress call was received. By the time police arrived, the suspected burglars had already left the scene. Barkley and his family were not hurt.

At least one of the suspects had entered the home while Barkley and his family were inside. Authorities are searching for at least two individuals and have released a photo of a white SUV believed to be tied to the crime.

Tredyffrin Township Police Captain Tyler Moyer said the well-being of those inside the home was the top priority. “They were home, and fortunately, as you know, with any situation like this, our main concern is that the residents of that home at the time were unharmed, which they were,” Moyer said. “They were fine afterwards, obviously unsettled, as anyone would be.”

Chester County detectives are working alongside Tredyffrin Township police on the case, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office confirmed.

“We are incredibly grateful that the Barkley family was not injured during this incident,” the D.A.’s office said in a statement on social media. “We are asking the public to help us identify those responsible by checking any home security cameras for suspicious activity in the area around 5:00 a.m. If you saw anything unusual or have video that may assist investigators, please contact the Tredyffrin Township Police Department immediately.”

Given that a number of professional athletes have been targeted in theft-related crimes in recent months, Tredyffrin Township police said they plan to reach out to federal authorities to determine whether this incident may be connected to a broader pattern.

“We will look at all angles of this because we know, obviously, it’s been all over the news in the past few years about different professional athletes’ homes getting burglarized,” Moyer said.

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays announced Sunday that Duane Ward, one of the greatest relief pitchers in franchise history and a two-time World Series champion, has died of natural causes at the age of 62.

According to the team, Ward had traveled to Toronto on Friday alongside several former teammates from the back-to-back championship squads of 1992 and 1993. However, he was not present at Saturday’s pregame ceremony at Rogers Centre, which featured a statue unveiling honoring those title-winning teams. More than two dozen players, coaches, and front office members from those rosters participated in the celebration.

The Blue Jays released a statement expressing their grief: “Duane will always be a cherished part of the Blue Jays family, and we will be forever grateful for his contributions to our organization and to baseball in Canada.”

Prior to Sunday’s game against the Chicago White Sox, the club honored Ward with a scoreboard tribute video and a moment of silence. The organization did not provide additional details regarding the circumstances surrounding his death.

Over his career with Toronto, which spanned from 1986 to 1995, Ward appeared in 452 games. His 121 career saves stand as the highest total in Blue Jays franchise history.

Ward made his only All-Star team in 1993, the same year he led the entire American League with 45 saves — a single-season record that still belongs to the Blue Jays organization.

In Game 6 of the 1993 World Series against Philadelphia, Ward was the pitcher of record when Joe Carter hit his legendary series-clinching home run, cementing Ward’s place in baseball history.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are left without answers on when two-way star Shohei Ohtani will pitch again, after knee irritation in his left leg forced him out of the starting rotation.

Ohtani had been scheduled to take the mound Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed reporters ahead of Sunday’s doubleheader with the New York Yankees, making clear there is no timetable for Ohtani’s return to pitching duties.

“Kind of where we’re at right now … I would say that it’s going to be some time,” Roberts said. “I say that it’s not going to be a day-by-day thing.”

Ohtani’s most recent pitching appearance came on July 3 against San Diego. His performance on the mound has declined noticeably over the past month — after allowing just five earned runs and 30 hits across his first 10 starts for a 0.74 ERA, he gave up 12 earned runs and 25 hits over his following four outings, pushing his ERA during that stretch to 4.38.

The knee issue required a lubricant injection on July 12, yet Ohtani has remained in the Dodgers’ batting lineup for each of the last nine games, including Sunday’s opener against the Yankees.

At the plate, Ohtani has been productive despite the injury, slashing .300/.364/.733 with four home runs and eight RBIs over the team’s previous eight games. He did sit out the All-Star Game on Tuesday, however.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is back in the winner’s circle. The former World No. 3 and two-time Grand Slam finalist claimed his 13th career ATP title Sunday, defeating No. 7 seed Raphael Collignon 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 in the final of the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad in Switzerland.

The 27-year-old Greek player had gone without a title for 16 months — his last victory coming in March 2025, when he defeated Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets at the Dubai Open. As a result of Sunday’s win, Tsitsipas will jump 30 places in the world rankings to No. 55 when updated on Monday.

Tsitsipas entered the tournament unseeded and had to work his way through the draw, knocking out No. 5 seed Ignacio Buse of Peru and No. 4 seed Arthur Rinderknech of France before reaching the final. His serve was a key weapon throughout the match — he recorded four aces without a single double fault, won 21 of 29 second-serve points, and successfully saved two of the four break points he faced.

His opponent, Belgium’s Collignon, was making his first-ever appearance in an ATP final. The 24-year-old, currently ranked No. 42 in the world, showed plenty of fight — taking the second set in a tiebreaker to force a third set. However, Tsitsipas broke Collignon’s serve twice in the deciding set, including on match point, to seal the championship.

Nordea Open

In Bastad, top seed Andrey Rublev made quick work of his final, needing just 77 minutes to defeat defending champion and No. 2 seed Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-3 and claim his second title at the venue.

The 28-year-old Russian, who previously won at Bastad in 2023, also ended his own title drought — his most recent win before Sunday had come in February 2025 at Doha. Rublev was dominant on serve, winning 33 of 38 first-serve points — an impressive 86.8% clip. He broke Darderi’s serve to close out the first set, then fended off a break point while leading 2-0 in the second.

The victory snapped Rublev’s five-match losing streak against Top 20 opponents and will push him up two spots to No. 14 in the world rankings. Darderi, ranked No. 18, struggled throughout — committing three double faults, saving only two of four break points, and failing to convert either of his chances to break Rublev’s serve.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox delivered one of the most dramatic finishes in recent British Open history on Sunday, sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale to capture the 154th edition of the prestigious championship.

Fox entered the final hole tied with Cameron Young at nine under par, but a brilliant approach shot set up the decisive birdie that gave him a one-stroke victory over the American.

At 39 years old, Fox becomes only the second New Zealand man to win the Open Championship, joining Bob Charles, who claimed the title back in 1963 at Royal Lytham.

Fox closed out the tournament with a final-round 68, finishing at a total of 270. Young, who posted a remarkable final-round 64, finished in second place at 271. American Sam Burns, who had held the overnight lead, ended up in third place at eight under par.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — After nearly six weeks of drama, heartbreak, and unforgettable moments, the World Cup tournament is down to its final two teams. The New York New Jersey stadium in East Rutherford was gearing up Sunday to host the championship match pitting a composed and confident Spain — chasing their second world title — against a fired-up Argentina, looking to defend their crown in what many hope will be the perfect farewell chapter to Lionel Messi’s legendary career.

Concerns about air quality, which had been a worry due to a heavy blanket of smoke from Canadian wildfires settling over the region for several days, faded along with the haze. Temperatures that had been oppressively hot in recent weeks also eased, and fans arrived to find clear skies and pleasant conditions at the New Jersey venue.

The expected presence of U.S. President Donald Trump added significant security measures to an already high-profile event. Hundreds of journalists, entertainers, and event volunteers endured lines stretching up to three hours, with Secret Service agents using wands to screen everyone entering. Fans experienced somewhat faster entry at the gates but then faced lengthy waits inside for food and merchandise.

Supporters dressed in Argentina’s iconic blue and white or Spain’s red and yellow began making their way into the stadium well ahead of the 3 p.m. ET kickoff. A pre-match closing ceremony featuring Post Malone and Tom Cruise was scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET.

The ceremony also included American singer Jennifer Hudson performing the U.S. national anthem and tenor Christopher Macchio singing “America the Beautiful,” giving the event a distinctly American feel. It marks the first time since the inaugural World Cup in 1930 that two Spanish-speaking nations have met in the final.

The tournament has embraced a number of American sporting traditions throughout — some of them not without controversy. These include mid-half “hydration” breaks that broadcasters have used to air additional commercials, as well as championship rings for the winning team.

Sunday’s finale added yet another American tradition: a star-studded halftime show in the style of the Super Bowl, featuring pop icons Madonna and Shakira. That addition is expected to push the standard 15-minute halftime break to at least 20 minutes, and possibly as long as half an hour.

Despite ticket prices running well into the thousands of dollars, fans have been eager to witness the clash between two of soccer’s all-time great programs. Dozens of ticketholders lined up at merchandise stands hoping to grab keepsakes from the historic occasion, with jerseys priced at $130 each. Support inside the stadium appeared to be fairly evenly divided between the two nations. The stadium is normally home to the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets.

“I was in the final in 2010 in South Africa, when Spain won the other World Cup,” said Dxema Azcarate, sporting a Spain jersey and the country’s flag painted on his cheek. “I’m not sure I’m going to have an opportunity for a third time in my life.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder have shipped 2025 All-Defensive wing Luguentz Dort off to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team transaction that also loops in the Dallas Mavericks, ESPN reported Sunday.

As part of the deal, the Thunder receive three second-round draft picks, former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher heads to Dallas, and guard Ryan Nembhard moves to Atlanta.

Although Dort had been a fixture in Oklahoma City’s starting lineup for several seasons, the trade wraps up a busy stretch of roster moves for the Thunder. Combined with earlier trades involving Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, Oklahoma City has now collected seven second-round picks while getting their payroll below the second apron threshold.

The Thunder exercised Dort’s $17.7 million team option, brought in three future draft assets, and created a $17 million trade exception in the process. The move also opens the door for Dort to ink a long-term contract in Atlanta — something that simply wasn’t financially workable in Oklahoma City.

At 27 years old, Dort joins a young and promising Hawks roster that features Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Atlanta won more playoff games against NBA champion New York Knicks than any other team this past postseason. The Hawks also freed up more than $40 million in cap space heading into next summer.

Dort earned a spot on the NBA’s All-Defensive team in 2025 and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Over 69 games last season, he put up 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Across seven seasons with Oklahoma City, he averaged 11.6 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Risacher, 21 and in just his second NBA season, averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds across 67 games. He saw limited action in the playoffs, logging only 23 minutes. The forward finished runner-up to the Spurs’ Stephon Castle in the 2025 Rookie of the Year race.

Nembhard, 23, appeared in 60 games for the Mavericks as an undrafted rookie guard last season. He made 19 starts and averaged 6.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game before being moved to Atlanta in this deal.

The Chicago Fire are reportedly sending their top striker, Hugo Cuypers, to CF Monterrey of Liga MX, with multiple media outlets confirming the transfer agreement.

Cuypers, a Belgian forward who has been nicknamed “the European Goal Machine” by the website SoyFutbol, is currently the leading scorer in Major League Soccer this season, having netted 13 goals in only 11 appearances. According to The Athletic, Chicago will take in a base fee of $7.5 million, with an additional $500,000 potentially coming through performance-related add-ons.

During his time with the Fire, Cuypers scored 40 goals across 75 matches after the club originally brought him in for $12 million back in February 2024.

The deal comes just under two weeks after another MLS star made the same move to Monterrey. Columbus Crew leading scorer Diego Rossi transferred to the Mexican club for $8 million after tallying 37 goals and 20 assists in 88 games for Columbus. Rossi wasted no time making an impact, picking up an assist in his Rayados debut — a 3-2 season-opening victory on Saturday.

Oklahoma City is set to part ways with starting forward and defensive standout Lu Dort, shipping him to Atlanta as part of a three-team arrangement, according to a source familiar with the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday.

Under the terms of the trade, Atlanta will also acquire Ryan Nembhard from Dallas, while the Hawks will send former top overall draft selection Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, will receive three heavily protected second-round draft picks in return. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity, as the transaction has not yet cleared the required NBA approval process.

The move serves multiple purposes across all three franchises. It allows Oklahoma City to trim enough payroll to drop below the NBA’s second apron threshold, gives Atlanta a proven defensive presence in Dort, and hands Dallas yet another former No. 1 overall pick. Risacher will join Kyrie Irving — the 2011 top selection — and Cooper Flagg, the 2025 top pick, on the Mavericks’ roster, giving Dallas the most former No. 1 overall picks of any team in the league.

Dort spent all seven of his NBA seasons in Oklahoma City, averaging 11.6 points per game over that stretch. Risacher, who finished as a runner-up for the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year award, averaged 11.1 points across two seasons with Atlanta. Nembhard, in his first professional season, averaged 6.6 points per game for Dallas.

The trade was first reported by ESPN, The Stein Line, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

HANAMAKI, Japan — Japanese power hitter Rintaro Sasaki has announced he will sign with the Miami Marlins, choosing to pursue his baseball career in the United States rather than playing professionally in Japan.

Last week, the Marlins selected Sasaki in the eighth round of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft out of Stanford University. At the same time, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks chose him with a first-round pick in the Nippon Professional Baseball draft, setting up a difficult crossroads decision for the young slugger.

The weight of that choice was clearly visible at a Sunday press conference held in his hometown, where Sasaki struggled to hold back tears while addressing the crowd.

“More than anyone else, I believe I understand my own limitations and how much I still need to improve,” Sasaki said. “Even if this path ultimately turns out to be the wrong choice, I do not want to live with regret. Rather than defining my life by whether I succeed or fail, I want to define it by whether I had the courage to take on a challenge. With that belief in mind, I ultimately decided to pursue this path.”

Sasaki has deep roots in Japanese baseball royalty — he played under Toru Ohtani, father of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. He also holds the all-time Japanese high school home run record with an impressive 140 career home runs. Coming out of high school, he already turned heads by opting out of the Nippon Professional Baseball draft to instead attend Stanford University.

Now 21 years old and playing first base, Sasaki spent two seasons with Stanford. As a sophomore last year, he batted .262 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Reflecting on the long road to his decision, Sasaki explained what ultimately tipped the scales. “I went back and forth on this decision until the very end,” he said. “Ever since I chose to attend Stanford, I have always had a strong desire to challenge myself in the United States. In the end, that desire won out. I felt that I wanted to see how far I could go by challenging myself in America, and that feeling became stronger than anything else.”

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Sunday that former relief pitcher Duane Ward, a cornerstone of the franchise’s back-to-back World Series championship teams, has passed away at age 62 from natural causes in Toronto.

Ward had traveled to the city on Friday but did not take part in Saturday’s celebration at Rogers Centre honoring the 1992 and 1993 World Series title teams, an event attended by more than two dozen former players, coaches, and executives.

The Blue Jays released a statement paying tribute to the late pitcher: “Duane will be deeply missed by our fans, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. Duane will always be a cherished part of the Blue Jays family, and we will be forever grateful for his contributions to our organization and to baseball in Canada.”

Originally selected ninth overall in the 1982 draft by the Atlanta Braves, Ward made his major league debut with Atlanta on April 12, 1986. He was later dealt to Toronto in July in exchange for veteran starter Doyle Alexander. Over his career with the Blue Jays, Ward accumulated 121 saves and made 452 appearances on the mound — both ranking second in franchise history.

During Toronto’s first World Series run in 1992, Ward served as the bullpen’s primary setup man, posting a 1.95 ERA with 103 strikeouts. The very next year, he stepped into the closer’s role and earned an All-Star selection, finishing with a 2.13 ERA and a league-best 45 saves as the Blue Jays repeated as champions.

Ward was nothing short of dominant in the postseason, going 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA and two saves across 19 playoff appearances, including eight World Series outings. He was the pitcher of record in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series — the game made famous by Joe Carter’s walk-off home run that clinched the title over the Philadelphia Phillies.

“Whether setting the stage in the eighth inning or closing out wins, he will be remembered for the role he played in some of the greatest moments in Blue Jays history,” the team’s statement read.

Across 462 total games split between Toronto and Atlanta, Ward finished his career with a 32-37 record, a 3.28 ERA, 679 strikeouts, and 286 walks over 666 2/3 innings pitched.

A shoulder injury — a torn rotator cuff combined with biceps tendinitis — cost Ward the entire 1994 season. He returned briefly in 1995, appearing in four games before calling it a career.

A New Mexico native, Ward was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been pulled from his next pitching start and is not expected to take the mound again for a significant stretch of time, all due to irritation in his left knee.

The four-time MVP had a lubricant injection administered to the knee just ahead of last week’s All-Star break, with the expectation that he would be ready to pitch Wednesday against Philadelphia. But after throwing on the side this weekend, Ohtani still wasn’t feeling fully right, prompting him and the club to hold off on even a bullpen session to test the knee.

Ohtani’s last pitching appearance came on July 3, and there is currently no clear timeline for when he’ll be back on the mound.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the situation Sunday before his team’s doubleheader against the New York Yankees. “I would say that it’s going to be some time,” Roberts said. “It’s not going to be a day-to-day thing.”

Roberts was careful to point out that Ohtani experiences no pain in the knee while batting. The slugger was in the starting lineup for Sunday’s first game, hitting leadoff as the designated hitter, and Roberts said he would decide later whether to play Ohtani in the second game as well.

“We just want to continue to give it the best chance to kind of get in a good spot,” Roberts said. “As he said, as we feel, it’s the pitching and the torque on landing on that leg. That kind of gets it upset. So I think that hitting doesn’t do that. So I think that for us, we’re trying to give it as much time as possible.”

According to a report from The Athletic, the Portland Timbers are preparing to hire Marti Cifuentes as their new head coach, bringing in a coach with more than ten years of experience working in European soccer.

The 44-year-old Cifuentes would step into the role currently held by interim coach Jack Cassidy, who took over after the organization parted ways with Phil Neville back in May. Portland comes into this coaching change with some momentum, having just defeated rival Seattle Sounders 5-1 on Thursday. The club currently holds an 11th-place standing in the Western Conference with a record of 5-8-2 and 17 points, sitting three points behind a playoff berth with 19 games still to play.

Born in Barcelona, Spain, Cifuentes most recently served as head coach of Leicester City in the EFL — a club that has since been relegated to EFL League One. His coaching résumé also includes stints with Queens Park Rangers and Hammarby, among other clubs.

The Saturday night report noted that former Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff and Panama national team head coach Thomas Christensen were also finalists for the position, as Portland considered candidates from both within the United States and internationally.

The Athletic had previously reported that former Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin — who is slated to take over as Austin’s head coach next season — had also held discussions with Portland regarding the vacancy.

The Manning family’s legendary football tradition is alive and well, with yet another member of the dynasty stepping onto the gridiron. Marshall Manning, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, has enrolled at Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as part of the Class of 2030.

Head coach Erik Kimrey confirmed this week that the 15-year-old will back up starting quarterback Keegan Croucher, a four-star recruit who has already committed to Ole Miss in the 2027 class. According to the 247Sports composite, Croucher ranks as the No. 11 quarterback prospect in that class.

“We’re excited about him,” Kimrey said of the younger Manning.

Marshall is Peyton’s only son and has a twin sister named Mosley. Currently listed at 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds by 247Sports, many expect him to grow considerably given his family’s physical makeup. His father Peyton and uncle Eli — both two-time Super Bowl champions — stand 6-foot-5. His grandfather Archie, a former NFL quarterback, is 6-foot-3. His cousin Arch, who is 6-foot-4, is expected to start at quarterback for Texas during the 2026 season.

Baylor School is widely regarded as a football powerhouse that consistently sends players to major college programs. In addition to Croucher, the team’s roster includes running back David Gabriel Georges, also in the 2027 class. The 247Sports composite ranks Georges as the No. 2 running back and No. 10 overall prospect in the nation. He has yet to commit to a school but is drawing interest from multiple Power Four programs.

The Baylor School team currently sits at No. 12 in the 2026 MaxPreps Preseason Top 25 Rankings.

Marshall may not be the last Manning to play quarterback at a high level. While the children of uncle Cooper — including Arch — are grown, uncle Eli has three daughters and an 8-year-old son named Charlie, keeping the possibility of future Manning quarterbacks very much alive.

Lifting the World Cup trophy brings glory, championship rings for the first time in tournament history, and a moment that will define a nation’s sports legacy — along with a very large check.

The team that wins the 2026 World Cup will receive $51 million in prize money. The runner-up will take home $34 million.

FIFA set a new record with the prize structure for this year’s tournament, distributing a combined $871 million among the 48 participating nations. That total includes more than $100 million that was added in April after several European soccer federations pushed for additional compensation to help offset the high travel and lodging costs associated with a tournament spread across three countries.

While $51 million is a substantial amount, it’s relatively modest when placed alongside the enormous sums routinely spent in professional soccer. It’s also less than what last year’s Club World Cup winner earned in a tournament that was also held in the United States.

To put the number in perspective: the $51 million top prize is actually less than the transfer fee paid this week by English club Brighton for a 19-year-old Croatian defender, Luka Vušković, who spent most of the World Cup on the bench.

FIFA distributes prize money to the 48 national federations through two channels: bonuses tied to how far each team advances in the tournament, and flat payments to help cover training and preparation costs before the competition begins.

Every competing nation receives at least $12.5 million simply for participating. That includes $10 million in prize money for qualifying and competing in the group stage, plus $2.5 million to cover pre-tournament preparation expenses. The upfront payment structure was established at previous World Cups to prevent disputes over unpaid bonuses, which had been a recurring issue in the past.

Prize amounts increase as teams advance deeper into the tournament.

Several federations — particularly from Europe — had raised concerns with FIFA that the original prize structure set last year would result in financial losses unless their team advanced well into the knockout rounds. They also noted that teams playing matches in the United States faced certain tax obligations that were not applicable in Canada or Mexico, the other two host countries.

France federation president Philippe Diallo told the sports publication L’Equipe that he had spent several months bringing the issue to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s attention, arguing that World Cup teams were not being fairly compensated compared to what Club World Cup winner Chelsea received one year ago — $115 million, a nine-figure sum that FIFA had promised in order to convince top European clubs to participate in the revamped competition.

The $51 million prize for the 2026 champion is a notable increase from the $42 million Argentina’s federation received for winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That 32-team tournament had a total prize fund of $440 million.

Here is the full breakdown of prize payouts for the 2026 tournament:

Champion: $51 million
Runner-up: $34 million
Third place (England): $30 million
Fourth place (France): $28 million
Quarterfinalists (5th through 8th): $20 million each
Round of 16 (9th through 16th): $16 million each
Round of 32 (17th through 32nd): $12 million each
Group stage exits (33rd through 48th): $10 million each

Beyond the prize money, FIFA is required under World Cup rules to cover business-class round-trip flights for each federation, as well as accommodations and meals for a delegation of up to 50 people, which includes players. Hotel costs are covered starting five nights before a team’s first match and through one night after elimination. FIFA also pays for domestic travel for up to 50 delegation members and provides a dedicated fleet of vehicles, including an equipment truck.

Federations are responsible for securing adequate insurance coverage — including injury, accident, illness, and travel — as well as any incidental hotel costs and housing for delegation members beyond the covered group.

As for the trophy itself: the original World Cup trophy is never permanently awarded. The championship team receives a gold-plated replica to keep, while the original remains in FIFA’s possession. The trophy presentation takes place during the post-match ceremony on the field.

It’s important to note that FIFA pays the prize money directly to the national federations — not to individual players. Each federation determines internally how that money is distributed among its players and staff.

As one example, U.S. Soccer will retain 20% of any prize money it receives. The remaining 80% will be divided equally between the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams, in accordance with a landmark 2022 agreement that made the American governing body the first in the sport to guarantee equal pay for both its men’s and women’s programs.

SOUTHPORT, England — American golfer Sam Burns will tee off in Sunday’s final round of the 154th British Open holding a two-stroke advantage at 10 under par, as he chases his first major title and a chance to become the 13th consecutive first-time winner at golf’s most storied major championship.

Despite Burns’ lead, a number of top competitors are lurking and ready to make a move should he stumble. Among them is world number one Scottie Scheffler, who entered his fourth round six strokes back but quickly got off to a hot start by making birdies on each of his first two holes at a sun-drenched Royal Birkdale.

English fan favorite Tommy Fleetwood, who is attempting to become the first English player to claim the Open title since Nick Faldo did so in 1992, will begin the day five shots behind Burns. Hard-hitting American Bryson DeChambeau sits just four shots off the lead heading into the final 18 holes.

Conditions at Royal Birkdale are expected to be sunny with light to moderate winds as the field battles for the coveted Claret Jug.

Here are some additional highlights from the day’s action:

Burns is scheduled to tee off at 1320 GMT as he looks to become the fourth straight American to win the Open Championship.

Cameron Young was among those making a charge up the leaderboard, reaching seven under par after posting four birdies through just five holes in his round.

American Rickie Fowler turned in a strong round of 66 on Sunday to finish the tournament at three under par overall.

Spain’s former world number one Jon Rahm saw his hopes of a comeback derailed early when he hit his tee shot out of bounds on the opening hole, leading to a double bogey and leaving him eight shots behind the leader.

World number two Rory McIlroy stood at three under par for the championship as he made his way through the front nine.

Former UFC fighter and two-time NCAA champion Ben Askren announced his retirement from competitive wrestling on Saturday after dropping a comeback match to former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

The event, put together by Real American Freestyle, was a deeply personal milestone for Askren, who had faced a life-threatening bout with pneumonia last year that required a double lung transplant. He has spoken previously about spending roughly 40 days in a coma and losing a significant amount of weight during the long road to recovery.

Despite still dealing with physical setbacks from his illness, the 2008 Olympian stepped back onto the mat on his 42nd birthday, having stated in advance that it would be his final competitive appearance.

Askren came out strong, building a 3-0 lead through aggressive pressure and sharp defense. However, his body began to wear down as the match wore on, and Muhammad rallied to claim a 6-3 victory.

After the loss, Askren left his wrestling shoes on the mat — a symbolic gesture marking the end of his career.

“My legs gave out, they wouldn’t carry me any longer,” Askren said. “For sure it’s my last time on the mat. I couldn’t find a better place to do this. I worked hard over the last year. It was tough.”

“Every day I woke up and thanked God for the chance to do it just one more time,” he added.

Askren had previously stepped away from mixed martial arts in 2019 following a brief run in the UFC.

American professional boxer Hannah Rapp died on Saturday after being struck by a car while out cycling, according to a statement from the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office in Texas. She was 26 years old.

Rapp had built an impressive record in the ring, going 8-0-1 across her first nine professional fights and claiming the North American Boxing Federation featherweight title. Most recently, she had stepped up to challenge Tiara Brown for the WBC featherweight championship last month, falling short in a unanimous decision loss.

The World Boxing Council expressed deep sorrow over her passing. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman offered a heartfelt tribute, saying, “She was an exceptional boxer, but above all, an invaluable member of our boxing family. We join in the grief that overwhelms her loved ones, her team, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and supporting her throughout her brilliant career.”

The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office announced that Charles Medina, 31, has been taken into custody and charged with manslaughter in connection with Rapp’s death.

The Athletics put an end to a painful 10-game losing streak Saturday night, routing the Washington Nationals 15-1 in West Sacramento, California. Jacob Wilson went 3-for-3 with a home run, while Tyler Soderstrom and Carlos Cortes also hit home runs in the lopsided victory.

Starter J.T. Ginn (8-6) was dominant on the mound, carrying a no-hitter all the way into the seventh inning. The performance was a sharp turnaround from Friday’s series opener, when the Athletics were shellacked 23-4. Over their previous four games, Oakland had been outscored by a combined margin of 47-6.

Shea Langeliers contributed three RBIs, while Wilson, Soderstrom, Cortes, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Jeff McNeil each drove in two runs. McNeil finished with three hits on the night.

The Nationals managed just four hits in the game, with Keibert Ruiz accounting for two of them. Washington has now dropped seven of its last 10 contests. However, the Nationals did score in the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly by Jorbit Vivas, extending their streak of scoring in consecutive games to 69.

Red Sox 7, Rays 6

Wilyer Abreu slugged two home runs to help Boston stretch its winning streak to 12 games with a victory over visiting Tampa Bay. Abreu launched a solo shot in the third inning, then delivered a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh off reliever Garrett Cleavinger (2-3) to flip a 6-5 deficit into a lead. Reliever Ryan Watson (1-0) held Tampa Bay to one run over two innings. Jahmai Jones also contributed a two-run home run for Boston.

Victor Mesa Jr. and DeLuca each hit solo home runs for the Rays. Mesa’s blast was part of a three-run fourth inning that gave Tampa Bay a 5-3 advantage, while DeLuca’s shot extended the lead to 6-3 in the seventh.

Cubs 6, Twins 2

Matthew Boyd delivered six quality innings on the mound and Nico Hoerner recorded his fifth career four-hit game as Chicago evened its two-game series with visiting Minnesota. Boyd (6-1) surrendered just one run on three hits, striking out four and walking one. Michael Busch hit a home run, while Pedro Ramirez and Miguel Amaya each knocked in two runs for the Cubs, who have now won six of their last nine games.

Taj Bradley (9-4) gave up five runs on seven hits over five innings for the Twins, ending their three-game winning streak. Kody Clemens hit two solo home runs in the defeat.

Pirates 7, Guardians 1 (Game 1)

Esmerlyn Valdez and Jacob Gonzalez each hit two-run homers and Nick Gonzales added a solo shot as Pittsburgh cruised past Cleveland in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Pirates starter Jared Jones (2-1) struck out a season-high nine batters over five innings, allowing just one run on three hits. A streak of 30 consecutive batters retired across three starts came to an end when Steven Kwan singled after Jones had retired the first eight hitters of the game.

Travis Bazzana’s RBI triple in the third inning was the only run Cleveland could muster. Gavin Williams (10-5) tied his career high by giving up three home runs in six innings while matching his season best with 11 strikeouts, surrendering five runs on seven hits.

Guardians 5, Pirates 3 (Game 2)

Rookie Travis Bazzana delivered a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Cleveland a comeback victory over visiting Pittsburgh and split the doubleheader. It was the first career walk-off hit for Bazzana, an All-Star second baseman. Cleveland rallied from three runs down over the final two innings. All-Star Cade Smith (3-1) tossed a clean ninth inning with two strikeouts to secure the win. The victory pulled Cleveland into a virtual tie for first place in the American League Central Division with the Chicago White Sox.

Pittsburgh’s Santana (2-5) recorded just one out while allowing two runs on three hits. The Pirates had their four-game winning streak snapped and now sit one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins for the third and final National League wild-card spot.

Blue Jays 1, White Sox 0

Shane Bieber turned in six strong innings and George Springer provided the decisive hit as Toronto edged visiting Chicago. Bieber (1-1) gave up three hits and two walks while striking out six in his fifth start of the season. Springer plated Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the fourth inning against Davis Martin (9-5), who struck out five and allowed four hits over 5 2/3 innings despite taking the loss.

Louis Varland retired the side in order in the ninth with one strikeout to earn his 20th save, snapping Toronto’s three-game skid. The White Sox had previously won four in a row. The teams have now split the first two games of a three-game series, with Chicago holding a 4-1 edge in the season series.

Rockies 10, Reds 3

TJ Rumfield went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and four RBIs as Colorado snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Cincinnati in Denver. Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak each collected two hits and two RBIs for the Rockies, while Cole Carrigg had two hits, one RBI and three runs scored. Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4) won his fifth consecutive decision, giving up three runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Jose Trevino hit two solo home runs among his three hits for Cincinnati, which fell behind 8-1 after just three innings and has now lost three of its last four games.

Rangers 7, Braves 6

Brandon Nimmo drove in three runs, including two that gave Texas the lead during a crucial four-run sixth inning, as the visiting Rangers rallied to beat Atlanta. Nimmo went 2-for-5 to pace a 12-hit Texas attack, bouncing back from a 15-1 loss the night before. Evan Carter hit a two-run homer — his eighth of the season — off reliever Tyler Kinley (5-4) to tie the game before Texas batted around to take a 7-5 advantage in the sixth.

Starter MacKenzie Gore (6-8) pitched 5 2/3 innings for Texas, allowing five runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. Jacob Latz retired the final four batters to earn his 19th save.

Orioles 4, Astros 2 (11 innings)

Tyler O’Neill and Leody Taveras hit back-to-back run-scoring singles with two outs in the 11th inning to lift visiting Baltimore past Houston. Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers posted his fifth straight start allowing one run or fewer, setting a season high with eight strikeouts while giving up one run on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings. Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti limited the Orioles to one hit in five innings but issued four walks.

Phillies 6, Mets 1

Trea Turner homered among his three hits, scored three times and swiped a base as Philadelphia defeated visiting New York. Kyle Schwarber put the Phillies on top for good with a two-run home run in the first inning. Turner added a homer in the fifth — his second in as many games — and Alec Bohm followed with an RBI single before Bryce Harper capped the scoring with a two-run single in the sixth. All-Star Jesus Luzardo (9-4) held the Mets to one run on two hits over five innings.

Tyrone Taylor homered in the second and had two hits for New York, which has now lost eight of 13 games this month. A.J. Ewing singled for the Mets’ only other hit.

Diamondbacks 5, Cardinals 3

Nolan Arenado drove in two runs and moved to within two hits of 2,000 for his career as Arizona topped St. Louis in Phoenix. Arenado went 2-for-4 and Ketel Marte was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Diamondbacks. Starter Brandon Pfaadt (4-1) won his fourth consecutive start, allowing two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. Paul Sewald surrendered a homer in the ninth but recorded his 23rd save.

Jimmy Crooks homered and J.J. Wetherholt went 2-for-5 with a run scored for the Cardinals, who have dropped two of their last three. St. Louis starter Dustin May (5-7) gave up five runs and eight hits over five innings.

Royals 6, Padres 1

Salvador Perez inched closer to franchise history with a two-run homer, Lane Thomas also hit a two-run shot and spot-starter Randy Dobnak held San Diego to one run as Kansas City beat visiting San Diego. Thomas set the tone with his home run in the first inning, and Perez added to the lead with a sixth-inning blast that moved him to within two of tying George Brett’s franchise record of 317 career home runs. Dobnak, making his first start since 2021 and his third appearance of the season, allowed four hits and just one run over 4 1/3 innings.

Fernando Tatis Jr.’s third-inning homer accounted for San Diego’s only run as the Padres went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Griffin Canning (1-8) gave up four runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Brewers 8, Marlins 6

Garrett Mitchell’s two-run double capped a four-run comeback rally and Shane Drohan pitched effectively over six innings as Milwaukee rallied past visiting Miami. Drohan (5-3) gave up three runs in the second inning but held the Marlins scoreless the rest of the way, retiring the final nine batters he faced and 13 of the last 14, while setting a career high with nine strikeouts. Mitchell finished with three hits and Yelich added a two-run insurance double.

Miami, whose fifth straight loss matched their season-worst skid, pulled within two runs in the ninth on Griffin Conine’s three-run homer off Craig Yoho. Trevor Megill closed out the game for his 15th save in 17 chances.

Mariners 4, Giants 3 (10 innings)

Julio Rodriguez, reinstated from the seven-day concussion injured list earlier Saturday, hit a walk-off sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Seattle a victory over San Francisco. Cole Young had contributed a three-run homer for the Mariners, who had won just once in their previous eight games. After San Francisco failed to score in the top of the 10th off Jose A. Ferrer (3-1), Victor Robles began the bottom half as the automatic runner at second base. He moved to third on Colt Emerson’s sacrifice bunt and, following a walk to J.P. Crawford, scored on Rodriguez’s liner to left field off Dylan Smith (0-2).

Rafael Devers and Willy Adames each hit solo home runs for San Francisco, whose three-game winning streak came to an end.

Tigers 7, Angels 0

Tarik Skubal scattered five hits over seven innings and Spencer Torkelson homered twice and drove in four runs as Detroit clinched the series with a shutout victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, California. Skubal (6-5) struck out nine without issuing a walk, allowing only one baserunner to advance past first base. Colt Keith went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Kevin McGonigle added two hits and two runs scored for the Tigers, who have now won 11 of their last 14 games.

Logan O’Hoppe had two hits for the Angels, who have lost four straight and 12 of their last 14 games. Grayson Rodriguez (3-3) gave up six runs on seven hits in four innings.

Tarik Skubal delivered a dominant seven-inning performance and Spencer Torkelson crushed two home runs while driving in four runs as the Detroit Tigers rolled past the Los Angeles Angels 7-0 on Saturday night in Anaheim, California.

Skubal improved to 6-5 on the season, fanning nine batters without issuing a single walk. He surrendered just five hits and allowed only one runner to advance past first base before exiting after 87 pitches, 60 of which found the strike zone.

Colt Keith was a key contributor at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Kevin McGonigle also had a productive night, collecting two hits — including a double — and crossing the plate twice. Detroit has now won 11 of its last 14 games.

Los Angeles dropped its fourth consecutive game and has now lost 12 of its last 14 contests. Logan O’Hoppe went 2-for-4 for the Angels, who suffered their 61st loss of the season — the most in the major leagues.

Grayson Rodriguez, who came into the game with a 2-0 record and a 0.60 ERA in three previous career appearances against Detroit, was tagged with the loss. He gave up six runs on seven hits across four innings, walking one and striking out three.

The Tigers wasted no time, building a 4-0 lead right out of the gate in the first inning. McGonigle opened things up with a double to center field, and Dillon Dingler was hit by a pitch. Keith then singled to center to bring McGonigle home. After Riley Greene struck out, Torkelson launched a towering three-run shot 415 feet into left-center field.

Detroit kept the pressure on in the second inning, pushing the lead to 6-0. James Outman and McGonigle each singled to start the frame, and Dingler was again hit by a pitch to load the bases. Keith and Greene then delivered back-to-back sacrifice flies, plating Outman and McGonigle.

Torkelson put the finishing touch on the scoring in the fifth inning, leading off with his second home run of the night — his 18th of the season — a 420-foot blast over the center field fence off left-handed reliever Brent Suter to make it 7-0.

The Dallas Mavericks put a stop to the New York Knicks’ push to add depth at the center position, matching a contract offer sheet for restricted free agent Moussa Cisse before the deadline, according to his agents who spoke with ESPN.

Earlier that Saturday, the Knicks had inked the 6-foot-11 big man to a two-year deal worth $4.7 million. However, agents Yann Balikouzou and Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management confirmed that Dallas matched the offer before the 48-hour window closed Monday night, keeping Cisse in a Mavericks uniform.

Because the offer sheet was matched, ESPN noted that Cisse cannot be dealt to another team without his approval for one full year — and a trade specifically to the Knicks is off the table during that period. New York, the reigning league champion, had been looking to fill a void after reserve center Mitchell Robinson departed for the Boston Celtics in free agency.

During his rookie campaign last season, Cisse appeared in 38 games for Dallas — making one start — and averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 13.9 minutes per game. He originally joined the Mavericks as an undrafted free agent on a two-way contract, and became a restricted free agent after Dallas extended him a qualifying offer following the season.

Originally from Guinea, Cisse played college basketball at Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, and Memphis before reaching the NBA.

Czech tennis player Karolina Muchova revealed Saturday that a recent minor surgical procedure will force her to withdraw from next month’s Canadian Open in Toronto.

The 29-year-old had a strong showing at Wimbledon earlier this month, reaching the final before dropping a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 decision to her compatriot Linda Noskova.

The defeat marked the second Grand Slam final loss of Muchova’s career. Her first came at the 2023 French Open, where she fell to Poland’s Iga Swiatek.

Taking to social media to address her situation, Muchova said, “I had to undergo a small surgery that will keep me off the court for a few weeks. Everything went well, and I’m already working on my recovery.”

She added, “Sad to be missing Toronto this year. I was really looking forward to making my debut there, but recovery comes first.”

The world number six has faced a difficult road with injuries throughout her career, including ongoing wrist trouble that has sidelined her at various points.

Muchova did not specify what the surgery involved or give a timeline for her comeback. However, she is anticipated to be ready to compete at the U.S. Open, which gets underway next month.

Multiple flights in a single day. Close to 60,000 total miles. Over 100 hours spent in the sky. Those are just some of the staggering travel statistics racked up by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the 2026 World Cup.

The tournament was the most geographically spread-out edition in World Cup history, spanning three countries, 16 host cities, and four time zones. Infantino was constantly on the move, attending matches, participating in meetings, and making public appearances throughout the competition, which concludes with Sunday’s championship match in New Jersey.

To document his movements, The Associated Press reviewed flight logs for a private business jet that Infantino has used in recent years, combined with photographs taken by AP photographers and images shared on Instagram by both FIFA and Infantino himself. That analysis determined that by the time either Argentina or Spain is crowned champion, Infantino will have logged enough air miles to circle the Earth nearly two and a half times.

The jet making all of this possible is a Gulfstream G650 from the Qatari government’s fleet, operated by the private charter arm of Qatar Airways — itself a World Cup sponsor.

Flight records from tracking site FlightAware show that since a June 9 departure from Los Angeles to Mexico City ahead of the opening match, the aircraft averaged more than one flight per day, with several days seeing three or more flights.

Beyond attending matches, Infantino’s schedule included a stop in New York for a Fox & Friends interview and a trip to Miami for a FIFA summit that drew representatives from all 211 of the organization’s member associations. He also made a transatlantic journey to Doha to attend the funeral of Qatar’s former emir, then returned to the United States in time for the World Cup semifinals.

FIFA did not reply to an emailed request from the AP seeking comment on Infantino’s travel arrangements.

Here is a closer look at the numbers behind the travel of the man overseeing a tournament that featured a record 104 matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico — the largest geographic footprint in World Cup history.

Infantino attended matches at all 16 World Cup venues before Sunday’s final. He visited Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium most frequently, attending five games there. FlightAware data showed the Gulfstream had been scheduled to fly from New Jersey to Miami for the third-place match between England and France on Saturday, but the flight never departed. Thunderstorms caused widespread delays at New York City-area airports that day, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

On multiple occasions, Infantino attended two matches in a single day, sometimes at stadiums separated by hundreds of miles. The jet frequently used major international airports in the host cities but also landed at smaller general aviation facilities, including Atlanta’s Fulton County Executive Airport and Miami’s Opa Locka Executive Airport.

The Gulfstream made numerous international border crossings within North America throughout the tournament, up through the semifinals.

Excluding repositioning flights and the 29 hours of travel associated with the Qatar funeral, the jet accumulated enough flight time to equal nearly five full days in the air — the equivalent of a commercial aircraft flying the New York-to-Los Angeles route 20 times.

The longest single flight during the tournament, not counting the Qatar trip, was a 344-minute journey from Miami to Seattle on June 15, where Infantino watched the Belgium-Egypt match. That flight duration is equal to three complete World Cup matches from opening kickoff to final whistle.

The shortest trip, excluding repositioning flights, was a 28-minute hop from Seattle to Vancouver on July 6 — roughly the running time of a network TV sitcom like “Friends” with commercials included. Infantino had attended the United States-Belgium match in Seattle that day before heading to Vancouver, where he watched Switzerland take on Colombia the following day.

Excluding the round trip to Qatar for the funeral, the jet covered a distance during the tournament that exceeds the combined mileage of round-trip flights between New York and Singapore, Los Angeles and Doha, and London and Perth, Australia.

The busiest travel day in terms of miles came on June 26. It began with a morning flight from Miami to Dallas, then continued on to Seattle for the Egypt-Iran match. The plane departed Seattle late that night and landed back in Miami the following morning, where Infantino then watched Colombia face Portugal.

All of this travel comes as FIFA has publicly pledged to cut carbon emissions from the World Cup and related activities by 50 percent by 2030, with a commitment to reaching net-zero emissions by 2040. The organization’s sustainability and human rights strategy for the 2026 tournament states a commitment to addressing climate change.

Climate scientists and environmental organizations have argued that the expanded, three-nation tournament was likely to generate more greenhouse gas emissions than any previous World Cup, largely due to the enormous amount of air travel required for teams, fans, and officials alike.

West Sacramento, California — Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn had history within his grasp Saturday night, but a seventh-inning single by Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz — a sharp liner to center field with one out — ended his no-hit bid against Washington.

Following the base hit, manager Mark Kotsay pulled Ginn from the mound. The crowd responded with a standing ovation for the right-hander, who left the game with Oakland holding an 8-0 lead as the club attempted to snap a 10-game losing streak.

Over his time on the mound, Ginn struck out seven batters and issued three walks, throwing 82 total pitches — 50 of which found the strike zone.

Up until the seventh inning, Washington’s only baserunners had come via walks — a pair in the second inning and one more in the fifth, all with two outs. The Nationals came into Saturday’s game fresh off an explosive performance, having racked up a season-best 21 hits in a lopsided 23-4 win over the Athletics on Friday.

The closest Washington came to recording a hit before Ruiz’s single was a play in the fifth inning when Dylan Crews appeared to beat out an infield grounder to third baseman Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. Crews was initially called safe, but the Athletics challenged the ruling and a replay review overturned the call, preserving the no-hit bid for one more inning.

Kuroda-Grauer also contributed defensively earlier in the game, making a diving catch in the outfield on a popup off the bat of CJ Abrams in the fourth inning.

This was not the first time Ginn has come agonizingly close to a no-hitter. On May 18, he carried one into the ninth inning at the Los Angeles Angels before surrendering a leadoff single to Adam Frazier and then a two-run home run to Zach Neto, handing the Angels a stunning 2-1 victory. That outing remains the only complete game of Ginn’s three-year major league career. Heading into Saturday, he carried a 7-6 record with a 3.67 ERA on the season.

The last no-hitter thrown by an Athletics pitcher was by Mike Fiers against the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, back when the franchise still called Oakland home.

The only no-hitter in the major leagues this season came on May 25, when four Houston Astros pitchers combined to blank the Texas Rangers.

NEW YORK — President Trump is preparing to hand the World Cup trophy to whichever team wins Sunday’s championship match between Argentina and Spain. But as far as Trump is concerned, the United States may already be the biggest winner of soccer’s most prestigious tournament.

“It turned out we were a soccer country, and I think it’s going to remain,” Trump said Friday at a FIFA reception held at Trump Tower in New York City. “This has really brought the world together.”

For the White House, Sunday’s final represents the end of more than a year of working through an enormous list of logistical hurdles alongside co-hosts Canada and Mexico for what has become the largest World Cup ever staged. The administration had to manage its own strict immigration policies, which prevented fans from certain World Cup qualifying nations from entering the country.

Human rights organizations raised alarms ahead of the tournament, and the event also drew criticism over steep ticket prices. For months, Trump floated the possibility of relocating games away from cities that refused to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. In the weeks leading up to the opening matches, local officials clashed with FIFA over the cost of public transit to venues, adding to the tension.

Even as the first games kicked off, the administration remained under international scrutiny for its visa decisions — including the denial of entry to a referee from Somalia who had earned widespread praise for his work on the field. Pressure mounted further after Trump initiated military action against Iran, leaving the administration to deal with the situation of an Iranian team whose fans and some staff members were barred from the U.S. That team ultimately set up its base of operations across the border in Tijuana.

Over time, however, the larger narrative surrounding the World Cup began to change. Social media filled up with stories of international soccer fans discovering and enjoying American food and culture, from beer to ranch dressing. Some of the fears that had circulated before the tournament — such as immigration enforcement actions near game venues — never came to pass.

“One of the things that we talked about beforehand was, if we’re talking about what happened on the pitch, then we’ve done our job,” said Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, in an interview with The Associated Press. “But I think it’s even better than that. We’re not just talking about only the incredible, athletic feats on the pitch, but we’re talking about all these incredible, incredible cultural moments.”

Trump did generate controversy when he called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino earlier this month to request a review of a disputed officiating decision during Team USA’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The referee had issued a red card to U.S. star forward Folarin Balogun, which would have kept him out of the team’s next game against Belgium.

Trump said he simply asked Infantino — who has developed a close relationship with the U.S. president and faced criticism for doing so — to take another look at the call. FIFA ultimately overturned the red card. At Friday’s reception, Trump told Infantino that “you made another great decision, if you think about it,” since it allowed the U.S. to keep a key player available, even though the team went on to lose to Belgium 4-1.

Giuliani argued the administration had a “duty” to raise questions about the officiating process, which had drawn scrutiny due to the use of video review and slow-motion replay to issue the red card. He pointed out that the Trump administration committed billions in federal dollars to make the World Cup “not just a safe and secure event, not just where we welcomed the world, but an event that was filled with integrity.”

The administration faced significant pressure to deliver a successful tournament, in part because the U.S. is scheduled to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

The U.S. is also widely expected to be awarded hosting rights for the 2031 Women’s World Cup. Giuliani noted in his AP interview that securing those rights will include “ensuring that, in fact, women and only women will play in that 2031 Women’s World Cup” — a reference to the Trump administration’s strong opposition to transgender women competing in women’s sports.

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., a self-described World Cup superfan whose home state is hosting Sunday’s final, said the logistics of the tournament have gone mostly well, with only occasional issues such as transit to the games.

But “overall, just the joy that people have, the excitement that they have, has dramatically outweighed” any negatives, Kim said. He noted he has been watching the matches enthusiastically with his two young sons over the past several weeks.

Tensions also surfaced between the U.S. and its co-hosts. Trump imposed heavy tariffs on both Canada and Mexico after returning to the White House, and he has opted not to renew the trade agreement shared by the three nations, setting the stage for a new round of negotiations.

On Friday, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canada over wildfires that have degraded air quality in parts of the U.S., including northern New Jersey, where the World Cup final is taking place. He also joked that FIFA should pick the U.S. to host the tournament again soon, and “this time, we’ll leave Mexico and Canada out.”

Despite the friction, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are both expected to attend Sunday’s final at Trump’s personal invitation — a sign that the sport can help bridge geopolitical divides.

“I received an invitation from President Trump to attend the World Cup final on Sunday, and I decided to go because it’s a direct invitation from the President of the United States,” Sheinbaum said. “Prime Minister Carney will also be there.”

As is customary for the head of state of the host nation, Trump will present the trophy to the winning team. He has not publicly indicated which side he is rooting for.

Spain has been a source of friction for the Trump administration, given its reluctance to meet NATO defense spending targets and its refusal to allow U.S. strikes against Iran to be launched from its military bases. On the other hand, Argentine President Javier Milei is considered a close ally of Trump, with the U.S. president having gone so far as to threaten to cut aid to Argentina if Milei’s political coalition failed to win legislative elections.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to be at the game. Milei, however, says he will stay home — citing superstition.

The Chicago Cubs brought back familiar right-handed pitcher Aaron Civale on Saturday, acquiring the veteran from the Athletics in exchange for 22-year-old minor league right-hander Aiden Moffett.

Civale had wrapped up last season with the Cubs before signing with the Athletics as a free agent in February on a one-year deal worth $6 million. Oakland designated him for assignment on Wednesday before the trade was finalized.

The 31-year-old got off to a strong start with the Athletics, posting a 5-1 record and a 2.70 ERA through his first nine outings. However, things fell apart quickly — he put up an 8.25 ERA in three June starts and a 10.29 ERA across two July appearances, dropping his last six decisions. Overall with Oakland, Civale went 5-7 with a 5.42 ERA in 74 and two-thirds innings across 16 games, missing roughly three weeks along the way due to right shoulder tendinitis.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay acknowledged the pitcher’s early success but noted the team couldn’t wait for a turnaround. “Civale had a great April for us,” Kotsay said. “But he wasn’t able to turn things around.”

Across his major league career, Civale owns a 48-51 record with a 4.26 ERA, 723 strikeouts, and 226 walks over 156 appearances — including 150 starts — with the Cleveland Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox, Cubs, and Athletics. In his five relief outings with the Cubs last season, he went 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA over 13 innings.

Moffett, heading to the Athletics organization, has combined for a 1-2 record and a 10.07 ERA with 42 walks and 25 strikeouts in 22 and one-third innings across 17 relief appearances split between the Cubs’ Class-A Myrtle Beach affiliate and Rookie League squads.

The Athletics also made additional moves Saturday. Right-hander Justin Sterner, 29, was placed on the 15-day injured list with right knee chondromalacia. Sterner had appeared in 46 games this season, going 2-4 with one save, a 6.12 ERA, 13 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 42 and two-thirds innings.

To fill roster needs, Oakland selected the contract of right-hander Geoff Hartlieb from Triple-A Las Vegas. The 32-year-old is 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA and has appeared in four games this season. Over his career, Hartlieb is 2-2 with a 7.69 ERA across 72 relief appearances for seven different organizations since 2019.

The Athletics also designated first baseman and outfielder Joey Meneses, 34, for assignment. Meneses batted just .150 with two RBIs in nine games for Oakland this season. He spent parts of three seasons from 2022 to 2024 with the Washington Nationals, hitting .274 with 29 home runs and 165 RBIs in 286 games during that stretch.

England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed hope that his players would eventually feel proud of finishing third at the World Cup, even as the disappointment of not winning the tournament still stings.

A wild third-place playoff at Miami Stadium on Saturday ended with England defeating France 6-4, marking the Three Lions’ best World Cup result since they won the whole thing on home soil back in 1966.

“It’s the first medal for 60 years, the best World Cup on foreign soil. So I hope that the players can be proud of that in some time,” Tuchel told reporters after the match.

He acknowledged the competitive nature of the squad made it difficult to celebrate a third-place finish. “We are fiercely competitive, so like we almost don’t allow ourselves to be proud of the third place because 18 months ago we set ourselves the highest goal … to make it to the final and win the World Cup,” he said. “So it’s very, very painful if you miss out. The pain will stay for a while.”

Tuchel faced sharp criticism following England’s 2-1 semifinal defeat to Argentina on Wednesday, with many pointing to his defensive approach after his team went ahead early in the second half.

The German manager pushed back on the negativity surrounding that loss. “The press conference yesterday felt as if we went out in the group stage without a win, to be very honest,” he said.

He added that the best response was to perform on the field. “The best thing you can do is react on the pitch and get the next win. Everything else is just talking, and talking doesn’t get you points, and talking doesn’t get you a win. I’m glad that we showed a reaction. We wanted that reaction, and it’s very impressive.”

Saturday’s standout performance came from Bukayo Saka, whose hat-trick naturally raised the question of why he didn’t start in the semifinal against Argentina.

Tuchel explained that he had been carefully managing Saka due to an Achilles injury the player had been dealing with for several months. “It was a tough decision for me to leave him out of the semi-final,” the manager said.

“I had the feeling that Morgan Rogers had something special to give to us with his physicality and his body in the match against Argentina,” Tuchel added. “We had (Saka) warm up several times against Argentina. We were ready to change, but the game became so crazy that we in the end opted for a different option.”

Tuchel made clear that Saka remains a cornerstone of the squad going forward. “Nothing has changed during the World Cup for me. Bukayo is a fantastic teammate, fantastic football player, key player for us, and that will not change. He showed it again today and I’m happy for him.”

France’s Kylian Mbappe made history by overtaking Argentina’s Lionel Messi as the leading scorer in World Cup history, following a two-goal performance against England in the third-place playoff match.

Below is the updated all-time World Cup scoring chart:

1. Kylian Mbappe – France – 22 goals (22 games)

2. Lionel Messi – Argentina – 21 goals (33 games)

3. Miroslav Klose – Germany – 16 goals (24 games)

4. Ronaldo – Brazil – 15 goals (19 games)

5. Gerd Müller – West Germany – 14 goals (13 games)

5. Harry Kane – England – 14 goals (18 games)

7. Just Fontaine – France – 13 goals (6 games)

8. Pele – Brazil – 12 goals (14 games)

9. Sandor Kocsis – Hungary – 11 goals (5 games)

9. Jurgen Klinsmann – West Germany/Germany – 11 goals (17 games)

9. Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal – 11 goals (27 games)

The Chicago Blackhawks took a major step in their rebuilding effort on Saturday, locking up young star forward Connor Bedard with a five-year contract extension totaling $75 million.

The deal carries an annual salary cap hit of $15 million and will keep Bedard in Chicago through the 2030-31 season. Among all NHL players, only two contracts carry a higher average annual value — Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks at $18 million and Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov at $17 million. The announcement came just one day after Bedard turned 21 years old.

Bedard made a strong case for the big-money deal last season, posting career-best numbers with 30 goals, 45 assists, and 75 points across 69 games. He topped the Blackhawks in assists, points, and game-winning goals with five, while finishing second on the team in goals scored.

The North Vancouver, British Columbia native became just the third player in franchise history to score 30 goals in a season at age 20 or younger, joining the company of Jonathan Toews and Eric Daze. He also reached the 200 career points milestone in April, making him the first Blackhawks player and the 13th player in NHL history to accomplish that feat before turning 21.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson praised the young forward in a news release, saying, “Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL.”

Since Chicago selected him with the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard has accumulated 75 goals and 128 assists for 203 points in 219 games. In his debut season, he claimed the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie after tallying 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games during the 2023-24 campaign.

While the extension checks off one of the team’s top offseason priorities, Bedard’s return to the ice will be delayed. He underwent surgery earlier this month to fix an injury to his left shoulder that occurred during an offseason workout, and the Blackhawks expect his recovery to last roughly four months.

Chicago has not made the playoffs since the expanded postseason format was introduced in 2020 and finished 31st overall for the third year in a row in 2025-26. Despite that, the team showed improvement by adding 11 points in the standings last season and has continued building around its young talent, most recently acquiring defenseman Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason.

Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello received a one-game, unpaid suspension from the WNBA on Saturday after making what the league described as an “inappropriate comment” during Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Dream.

In a statement released Saturday, the league said, “The WNBA expects all coaches and team personnel to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect that are fundamental to our league.”

The incident occurred during Atlanta’s 111-92 victory, when a broadcast microphone caught Brondello speaking to officials after Tempo player Nyara Sabally went down injured following contact with Angel Reese. Sabally was assessed the foul on the play, and Brondello could be heard appearing to say, “Angel, she’s a protected species.”

Reese took to social media following the game, posting “ARE WE SURPRISED?! @SBrondello” along with a clown face emoji.

Brondello hails from Australia, where the phrase “protected species” is commonly used in sports to express frustration over a perceived lack of fouls called against a particular player. However, in the United States, referring to a person as a “species” can carry derogatory connotations, particularly toward Black people.

On Saturday, Brondello posted a public apology to Reese on social media, expressing regret that her words “caused hurt to a community I respect so deeply.”

“Angel, I’m sorry. Last night, in the emotion of the moment after Nyara’s injury, I used a phrase that I shouldn’t have used, and I take full responsibility for that,” Brondello wrote on X. “My frustration was with the officiating, but my words unfairly put the focus on you.”

She continued: “I also understand that my words carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league, and I’m deeply sorry for that. I’ve spent my career competing with, coaching and learning from incredible Black women.”

A two-time WNBA champion coach, Brondello is currently in her first season leading the Tempo. As a result of the suspension, she will not be on the sideline for Monday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces.

MIAMI — England secured third place at the World Cup with a wild 6-4 victory over France in Miami on Saturday, marking the team’s finest finish at the tournament since they lifted the trophy back in 1966.

The match was a defensive nightmare for both sides, with France storming back from a 4-0 deficit to threaten a stunning equalizer before England ultimately held on for the win.

Kylian Mbappe found the net twice in the second half, pushing his total for the tournament to 10 goals and making him the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals — surpassing Lionel Messi in the process. His tally also put him two goals ahead of Messi in the race for the tournament’s top scorer award, the Golden Boot.

Bukayo Saka was the standout performer for England, completing a hat-trick from the penalty spot with just three minutes remaining to make it 5-3 and ease the nerves on the England bench. Saka had already scored twice in the first half, with Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa having given England an ideal start.

Ousmane Dembele pulled one back late to give France a glimmer of hope, but substitute Jude Bellingham put the result beyond doubt deep in stoppage time, netting his seventh goal of the tournament to seal the 6-4 final score.

The 10-goal total set a new record for a World Cup third-place match, surpassing France’s 6-3 win over West Germany at the 1958 tournament.

France had hoped to give coach Didier Deschamps — the 2018 World Cup-winning manager in his final game in charge — a farewell victory. Instead, they found themselves chasing the game after a dominant England opening. A Bradley Barcola goal, sandwiched between Mbappe’s two strikes, had cut the gap to 4-3 by the 66th minute, but England’s lead proved too much to overcome.

England manager Thomas Tuchel appeared to respond to criticism of his team’s passive play in their semifinal loss, with his side pressing forward aggressively from the opening whistle. Declan Rice set the tone by charging forward and hammering in a goal as early as the third minute — even without Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane in the starting lineup.

The victory also gave England their first-ever third-place finish, having lost previous third-place playoffs in both 1990 and 2018.

Meanwhile, 39-year-old Messi will have one final opportunity to add to his own goal tally on Sunday when Argentina face Spain in the World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium.

England walked away with third place at the World Cup on Saturday after defeating France 6-4 in a high-scoring contest held in Miami — a match that also saw France captain Kylian Mbappe etch his name into the history books as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals. The game served as the farewell match for French head coach Didier Deschamps, who ends a 14-year tenure in charge after 185 total matches.

England built a commanding lead before halftime, putting four goals on the board through Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and a two-goal performance from Bukayo Saka. Saka then completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute by converting a penalty kick.

France mounted a response in the second half, with Mbappe finding the net twice and Bradley Barcola adding a third goal in between. Ousmane Dembele then pulled France to within two, scoring six minutes into stoppage time, but Jude Bellingham sealed the result with England’s sixth goal to close out the match.

Mbappe’s two goals brought his tally for this World Cup to 10, putting him atop the Golden Boot standings — two goals ahead of Argentina forward Messi, who is set to play in Sunday’s final against Spain. Mbappe also leads Messi by one in the all-time World Cup scoring records.

Midfielder Michael Olise set a new World Cup record with seven assists during the tournament, surpassing the previous mark of six set by Pele back in 1970.

France’s performance got off to a rocky start before Deschamps made defensive adjustments, bringing in Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Digne to stabilize a backline that had looked disorganized early on.

France’s Kylian Mbappe made World Cup history on Saturday, surpassing every player who has ever competed in the tournament to become the all-time leading scorer.

The 27-year-old accomplished the feat by netting two goals during France’s third-place match against England. His brace lifted his career World Cup goal tally to 22, helping Les Bleus cut the deficit to 4-3 in the second half.

With that milestone, Mbappe moved past Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who had previously held the record at 21 goals. Messi is set to take the field Sunday when Argentina faces Spain in the tournament final.

The Houston Astros suffered a tough blow Saturday when two key position players — shortstop Jeremy Pena and first baseman Christian Walker — were forced out of their game against the Baltimore Orioles due to injuries.

Pena began showing signs of discomfort during his second time at the plate against Orioles left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers. He eventually struck out in the bottom of the third inning. Astros manager Joe Espada and a member of the training staff came out to check on Pena during the at-bat, and he was pulled from the field before the top of the fourth inning, with Nick Allen stepping in at shortstop.

The team confirmed that Pena suffered a hamstring cramp. This isn’t the first time he’s dealt with hamstring trouble — earlier in the season, he missed 32 games due to a Grade 1 hamstring strain.

Walker ran into trouble of his own in the bottom of the fourth inning. Espada and a trainer visited him during his second at-bat, and Walker left the game right away. Pinch-hitter LaMonte Wade Jr. took his place at the plate. The Astros said Walker departed with tightness in his right hip.

Despite the injury concerns, both players have had productive seasons so far. Pena has hit six home runs, driven in 22 runs, and posted a .357 on-base percentage across 52 games. Walker has been even more productive, slugging 20 home runs and collecting 58 RBIs in 97 games.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have transferred captain Aaron Judge to the 60-day injured list, and team officials say the slugger will require an additional medical scan before doctors allow him to significantly increase his workload as a fractured rib continues to mend.

Judge has been out of action since May 31. During the All-Star break, he underwent a scan that was examined by Dr. Gregory J. Pearl, who chairs the department of vascular surgery at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital in Texas.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone addressed the situation following the postponement of a scheduled game against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to rain — a contest rescheduled as part of a Sunday doubleheader. “Obviously healing going on, which is good, but still not able to start any baseball activities or anything,” Boone said.

Boone explained that Judge must first reach a pain-free state before doctors can push him harder. “He needs to get to a point to where he’s asymptomatic to where you really start ramping up more upper body stuff,” the manager said.

At the time of his injury, Judge was batting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs, though he had managed just one homer across his final 18 games before landing on the injured list.

Boone offered some encouraging news regarding Judge’s discomfort. “The good news is, you know, the pain is subsiding somewhat over the last couple weeks and changing from that sharp to more of that pull,” he said. “So hopefully he continues to improve there and then we can start upping things.”

The manager added that the timing of Judge’s next scan will be dictated by how the 34-year-old outfielder feels day to day.

New York’s record stood at 36-23 when Judge last took the field, but the team has gone just 18-20 in his absence.

The move to the 60-day IL was largely procedural, freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-handed pitcher Bradley Hanner, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Hanner was subsequently optioned back to the RailRiders.

On a more optimistic note, right-hander Clarke Schmidt reached a significant milestone in his own recovery Saturday, facing live hitters in batting practice for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery on July 11 of last year. The 30-year-old said he topped out at 95 mph during the session.

Schmidt worked through 15 pitches to Anthony Volpe and Ali Sánchez, mixing four-seamers, sinkers, and cutters — though he held off on sliders, sweepers, and knuckle-curves.

“Not full game feeling with the butterflies and stuff like that, but close to it,” Schmidt said. “To be able to put your stuff on display and be able to get back out there after a year is a good feeling.”

This was actually Schmidt’s second Tommy John procedure. His first came in May 2017, just a month before the Yankees selected him with the 16th overall pick in the amateur draft. This most recent surgery included an internal brace.

Schmidt noted that the recovery has felt different this time around. “The first one, when you kind of start the bullpen phase, it feels a little yucky at times and you just have a lot more days where you’re like, ah, it doesn’t feel great,” he said. “It just feels a little more easier where it’s like I don’t have to reach back and have those days where you’re grinding a little bit.”

His next batting practice session is planned for four or five days from now. Schmidt may return before the season ends as a reliever and expressed openness to pitching as an opener or a bridge arm. “I know that we have a little more limited time for me this year as far as ability to build up the pitch count,” he said. “Obviously I’m open to everything as long as I’m out there competing and being able to help the guys. … I know I’ll be able to be back at some point in some facet this year.”

Boone also shared an update on designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, who has been sidelined since April 24 with a strained right calf. “He is a week into the running progression, been hitting,” Boone said. “Obviously had a setback, whenever, three, four weeks ago now, but he seems to be moving in a good direction so hopefully getting close.” Stanton has not yet run the bases.

Left-hander Max Fried, who has been out since May 14 with a left elbow bone bruise, made his first rehab appearance Friday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Worcester. He allowed two runs and five hits over three innings, striking out three without issuing a walk. “He looked really good. I watched his whole outing,” Boone said. “He felt really good. So 52 pitches, so another one in five days. We’ll up that and we’ll see what we’re at from there.”

Shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. also made his return Friday night, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk for the RailRiders. The 21-year-old son of a former major leaguer had been out since June 16 with sprained fingers on his left hand. Lombard is hitting .239 with five home runs, 16 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in 43 Triple-A games. “Obviously it’s no secret how highly we think of George,” Boone said. “Had a good game last night, obviously, so he’s certainly more and more in his development pushing himself into the conversation.” Boone added that he wants Lombard to build on the momentum. “I want him to get going here coming off the injury and start stacking some days.”

Maria Sakkari is one win away from claiming a trophy in her hometown after beating Russia’s Alina Korneeva 6-1, 7-5 in the semifinals of the Athens Open on Saturday.

The fourth-seeded Sakkari dominated the first set before Korneeva put up more of a fight in the second, but the Greek crowd favorite wrapped up the victory in 1 hour and 23 minutes. The run carries special meaning — it comes exactly 40 years after Sakkari’s mother, Angeliki Kanellopoulou, made her own run to the final of a WTA event in Athens.

Standing between Sakkari and the title is No. 3 seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. Krejcikova punched her ticket to the final by ousting top-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. After surrendering the second set, Krejcikova regrouped and closed out the match in 2 hours and 45 minutes — nearly double the length of the other semifinal — to reach her first final of the season.

UniCredit Iasi Open

In Iasi, Romania, Spain’s Paula Badosa pushed her winning streak to nine consecutive matches by rallying past Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1) in the semifinals.

Badosa dropped the opening set but battled back through the next two, ultimately taking command in the deciding tiebreaker by reeling off six straight points. The former world No. 2 advances to her second consecutive final after capturing last week’s Nordea Open title.

Egypt’s Mayar Sherif secured the other spot in the final with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory over third-seeded Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine. Sherif dominated the closing stretch, winning 10 of the last 11 games to reach her first tour-level final in two years.

The Cincinnati Reds made a major investment in their pitching future on Saturday, announcing a seven-year, $105 million contract extension with standout right-hander Chase Burns.

The 23-year-old Burns set a historic benchmark with the deal, securing the largest guaranteed contract ever given to a pitcher with fewer than four years of major league service time. The agreement kicks off next season and runs through 2033, featuring a $2 million signing bonus with no options or deferred money involved.

Burns said the magnitude of the moment hasn’t fully sunk in yet. “It doesn’t feel real yet,” he told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “I’m sure here soon, next year and the year after, it’ll start hitting me.”

The young pitcher also reflected on keeping the right perspective. “God can get you an opportunity, and he can also take it away. The biggest thing is staying humble, staying hungry,” Burns said.

Selected second overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Burns has put together an outstanding first full season after appearing in 13 games during his 2025 debut. Through 18 starts this year, he carries an 11-1 record, placing him tied for second in the majors in wins behind Milwaukee’s Aaron Ashby, who is 12-2. Burns also ranks fifth among qualified pitchers with a 2.54 ERA, has struck out 118 batters against just 37 walks, and opposing hitters are batting only .206 against him. His next scheduled outing is Tuesday on the road against the Seattle Mariners.

Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall expressed strong confidence in the young ace. “We think the sky’s the limit for him,” Krall said. “We know he works his butt off. He’s trying to get better. He’s a young pitcher in the big leagues, so he’s still developing and he’s been pretty successful in developing at this level.”

The extension strengthens what is shaping up to be one of baseball’s most formidable pitching duos. The Reds previously locked up right-hander Hunter Greene with a six-year, $53 million contract back in 2023.

Burns is already looking ahead to what the team can accomplish. “We’re going to build something great here. I think we have a great set of guys,” he said. “I think we’re going to keep getting better every year and that’s the end goal, to win a championship.”

Manager Terry Francona also weighed in on the signing, calling it a positive sign for the organization. “It’s exciting for Chase,” Francona said. “As far as the organization goes, I think it sends a great message. It’s a really good thing.”

The Reds boast an average roster age of 28.5, according to ESPN, reflecting the team’s youthful foundation.

Krall emphasized the importance of retaining homegrown talent. “We love our core group, and we do think that they’ve got a lot of talent,” he said. “We’ve tried to lock a few guys up over the years, and we’re successful with Chase and Hunter. We think this is a really good building block to build on for the future.”

The signing ceremony on Saturday hit a small snag when a cup of coffee was accidentally spilled on the contract before Burns could sign it. A fresh copy was printed and the deal was officially completed shortly after.

Burns earned his first All-Star Game selection this season but did not pitch in Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic for the National League, citing a minor groin injury. He last took the mound on July 8.

The Baltimore Orioles made a major commitment to one of their top starters on Saturday, reaching a five-year contract extension with right-handed pitcher Kyle Bradish.

According to ESPN, the deal is valued at $90 million. The contract structure covers Bradish’s remaining two years of arbitration eligibility as well as the first three years that would have otherwise been available to him on the open market.

The 29-year-old has been a reliable presence in the Orioles rotation over the past five seasons. In 465 innings of work, he has compiled a 25-24 record, a 3.50 ERA, a 1.206 WHIP, and 485 strikeouts.

His current season has been consistent with those career numbers. Through his most recent outings, Bradish is 6-9 with a 3.61 ERA, a 1.351 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts across 107 and one-third innings pitched.

Orioles owner David Rubenstein praised the move in an official statement. “Keeping players of Kyle’s caliber in an Orioles uniform is an important part of our long-term vision,” Rubenstein said. “We are grateful to Kyle for his commitment to our organization and to Baltimore. Thanks to (president of baseball operations and general manager) Mike Elias and the entire baseball operations department for their dedication throughout this process.”

Seattle Mariners standout outfielder Julio Rodriguez made his return to the field Saturday, coming off the 7-day concussion injured list and stepping into the starting lineup as designated hitter in the club’s matchup with the San Francisco Giants.

Rodriguez had been sidelined since July 2, when he was hit in the back of the head by a thrown ball while running toward second base during a game against the Los Angeles Angels. The 25-year-old, who has earned three All-Star selections, sat out 10 games over the following two weeks — a stretch that also included the All-Star break.

Before going down with the injury, Rodriguez had built an eight-game on-base streak, posting a .414 batting average along with three RBIs, two stolen bases, and three walks during that run. Heading into Saturday, his overall 2025 numbers stood at a .259 average, 14 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases across 87 games.

The Mariners struggled without their star player, going just 3-7 during his absence. The team enters Saturday’s game at 48-50 on the season, sitting in second place in the American League West — one and a half games back of the Texas Rangers.

To make room on the roster, utility player Miles Mastrobuoni was designated for assignment. In 13 appearances this season, Mastrobuoni batted .192 with three runs scored and one RBI.

Tommy Fleetwood heads into the final round of the British Open on Sunday with a long shot at glory — but with thousands of passionate hometown fans behind him, the 35-year-old is not giving up hope.

Fleetwood, who grew up just down the road from Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, carded a third-round 69 on Saturday, leaving him tied for ninth place and six strokes back of leader Sam Burns. Despite the gap on the leaderboard, the roars from the crowd following his every move made it feel like anything was possible.

“Like walking up to every green, it’s like the most amazing ovation that you can imagine,” said Fleetwood, a veteran of the Ryder Cup who finished second at the 2019 Open and was also runner-up at the U.S. Open the year before. “I sort of acknowledge them in my way because I still want to stay in my bubble, but it just happens that there’s like thousands of people in my bubble with me that are willing me on.”

“Like there’s a lot of people I know out there. But I just try and be myself and I try and focus as much as I can on my game and have everybody on the journey with me.”

Fleetwood, who has an Academy at nearby Formby Hall Golf Club and used to sneak onto Royal Birkdale as a child, showcased the links course skills that have made him a fan favorite. He drained a birdie at the fifth hole and followed it with a lengthy birdie putt at the seventh to enormous applause. At one point, after a brilliant approach shot set up a birdie at the 11th, he reached seven under par and was just one stroke off a share of the lead.

His momentum stalled with bogeys at the 15th and 18th holes, though even his final bogey putt drew a thunderous ovation from the galleries when it dropped in.

Playing partner Jon Rahm, who shot a level-par 70 to also sit six shots off the pace, praised the atmosphere surrounding Fleetwood as something special.

“The best part is they cheer him on, but they’re respectful to everybody else playing,” the Spanish golfer said. “That’s what makes it so fun for all of us.”

“No matter how late in the round, how bad things get, everybody is almost cheering for everybody in the group. I felt plenty of support even playing with Tommy.”

Rahm also outlined what it might take for Fleetwood to make a run on Sunday: “Tomorrow if he gets going early, makes two, three birdies the first four or five holes, you can ride that wave, and everybody on the course will know where Tommy is and what’s going on.”

Fleetwood stands as the top-ranked British player in the field and is chasing history — a win would make him the first English golfer to lift the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo claimed the title back in 1992.

American golfer Sam Burns almost skipped the 154th British Open entirely — his wife Caroline’s due date fell just two days before the championship teed off at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.

As it turned out, daughter Belle had other plans. She arrived ahead of schedule, giving Burns just enough time to catch a flight overseas. Now, heading into Sunday’s final round, the 29-year-old finds himself two shots clear of the field with a chance to claim his first major championship title and the iconic Claret Jug.

“This golf tournament was honestly so far off of my radar and expectations of playing,” Burns told reporters. “I mean, Caroline’s due date was Tuesday this week. She was like four days late with our son. I just didn’t think there was any possible way, and little Belle had different plans for us.”

Even after his daughter was born, Burns wasn’t certain he should leave his family behind. It was his wife who pushed him to go.

“I wasn’t thinking much about it. Caroline was kind of like, so what are you thinking for next week? I was like, I don’t know. Should we talk about it? She was like, yeah,” he recalled.

“Ultimately she’s the one that really encouraged me to come over and play. She basically said I’ve got this at home. Go over there and give it your best, and here we are.”

Burns got off to a shaky start, carding a three-over 73 in his opening round on Thursday — including three consecutive bogeys to close — and it appeared he might be headed home to Louisiana early. But another conversation with his wife helped him refocus.

“I was pretty upset. That’s an understatement,” said Burns, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour. “Talked to Caroline, texted with her, and she basically told me like, you know, you’re over there, and I’m good at home.

“You need to be where your feet are. I think that was really what I needed to hear in that moment. It’s probably what I didn’t want to hear, but I needed to hear it.

“I really think she was the one that kind of gave me that encouragement that I needed and kind of a kick in the butt.”

That mental reset proved transformative. Burns came back with a men’s major record-equaling round of 62 on Friday, then added a 65 on Saturday to vault to the top of the leaderboard. He also finished runner-up at the U.S. Open earlier this year.

With the final round ahead, Burns said he isn’t focused on what his competitors are doing — only on his own game.

“I haven’t looked at the leaderboard. I think ultimately it comes down to I can’t control anything anyone else does,” he said. “Someone’s going to go out and play a great round of golf tomorrow, maybe a few people. It’s pretty much a given. That happens every single week.

“So I’m going to have to do the same. I’m going to have to go out and execute. Ultimately whatever happens, I know that I can accept the outcome, and life’s going to move on. I’ll get to go home and see my family. I hope I’m taking some hardware with me, but if I’m not, that’s fine too.”

American golfer Sam Burns has positioned himself atop the leaderboard at the British Open, holding a two-stroke advantage as the tournament heads into its final round at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.

Burns, 29, built on his scorching second-round 62 by shooting a five-under 65 on Saturday, bringing his total to 10 under par. His fellow American Bryson DeChambeau, who faced uncertainty about whether he would even tee off Saturday after receiving a two-stroke penalty for an inadvertent rules violation late Friday, rallied to post another solid round and remains four shots behind Burns heading into Sunday.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox electrified the field with a record-tying 62 — the third such score in just 24 hours at the tournament — and sits at eight under alongside South Korea’s Kim Si-woo. American Ryan Gerard and Australian Lucas Herbert, who led the field at the halfway point, are both at seven under.

Burns’ path to the top of the leaderboard wasn’t without early turbulence. After bogeying the final three holes of his opening-round 73, it appeared the trip to England might be cut short — he had hoped to return home to his wife Caroline and their newborn daughter Belle. But he has been nearly unstoppable since that rough start.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s final round, Burns said: “I’m going to have to go out and execute. I know that I can accept the outcome, and life’s going to move on. I’ll get to go home and see my family. I hope I’m taking some hardware with me, but if I’m not, that’s fine too.”

Burns also had kind words for DeChambeau, who was cheered by the galleries despite the Friday controversy. “Props to him,” Burns said. “He came out and played a really nice round of golf today, and that takes a lot of grit to be able to come out and do that. So I was impressed.”

DeChambeau had said the Friday penalty drama would “fire him up,” and he largely delivered — until a careless bogey on the 18th hole left him four shots off the pace.

World number one Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, had a rough go of it Saturday, managing just one birdie in a level-par 70. That leaves him six strokes behind Burns, and barring a remarkable final round, the Claret Jug appears destined for a first-time major winner — which would mark the 13th consecutive year that has happened.

“A little bit frustrating, but if I hole some putts tomorrow, I could shoot a really low round and move my way up the leaderboard,” Scheffler said.

English golfer Tommy Fleetwood, playing in front of enthusiastic home crowds, is tied for ninth at five under after a 69.

Fox’s 62 on Saturday was the third score of that mark recorded in just 24 hours, joining Burns and Herbert from Friday. Prior to this week’s 154th Open Championship, only five rounds of 62 had ever been recorded in the history of men’s major golf — including Branden Grace’s effort at the 2017 Open, also held at Royal Birkdale, as well as rounds by Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele at the 2023 U.S. Open, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry at the 2024 PGA Championship. That total has now grown to eight.

Fox had a chance to make history with a 61 on the 18th hole but his putt didn’t fall. “Standing on the last tee, I’m going if I can get one on the fairway here, you can get a wedge or a 9-iron in and have a putt for 61,” Fox said. “If you execute, you can score around here. If you don’t, it will bite you pretty quickly.”

Herbert, meanwhile, had a difficult Saturday — nine shots worse than his Friday round, during which he narrowly missed a five-foot putt that would have given him the first-ever 61 in men’s major championship history.

Despite his own struggles, Herbert offered a candid assessment of what Sunday holds. “Sam Burns is going to be a man possessed. Given his results in majors and him not winning one, I think he’s going to be very tough to beat,” Herbert said. “I’m not thrilled about giving him a three-shot head start, but we are where we are.”

NEW YORK — Back in 2016, Lionel Messi stood at MetLife Stadium with tears in his eyes after Argentina fell short in the Copa America final. Devastated by the loss, he told the world he was done with international football, saying, “I’ve done all I can.”

At 29 years old, Messi had already earned more individual and club honors than nearly any player alive. But after coming up short in three Copa America championship matches and the 2014 World Cup final, it seemed like a major international title might never be his.

Of course, an entire nation refused to let him walk away. Argentina persuaded Messi to pull the jersey back on, and this Sunday he’ll return to that very same stadium — now called New York-New Jersey Stadium for this tournament — with a chance to win his second straight World Cup gold medal.

Debates about the greatest footballer ever will never truly be settled, but to find someone who shaped World Cup outcomes as powerfully as Messi has, you’d need to go back to Diego Maradona or Pele.

While Sunday’s opponents Spain rely on a strong collective identity, Messi’s role has been absolutely central to five straight years of success for Argentina, known as the Albiceleste.

His impact goes well beyond goals and assists. Messi serves as a symbol of national pride — a rallying point for a remarkably tough team that has repeatedly found ways to win when the odds were against them.

After Lautaro Martinez scored a stoppage-time winner from a Messi assist in the semifinal against England, Martinez captured the team’s spirit: “It’s all happiness, and it’s all thanks to this group which, in the face of adversity, keeps going and going and never gets tired. We have the best player in the world as our example.”

Beyond his brilliance with the ball, Messi has shown impressive physical endurance, playing every single minute of Argentina’s knockout-round matches at this World Cup — two of which extended into extra time.

Making predictions about the future of the little magician from Rosario has always been a risky bet, but by any measure, a fourth world title for Argentina on Sunday would stand as the defining achievement of an extraordinary career.

His 2022 World Cup victory, along with Copa America championships in 2021 and 2024, have filled his trophy shelf with international honors — even as his club career shifted to the comparatively lower-stakes world of Major League Soccer.

Messi is under contract with Inter Miami through the end of the 2028 MLS season and has given no hint that Sunday’s match will be his farewell in Argentina’s sky blue and white. He has worn that shirt 206 times over 21 years.

One thing, however, is beyond question: he has more than earned the right to decide that for himself.

The stage is set for an all-top-two-seeds final at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden, as No. 1 seed Andrey Rublev and second-seeded Luciano Darderi each came through hard-fought three-set semifinal victories on Saturday.

Rublev, representing Russia, took down third-seeded Alejandro Tabilo of Chile by a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. On the other side of the bracket, Italy’s Darderi edged out unseeded Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay 6-4, 6-7 (11), 6-3. The 28-year-old Rublev, a former champion at Bastad in 2023, is chasing his 18th ATP Tour title. The 24-year-old Darderi, who is the defending champion at this event, will be looking to claim his sixth career tour-level win.

Rublev reached his 30th career tour-level final in impressive fashion, winning 77.6 percent of his first-serve points — converting 38 of 49 — and blasting 12 aces, three of which came in the deciding set. Tabilo mounted a strong effort, saving 10 of 13 break points and even surviving three match points before ultimately falling short.

Darderi’s path to the final was equally dramatic. He needed his 13th set point to close out the opening set, then watched three match points slip away during a second-set tiebreak as Vallejo fought back to force a third set. In total, Darderi successfully defended seven of eight break points and converted three of his five break point chances throughout the match.

At the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad in Switzerland, Sunday’s final will feature No. 7 seed Raphael Collignon of Belgium and unseeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, both of whom also came through in three sets on Saturday.

Collignon, who had never before reached an ATP Tour final, pulled off a remarkable comeback against No. 6 seed Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Spain, winning 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5. The 24-year-old Belgian saved a match point while serving at 3-5 in the second set, then broke back to win the tiebreak. Trailing 2-5 in the third set, he reeled off five consecutive games to seal the victory.

Tsitsipas, the former World No. 3 and 12-time tour champion, defeated Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to reach his first ATP Tour final in 16 months. The Greek star leaned on a powerful serve in the final set, dropping just one of 12 first-serve points to pull away decisively.

CHICAGO — A trip back to Wrigley Field turned into an unexpected moment for former Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo on Saturday, when he found himself retrieving a home run ball in the right-field bleachers hit by current Cubs first baseman Michael Busch.

Busch’s solo shot off Minnesota in the first inning was his 12th homer of the season. Rizzo didn’t snag it out of the air, but after the ball bounced off the concrete, he reached back, picked it up, and raised it above his head while a young boy sat on his shoulder.

Rizzo was at the ballpark as part of a pregame ceremony honoring the 10th anniversary of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series title. The festivities included the unveiling of a 31-foot-wide arching structure called the “Champions Gate” on the west side of Wrigley Field.

A three-time All-Star, Rizzo spent 10 of his 14 major league seasons with Chicago. During the 2016 regular season, he batted .292 with 32 home runs and 109 RBIs, then added three homers and 10 RBIs during the postseason as the Cubs broke a 108-year championship drought.

Team owner Tom Ricketts, former manager Joe Maddon, and Rizzo each addressed the crowd during the ceremony, which also featured around 20 players from that championship squad. Maddon and the players later returned to the field, where pitcher Kyle Hendricks threw out a ceremonial first pitch.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has confirmed she will be in attendance at Sunday’s World Cup final, accepting a personal invitation extended by U.S. President Donald Trump. The appearance will mark their first face-to-face meeting since December, following months of friction between the two leaders.

Notably, Sheinbaum had skipped the tournament’s opening match held in Mexico City, where her country’s national team defeated South Africa 2-0. Rather than attending herself, she passed her ticket along to a young Indigenous woman.

Speaking to Mexican media, Sheinbaum explained her decision: “I decided to go because it is a direct invitation from the president of the United States. Canadian Prime Minister (Mark) Carney will also be there, and tomorrow I will record a message with more details.”

The two heads of state have navigated a strained relationship, with disagreements spanning trade policy and security concerns. Their most recent in-person meeting took place at the World Cup draw event back in December.

This year’s World Cup marks a historic first, with the United States, Mexico, and Canada jointly hosting the tournament as three neighboring North American nations. The championship game will be played in New Jersey, where defending titleholders Argentina will face Spain in a bid for the trophy. Spain’s King Felipe VI is also anticipated to be among those in attendance.

The Florida Panthers moved quickly to suspend their equipment manager, Teddy Richards, on Friday after he was arrested on misdemeanor charges of battery related to domestic violence and the unauthorized use of 911 services.

Richards was taken into custody at his residence in Coral Springs, Florida. He has served as the Panthers’ equipment manager since the start of the 2016-17 season.

Before joining Florida, Richards built his career in hockey operations starting with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins — the Pittsburgh Penguins’ AHL affiliate — where he worked from 2002 to 2013. He then stepped into the role of assistant equipment manager with Pittsburgh from 2013 to 2016 before making the move to the Panthers organization.

The 43-year-old also took on equipment duties for Team USA during the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and at the 25th Winter Olympics held in Italy in 2026.

The Panthers have offered little in the way of public comment, releasing only a social media statement confirming that Richards has been “suspended from all team activities and facilities pending investigation.”

Ron Hunt, the tough-as-nails second baseman who carved out a place in baseball history as the first New York Met ever to start in an All-Star Game, passed away Wednesday at 85 years old.

Hunt had spent his final month in hospice care. During his playing days, he set a Modern Era record by being struck by pitches 50 times in the 1971 season alone — a testament to his fearless approach at the plate.

Over the course of his 12-year major league career, Hunt suited up for five different teams: the New York Mets from 1963 to 1966, the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1967, the San Francisco Giants from 1968 to 1970, the Montreal Expos from 1971 to 1974, and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974. He finished his career with 1,429 hits and a reputation for giving everything he had on the field.

Jay Horwitz, the Mets’ vice president of media relations, paid tribute to Hunt in a July 4 post on Medium. “No one played the game harder than Ron Hunt, our first All-Star,” Horwitz wrote. “He would do anything to help win a game.”

Hunt was a two-time All-Star selection and is perhaps most remembered for his extraordinary willingness to absorb pitches. He was hit by a pitch 243 times throughout his career, placing him sixth on the all-time MLB list.

He once summed up his philosophy with a now-famous quip: “Some folks give their bodies to science. I gave mine to baseball.”

Hunt was born on February 23, 1941, in St. Louis. After excelling in both baseball and football during his high school years, he signed with the Milwaukee Braves. The expansion Mets later acquired his contract after their first season in 1962, installing him as their starting second baseman. He made his major league debut in 1963.

That debut season was statistically the finest of his career — Hunt posted 145 hits, 28 doubles, 10 home runs, and 42 RBIs. He finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, edged out by a 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds standout named Pete Rose. Even so, Hunt continued to win over fans and teammates alike with his no-nonsense style of play.

When he started the 1964 All-Star Game — known as the Midsummer Classic — he singled in his first plate appearance, doing so at his home ballpark, Shea Stadium, while playing for the National League.

Hunt’s relentless, hard-charging style earned him a career bWAR of 32.7, but it also took a physical toll. He underwent 16 baseball-related surgeries over the years, and his aggressive play may have contributed to the development of Parkinson’s disease, which affected him in his later years.

He is survived by his wife, Jackie; his daughter, Tracy; and his son, Ron Jr.

If you were hoping to snag a last-minute ticket to watch Lionel Messi and Argentina take on Lamine Yamal and Spain in the World Cup final, you had better have a very large credit limit — or access to a bank vault.

Sunday’s championship match in East Rutherford, New Jersey is shaping up to be one of the most expensive sporting events to attend in recent memory.

On Saturday morning, FIFA’s official ticket resale platform was showing its lowest-priced tickets at $6,411.25 — for a mid-level seat behind the goal. Those bargain-by-comparison seats were gone before lunchtime.

Seats in the upper deck corners were going for close to $10,000, while getting closer to the field would set buyers back roughly $16,000. Special hospitality seating was listed at nearly $60,000.

Other resale platforms, including SeatGeek and StubHub, were also listing upper deck seats starting around $10,000, with some lower bowl seats climbing toward $35,000.

For many fans, the steep price may feel justified. Messi, widely regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time, will be chasing history against Yamal, one of the sport’s most exciting young talents.

Argentina is competing for its fourth World Cup title overall and is looking to become the first nation to win back-to-back championships since Brazil accomplished the feat in 1958 and 1962. Spain last lifted the trophy in 2010.

Spain’s preparations for Sunday’s World Cup final hit a weather-related snag on Saturday after thunderstorms forced the cancellation of the team’s final practice session in East Hanover, New Jersey.

World soccer’s governing body FIFA announced the cancellation and confirmed that no alternative training time would be made available to the Spanish squad. It remained unclear whether Argentina’s session, which was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. local time (3:30 p.m. GMT), would proceed as planned.

Spain’s soccer federation, known as the RFEF, released a statement explaining what happened on the ground. “The Spanish national team’s training session on the pitches at the Melanie Lane Training Ground in New Jersey has been suspended in accordance with the US storm safety protocol,” the federation said.

The statement also noted that players were not left completely idle, adding, “The players are currently taking part in a warm-up session indoors.”

Despite the disruption, Sunday’s championship match between Spain and Argentina remains on schedule, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. local time (7 p.m. GMT).

SOUTHPORT, England — The head of the R&A is standing firmly behind the two-stroke penalty handed to American golfer Bryson DeChambeau following his second round at the British Open on Friday.

DeChambeau had just completed an impressive round of 66, putting him alone in second place on the leaderboard — just one stroke off the lead — when tournament officials determined he had unintentionally improved the area around his intended swing on the fifth hole.

Video footage captured DeChambeau stomping down long grass near where his tee shot had come to rest. After finishing his round, he was transported back to that location in a golf cart alongside an official, where the two were seen in what appeared to be a heated exchange.

He later exited the scorer’s tent having been informed of the two-stroke punishment.

R&A chief executive Mark Darbon addressed the situation Saturday on BBC Radio 5 Live, saying, “It was an unfortunate decision but really clear-cut from a rules perspective.”

Darbon also addressed a lighthearted question about whether President Trump — who has a close relationship with the two-time U.S. Open champion — had weighed in. “No. I have not received a call from President Trump and we will see what happens from here,” Darbon replied.

The controversy sparked speculation that DeChambeau might withdraw from the tournament entirely, but he took to X late Friday to say the situation had “fired him up” ahead of the weekend.

He will begin Saturday’s round three strokes behind leader Lucas Herbert, teeing off at 1430 GMT.

Darbon expressed understanding for DeChambeau’s emotional reaction to the ruling. “There was some emotion but I empathise with that. Bryson has played a great round of golf, is in contention at a major championship, he wants to win the golf’s original major,” Darbon said. “We were focused on the ruling and making a fair assessment.”

Fellow American Russell Henley offered some sympathy for DeChambeau on Saturday, suggesting that a player with a lower profile might never have been flagged for the same action. “The issue with that to me is the fact that he’s on TV every shot. If I played that hole yesterday and I did the same thing, maybe they don’t penalise me because maybe they don’t see me do it. That’s the tough part; he’s on TV every single shot,” Henley said after posting a third-round 68.

SOUTHPORT, England — New Zealand’s Ryan Fox wasted no time making his presence felt in the third round of the British Open at Royal Birkdale on Saturday, carding an outward nine of just 29 strokes as calm, peaceful conditions set the stage for low scoring.

Fox rattled off birdies at the second, third, fifth, sixth, and eighth holes before adding two more at the 10th and 14th. His lone bogey of the round could not dampen the momentum, as Fox climbed into a share of second place at six under par overall.

Australia’s Lucas Herbert holds the top spot at eight under par, a position he earned after firing a record-equalling round of 62 on Friday.

The gentle winds on Saturday opened the door for several other players to make their move. The 2024 champion Xander Schauffele took full advantage, reaching four under for his round through 14 holes. American Justin Thomas also reached four under on the day.

Not everyone is thriving in the favorable conditions, however. Rory McIlroy stumbled with two early bogeys in his third round, leaving him eight strokes off the lead and struggling to stay in contention.

American Bryson DeChambeau, who was handed a two-stroke penalty during Friday’s play, sits at five under and was scheduled to tee off at 1430 GMT. Herbert was set to head out alongside Jackson Suber at 1450 GMT.

FIFA’s Social Media Protection Service has flagged more than 7 million potentially harmful or abusive posts on social media platforms during the current World Cup, the global soccer organization announced Saturday.

The staggering number is 14 times greater than what was recorded during the 2022 World Cup, when 470,000 such posts were removed.

The protection service team has personally reviewed more than half a million messages that were initially flagged by artificial intelligence — all of them targeting players, coaches, or officials connected to the tournament. Of those, more than 1,000 were deemed serious enough to be reported to authorities, including law enforcement agencies.

In total, the team has reviewed and moderated more than 53 million posts and comments since the tournament began. The World Cup wraps up Sunday when Argentina and Spain meet in the championship match.

Earlier this month, FIFA revealed that racial abuse made up 11% of all offensive messages detected during the tournament so far.

Sunday’s World Cup final is bringing the curtain down on a tournament that pushed the boundaries of what sports fans are willing to spend — and found that boundary was higher than almost anyone predicted.

The championship match at New York New Jersey Stadium — widely described as the single most expensive sporting event ever staged in the United States — pits Lionel Messi’s Argentina against Spain and their teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

It’s a fitting conclusion to a competition that has stress-tested fan spending limits, with FIFA’s aggressive pricing approach ultimately paying off despite early worries about U.S. visa restrictions and domestic political tensions.

“What FIFA did a very good job of was determining what demand would be because people (were) paying these absurd prices for just about all the 104 matches,” said Scott Friedman, a ticketing expert who previously worked for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“A year ago, we didn’t think people would be traveling with Trump’s ICE stuff and all this other conspiracy stuff. But it’s the most popular tournament in the world by far globally and FIFA, to their credit, they set the prices high and people ended up paying them,” Friedman added.

A Reuters review of FIFA attendance figures showed that more than half of the 72 group stage matches reached full capacity, with most of the remaining games falling only a few hundred seats short of sold out. FIFA reported that roughly 99.7% of available seats were occupied during the group stage.

Those numbers helped put to rest early fears sparked by rows of empty seats visible at the Guadalajara Stadium during the June 11 contest between South Korea and the Czech Republic. FIFA had reported an attendance of 44,985 at the nearly 46,000-seat venue, but witnesses on the ground painted a different picture at the time.

As the tournament grew to its largest-ever format — featuring 48 nations — fan interest grew right along with it. Group stage tickets started at $575 each, more than double the top group ticket price from the 2022 tournament, and FIFA’s dynamic pricing system pushed many buyers to spend considerably more than that.

Just days before the final, hundreds of tickets were still showing up on FIFA’s platform at just over $7,000 apiece, leading some to wonder whether the organization had finally overplayed its hand on pricing. But Friedman offered another explanation — a tactic known as “slow ticketing,” a common strategy at major events where organizers deliberately hold back inventory to keep demand elevated.

“They can act like they already sold their seats and kind of just dribble them in accordingly to obviously increase market demand,” said Friedman, who runs the Ticket Talk Network, a platform focused on how tickets for major sporting events are bought and sold.

“Like ‘Oh, there’s only so-and-so amount of tickets left available in the section, I better buy now’,” he added.

By Friday, nearly all tickets appeared to have been purchased, with a handful still listed on FIFA’s platform at around $32,000 each.

FIFA introduced dynamic pricing for the first time at this World Cup, allowing ticket values to shift based on real-time demand and other variables — a system that has drawn both interest and frustration from fans.

“One reason for the frustration over the last few months is that no one really knows how this works,” said Adam Elmachtoub, an associate professor of industrial engineering and operations research at Columbia University.

“People are willing to accept dynamic pricing — we deal with it for airfare, we deal with it even (for) buying clothes — but I think when it’s such a high-profile event, transparency will help a lot,” Elmachtoub said.

In response to public backlash over costs, FIFA made a limited number of lower-priced tickets available. Politicians, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, had pushed for local residents to have access to affordable seats.

The quality of the soccer on display also helped fuel demand. For the first time since the global rankings system was established, the four highest-ranked teams reached the semi-finals. Sunday’s final will also likely mark 39-year-old Messi’s last appearance at a World Cup.

“The notion of what is fair pricing here is complex because entertainment is not like a necessity,” Elmachtoub noted.

The relatively loose resale market regulations in the United States further drove up costs, with secondary ticket sellers largely free to charge whatever the market would bear. That stands in sharp contrast to co-host Mexico, where resellers are banned from pricing tickets above their original purchase price.

On resale platform SeatGeek, a wave of last-minute final listings brought prices down somewhat, but the average ticket for Sunday’s match was still listed at more than $11,000 as of Friday — making it the most expensive event the platform had ever handled, surpassing the 2024 Super Bowl by 8%.

“What we’re seeing with this year’s World Cup is that demand fluctuates with every round and every matchup reveal,” said Chris Leyden, senior director for marketing at SeatGeek. “The appetite for this tournament has held up remarkably well from the group stage through the knockouts.”

Despite the financial success, human rights advocates sounded a note of caution. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had promised the most inclusive World Cup ever, but the Sport & Rights Alliance reported that supporters from multiple countries were unable to secure visas to attend.

“It’s been a World Cup for a happy few,” said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe. “Those in Europe, Norwegians, Scottish, who have enough purchasing power to travel to the U.S., don’t need a visa to enter the country and can afford the extortionate ticket prices.”

For a large portion of global soccer fans watching this World Cup, the choice of who to cheer for has been straightforward: back whoever happens to be facing Argentina. Throughout the tournament, that allegiance has shifted — first to Algeria in green, then Cape Verde in blue, then Switzerland in red. Even England, a team that draws its own share of international skepticism, found itself flooded with messages of support on social media ahead of last week’s semifinal. Now, heading into Sunday’s championship match, many neutral fans may be reaching for a red Spain jersey.

Argentina ranks among the most accomplished and widely recognized national teams in the history of the sport — but also among the most divisive. Rooted in the legacy of Diego Maradona and the modern-day fame of Lionel Messi, the Albiceleste have built a passionate following at home and around the world, while simultaneously drawing irritation, envy, and outright resentment from rivals.

The Maradona Legacy

Argentina’s football identity has been defined by transcendent individual talent. No figure looms larger than Maradona, who led the country to the 1986 World Cup championship and created one of the sport’s most enduring — and contentious — moments. His two goals against England in the quarterfinals that year remain the stuff of legend: the first, a handball that went uncalled, became known as the “Hand of God,” while the second was later voted the “Goal of the Century” for its breathtaking solo run through the English defense.

English supporters have never quite forgiven that handball, while many Argentines view it as an act of defiance tied to something larger — the 1982 Falklands War, in which Britain retained control of the disputed island territory. That political backdrop has continued to surface. After Argentina’s semifinal victory over England at the 2026 World Cup, players displayed a banner reading “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” — “The Falklands are Argentine” — in what appeared to be a violation of FIFA’s rules against political statements at matches.

The Messi Factor

Where Maradona was fire and defiance, Lionel Messi brought a quieter but equally commanding presence. His years at Barcelona made him the face of one of club soccer’s most dominant eras, earning him nearly every major honor the sport offers — but also making him a target for fans of rival clubs. His long-running rivalry with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo divided global soccer fandom into two passionate camps.

For years, Messi carried the weight of comparisons to Maradona and criticism that he hadn’t delivered a major title for his country. That changed in 2022, when he led Argentina to the World Cup championship in Qatar. His fame has drawn devoted followings as far away as India and Bangladesh, but others have grown tired of the constant attention surrounding him and the way Argentina’s narrative so often revolves around one man.

A Complicated Reputation in Latin America

Within Latin America, Argentina’s image is layered and complicated. The country has historically viewed itself as culturally distinct — shaped by strong European influences and a football culture that tends to treat winning as confirmation of national superiority. That confidence is sometimes respected, but in many parts of the region it feeds a perception of Argentine arrogance.

That nationalism has at times crossed into genuinely troubling territory. Earlier this month, an Argentine television commentator referred to Mexicans as “detestable” and claimed they envied Argentines “not just in soccer, in everything.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum described those remarks as “outrageous.” In stadiums, some Argentine fans continue to sing a song that mocks the African heritage of French players — a chant that Argentine players themselves apologized for in 2024 after being caught singing it. Other incidents involving racist behavior or fan misconduct have circulated widely on social media and drawn complaints from supporters of other nations.

Rivalries That Run Deep

Argentina’s most intense rivalry is with Brazil, built over decades of competition between South America’s two most successful footballing nations. At the 2014 World Cup, held on Brazilian soil, Argentine supporters taunted the hosts with chants of “Brasil, decime que se siente” — “Brazil, tell me how it feels” — as Argentina advanced through the bracket.

Tensions with Chile flared after Chile defeated Argentina in back-to-back Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016, both decided by penalty shootouts. The relationship with Mexico has also grown charged over the years, fueled by repeated World Cup matchups and heated debates on social media.

Argentina’s style of play — built on technical brilliance and tactical cunning — can be captivating to watch, but critics argue it sometimes strays from the ideals of fair play. For a growing number of fans around the world, “anyone but Argentina” has simply become the default setting whenever a tournament begins.

The San Francisco Giants wasted no time getting back to business after the All-Star break, shutting out the Seattle Mariners 7-0 Friday evening in the first game of a three-game interleague series at Seattle.

Willy Adames provided the big blow with a grand slam, while starting pitcher Landen Roupp was nearly untouchable over seven innings, surrendering just two hits in the dominant performance.

Bryce Eldridge contributed a two-run home run for San Francisco, which has now won three straight games — matching the longest winning streak the team has put together all season.

Roupp, who improved to 7-8 on the year, kept the Mariners largely off the bases. The right-hander gave up a two-out single to Josh Naylor in the fourth and a leadoff single to Luke Raley in the fifth. He walked three and struck out two over his seven innings of work.

The game remained scoreless through four innings before the Giants broke through in the fifth. Drew Cavanaugh singled to right with one out, and two batters later, Eldridge launched an 0-1 splitter from Mariners starter Bryce Miller over the fence in right-center field, putting San Francisco ahead 2-0.

The Giants tacked on an unearned run in the sixth inning. Heliot Ramos reached on a leadoff single to left, and while Jung Hoo Lee grounded to first baseman Naylor — forcing Ramos at second — shortstop Colt Emerson’s throw to Miller covering the bag went awry, allowing Lee to advance to second. After Drew Gilbert was hit by a pitch with two outs, the Mariners turned to left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer, who walked Cavanaugh to load the bases. Luis Arraez then hit a grounder that second baseman Cole Young bobbled for an error, allowing a run to score and pushing the lead to 3-0.

San Francisco put the game out of reach in the seventh inning. Casey Schmitt led off with a single to left off reliever Nick Davila, and after an out, Ramos singled and Lee was hit by a pitch to reload the bases. Adames then crushed an 0-1 slider over the right-center field wall for a grand slam, stretching the Giants’ advantage to 7-0.

Miller took the loss, dropping to 4-4 on the season. He allowed three runs — two earned — on seven hits across 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out six.