Category: Sports

The Anaheim Ducks announced on Sunday that they have reached a five-year contract extension agreement with defenseman Pavel Mintyukov.

The organization did not release the financial terms of the deal, but several media outlets reported the total value at $36 million — breaking down to $7.2 million per season.

The 22-year-old blueliner put together a solid 2025-26 campaign, tallying 22 points on eight goals and 14 assists across 73 games with Anaheim.

Since the Ducks selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Mintyukov has accumulated 69 points — including 17 goals and 52 assists — over 204 career games.

President Donald Trump disclosed Monday that he reached out directly to FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, asking him to take another look at the red card handed to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun — and made clear he believed the referee who issued it made the wrong call.

Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office, Trump was straightforward about his involvement. “All I did, I asked for a review, because I didn’t think it was a foul,” he said.

The move is without precedent and has drawn international attention to FIFA’s disciplinary process. Belgium, who face the United States on Monday in a match with a quarter-final berth on the line, responded with anger to Trump’s intervention.

In Trump’s view, the play that resulted in Balogun’s red card was nothing more than an accidental collision between two players running at full speed. He also raised doubts about the impartiality of the referee involved.

“I saw the play,” Trump said. “That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running whole speed that happened to crash into each other.”

FIFA ultimately chose to suspend the red card, a decision Trump applauded. “I think the referee’s call was horrible,” he said, describing FIFA’s response as a “really brilliant decision.”

Trump was careful to note the limits of his role in the matter. “I didn’t tell them what to do. I can’t tell them what to do,” he said, adding that having the team’s top players available on the field was what mattered most.

The Toronto Raptors are preparing to kick off contract extension negotiations this week with forward Kawhi Leonard and his newly appointed agent, according to an ESPN report released Monday.

Leonard, who is 35 years old, currently has one year and $50.3 million left on the three-year extension he originally signed with the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2024.

His previous contract was handled by agent Mitch Frankel, but the seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP has since brought on Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports to represent him in talks with Toronto, the report noted.

Under league rules, Leonard is eligible to sign a new extension of up to two years and $123.7 million as he makes his return to the Raptors, per ESPN.

The Clippers reached an agreement on June 30 to send Leonard to Toronto in exchange for veteran forward Brandon Ingram, third-year guard Gradey Dick, and a collection of draft picks. The trade was set to become official on Monday.

During his only previous season with the Raptors in 2018-19, Leonard put up 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game across 60 starts before departing for the Clippers. He earned Finals MVP honors that year after guiding Toronto to a six-game championship series win over the Golden State Warriors.

Following several seasons hampered by injuries, Leonard bounced back in a big way last season, posting a career-best 27.9 points per game along with 6.4 rebounds across 65 starts. That performance landed him seventh in MVP voting and earned him his seventh All-Star selection.

A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Leonard carries career averages of 20.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals across 798 games — including stints with the San Antonio Spurs from 2011 to 2018, the Raptors, and the Clippers from 2019 to 2021 and again from 2022 to 2026.

Italian tennis star Flavio Cobolli is riding the wave of the best Grand Slam stretch of his career after knocking out Australian fifth seed Alex de Minaur at Wimbledon on Monday, winning 7-5, 7-6(4), and 6-3 to advance to the quarter-finals.

The 24-year-old, seeded ninth in the tournament, secured his spot in the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second consecutive year — a remarkable achievement coming just weeks after finishing as runner-up at the French Open.

Monday’s victory was notable as the first time two top-10 men’s players faced each other in the draw this year. Cobolli seized control early, forcing a backhand error to break De Minaur’s serve in the 11th game of the opening set, closing out the set in just 50 minutes.

The second set brought a dramatic twist when play was briefly interrupted after a spectator fell ill in the stands. Rather than letting the stoppage break his focus, Cobolli used the downtime to chat casually with fans courtside. He then stormed back from a 2-5 deficit, winning three straight games before ultimately claiming the set in a tiebreak.

Cobolli carried that same aggressive energy into the third set, recovering from an 0-2 hole and breaking De Minaur’s serve again in the sixth game to put the match away and seal the victory.

Looking ahead, Cobolli will face either British hopeful Arthur Fery or Bulgarian veteran Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals — both players having performed strongly at the All England Club over the past week.

The Royal Belgian Football Association is accusing FIFA of turning its request for information into an inadmissible appeal, effectively blocking Belgium from challenging U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s eligibility ahead of their World Cup round-of-16 matchup on Monday.

FIFA had lifted Balogun’s automatic suspension — stemming from a red card — and cleared him to play after U.S. President Donald Trump personally reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino requesting a review of the case.

The Belgian association said it was given only a matter of hours to respond and received no information from FIFA to work with. The organization had been pushing back after FIFA quietly removed the automatic player suspension section from a pre-match coordination meeting presentation, without offering any explanation despite repeated requests — both verbal and in writing.

“For an appeal to be admissible, FIFA’s own regulations state that the reasoned decision must first have been communicated to the appellant,” the Royal Belgian Football Association said in a statement.

The association went on to say: “While the RBFA was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible. All of this occurred while FIFA simultaneously refused to respond to the RBFA’s legitimate requests.”

Reuters reached out to FIFA seeking comment on the matter.

For the thousands of Brazilian soccer fans who gathered along the famous Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, the stunning backdrop offered no comfort as they watched their beloved national team fall to Norway 2-1 in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday.

The loss ended Brazil’s bid to claim a sixth world title — a quest that has now gone unfulfilled for 24 years since the squad last hoisted the trophy. The defeat also marked the worst World Cup result for the country since 1990 and stretched their championship drought to six tournaments in a row.

“I found it incredibly disappointing from start to finish,” said Patricia Ramalho, one of the many fans who had gathered at Copacabana to watch the match.

Supporters largely pointed to squandered opportunities as the root cause of the elimination. Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes had a chance to put Brazil ahead early but failed to convert a penalty kick in the first half.

Norway, meanwhile, made the most of their opportunities. Striker Erling Haaland scored twice in the second half, bringing his total to seven goals in the tournament — tied for the most of any player in this World Cup.

“The Selecao started well. They missed two scoring chances — a penalty and a near-goal by Endrick. Soccer punishes you. If you don’t score, you get scored against, and we ended up getting scored against,” said Renan Moreira, an actor who watched the match.

Brazilian manager Carlo Ancelotti, an Italian coach leading the national team — known as the “Selecao” — through a major tournament for the first time, also faced sharp criticism. Fans questioned his defensive strategy and the decisions he made during the game.

“Ancelotti has a defensive tactical approach — he doesn’t go on the attack. Our entire generation always played on the attack, scoring goals, controlling the ball,” said Bruno Rangel, who works in advertising.

Despite the early exit, Ancelotti is expected to remain in charge. The Brazilian Football Confederation, known as the CBF, announced in May that it had extended his contract, meaning he will lead the team into the next World Cup four years from now.

That decision has not sat well with some fans. “I disagree with renewing his contract for the next World Cup. We have to terminate the contract and let him go,” Rangel added.

Trump Steps In, Balogun Cleared to Play Against Belgium
U.S. President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of American forward Folarin Balogun, whose one-game suspension was overturned, allowing him to take the field Monday when the United States faces Belgium in World Cup action. Balogun, who leads the American squad with three goals, was handed a red card after an awkward step on the ankle of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemović during a 2-0 round of 16 victory on Wednesday. A red card normally triggers an automatic one-game ban, but FIFA announced Sunday the suspension would not stand. The decision drew praise from Trump and sharp criticism from the Belgian national team.

England Stuns Mexico on Home Soil, 3-2
In a thrilling match played in Mexico City, England defeated Mexico 3-2 to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals — handing Mexico its first-ever World Cup defeat at Estadio Azteca. Jude Bellingham was the hero, netting two goals just 98 seconds apart, while Harry Kane converted a penalty even as England played with 10 men. Bellingham’s header in the 36th minute and a follow-up goal in the 38th minute off a Kane pass left a crowd of more than 80,000 stunned. Mexico had been unbeaten in 10 World Cup matches at that venue, including three earlier in this tournament. England will now take on Norway on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida, with a semifinal berth on the line.

Haaland Powers Norway Past Brazil in Historic Run
Erling Haaland delivered a standout performance in East Rutherford, New Jersey, scoring the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute and adding another before the final whistle to lead Norway past Brazil 2-1. The victory sends Norway into the World Cup quarterfinals for the very first time. With seven goals in the tournament, Haaland is now tied with Lionel Messi for the most goals scored. For Brazil, the loss marks their earliest World Cup exit since 1990, snapping a streak of eight consecutive quarterfinal appearances. Norway will now square off against England for a spot in the semifinals.

Brazil’s Penalty Strategy Backfires in Round of 16
Brazil’s earliest World Cup departure since 1990 came with a painful twist involving a penalty kick decision. Vinícius Júnior held the ball at the spot but passed responsibility to Bruno Guimarães, whose attempt was stopped by Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland in the 14th minute. By the time Neymar successfully converted Brazil’s second penalty deep in stoppage time, it was not enough to overcome Norway’s 2-1 lead. It marked Brazil’s first failed penalty kick in World Cup play — outside of shootouts — since 1986.

US Eyes Historic Back-to-Back Knockout Wins Against Belgium
The United States enters Monday’s World Cup match against Belgium seeking something the program has never achieved: back-to-back knockout round victories. Coach Mauricio Pochettino is expected to field a full lineup, with Folarin Balogun now eligible after his suspension was lifted. The last time these two nations met at a World Cup was in 2014, when Belgium eliminated the U.S. 2-1 in extra time. A win would set up a quarterfinal showdown against either Spain or Portugal. Belgium reached this stage by defeating Senegal 3-2 in extra time. The U.S. snapped a 10-game losing streak against European opponents with their round of 16 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. A sellout crowd is anticipated at Lumen Field in Seattle.

Osaka Tops World No. 1 Sabalenka at Wimbledon
Naomi Osaka pulled off a significant upset at Wimbledon in London, defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 (2) to reach the quarterfinals of the grass-court Grand Slam for the first time. Sabalenka had won all three of her previous matchups with Osaka this year, including at the same stage of the French Open just last month. This time, however, Sabalenka struggled to handle Osaka’s powerful, flat groundstrokes. It was Osaka’s first win over a world No. 1 since she beat Ash Barty in Beijing back in 2019 — before Osaka took time away from the tour to address her mental health in 2021 and then missed all of 2023 for maternity leave. Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, and Jannik Sinner also advanced.

Gauff’s Buzzer-Beater Sends Her to Wimbledon Quarterfinals
Coco Gauff made it to the Wimbledon quarterfinals in dramatic fashion, clinching her match against Belinda Bencic — 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 — with just two minutes to spare before the 11 p.m. curfew at the All England Club. Gauff sealed the win with a service winner out wide on her first match point. After the final point, she tapped her left wrist to acknowledge the perfectly timed finish. Had she not closed it out in that game, the match would have been pushed to Monday. Gauff compared the pressure of the moment to a buzzer-beater in basketball, noting that “playing tennis we’re used to not having a clock. But honestly today I felt the pressure.”

Briscoe Earns First Cup Win of Season at Chicagoland
Chase Briscoe claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, holding off a hard-charging Christopher Bell in the closing laps of the race on the 1.5-mile oval. Bell, Briscoe’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, could not close the gap in time. The 31-year-old Indiana native celebrated his sixth career Cup victory with a burnout and stood in his car window to wave to the sold-out crowd. It was Bell’s fourth second-place finish of the season. Bell competed with a splint on his arm as he continues recovering from a broken left wrist suffered in a crash at Michigan on June 7.

Gotterup Wins John Deere Classic Thanks to Rival’s Late Stumble
Chris Gotterup captured the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois, for his fourth PGA Tour title over the past 12 months, shooting a final-round 62 at TPC Deere Run to erase a five-shot deficit. Gotterup needed some late fortune as well — Ben Kohles, who was tied for the lead, stood in the middle of the 18th fairway and pulled his 8-iron into the water, then missed a short putt to finish with a double bogey. Max Homa ended up in second place, his best finish in more than three years.

Dodgers Catcher Makes MLB Debut Amid Family Crisis in Venezuela
Catcher Eliézer Alfonzo made his major league debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend while his sister and stepmother remain missing following devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. The 26-year-old batted ninth and caught for pitcher Emmet Sheehan in a home game against the San Diego Padres. Alfonzo’s family members have been unaccounted for since multiple earthquakes struck his home country on June 24. Several Latin American media outlets reported that the two women’s bodies had been discovered in the rubble of a hotel in La Guaira where they were staying, but the Dodgers said they had not confirmed those reports. Alfonzo spent nearly a decade in the minor leagues before earning his first major league call-up this weekend.

LONDON — The eighth day of competition at Wimbledon kicked off Monday morning under clear skies at the All England Club, with warm temperatures hovering around 26 degrees Celsius, or roughly 79 degrees Fahrenheit.

Centre Court action was scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. GMT, with a marquee opening match featuring 13th-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy taking on 29th-seeded Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. That match was to be followed by Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria squaring off against home favorite Arthur Fery of Britain. Rounding out the Centre Court slate, 13th-seeded Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic was set to face second-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany.

Over on Court Number One, play began at noon GMT. Fifth-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia opened against ninth-seeded Flavio Cobolli of Italy. Next up, 26th-seeded Madison Keys of the United States faced ninth-seeded Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic. The session was set to close with sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz of the U.S. taking on 10th-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

Court Number Two got the earliest start of the day, with play beginning at 10:00 a.m. GMT. American Ashlyn Krueger opened against 12th-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, followed by a match between 21st-seeded Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic and 25th-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium.

The day’s action follows a busy stretch of results, including quarter-final berths secured by Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Jessica Pegula, and Karolina Muchova, among others.

FIFA cleared U.S. men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun to take the field against Belgium in Monday’s World Cup round-of-16 match after suspending his automatic one-game ban on Sunday. The decision followed a phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, in which Trump urged the governing body to reconsider the red card Balogun received.

The move triggered a wave of criticism from football organizations and coaches across the globe. Here is a roundup of the reactions:

UEFA

Europe’s governing body for football issued a strongly worded statement, saying the move “crossed a red line.” UEFA argued that a one-match automatic suspension following a red card is not optional and does not need a formal ruling to take effect. “It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension,” the statement read. UEFA warned that the decision puts the integrity of the game at risk and sets a troubling precedent for similar situations still to come in the tournament.

Royal Belgian Football Association

Belgium’s football federation acknowledged that FIFA cited Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which allows the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to place a previously imposed sanction on hold. However, the federation pointed to Article 66.4 of the same code, which states that a red card automatically results in a one-game suspension — a rule that had been consistently applied to every other red card issued during this World Cup.

German Football Association President Bernd Neuendorf

The head of Germany’s football federation called on FIFA to quickly address the situation publicly. “FIFA should now issue a prompt statement regarding reports that the decision to overturn the red card shown to the American player Folarin Balogun was preceded by a telephone call between US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino,” Neuendorf said. He added that any impression of political interference in sport must be “dispelled swiftly and conclusively,” warning that both FIFA’s credibility and the competition’s integrity are on the line.

Belgium Coach Rudi Garcia

The Belgian national team’s head coach expressed disbelief with a touch of sarcasm. “I didn’t know that at the FIFA World Cup 5 July is now 1 April, and that is April Fool’s,” Garcia said. “We are not defending the national team or the federation, we’re defending football.”

England Manager Thomas Tuchel

England’s manager questioned the consistency of the ruling. While acknowledging his own view that it was not a red card to begin with, Tuchel said the process raised serious concerns. “Who overturns this decision then and when? And on what grounds? And… How far does this go now? So, it’s just strange for me. We just want to have consistency in the decisions,” he said.

Norway Coach Stale Solbakken

Norway’s head coach called it a significant error by FIFA and expressed sympathy for the United States. “That’s a big mistake by FIFA,” Solbakken said, noting that the VAR review had confirmed the red card and that Balogun should have served the standard suspension. He also warned that the controversy could overshadow any U.S. victory going forward. “If they beat Belgium, they will always have that extra thing about it… It’s a bad decision that will hurt the World Cup,” he said.

U.S. striker Folarin Balogun is set to take the field when the United States squares off against Belgium in a World Cup Round of 16 contest, after FIFA made an unexpected move to reinstate him despite a red card he picked up in a previous match.

A FIFA disciplinary committee stepped in to suspend Balogun’s one-game ban, clearing the way for him to start in the high-stakes knockout round game. The red card had been issued during the U.S. match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1, 2026, in Santa Clara, California.

The ruling came in the wake of attention surrounding a conversation between former President Trump and FIFA President Infantino regarding the red card call, adding an unusual backdrop to the already closely watched eligibility decision.

A remark made by Belgium’s coach Rudi Garcia following his team’s dramatic late comeback against Senegal has sparked renewed debate over the use of racially charged language in World Cup broadcasting.

Garcia made the comments after Belgium’s last-minute victory over Senegal on Wednesday, describing Senegal as one of “those teams” that “tend to lose their tactical structure towards the end of the match.” Two days later, Garcia posted a statement on social media clarifying that he had been “referring to teams unaccustomed to managing a lead in high-level World Cup matches” and that his remarks could apply to any team from any part of the world.

Critics, however, argued that Garcia’s words tapped into a long history of racial stereotyping — one that has historically portrayed Black players and African teams as naturally powerful and instinctive, while painting them as tactically unsophisticated, emotionally unstable, or unable to handle pressure.

Ben Carrington, a professor of journalism and sociology at USC Annenberg who studies the relationship between race and sport, called the remarks deeply problematic. “(It) is deeply racist in terms of the reproduction of racialized stereotypes about those teams, those teams, those African teams who lack the ability to control a game, to control themselves, and that comes from that colonial framework of the kind of animalistic tendencies that are projected onto Black people and onto Black populations,” he said.

Peter Alegi, a history professor at Michigan State University who has written widely on African football, called Garcia’s comments “very disconcerting,” saying they echoed stereotypes that African teams have spent decades working to move past. He warned that Senegal’s late collapse could breathe new life into those old assumptions, especially if the tournament’s traditional powerhouses advance to the final rounds.

“It’s going to undo a lot of the goodwill that African teams have accumulated, and all of the wonderful accomplishments,” Alegi said, pointing to South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup as evidence of an African nation’s ability to organize and influence the global game. “It takes one match, and that narrative is back.”

Academic research has consistently shown that commentators tend to describe Black players — both men and women — in terms of their physical attributes, speed, and strength, while paying less attention to their tactical thinking, technical ability, or decision-making. A study focused on commentary during the 2018 World Cup, conducted by researchers at the universities of Leicester and Coventry, found that 70% of the praise directed at Black players was centered on physical traits, compared to just 18% for white players. Meanwhile, less than 20% of praise for Black players referenced learned skills, character, or mental abilities, versus 73% for white players.

Matthew Hughey, a sociology professor at the University of Connecticut who specializes in race and sport, explained the roots of these patterns. “The longstanding patterns within global media about race and sports are propelled and rationalized by two erroneous yet deeply held beliefs: racial essentialism – the idea that race exists as a biologically real category in which one race has traits that are essential to it — and biological determinism – that those essential traits biologically determine outcomes,” he said. Hughey added that such stereotypes began emerging in the first half of the twentieth century, coinciding with the rise of Black athletes in competitive sports.

Garcia was not the only commentator to face scrutiny during the tournament. German pundit and former footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger drew criticism after commenting ahead of a Germany versus Ivory Coast match that Germany needed to be “prepared for it to be unpredictable at times,” and that Ivorian players played “African football,” which he described as “a bit unorthodox sometimes, a bit wild, not as tactical.” Ivory Coast’s coach said those remarks could be characterized as racist, a charge Schweinsteiger denied, saying he was simply describing a style of play.

Former Serbia footballer Rade Bogdanovic, who now serves as a commentator for Serbian public broadcaster RTS, issued an apology after making racist remarks about Black players during the June 21 match between Belgium and Iran. He had questioned the focus and stamina of Belgium’s Black players after the game ended in a scoreless draw.

British sports journalist Leon Mann, founder of Black Collective Media in Sports — an organization that advises broadcasters and supports young underrepresented people seeking careers in the industry — said Schweinsteiger’s comments were “ignorant and based on stereotypes.” He argued, however, that such moments should spark conversations that lead to meaningful improvements in how commentary is handled.

“If a World Cup can challenge those perceptions, those negative stereotypes, then I’m glad we’re having those conversations because people are not being given jobs because of terms like ‘wild’ and ‘unsophisticated’, not being placed in leadership positions, not being given jobs to feed their families, because of these ingrained views — not just in football,” Mann said.

FIFA declined to comment. The sport’s global governing body has in recent years launched efforts to penalize racism and promote anti-racism education, including establishing an advisory panel made up of former players from a range of ethnic backgrounds.

Black players who have been on the receiving end of such commentary say it is deeply frustrating to see their hard work dismissed in favor of physical descriptions. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry, whose penalty kick save in front of 90,185 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California helped the United States win the 1999 Women’s World Cup — a moment widely credited with transforming the sport for American women and girls — said her interactions with reporters during the 1990s typically focused on her strength and athleticism rather than her intelligence or technical skill.

Scurry, who now serves on FIFA’s 16-member Players’ Voice Panel focused on combating racism, put it plainly. “It’s a kind of conversation around Black players that does not give them the credit of the fact that they have intelligence and skill. It’s basically demeaning them and saying, ‘Well, you’re just athletic,’” she said. Her U.S. jersey is on permanent display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Scurry said she sees clear parallels between how her own playing style was described and how Black players’ performances continue to be portrayed in media today.

Carrington said FIFA has made some progress in addressing racism, driven largely by pressure from anti-racism organizations, fan groups, and players themselves — but stressed that much more work remains to be done. “We need to have constant forms of anti-racism education and campaigns to make sure the beautiful game really is beautiful, not just a slogan that FIFA likes to use for marketing purposes, but a beautiful game in which diverse populations, different countries come together to celebrate sport and football,” he said.

LOS ANGELES — For nearly a decade in the minor leagues, Eliézer Alfonzo kept himself going by imagining how proud his family would be when he finally reached the big leagues. That moment arrived Sunday at Dodger Stadium — but it came wrapped in unimaginable grief.

Alfonzo’s 16-year-old sister, Eliana, and his stepmother, Patricia — the wife of former major league catcher Eliézer Alfonzo Sr. — had both been missing since a series of devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24. Just hours before the Dodgers faced the San Diego Padres, several Latin American media outlets reported that the bodies of both women had been discovered.

Alfonzo had received his long-awaited call-up to the defending World Series champions just the day before, on Saturday, while his family was already living through an agonizing period of uncertainty. By Sunday morning, that uncertainty had turned into crushing loss.

After speaking with his father, his brother, and his girlfriend, Alfonzo made the decision to play — finding peace in knowing how much this moment would have meant to Eliana.

MEXICO CITY — Javier Aguirre wrapped up his third and final tenure as Mexico’s head coach on Sunday with a sense of pride, even as the pain of a 3-2 elimination loss to England stung deeply. Before departing, he threw his full support behind Rafa Marquez to carry the program into the next chapter.

Aguirre had already signaled before the tournament concluded that he would step away from the role. In the aftermath of the defeat, he pointed to Marquez — a former Mexico captain who worked alongside him during the tournament — as more than ready to take the reins of a squad that had reignited the nation’s passion for its national team.

The loss came at the Azteca Stadium, where England secured a spot in the quarter-finals despite a fierce late charge from the home side. The match itself was pushed back an hour due to poor weather conditions in the area surrounding the stadium.

“I would have liked to say goodbye to my people with a victory. That hurts,” Aguirre told reporters. “We tried.”

England built their lead through a rapid-fire brace from Jude Bellingham, before Julian Quinones pulled one back for Mexico. Harry Kane converted a penalty in the second half after England had been reduced to 10 men, and though Raul Jimenez also converted a late spot-kick for Mexico, it was not enough to change the outcome.

The atmosphere inside the Azteca was electric as the home crowd — which Aguirre has frequently called Mexico’s “12th player” — roared the team on in the closing minutes, chanting “yes we can” as Mexico pressed for an equalizer. England, however, held on and will now face Norway in Miami next Saturday in the quarter-finals.

“The players need to leave with their heads held high,” Aguirre said. “Today it could not be. We failed to capitalise, but I want to thank them all.”

Reflecting on his time in charge, Aguirre said the experience restored something important within the team and its connection to supporters across the country.

“I leave with a lot of pride,” he said. “These players made me very happy. We recovered the sense of belonging and the identity of this team.”

Marquez, who represented Mexico at five separate World Cups as a player, is widely expected to take over the project following Aguirre’s exit.

“I wish him the best,” Aguirre said of Marquez. “He is more than capable, and he will do better than me.”

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s World Cup dream came to a painful end Sunday when England defeated the host nation 3-2 at the legendary Azteca Stadium, leaving tens of thousands of devoted fans devastated after a tournament that had sparked genuine belief that ‘El Tri’ could go all the way.

Supporters poured out of the famous stadium — where Mexico had only suffered two previous competitive losses — with many wiping away tears. The thunderous energy of more than 80,000 fans was reduced to silence as the final whistle confirmed the elimination.

Throughout the match, the chant “¿Y si sí?” — meaning “What if?” — had echoed through the stands. By the end, that hopeful question had received its brutal answer.

“The party’s over,” said fan Elizabeth Marcos as she exited the stadium. “It’s sad, they were down to 10 men… but that’s just how it goes.”

The defeat stung even more given Mexico’s impressive run to the round of 16 without allowing a single goal — only to fall to an England side that played the final third of the match shorthanded after Jarell Quansah was sent off with a red card.

Fan Ulises Chavez, leaning against a bench near the stadium exit, summed up the mood simply: “It’s hard to take, it’s so painful.”

The heartbreak extended well beyond the stadium walls. Along Reforma avenue — one of Mexico City’s main thoroughfares — thousands who had braved the rain to watch the game on large outdoor screens stood in quiet disbelief as the final result sank in.

In a striking contrast to the somber atmosphere, a lively mariachi band continued playing as dejected fans shuffled past on their way home.

Aysha Peraza, 39, had made the trip from Sinaloa to the capital to witness the match. She described watching a morning full of joy and optimism slowly transform into quiet grief.

“From early on, the people were in a super good mood,” Peraza said as the crowds dispersed. “Right now, people are sad, you can feel the sadness.”

“Mexico made it very far,” she added. “And, well, they made us feel things we hadn’t felt in a long time.”

Eury Perez put together seven flawless innings for the Miami Marlins on Sunday, but the game nearly slipped away before Miami held on for a chaotic 9-8 triumph over the Athletics in West Sacramento, California, completing a three-game sweep in the process.

The moment Perez was removed from the game in the eighth inning, the perfect game and no-hitter vanished instantly. Reliever Lake Bachar issued a walk to Lawrence Butler and surrendered a single to Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. Jonah Heim then launched a grand slam, finishing with a career-best six RBIs as Oakland clawed its way back from an 8-0 deficit.

Down 9-5 heading into the ninth, Zack Gelof singled off Pete Fairbanks and Lawrence Butler followed with a double. Gelof crossed home plate on a passed ball by Joe Mack before Fairbanks recorded two outs. He then walked Max Muncy, who advanced to second on defensive indifference, and Heim came through again with a two-run single. However, Brian Serven grounded out to close the game.

Perez, a right-hander who improved to 5-6 on the season, struck out eight batters and threw 92 pitches. The 23-year-old has now gone seven innings three times in his career. Heriberto Hernandez reached base five times — on three hits and two walks — including a pair of home runs, while Otto Lopez collected three hits, one homer, and three RBIs. Lopez’s performance pushed his major league-leading batting average to .346.

Mets 10, Braves 9

Nolan McLean recovered from a shaky opening to deliver six strong innings as the visiting New York Mets survived a jaw-dropping ninth-inning rally to defeat Atlanta and snap a three-game skid.

Reliever Luke Weaver stretched his scoreless innings streak to 25 with a perfect eighth, but Huascar Brazoban was unable to protect a 10-3 lead, giving up five runs including a grand slam by Drake Baldwin. Closer Devin Williams was called in to record the final two outs. Bo Bichette contributed three hits and three RBIs, while A.J. Ewing and Tyrone Taylor each hit solo home runs for New York. Michael Harris II drove in three runs for Atlanta.

Pirates 11, Nationals 5

Konnor Griffin delivered a two-run single in the eighth inning to put Pittsburgh ahead for good as the visiting Pirates beat Washington to claim the series rubber match.

Brandon Lowe capped a five-run eighth with a three-run home run. Bryan Reynolds added a solo shot and Nick Gonzales had three hits for Pittsburgh. Gregory Soto, now 5-2, earned the win out of the bullpen, giving up just one hit and one run over two innings. Starter Bubba Chandler allowed four runs on six hits across four innings. For Washington, Luis Garcia Jr. went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer, and Dylan Crews added a solo shot. Brad Lord, also 5-2, was charged with all five Pittsburgh runs in the eighth, while Cade Cavalli lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits.

Reds 3, Orioles 2

Spencer Steer connected on a two-run home run to help Cincinnati snap a six-game home losing streak and salvage the final game of a three-game set.

Reds starter Nick Lodolo improved to 3-2 after giving up six hits and one run across six innings on 87 pitches. Closer Emilio Pagan surrendered a run in the ninth but still notched his seventh save — his second appearance since returning from the injured list with a hamstring strain. His previous save chance came on May 4, with his last save recorded on April 17. Orioles starter Kyle Bradish fell to 5-9 after allowing five hits and three runs, finishing one out shy of a complete game while striking out five in 106 pitches.

White Sox 7, Guardians 6

Braden Montgomery scored the deciding run in the sixth inning on a Sam Antonacci groundout, pushing Chicago past host Cleveland and into a one-game lead over the Guardians in the American League Central.

Bulk reliever Erick Fedde, now 4-6, worked 5 1/3 innings and gave up three runs — two earned — on eight hits. Sean Newcomb closed it out by recording the final five outs for his third save. Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel each launched two-run homers, and Tristan Peters added a solo shot against Guardians starter Tanner Bibee. Cleveland’s Colin Holderman, now 4-2, failed to retire anyone in the sixth and was tagged with the loss. Gabriel Arias hit a three-run homer for the Guardians in the fifth, while Chase DeLauter had a two-run shot and Daniel Schneemann drove in a run with a single in the first.

Twins 6, Yankees 1

Joe Ryan tossed seven shutout innings as visiting Minnesota cruised past New York for its first road series win against the Yankees since 2014.

Ryan, now 6-5, allowed just three singles in his fourth scoreless start of the season. Brooks Lee had three hits and an RBI after entering the game hitless in his previous 10 at-bats. All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton left in the first inning after aggravating a hip injury. Ryan Weathers dropped to 3-7 after giving up four runs on six hits in four-plus innings for New York, who have now lost nine of their last 10 games. The Yankees’ only run came on a double-play grounder by Jasson Dominguez in the ninth.

Cubs 6, Cardinals 4

Chicago erupted for four runs in the sixth inning to avoid a sweep against visiting St. Louis.

Cubs starter Javier Assad kept the Cardinals scoreless through 4 2/3 innings, surrendering just two hits and two walks. St. Louis counterpart Matthew Liberatore fell to 4-6 after giving up four runs — three earned — on four hits in five-plus innings. Chicago reliever Drew Pomeranz improved to 1-3 to earn the decision, and Jacob Webb recorded his third save. Pete Crow-Armstrong was the only Cubs player with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Nico Hoerner drove in two runs. Jordan Walker slugged his 20th home run of the season and accounted for all four St. Louis RBIs.

Astros 2, Rays 0

Peter Lambert kept Tampa Bay off the scoreboard into the sixth inning while Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes each homered as Houston took the rubber match of a three-game home series against the Rays.

Lambert improved to 7-5, bouncing back from his first loss in seven starts by limiting the Rays to three singles over 5 2/3 innings. Three left-handed Houston relievers combined to complete the four-hit shutout, holding Tampa Bay hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. Walker’s fourth-inning blast marked his fifth consecutive season reaching 20 home runs. Tampa Bay right-hander Mason Englert was called up from Triple-A Durham for a spot start and set career highs in innings pitched (5 2/3), strikeouts (nine), and pitches (101), allowing two runs on five hits and a walk.

Brewers 3, Diamondbacks 2

Jake Bauers launched a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning as Milwaukee held on to win the rubber game of a three-game set in Phoenix against Arizona.

Jackson Chourio had two hits for the Brewers, who have now won five of their last seven games. Starter Brandon Sproat gave up one run and five hits over four innings. Arizona left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, now 7-3, carried a shutout into the seventh before Bauers ended it, finishing with two runs allowed on five hits in six-plus innings. Geraldo Perdomo had three hits and scored for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped three of their last four.

Tigers 6, Rangers 3

Riley Greene went 3-for-the-day with a two-run homer and a two-run triple to lead Detroit past Texas in Arlington.

Kevin McGonigle had two hits and scored a run as the Tigers wrapped up their road trip at 5-1. Dillon Dingler added a run-scoring single and scored as well. Starter Casey Mize improved to 4-5, allowing two runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings. Jake Burger and Ezequiel Duran hit solo home runs for Texas, and Brandon Nimmo drove in the Rangers’ other run. Kumar Rocker fell to 2-7 after being charged with three runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Royals 5, Phillies 2

Luinder Avila held the opposition to one run over five solid innings, Bobby Witt Jr. went 2-for-the-day with two runs scored, and Salvador Perez delivered a clutch two-run double as Kansas City evened its three-game series against visiting Philadelphia.

With the Royals ahead 3-2 in the eighth, Witt and Lane Thomas each drew walks and both came around to score on Perez’s two-out double to the left field wall. Phillies starter Aaron Nola dropped to 3-6 despite a season-high seven innings of work, giving up three runs and seven hits while striking out seven without issuing a walk. Bryson Stott had two of Philadelphia’s five hits.

Rockies 7, Giants 6

Kyle Karros crushed a three-run, go-ahead homer in the eighth inning to lift Colorado past San Francisco and take the rubber game of a three-game set in Denver.

Four Colorado relievers combined for four innings of four-hit relief to set up the comeback after San Francisco had taken a 6-4 lead in the sixth. Victor Vodnik improved to 3-3 with a scoreless eighth, and Jordan Romano collected his fifth save. TJ Rumfield had three hits and scored twice, while Hunter Goodman added two singles in an 11-hit attack. San Francisco’s Drew Gilbert went 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs, and Rafael Devers hit two home runs with Casey Schmitt adding another — all three off Colorado starter Tanner Gordon. Dylan Smith fell to 0-1 after surrendering Karros’ game-winner.

Mariners 4, Blue Jays 0

Emerson Hancock delivered seven innings of two-hit pitching and Mitch Garver homered as host Seattle blanked Toronto for the second consecutive game to take two of three in their weekend series.

The Blue Jays were held scoreless for the final 24 innings of the series. Toronto scored twice in the third inning of a 2-0 win on Friday before being routed 11-0 on Saturday. Hancock improved to 6-4, finishing with five strikeouts on 92 pitches. Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage fell to 4-4 after allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in six innings. Nathan Lukes and recently named All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ernie Clement accounted for Toronto’s three hits.

Padres 5, Dodgers 2

Manny Machado launched a three-run home run and JP Sears worked five scoreless innings as visiting San Diego snapped a season-worst eight-game losing streak with a win over Los Angeles.

Fernando Tatis Jr. added an RBI single during a four-run seventh inning as the Padres avoided a four-game sweep. The eight-game skid was San Diego’s longest since a 10-game losing streak in 2013. Mason Miller closed out the ninth for his 22nd save, his first since June 22. Los Angeles right-hander Kyle Hurt was tagged for four runs in his one inning of work after starter Emmet Sheehan, now 4-6, allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings. Alex Freeland and Shohei Ohtani each had RBI singles among the Dodgers’ four hits.

England fought off a fierce Mexican comeback at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City to claim a thrilling 3-2 victory in the round of 16 on Sunday, booking their spot in the World Cup quarter-finals for the third consecutive time.

Thomas Tuchel’s squad made things far more difficult than necessary, but ultimately handed the co-host Mexicans only their third competitive loss at the iconic venue since 1966 — a remarkable achievement given Mexico had fallen just twice in 89 matches at the storied ground before Sunday’s clash.

The match got off to a delayed start, pushed back a full hour due to thunderstorms, but the Mexican faithful inside the Azteca were as loud and passionate as ever, urging their side forward from the opening whistle. England withstood the early pressure and gradually settled into the game.

Jude Bellingham broke the deadlock just after the half-hour mark, connecting with a diving header from a well-delivered cross by Bukayo Saka. Within two minutes, Bellingham had doubled England’s advantage after another swift move down the right flank, with captain Harry Kane providing the assist.

Mexico refused to fold. The crowd roared them on with chants of “Yes we can,” and winger Julian Quinones answered the call, volleying home inside the box following a scramble from a free kick to pull one back for the hosts.

England’s task grew even harder after the interval when defender Jarell Quansah was dismissed for a reckless challenge. Despite being reduced to ten men, England stayed composed. When Anthony Gordon was brought down by the Mexican goalkeeper around the hour mark, Kane stepped up and coolly slotted the penalty home to restore the two-goal cushion.

England’s relief was short-lived. Captain Kane gave away a penalty himself while attempting to clear the ball, and after a VAR review confirmed the decision, Raul Jimenez converted to make it 3-2 and reignite Mexican hopes.

With more than 20 minutes remaining, England were pinned back and forced to defend desperately, surrendering much of the possession as Mexico pressed for an equalizer. They held on, however, sealing a memorable win in what was the final World Cup match to be played in Mexico.

The victory marked England’s first appearance at the Azteca since the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals, when Diego Maradona’s notorious “Hand of God” goal and a stunning individual run through the defense ended Bobby Robson’s side’s tournament hopes against Argentina.

England will next face Norway, who stunned Brazil 2-1 earlier on Sunday to set up the quarter-final showdown.

MEXICO CITY — England held on for a hard-fought 3-2 victory over co-host Mexico on Sunday at the Azteca Stadium, punching their ticket to the World Cup quarterfinals while playing much of the second half a man down. The result ended Mexico’s longest run at the tournament in 40 years.

Jude Bellingham was the early hero for England, scoring twice within a single minute. He first converted a cross from Bukayo Saka, then tapped home a pass from Harry Kane, leaving the home crowd stunned.

Mexico got back into the match before halftime when Julian Quinones reacted fastest to a loose ball in the penalty area and fired it into the top of the net, cutting England’s lead in half and reigniting the co-hosts’ hopes.

The second half brought more drama when England’s Jarrell Quansah was shown a red card following a VAR review, leaving his side with 10 men. Despite the disadvantage, Kane stepped up and converted a penalty after goalkeeper Raul Rangel was judged to have fouled Anthony Gordon, restoring England’s two-goal cushion.

Mexico refused to give up, earning a penalty of their own after a VAR review determined that Kane had fouled Brian Gutierrez. Raul Jimenez converted the spot kick to make it 3-2, setting up a tense finish.

The match itself was delayed by a full hour before kickoff due to severe weather conditions in the area surrounding the Azteca Stadium.

England will next take on Norway in the quarterfinals, scheduled for Saturday in Miami.

FIFA has given U.S. men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun the green light to play in Monday’s World Cup round-of-16 matchup against Belgium in Miami, after the governing body put his red card suspension on hold by invoking Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code.

So what exactly is Article 27, and how does it work?

At its core, Article 27 gives FIFA the authority to suspend — or delay — the enforcement of a disciplinary penalty. The punishment itself remains officially on the books, but the player does not have to sit out immediately unless that suspension is later reversed.

FIFA’s judicial bodies, which include the Disciplinary Committee and the Appeal Committee, have the power under this article to pause all or part of a disciplinary sanction. Notably, the code does not spell out the specific circumstances under which a judicial body may choose to take that action.

When a sanction is suspended, the player enters a probationary period lasting anywhere from one to four years. In Balogun’s case, that probationary window has been set at one year.

Should the player commit another infringement of a similar nature during that probationary period, the suspended ban is automatically reinstated — on top of any additional punishment handed down for the new offense.

There is one category of discipline that cannot be suspended under any circumstances: penalties tied to match manipulation.

The Disciplinary Committee itself is made up of a chairperson, a deputy chairperson, and additional members. Both the chairperson and deputy chairperson are required to be qualified lawyers, and the committee must have at least three members present to issue a ruling. Mohammad Al Kamali of the United Arab Emirates currently serves as chairperson. Members are elected by the FIFA Congress for four-year terms, with a maximum of three terms allowed.

It’s worth noting that Article 27 wasn’t always called that. When FIFA updated its Disciplinary Code in 2019, the provision was numbered Article 26. It was renumbered to Article 27 in 2023.

The Pittsburgh Penguins made moves to keep their roster intact on Sunday, agreeing to terms with forward Egor Chinakhov on a three-year contract totaling $18.75 million. The deal carries an average annual value of $6.25 million for the 25-year-old Russian native.

Pittsburgh also retained goaltender Arturs Silovs, signing the 25-year-old to a one-year pact worth $2.8 million. Both players had been restricted free agents heading into the offseason.

Chinakhov came to Pittsburgh via a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 29, 2025, in exchange for forward Danton Heinen and a pair of draft picks. He had been relatively quiet in Columbus, putting up six points — three goals and three assists — across 29 games before the deal. Once in Pittsburgh, however, he caught fire, recording 36 points with 18 goals and 18 assists in just 43 regular-season contests.

In six playoff appearances with the Penguins, Chinakhov did not record a point and finished with a minus-4 rating, three blocked shots, and 11 hits. Over his entire NHL career spanning 247 regular-season games with both Columbus and Pittsburgh, he has accumulated 113 points — 55 goals and 58 assists — along with 46 penalty minutes, 102 blocks, and 216 hits.

Columbus originally selected Chinakhov in the first round, 21st overall, during the 2020 NHL Draft.

Silovs, a Latvia native, posted a 19-12-8 record last season for Pittsburgh with a 3.07 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage over 39 games, including 38 starts. For his career, he stands at 27-20-10 with a 3.09 GAA and an .885 save percentage across 58 games with the Vancouver Canucks and the Penguins. In postseason play, he has gone 7-6 with a sharper 2.56 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 13 starts.

Vancouver originally drafted Silovs in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced Sunday that starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff has been placed back on the 15-day injured list, this time dealing with right shoulder inflammation that cut his outing short during Saturday night’s 4-3 loss to the host Arizona Diamondbacks.

To fill the vacancy on the roster, Milwaukee called up left-handed pitcher Drew Rom from Triple-A Nashville.

Woodruff’s night ended in the fourth inning after he faced 14 batters, surrendering three runs on two hits and one walk while recording six strikeouts across 3 2/3 innings. The loss marked just his third start since coming back from surgery to remove a cyst from his shoulder joint — a procedure that had kept him sidelined for nearly two months.

The 33-year-old revealed he had been feeling discomfort in his shoulder as early as the second inning. His declining velocity told the story: his fastball dropped from 92.5 mph in the first inning down to 86.6 mph by the fourth, while his changeup fell from 82.9 mph to 76.6 mph over the same stretch.

Despite the setback, Woodruff expressed a measured outlook on the situation. “It gets frustrating having to go through this stuff, but I’m in a good spot mentally with it,” he said. “I know what’s before me. I know what I’m dealing with, so if I can avoid some things, it just becomes, ‘Get back on the field and pitch and help them win.’”

Woodruff left the mound following a visit from Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy, athletic trainer Brad Epstein, and pitching coach Chris Hook.

Murphy was candid about the impact Woodruff’s absence will have on the club. “It’s really unfortunate. He’s a huge part of our organization, a huge part of our team this year and was a huge part of the team last year,” Murphy said. “He just has an unbelievable presence and does whatever he can to help people. And he’s a great pitcher.”

Through nine starts this season, Woodruff holds a 2-2 record with a 2.98 ERA, 47 strikeouts, and 10 walks across 45 1/3 innings. He missed all of the 2024 season recovering from right shoulder surgery to repair his anterior capsule.

A two-time All-Star, selected in 2019 and 2021, Woodruff carries a career record of 55-30 with a 3.10 ERA over 151 appearances — including 136 starts — spanning nine seasons with the Brewers since 2017. Milwaukee originally drafted him in the 11th round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

As for Rom, the 26-year-old enters with a 1-0 record and 3.18 ERA for Milwaukee this season, posting four walks and 11 strikeouts across 5 2/3 innings in five relief appearances, including a win recorded over one-third of an inning in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Arizona. At Nashville this season, he went 3-1 with one save, a 2.51 ERA, 10 walks, and 47 strikeouts across 32 1/3 innings in 25 relief outings. Rom also saw action in 2023 with the St. Louis Cardinals, going 1-4 with an 8.02 ERA in 33 2/3 innings over eight games, all starts.

Canadian swimming star Summer McIntosh erased a piece of history Sunday, breaking the last remaining world record from the controversial “supersuit” era in women’s competitive swimming.

The 19-year-old Olympic and world champion touched the wall in two minutes and 1.65 seconds during the 200 metres butterfly final at Canada’s trials for the Pan Pacific Championships, held in Montreal. Her time bested the long-standing mark of 2:01.81 set by Liu Zige at China’s National Games back in October 2009.

Liu’s record had been considered one of the toughest in the sport to crack. It was established just months before polyurethane “supersuits” were banned from international competition — suits that gave swimmers a significant performance advantage.

McIntosh had been steadily closing in on the record. Last year at the world championships, she became only the second woman ever to finish the event in under 2:02.00. She now holds five of the six fastest times ever recorded in the 200 metres butterfly.

Speaking poolside after her race, an emotional McIntosh shared what the achievement meant to her.

“As you can see my emotions, this means the absolute world,” she said.

“Growing up, this is the one world record I thought I would never break and to do it tonight is really special in front of a home crowd.”

“It means the absolute world and I’m in shock right now.”

Sunday’s performance adds to McIntosh’s growing collection of world records. She now holds four, including the 200 and 400 metres individual medley and the 400 metres freestyle — all set at last year’s Canadian trials.

Her work isn’t done yet. She is scheduled to compete in the 400 metres individual medley on Monday, giving her another opportunity to push the limits of the sport.

Despite still being a teenager, McIntosh has already built a remarkable resume — three Olympic gold medals at the Paris Games and eight world championship titles since 2022 — cementing her place among the elite in women’s swimming.

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, a four-time WNBA MVP, has been ruled out for Sunday’s home game against the Indiana Fever because of a right ankle injury.

The absence marks Wilson’s third consecutive missed game. Adding to the star power void, the nationally televised contest will also be without Fever All-Star Caitlin Clark, who is sitting on the bench for the second game in a row as she recovers from a back injury.

Wilson first hurt her ankle a week ago during a 107-99 victory over the Chicago Sky. When those same two teams faced off again on Friday, Wilson was seen wearing a protective boot on her right foot.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon addressed Wilson’s status after Friday’s game. “She’s tough,” Hammon said. “I want to protect her as much as possible. She really wants to play, and we’re not going to rush.”

Heading into Sunday’s matchup, Wilson was pacing the entire WNBA in scoring, averaging 25.7 points per game.

Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar dropped strong hints that his international career may be over after Brazil was knocked out of the World Cup by Norway in the round of 16 on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The forward stepped up to convert a penalty kick in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to save Brazil, who fell 2-1 to Norway. The loss eliminated the five-time World Cup champions and pushed their pursuit of a sixth title further into the future.

Shortly after the final whistle, Neymar spoke briefly with Bruno Formiga, a commentator for the Brazilian channel ge tv, and appeared to signal that his time wearing the national team jersey had come to an end.

“I tried, I tried … Now it’s over! I started here, I finished here,” Neymar said, pointing to the significance of the New Jersey stadium — the same venue where he made his debut for Brazil in a friendly against the United States back in 2010.

The 34-year-old was visibly emotional following the defeat, which marked Brazil’s worst World Cup showing since 1990.

The loss also puts Brazil on track for their longest title drought since they first captured the World Cup. Should they fail to win in 2030, it will have been 28 years since they last lifted the trophy.

Should Neymar officially announce his retirement from international soccer, he would close out his Brazil career having scored 80 goals and recorded 58 assists in 130 matches.

While Neymar has collected numerous trophies at the club level, his only major honor with the Brazilian national team was the 2013 Confederations Cup.

DALLAS — Cristiano Ronaldo put any lingering speculation to rest Sunday, confirming that this FIFA World Cup will be the last of his legendary career — but not before expressing hope that Monday’s match against Spain won’t be his final game.

The 41-year-old made the announcement at the close of a press conference, drawing applause from the assembled journalists as he headed out.

“Let this be my last World Cup; it is my last World Cup, and I hope tomorrow won’t be my last match,” Ronaldo said.

Earlier in the same press conference, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward had been more guarded on the subject, deflecting the question and pointing out that he’ll be 45 years old when the next World Cup arrives in 2030.

“I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: is this the last one? We will see. I don’t want to draw attention to this, the most important thing is to play well tomorrow,” he initially told reporters.

Ronaldo went on to reflect on his long career and what drives him to keep playing at the highest level.

“I’m going to be perfectly honest, regardless of what happens tomorrow, Cristiano is going to be 1000% leaving with a clear conscience. I have given all I could to football, it’s my passion to play for so many years. I didn’t do it out of need, I’m doing well out of life. It’s about passion. I play for the national team and I love to play football.”

He also pushed back on any notion that he feels pressure to win, saying, “Regardless of what happens tomorrow I’m not going to exert pressure on myself that I must win. You have to enjoy every match at a huge competition like the World Cup. I think I’m not doing so bad. I’ve scored three goals, others have done better but I think I’m doing not so bad.”

Ronaldo appeared noticeably at ease throughout the session, saying this tournament has been more enjoyable than any of his previous five World Cup appearances. He expressed confidence that manager Roberto Martinez’s squad is ready to take on a Spanish side that has grown stronger as the competition has advanced.

“If we didn’t have this belief we wouldn’t be here,” Ronaldo said. “It’s been a beautiful experience, we’re getting better in every match. We know this is a tough competition and it’s impossible to always do well. Some good teams have been eliminated and that says everything. The team is well, calm and well prepared. We’re going to face a difficult team but I think we will be prepared.”

Monday’s match will mark Ronaldo’s 233rd cap for Portugal if he takes the field. Despite spending nine seasons at Real Madrid — giving him deep ties to Spain — his scoring record against the Spanish national team is relatively modest, with just four career goals. Among those, however, is a memorable hat-trick during a 3-3 group-stage draw at the 2018 World Cup.

Ronaldo acknowledged Spain’s pedigree while still backing Portugal to come out on top.

“Spain is always a contender to win the Euros, the Nations League, they have already won this competition,” he said. “Spain is the favourite. They have more titles than Portugal but this is a different competition with different players. There are injuries, there’s the heat.”

“I like playing against Spain, my record is quite good. I’ve played them 10 or 11 times and it’s quite balanced. It will be won on small details. I have this feeling we are going to win,” he added.

Thousands of jubilant fans packed the streets of Praia on Sunday to give Cape Verde’s national soccer team a triumphant welcome home after an extraordinary run at the World Cup came to an end with a narrow 3-2 loss to Argentina in the round of 32.

Supporters waving flags crowded the airport when the players touched down in the nation’s capital, and even more fans lined the roads as the team rode through the city on an open-top truck, making their way to Quebra Canela beach for a festive homecoming gathering.

The celebration fell on July 5 — Cape Verde’s Independence Day — adding an extra layer of national pride to the festivities. The team, nicknamed the Blue Sharks, and their energetic coach Bubista danced to loud music on a stage beneath a banner that read “Obrigado! Cabo Verde” — Portuguese for “Thank you, Cape Verde.”

Goalkeeper Vozinha, who became a social media sensation during the tournament, grabbed a microphone and shouted “What’s up Praia!” to thunderous applause from the crowd.

Cape Verde is a collection of 10 volcanic islands located off the coast of West Africa, with a total population of roughly 500,000 people. The country did not compete in a World Cup qualifier until the early 2000s and entered this year’s tournament ranked 67th in the world.

Despite those modest expectations, the Blue Sharks shocked the global soccer community by holding two former World Cup champions — Spain and Uruguay — to draws in the group stage. That historic run made Cape Verde the least populous nation ever to advance to the knockout rounds of a World Cup.

In their final match, played in Miami last Friday, Cape Verde gave reigning champion Argentina everything they could handle before falling 3-2 after extra time in a thrilling contest that won the hearts of soccer fans worldwide.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Brazil spent three years desperately trying to bring Carlo Ancelotti on board, treating the Italian manager as though he held the secret to a sixth World Cup title. But after falling 2-1 to Norway in the sweltering New Jersey heat on Sunday, the five-time world champions found out the hard way that even one of club football’s most accomplished managers can’t work miracles with a squad held together by reputation, sentiment, and worn-out legs.

Italy’s footballing decline has long served as a cautionary tale — proof that nations can fall behind quickly if they neglect the game at home. Brazil is now writing its own uncomfortable chapter in that same story.

The years-long courtship of Ancelotti while he was still managing elsewhere left Brazil’s national program adrift under three different caretaker managers. By the time he finally took charge, the damage was already deep. One year was simply not enough to undo three years of drift and disorganization.

Ancelotti’s reputation as one of the most trophy-laden managers in football history couldn’t shield him from the consequences of his own squad decisions. His choice to lean on aging players who appeared well past their prime proved especially costly.

Casemiro, Danilo, and Neymar all arrived carrying storied careers — and heavy legs to match. Against Norway, those limitations were impossible to ignore.

Both of Norway’s goals came through Brazil’s left side, where substitute Andreas Schjelderup brought an energy that Brazil simply couldn’t match. Danilo, 34, was deployed at right back — a position he hadn’t regularly played in years, having been used more as a backup center back at club level. The result was a mismatch that Norway exploited with purpose. Schjelderup attacked with drive and directness; Danilo looked lost.

Casemiro fared no better throughout the tournament. He was repeatedly beaten for pace, gave the ball away too often, and on Sunday — grinding through the oppressive New Jersey heat — looked like a vehicle well past its service life struggling up a steep mountain pass.

Neymar was brought on late, with the match still scoreless and Brazil in desperate need of a spark. He did manage to convert a stoppage-time penalty, but it was a consolation goal rather than a rescue mission.

The deeper issue was everything that came before that moment. Neymar arrived at the tournament carrying an injury and offered almost none of the explosive pace, creativity, or unpredictability that once made him one of the most dangerous attackers in the world. He moved slowly, predictably, and without urgency — a shadow of the player he once was.

If the broader plan was to use this tournament to develop a new generation ahead of the 2030 World Cup, Brazil’s roster choices become even harder to defend. With a full international cycle ahead and less pressure on this group to deliver a title immediately, Ancelotti had the opportunity to leave the veterans at home and give younger players meaningful experience on the biggest stage. Instead, Brazil tried to honor the past while building toward the future — and managed to do neither.

The consequence is at least a 28-year wait for a sixth World Cup crown — an almost unimaginable drought for a nation whose footballing identity has always been built on creativity, boldness, and dominance.

For much of this tournament, Brazil looked like a team that had lost its identity. Only Vinicius Jr. offered glimpses of the flair and brilliance the country is known for, a sign that the talent hasn’t completely disappeared.

But around him, Brazil lacked sharpness, speed, and — most tellingly — looked nothing like themselves.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez was on the verge of baseball history Sunday, carrying a perfect game into the eighth inning against the Athletics.

The 23-year-old right-hander sat down all 21 batters he faced through seven innings, racking up eight strikeouts in the process. Pérez had thrown 92 pitches total, with 56 of them finding the strike zone.

A perfect game would mark a milestone not just for Pérez, but for the entire Marlins organization — the franchise has never had one in its 33-year existence.

Oakland’s hitters had little to show for their at-bats. Pérez generated six flyouts, and only one of those balls traveled deep enough to reach the warning track.

Sunday’s outing marked Pérez’s first appearance against the A’s since his rookie campaign back in 2023. He has yet to complete a full game at the major league level in his career.

The most recent perfect game in the big leagues was turned in by Domingo Germán of the New York Yankees — also against the Athletics — on July 28, 2023.

Mitchell Robinson, the newly signed Boston Celtics center, has come forward to explain the circumstances behind the hand injury that sent him into surgery just days before the NBA Finals — and it had nothing to do with basketball.

In a Facebook post shared Sunday morning, Robinson, 28, described the terrifying moment he learned his brother had been involved in a car accident. The news triggered a panic response that led him to strike his hand against his truck, fracturing his right pinkie finger and requiring surgery.

“As the eldest sibling, I felt a deep sense of concern, and I immediately went into panic mode,” Robinson wrote. “I began returning calls and texts, and when I FaceTimed my brother, I thought he was deceased. He was wearing a neck brace, unresponsive, and not speaking. I broke down in tears, feeling like a failure for not being able to protect my siblings. Being 910 miles away, I felt helpless. In a moment of frustration, I banged my hand on my truck.”

Robinson said he found out about the accident after the New York Knicks returned home following a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

At the time of the injury, the Knicks confirmed that Robinson had not been hurt during practice or a game, but they declined to provide any further details about what had happened.

Despite the injury and surgery, Robinson suited up for all five games of the NBA Finals, where the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs to claim their first NBA championship since 1973. He averaged 3.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 13.4 minutes per game throughout the series.

In his post, Robinson also addressed those who might be quick to judge without knowing the full story behind his injury.

“As many of you know, I have a deep affection for my trucks, but my siblings and daughter are my top priority,” he wrote. “Before judging someone, it is essential to understand their circumstances, which may not be publicly known. Life is unpredictable, and it is how we respond to challenges that truly matters.”

Robinson spent eight seasons with the Knicks after being selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. Across 397 games — including 215 starts — he averaged 7.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million contract with the Celtics on Wednesday.

LONDON — Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime punched his ticket to the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Sunday, but the third seed wasn’t just talking about his win over Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina — he was fired up about a rule he believes needs to go.

The 25-year-old had his opponent on the ropes in the fourth set, holding two match points while serving, when Davidovich Fokina called for a medical timeout after twisting his ankle. When play resumed, Auger-Aliassime dropped his serve and was pulled into a fifth and final set before ultimately closing out the match 6-7(4) 7-6(6) 6-3 6-7(2) 6-1.

The tension didn’t end at the net. The two players exchanged words after their handshake, though Auger-Aliassime declined to reveal the specifics of that conversation.

“The interactions between him and I, I don’t want to get into that. If he wants to come in here and talk about it, he can. But he knows my opinion,” Auger-Aliassime said.

What he was willing to talk about was the rule itself, and he didn’t hold back.

“What I can say, though, is that I think the rule has to change. I think that obviously as long as the rule is like that, a player will use it to their advantage,” he said.

Auger-Aliassime went on to lay out what he believes a fairer system would look like: “I think that it’s very simple: if you’re hurt bad while the game’s going on… in the middle of the game, the opponent is serving, the shot clock is on, basically when you’re hurt bad, you’re forfeiting every point until you can call the physio. If the physio helps you recover, you play your service game. If you’re hurt bad, then you retire.”

He then made his feelings crystal clear: “But to stop in the middle of an opponent’s service game and to be able to call the physio, I think that’s a disgrace of a rule. I don’t see any other sport where you can do that. I mark my words. It’s a disgrace of a rule.”

Next up for Auger-Aliassime is a quarter-final matchup against seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic — a prospect that has the Canadian reflecting on just how remarkable his next opponent’s career has been.

“I can only say good things about Novak because, I think as a kid I didn’t appreciate it as much, but now I’m a player, the load of work he’s done over the years, I mean, I’m not even near any of that. Just to think about it, it’s crazy,” he said.

American tennis star Coco Gauff punched her ticket to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the very first time late Sunday evening, defeating Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in a rollercoaster three-set match that wrapped up just two minutes before the tournament’s strict 11 p.m. noise curfew.

The seventh-seeded Gauff, 22, came away with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory under the closed roof on Court One. The match was far from flawless — Gauff racked up 46 unforced errors and nine double faults — but her aggressive style produced 35 winners compared to just 19 for 11th-seeded Bencic, who is 29 years old.

“I’m super happy to be in the quarters finally — I don’t know how many tries it’s been,” Gauff said in a quick courtside interview following the win. She will next take on fellow American Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals.

Bencic, who reached the Wimbledon semifinals last year and claimed Olympic gold in 2021, controlled the opening set, clinching it on her third set point when Gauff sent a return into the net.

Gauff, who first captured the hearts of Wimbledon fans back in 2019 when she reached the fourth round as a 15-year-old, regrouped in the second set. She broke Bencic’s serve twice while only losing her own once, and pulled off a clever drop shot and a beautifully placed lob to force a deciding third set.

The two-time Grand Slam champion dominated the third set, pushing Bencic into a defensive position with sharp, corner-finding shots. As the clock crept toward the venue’s closing deadline, Gauff set up match point with a smash and sealed the win with a powerful serve that Bencic could not return.

“I was looking at the clock in the last service game and on that match point I was going for serve and volley as I was wanting to end the point,” Gauff said. “I’m not used to racing for time as we’re not used to having to finish by a certain time.”

The All England Club sits in a residential area of southwest London and enforces a firm curfew on night play.

Despite the pressure-filled finish, Gauff said the victory felt meaningful and left her wanting more. “Even though it was a tough match I feel this was my best match of the tournament,” she said.

SEATTLE — Belgium’s head coach Rudi Garcia did not hold back Sunday when criticizing FIFA’s surprise move to suspend a one-match ban that had been handed to United States striker Folarin Balogun, calling the decision a mockery of football’s values ahead of the two nations’ round-of-16 World Cup showdown on Monday.

“I didn’t know that at the FIFA World Cup the fifth of July is now the first of April and it’s April Fool’s Day,” Garcia told reporters at a pre-match press conference.

Garcia pointed to a statement from the Royal Belgian Football Association, which described itself as “astonished” by FIFA’s ruling and said it was “investigating all potential options” in response.

“We are not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football with its ethics and integrity,” Garcia added.

Despite the controversy, both Garcia and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois maintained that the off-field drama would not affect Belgium’s preparation for the match. Courtois acknowledged, however, that the timing of the announcement caught them off guard.

“For us as players, nothing changes,” Courtois said. “We focus on the game, to win on the pitch, whoever plays.”

As the press conference continued, Garcia grew increasingly frustrated with follow-up questions on the topic and eventually cut in: “Please don’t waste your time talking about that. We want to focus on sporting matters.”

Beyond the FIFA controversy, Courtois reflected on Belgium’s changing squad dynamic. He is among the last remaining players from Belgium’s celebrated “golden generation” — a group that reached the quarter-finals in 2014, defeating the U.S. in the process, and the semi-finals in 2018.

A wave of retirements has stripped the squad of much of its veteran experience, but Courtois expressed confidence in the younger players now stepping up to carry the nation’s soccer legacy forward.

“I think this is a new era for us,” Courtois said. “It’s true that there are some players from the golden era, as some would like to say. But the truth is that the World Cup in Qatar for us was not that good, we were eliminated in the group stage. Now we have another generation with younger people, new people, willing to do great things and writing in the history pages for Belgium.”

LONDON — Naomi Osaka arrived at Wimbledon this week dressed in a kimono-inspired outfit paying tribute to her favorite character from Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill,’ and she closed out her week by dismantling top seed Aryna Sabalenka in commanding fashion.

The Japanese 14th seed played the kind of tennis that earned her four Grand Slam titles, cruising to a 6-2, 7-6(2) victory to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the very first time. Sabalenka’s exit only added to the growing chaos in the women’s bracket.

Osaka’s win comes on the heels of third-round losses for defending champion Iga Swiatek and 2022 winner Elena Rybakina, meaning all three of the top women’s seeds have been eliminated. With Barbora Krejcikova also falling in the fourth round to fellow Czech Karolina Muchova on Sunday, Wimbledon is now guaranteed to crown a first-time champion for the ninth year in a row.

On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic kept his bid alive for a record-tying eighth Wimbledon title, though the 39-year-old was candid about his dissatisfaction with his performance. He defeated Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a match that was far from polished — but it did earn him a historic milestone, surpassing Swiss legend Roger Federer with his 106th Wimbledon match win, a new men’s record.

“To be honest, I haven’t felt really great on the court, so I was relieved to get out of it and get a win,” Djokovic said after the match. “Satisfaction and enjoyment weren’t part of today’s win.”

Despite the rough outing, Djokovic has now advanced to his 17th Wimbledon quarter-final. Standing between him and a potential semi-final clash with defending champion and top seed Jannik Sinner is Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. Sinner had little trouble in his own fourth-round match, dispatching Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 7-6(0), 6-3.

Auger-Aliassime earned his spot in the quarter-finals the hard way, outlasting Spain’s last remaining player, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, in a grueling four-hour, 26-minute five-set battle that concluded with a heated exchange between the two players at the net. The final score read 6-7(4), 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-1.

Sinner has yet to face a seeded opponent at this year’s tournament, and that won’t change in the quarter-finals either. He’ll meet veteran Jan-Lennard Struff, who reached the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career — on his 47th attempt. The 36-year-old German, ranked 74th in the world, was trailing Hubert Hurkacz by two sets when the Polish player was forced to retire due to a left hip injury.

“First of all, I would wish Hubi a speedy recovery,” Struff said. “It was tough to celebrate on the court because obviously I feel sorry for him. But I’m very happy because it’s a huge achievement for me. I’m 36, first quarters, amazing.”

The marquee match of Day Seven at the All England Club was without question the showdown between Sabalenka and Osaka — two 28-year-olds, each holding four Grand Slam titles, all earned on hard courts. The warm and sunny conditions set the stage for what many expected to be a clash of heavy hitters.

The two had not faced each other in nearly eight years following Osaka’s victory over Sabalenka on her way to the 2018 U.S. Open title. When they finally met again this season, Sabalenka had gotten the better of Osaka three times, including at the French Open.

Saturday’s rematch, however, was a different story. A composed Osaka overpowered Sabalenka with relentless precision and power, leaving the top seed visibly frustrated on Centre Court. Rather than the expected fireworks between two big hitters, it was a one-sided affair — Osaka’s biggest win since returning from maternity leave in 2024.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun on the court. To do it here, it really means a lot. I lost to her like three times in a row, so that really sucked. So I wanted to turn it over,” Osaka said.

When asked about her slightly more subdued entrance outfit compared to earlier in the week, Osaka explained: “I actually really wanted to focus on the match. So that was me being very tame. I kind of want to focus on my tennis now, so I might dial back a little bit.”

For Sabalenka, the defeat was another painful chapter at Wimbledon, following three consecutive semi-final losses at the tournament. After the final point, she sent a ball sailing over the roof in frustration before heading off court.

“Now I want to go and get drunk and forget about tennis,” Sabalenka told reporters shortly after leaving the court.

Osaka will next face 10th seed Muchova, who edged out 2024 champion Krejcikova 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 in a close contest.

In other women’s action, five American players made it to the fourth round — the most since 2002. Two of them squared off on Court One, where fourth seed Jessica Pegula used her experience to school 18-year-old Iva Jovic in match management, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Pegula, who has now matched her best-ever Wimbledon run, could potentially face another American in the next round if Coco Gauff defeats Belinda Bencic.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump reached out directly to FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this week, urging the international soccer governing body to take another look at a red card that had been issued to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, according to a source who was briefed on the conversation.

The call appeared to have an impact. FIFA announced Sunday that Balogun would be cleared to take the field for the United States in Monday’s knockout round matchup against Belgium — an unusual reversal of the one-game ban he had been facing following the red card he received during a game against Bosnia.

Trump took to his Truth Social platform to applaud the decision, saying it had corrected what he described as a “great injustice.”

U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, the American team’s leading scorer with three goals, will be on the field Monday when the United States faces Belgium in a World Cup match — thanks in part to a phone call from President Donald Trump to FIFA’s top official.

Balogun had received a red card during Wednesday’s 2-0 round of 32 victory after his foot came down awkwardly on the right ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemović. Under normal circumstances, a red card automatically triggers a one-game ban.

But FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted, a move that drew praise from Trump and sharp criticism from the Belgian side.

According to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly, Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino following the game and asked FIFA to take another look at the red card decision.

Trump later celebrated the outcome on social media, writing: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”

Belgium’s football federation said it was “astonished” by the ruling. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia was even more pointed in his reaction, comparing the announcement to an April Fools’ Day joke.

“I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the 5th of July was the 1st of April in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator. “The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team. She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics. I think it’s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision.”

When reporters asked Garcia whether Belgium might appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, or whether he believed Trump’s involvement influenced FIFA’s ruling, he declined to answer.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said in a statement that it is “investigating all potential options” in order to “safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play.”

American players found out about Balogun’s reinstatement through social media posts that began appearing during a 10-minute bus ride Sunday from their hotel to practice at the University of Washington’s Husky Soccer Stadium.

U.S. star Christian Pulisic weighed in on the original red card, saying: “If you look at the foul, it was just zero intent at all. I felt like there was much worse ones that went on this tournament.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation received official word of FIFA’s decision through a message sent via FIFA’s portal at 10:31 a.m. EDT.

In its announcement, FIFA stated: “The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year. If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

FIFA said the ruling was based on Article 27 of its disciplinary committee rules, which allows a judicial body to “fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure” and place the sanctioned individual on a probationary period of one to four years.

Balogun’s three tournament goals — including the go-ahead strike against Bosnia — put him alongside Landon Donovan’s 2010 tally for the second-highest goal total by an American in a single World Cup. Only Bert Patenaude, who scored four goals in the very first World Cup in 1930, has done better for the U.S.

The 25-year-old Brooklyn-born forward plays for Monaco and scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last season. He has recorded 12 goals across 30 international appearances. Born to Nigerian parents who were living in London, Balogun had previously represented England at the under-21 level before switching his international allegiance to the United States in 2023.

“He strikes fear into a lot of defenders,” one source said of Balogun.

On Friday, before the suspension was lifted, Balogun had said he believed a yellow card “would have been fair” rather than the red he received. The U.S. Soccer Federation said Balogun would not be made available for media comment Sunday, though he did post a photo of himself with American fans on social media, set to Michael Jackson’s “Bad.”

This is not the first time FIFA has deferred a suspension. In November, FIFA postponed the final two games of a three-match ban for Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, allowing him to play at the start of the World Cup. Argentine defender Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuadoran midfielder Moisés Caicedo also had one-game bans deferred in April for red cards received during qualifying matches. Historically, Brazil’s Garrincha was ejected from a 1962 semifinal but was permitted to play in the final against Chile following political pressure.

The U.S. is chasing a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The Americans were knocked out in the round of 16 by Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014, and the Netherlands in 2022. They were eliminated in the group stage in 2006 and failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament altogether.

Any chance of Brandon Aiyuk landing with Washington may have just gone up in flames — and it happened on Instagram.

Despite a string of social media posts suggesting he was headed to Washington’s roster, Aiyuk abruptly shifted course and took a very public shot at the team’s starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels.

In an Instagram story where he directly tagged Daniels’ account, Aiyuk wrote: “‘5’ gonna text me talking about some, ‘You’re on my team now. You follow my rules.’”

He continued: “Boy, I’m a grown-ass man, boy. You gonna have to start running behind your mamma, and I might believe what you talking about. But until then, mmm-mmm.”

Aiyuk remains technically on the San Francisco 49ers’ roster, though he’s listed on the team’s reserve/did not report list. He’s also been publicly critical of Niners general manager John Lynch and his former agent Ryan Williams, labeling both of them “weirdos.” Lynch stated back in January that Aiyuk has thrown his last pass — or rather, caught his last pass — as a member of the team.

Daniels and Aiyuk are no strangers to each other — they were teammates at Arizona State. Daniels appeared to fire back with his own Instagram story, sharing a clip of Houston Rockets forward and Washington fan Kevin Durant giving a thumbs-down to someone in the crowd earlier this year.

Aiyuk then posted a GIF of himself holding up a pair of shoes along with the message: “Let’s Run it 5! Let’s see! Need you available all son, and I’ll do the same!”

The online back-and-forth was set off in part by a viral clip from a World Cup match, in which a fan yelled at Daniels: “F— Brandon Aiyuk! … You better not throw s— to him next year.” Daniels was seen laughing at the comment.

The Athletic had previously reported that Washington was open to offering Aiyuk a short-term deal loaded with incentives if he became available, hoping he could recapture his earlier form. Whether that interest still stands following his social media outbursts is unclear.

The 28-year-old sat out all of last season after suffering a serious knee injury in 2024, a year in which he managed only 25 receptions for 374 yards across seven games. Before the injury, he had put together back-to-back standout seasons — a career-best 1,342 receiving yards in 2023 and a career-high 78 catches in 2022.

MEXICO CITY — The Mexican capital has turned green. With a population of 9 million, Mexico City is buzzing with energy and excitement as fans count down to one of the most eagerly awaited matches of this World Cup — Mexico taking on England at the legendary Azteca stadium.

Along the city’s main boulevard, Reforma Avenue, authorities have erected barricades and shut down traffic to make way for the hundreds of thousands of fans expected to gather and watch the game on giant outdoor screens.

Near the famous Azteca, history is on everyone’s lips.

“This match means everything,” said Adriana Martinez, 28, dressed in white cowboy boots decorated with ribbons in the green, red, and white of the Mexican flag. “History will be made here today.”

Both nations carry the burden of painful memories into Sunday’s match. England has never forgotten the 1986 World Cup defeat at this very stadium at the hands of Diego Maradona’s cunning brilliance. Mexico, meanwhile, has been haunted by a 40-year curse that has prevented the team from advancing past the World Cup round of 16. Both sides are desperate to finally move on from those ghosts.

“Whoever scores today will be a legend forever,” said 12-year-old Noa, who attended the match alongside his father.

In the narrow streets surrounding the stadium, riot police stood ready — shoes shined and out of view but on standby. A small group of Jehovah’s Witnesses attempted to reach passersby, but the sea of green-shirted fans already had their minds set on a different kind of prayer.

Mexican confidence has grown with each game the national team has played. Increasingly massive crowds have taken to the streets after every victory, with more than a million people celebrating across the capital following Mexico’s win over Ecuador. The rallying cry has become “Y si sí?” — or “What if?” — a phrase capturing the nation’s cautious but growing optimism.

It’s a remarkable shift for a squad that was considered so lacking in star power heading into the tournament that sponsors turned to retired legends for their advertising campaigns.

Axel Villarreal, a 23-year-old supporter from the northern city of Tampico, made the six-hour overnight bus journey to Mexico City, arriving before sunrise on Sunday. He had no ticket but was determined to be part of the moment in the capital.

“We really want to live the experience of having the World Cup here at home,” Villarreal said, speaking near the Angel monument — a traditional gathering spot for Mexicans during significant national moments. “I honestly have the hope they can advance.”

ALTITUDE TAKES CENTER STAGE

Much of the pre-match conversation has focused on the Azteca’s elevation. The stadium sits at more than 2,200 meters above sea level — roughly equivalent to the height of a typical Alpine ski resort — making it one of the highest-altitude venues in international soccer.

Mexico has lost just two competitive matches at the Azteca since it opened in 1966. The Mexican squad has been training in the city for weeks, while England only touched down on Friday.

English supporters took to social media to voice frustration over what they viewed as an unfair altitude advantage, prompting Mexican fans to joke that perhaps the stadium should be lowered into a giant hole to even the playing field.

England’s team was provided extra security at their hotel after Ecuador had previously complained to FIFA about fan noise outside their own accommodations ahead of their round-of-32 match against Mexico. Videos circulating online Sunday showed Mexican fans lighting fireworks and playing drums and trumpets near the area, though they appeared to remain well beyond the security zone around England’s hotel.

Several major brands in Mexico jumped on a lighthearted viral campaign encouraging fans to ditch English words and phrases. Under the banner “No Ingles” — or “No English” — companies playfully banned certain terms. Pizza Hut suggested replacing Worcester sauce — known locally as “salsa inglesa,” or English sauce — with a chili-based condiment. Mitsubishi joked that its mechanics would refuse to use an adjustable wrench, called a “llave inglesa” or English wrench, for the duration of the match.

Across the Atlantic, British bakery chain Greggs announced it had pulled its Mexican-style sandwiches from the menu.

Tim Allen, a 56-year-old England fan from Southend, acknowledged that Mexico’s home advantage could be a deciding factor.

“The big factor is they’ve got 80,000 fans in their home stadium,” he said. “They’re all fanatics.”

“It’s going to be mental,” he added — and by the look on his face, he couldn’t wait.

DALLAS — Cristiano Ronaldo made clear Sunday that he plans to leave football without any regrets, but he was not ready to confirm that the current World Cup would mark his final appearance on the international stage. Portugal faces neighboring Spain in a round-of-16 showdown in Dallas on Monday.

The 41-year-old, who is competing at a record sixth World Cup, acknowledged that many expect him to step away from international play before the next tournament, but he was firm that the decision would be his alone.

“I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: is this the last one? We will see. I don’t want to draw attention to this, the most important thing is to play well tomorrow,” Ronaldo told reporters.

He went on to speak about his relationship with the sport: “I’m going to be perfectly honest, regardless of what happens tomorrow, Cristiano is going to be 1000% leaving with a clear conscience. I have given all I could to football, it’s my passion to play for so many years. I didn’t do it out of need, I’m doing well out of life. It’s about passion. I play for the national team and I love to play football.”

Ronaldo also pushed back against any notion that he feels pressure heading into the knockout match. “Regardless of what happens tomorrow I’m not going to exert pressure on myself that I must win. You have to enjoy every match at a huge competition like the World Cup. I think I’m not doing so bad. I’ve scored three goals, others have done better but I think I’m doing not so bad.”

Those who watched Ronaldo’s pre-match press conference noted a noticeably relaxed demeanor. He admitted this tournament has been more enjoyable for him than his previous five World Cup appearances and expressed confidence that manager Roberto Martinez’s squad is ready for the challenge ahead.

“If we didn’t have this belief we wouldn’t be here,” he said. “It’s been a beautiful experience, we’re getting better in every match. We know this is a tough competition and it’s impossible to always do well. Some good teams have been eliminated and that says everything. The team is well, calm and well prepared. We’re going to face a difficult team but I think we will be prepared.”

Should he take the field against Spain, it will be Ronaldo’s 233rd cap for Portugal. He has a deep personal connection to Spain, having spent nine seasons with Real Madrid before later moving to Manchester United. Despite that familiarity, his scoring record against the Spanish national side is modest — just four goals total, including a famous hat-trick in a 3-3 group-stage draw at the 2018 World Cup.

Ronaldo acknowledged Spain’s pedigree heading into the match. “Spain is always a contender to win the Euros, the Nations League, they have already won this competition. Spain is the favourite. They have more titles than Portugal but this is a different competition with different players. There are injuries, there’s the heat.”

Still, he expressed quiet confidence heading into the contest. “I like playing against Spain, my record is quite good. I’ve played them 10 or 11 times and it’s quite balanced. It will be won on small details. I have this feeling we are going to win.”

He closed with a message that left his international future deliberately open-ended: “What I have to do is enjoy it if it’s my last World Cup and it’s not going to be my last match at a World Cup because I want to continue onward.”

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was forced out of Sunday’s contest against the host New York Yankees after just the first inning, as he re-aggravated an existing hip injury.

Buxton had reached base on an infield single before attempting to steal second base. He was thrown out on the play, with shortstop Anthony Volpe applying the tag. Buxton visibly grimaced during the tag-out, and teammate Kody Clemens struck out to end the inning. Rookie Kyler Fedko stepped in to replace Buxton in center field.

The 32-year-old has now dealt with hip problems on multiple occasions this season, missing time twice due to the issue. He had just returned to action after sitting out four consecutive games because of right hip impingement, and on Saturday he contributed two RBIs in an 11-4 victory.

Despite the injury concerns, Buxton has put together an impressive season at the plate, batting .271 with 25 home runs and 45 RBIs across 75 games. On Saturday, he was announced as a starter for the American League squad in the upcoming All-Star Game — his third All-Star selection of his career.

NEW YORK — Mitchell Robinson has broken his silence on the hand injury that put his status in question heading into the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals opener, revealing it happened after he punched his truck in a moment of panic when he feared his youngest brother had died in a car crash.

Robinson, who recently agreed to depart the Knicks and join the Boston Celtics, shared the full story in a Facebook post on Sunday, also touching on the mental health battles he endured throughout the season.

The injury first surfaced after the Knicks knocked out Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals, raising eyebrows because coach Mike Brown confirmed it did not occur during a game. At the time, it was described as a broken bone in his hand.

Robinson set the record straight Sunday, explaining it was actually a knuckle injury that happened after he returned from the team’s Game 4 win and received a devastating phone call about his brother.

American soccer standout Folarin Balogun will be on the pitch after all. FIFA has suspended the World Cup ban that had been hanging over the U.S. striker, freeing him up to compete in the country’s round of 16 clash against Belgium this Monday.

The decision by soccer’s international governing body removes what had been a major obstacle for the U.S. squad heading into one of the tournament’s most anticipated knockout-round matchups.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — One of track and field’s most influential figures has died. Stephen Francis, the Jamaican coach who helped turn a small Caribbean island of just 2.8 million people into one of the world’s dominant forces in sprinting, passed away late Saturday. He was 64. The training club he co-founded announced his death Sunday but did not reveal a cause.

Back in 1999, Francis helped establish the Maximising Velocity & Power Track & Field Club — known as MVP — which grew into one of the premier training programs in the sport. Over the decades, MVP produced wave after wave of Olympic champions and world record holders, fundamentally changing what was possible for Jamaican athletes training on home soil.

Bruce James, the president of MVP, honored Francis in a written statement, saying, “Stephen Francis changed the trajectory of Jamaican athletics for the better. He proved that Jamaican athletes, guided by Jamaican coaches, supported by Jamaican management, and training in Jamaica, could become the very best in the world.”

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness reflected on what he called Francis’ “bold decision” to walk away from a career in finance and commit himself entirely to coaching. At the time, the most elite Jamaican athletes typically looked overseas for top-level training. Holness wrote on X that the choice “helped shape one of the greatest legacies in track and field and inspired countless athletes to believe in themselves and pursue excellence,” adding, “Jamaica has lost a remarkable son whose impact will be felt for generations.”

World Athletics, the sport’s international governing body, expressed that it was “deeply saddened” by the news, noting that Francis’ vision helped slow Jamaica’s talent drain and deepened the island’s already fierce love of track and field.

The list of world-class athletes Francis coached reads like a who’s who of modern sprinting. Among them are Olympic champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson, former men’s 100-meter world record holder Asafa Powell, Olympic silver medalist Kishane Thompson, and dozens of other international medalists.

In 2017, Jamaica recognized Francis with the Order of Jamaica, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, for his extraordinary contributions to the sport.

His influence stretched well beyond Jamaica’s borders. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley noted that Francis inspired athletes across the wider Caribbean region, pointing to Barbadian Olympic medalist Sada Williams, who trained under Francis at MVP. “For so many boys and girls across the Caribbean, his work proved that small islands can still shake the world,” Mottley wrote.

LONDON — Naomi Osaka delivered a stunning performance at Wimbledon on Sunday, eliminating women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round with a dominant 6-2, 7-6(2) victory on Centre Court.

The matchup carried enormous star power, with the two players combining for eight Grand Slam titles between them. Billed as one of the marquee events of Day Seven, the contest was expected to be a fierce battle — but it was Osaka, seeded 14th, who controlled the action from the start.

Sabalenka’s typically powerful game broke down badly in the opening set, which Osaka swept in just 32 minutes, leaving the top seed screaming in frustration.

The second set brought more of the back-and-forth drama the sold-out crowd had hoped to see, but when the match went to a tiebreak, Osaka kept her composure and closed it out convincingly, winning 7-2 in the breaker.

The win is considered the biggest of Osaka’s comeback since she returned to the professional tour following a maternity break in 2023.

U.S. striker Folarin Balogun has been cleared to take the field for Monday’s World Cup round-of-16 matchup against Belgium in Seattle, after FIFA announced Sunday that his one-match suspension has been put on hold.

Balogun, 25, had scored his third goal of the tournament in the Americans’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia, but was ejected in the second half following a VAR review for making contact with Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle with his boot. The red card left the U.S. shorthanded for the rest of the match.

U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino maintained that the sending-off was unjustified, saying it was never a red card.

FIFA issued a statement explaining its decision: “…the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.” The governing body added that if Balogun “commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

FIFA’s judicial body holds the authority to fully or partially suspend the enforcement of a disciplinary ruling.

U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on the ruling via Truth Social, writing, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice.”

U.S. Soccer also welcomed the news, stating it was “pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow.”

Balogun’s teammates said they learned about the ruling through social media while traveling to practice. American forward Christian Pulisic described the moment: “We found out about it just coming over here. At first, you’re like, ‘Oh really, is this real?’ And then ‘Oh, this is great news’.”

Belgium’s camp had not yet issued a response to Balogun’s reinstatement ahead of Monday’s game in Seattle.

This is not the first time FIFA has suspended a ban of this kind. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was permitted to play in his country’s opening World Cup matches after FIFA placed the final two games of a three-match suspension on hold — a ban that had stemmed from a red card he received in a qualifying match against Ireland the previous year.

In contrast, Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo received a five-match ban after a red card for a tackle that seriously injured Canada midfielder Ismael Kone during group stage play at the tournament.

Canada’s remarkable run at the World Cup came to an end Saturday with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Morocco in the round of 16, but rather than disappointment, the mood surrounding the young Canadian squad was one of hope and pride over what they had accomplished for the sport in their country.

Even without star player Alphonso Davies, the team shattered one milestone after another throughout the competition. Under coach Jesse Marsch’s aggressive, high-pressing style of play — attacking relentlessly and never backing down against stronger opponents — Canada secured the nation’s first-ever World Cup point, first World Cup win, and first knockout-stage victory.

That bold approach, combined with a resilience tested by injury and hardship, carried the team further into the tournament than any Canadian men’s squad had ever gone before. Though they fell short of the quarterfinals, the impression they left on fans both at home and around the world was undeniable.

Canada actually dominated much of the match against Morocco, recording 13 touches inside the opposition’s penalty area in one of the strongest halves in team history — compared to just one for Morocco — but ultimately could not convert their chances.

Midfielder Stephen Eustaquio couldn’t help but reflect on what might have been if Davies had been healthy enough to play a full role. “If there’s someone that can face Hakimi, it’s Phonzie,” Eustaquio said, referring to Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, who assisted on the North Africans’ opening goal. “We missed our best player.”

Davies was only able to make a brief 15-minute substitute appearance in Canada’s round-of-32 win over South Africa — his sole contribution to the tournament. The injury troubles didn’t stop there. Marsch lost attacking midfielder Marcelo Flores to a torn ACL just days before the team’s opening match, and then midfielder Ismael Kone suffered a severe broken leg during Canada’s 6-0 rout of Qatar.

Despite their injuries, both Flores and Kone stayed with the team throughout the tournament, moving around on crutches and celebrating every victory alongside their teammates. A video of Kone dancing in the locker room following the South Africa win became one of the defining moments of Canada’s World Cup journey — a symbol of a group that refused to let adversity define them.

For years, Canada struggled to translate its enormous soccer participation base into consistent success on the men’s side. The women’s program, by contrast, has been a world power for two decades, producing all-time great Christine Sinclair and capturing Olympic gold in 2021.

But this generation of men’s players has begun to rewrite that story. With talents like Davies, Jonathan David, Richie Laryea, and Eustaquio leading the way under the energetic Marsch, Canada delivered the kind of breakthrough performance many believe can launch the program to new heights.

Canada entered the tournament ranked 30th in the world, with a combined transfer market value of roughly $232 million — with Bayern Munich’s Davies alone making up about 20% of that figure. That total was less than half of Morocco’s estimated value, and a fraction of powerhouses like France and England, each valued at well over $1 billion.

The team’s success comes as investment in Canadian soccer is picking up speed. Earlier this week, the Canada Soccer Foundation announced that its “Canada Rising” fundraising campaign had exceeded C$25 million in gifts and pledges — hitting its original goal a full 18 months ahead of schedule. The initiative, designed to build a lasting legacy from Canada’s role as a World Cup host nation, aims to grow youth participation, develop coaching talent, and strengthen high-performance programs for future generations. The fund also contributes directly to the national teams, helping cover the salaries of Marsch and women’s coach Casey Stoney.

Some of the most lasting images from Canada’s World Cup run came off the field entirely: overflowing fan viewing parties, record-breaking television audiences, and a wave of social media enthusiasm that pushed the team well beyond traditional soccer fans and into the broader public consciousness.

In the end, Canada’s run stopped in the round of 16 — but it left behind something the country’s men’s soccer program has long searched for and rarely found: a genuine belief that the best days are still ahead.

Former NFL defensive end Marcellus Wiley is behind bars in Orange County, Florida, after being arrested on a domestic battery charge.

The 51-year-old was taken into custody by Orange County sheriff’s deputies on Saturday and is currently being held in jail with no bond. Jail records offered no further details about the circumstances of the arrest.

This latest legal trouble adds to an already troubling series of accusations facing Wiley. Back in May, Rolling Stone published a report detailing that four individuals — including a former production assistant at ESPN — had filed a lawsuit in New York accusing him of sexual assault. According to that same report, three additional people have filed separate lawsuits alleging he raped them while he was a student-athlete at Columbia University in 1994.

In response to those allegations, Wiley shared what he described as a court order dismissing three of the claims on his social media account in May.

Wiley had a decade-long career in the NFL. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft and spent his first four seasons there. He then moved on to the then-San Diego Chargers, where he played from 2001 to 2003, followed by a single season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2004, and two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2005 to 2006.

Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 275 pounds, Wiley appeared in 147 games with 79 starts during his career and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2001. He finished his playing days with 322 tackles, including 47 for loss, along with 44 sacks and five fumble recoveries.

Following his retirement from professional football, Wiley went on to work in sports media, holding various roles at both ESPN and Fox Sports.

Novak Djokovic etched his name deeper into Wimbledon history on Sunday, defeating Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(6) 6-3 3-6 6-3 to record his 106th match win at the All England Club — more than any other man in the tournament’s history.

The milestone puts the 39-year-old Serb ahead of retired tennis legend Roger Federer on the all-time men’s match wins list at the prestigious grass court Grand Slam. Now seeded seventh, Djokovic is also closing in on Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon championship titles.

Sunday’s victory was anything but comfortable for Djokovic, who struggled under the bright sun on Centre Court. He dropped his serve twice on uncharacteristic errors and found himself in trouble trailing 2-5 in the first set, before saving two set points and eventually claiming the tiebreak.

Safiullin, ranked 132nd in the world and returning from months away with a hip injury, gave Djokovic plenty to think about. The Russian’s run came to a halt when he put a backhand into the net while down 2-4 in the second set, allowing Djokovic to take control with sharp serve-and-volley play.

However, Safiullin rallied to break Djokovic’s serve and take the third set, keeping his run alive. Djokovic regrouped in the fourth set, relying on a precise first serve to see him through.

“Another hard-fought win,” Djokovic said after the match. “Roman started very well and very aggressively. I didn’t feel as comfortable from back on the court. I knew it was going to be a challenge, staying in the rally with him, particularly from the end where you played against the wind pretty much the whole match. He’s just a very solid player and I respect him a lot.”

Djokovic also reflected on having to change his approach throughout the contest. “I haven’t felt inferior from back of the court with too many players, to be honest, throughout my career. Today, it was one of those days where I didn’t want to stay in the rally for too long. I had to mix things up and it worked in some moments and didn’t in some. But in the end, I found the accuracy really and precision with the first serve. That really got me out of trouble in the fourth set.”

Djokovic has now dropped sets in three of his first four matches at this year’s tournament, but appears to be building momentum heading into the quarter-finals. He will face either third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the next round.

Summing up his first week, Djokovic kept it simple: “Survive to thrive. That’s how I feel. Hopefully the thriving part is coming.”

Tenth-seeded Czech tennis star Karolina Muchova eliminated her friend and the reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday, claiming a 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 victory in an intense all-Czech showdown that earned her a spot in the quarter-finals.

Muchova, who is 29 years old, relied on a versatile and athletic style of play — featuring well-placed volleys, crafty drop shots, and sharp cross-court winners — to get past Krejcikova, who at 30 is just eight months her senior and currently sits at 38th in the world rankings. The match was played in warm, sunny conditions on Court Two.

Muchova turned up the pressure in the 12th game of the opening set, going after Krejcikova’s serve and closing out the set with a blistering cross-court backhand return. By the end of the match, Muchova had racked up an impressive 50 winners compared to just 24 for Krejcikova.

In the second set, Muchova ground down her fellow Czech in a marathon sixth game that lasted 16 minutes, finally converting on her fourth break point opportunity.

However, Krejcikova — who also holds the 2021 French Open title — refused to go quietly, rallying to win five straight games and force a deciding third set.

Muchova regrouped and secured a crucial break in the fourth game of the final set as Krejcikova, whose career has been repeatedly interrupted by injuries, appeared to run low on energy in the heat. Muchova closed out the match with a lobbed forehand winner and then embraced her opponent warmly at the net.

Charles Leclerc delivered a British Grand Prix victory for Ferrari on Sunday at Silverstone, though the race ended in unusual fashion with the safety car guiding the entire field to the checkered flag amid late-race chaos.

The dramatic conclusion was set off when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crashed out of the race with just four laps left on the circuit. The safety car was deployed and remained on track through the end of the race, even after a message went out suggesting it would return to the pits and allow one final lap of competition.

Mercedes driver George Russell benefited from the turbulent finish, crossing the line in second place. The result significantly tightened the championship standings, with points leader Kimi Antonelli’s advantage over Russell now cut to just 25 points through nine rounds of the season.

Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian who had started from pole position, appeared to be mounting a challenge for the lead when things fell apart. Running in second place and closing the gap on Leclerc with 11 laps remaining, Antonelli suddenly slowed and radioed his team about a mechanical issue with the car. He ultimately finished 16th, failing to earn any championship points.

Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in third place for Ferrari, though officials placed him under investigation following the race for a possible violation related to yellow flag rules.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz has been tapped to start at first base for the American League in the upcoming All-Star Game, stepping in for Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is sitting out to nurse an ailing back.

Guerrero had earned his spot through fan voting but made the decision to skip the midsummer classic in order to let his back recover ahead of the season’s second half. Kurtz, who holds the title of reigning AL Rookie of the Year, had received the highest vote total among AL first basemen on the player ballot, making him the natural replacement for the starting role.

Back problems have been a recurring issue for Guerrero this season. He missed back-to-back games against the New York Yankees in mid-June when the injury flared up, and he also sat out a game against the New York Mets last Tuesday because of the same problem.

Guerrero spoke about the tough call he had to make, saying, “It’s very difficult for me. But I really have to take care of myself and I’ve got to put my team first for the second half.” Those comments were reported by Sportsnet.

The All-Star selection would have been the 27-year-old’s sixth in a row. Offensively, Guerrero has had a quieter year than usual, posting a .265 batting average with just four home runs and 35 RBIs across 82 games. That’s a notable dip from his usual power output — he has hit 23 or more home runs in each of the past five seasons, including a league-leading 48 back in 2021.

Kurtz, 23, has been putting together a strong campaign of his own, hitting .278 with 20 home runs and 66 RBIs in 88 games this season.

The All-Star Game is set to take place on July 14 in Philadelphia.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Getting passed over for the All-Star Game gave Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray some extra fire Saturday evening, and he made the most of it, leading his team to an 8-1 victory against the Los Angeles Angels.

The 36-year-old Gray turned in a strong outing, giving up just one run on four hits across six innings of work. He struck out seven batters and walked two, pushing his record to 10-1 with a 2.61 ERA — the second-lowest mark among American League pitchers. Over his last six starts dating back to May 30, Gray has gone 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA, a stretch that includes six consecutive quality starts.

Despite that impressive run, when All-Star selections were announced Saturday, Gray was not among them. Starter Ranger Suarez and closer Aroldis Chapman were the only two Boston players chosen for the American League squad.

Gray didn’t hide his feelings after the game. “I was disappointed, a little bummed, for sure,” he said. “I’m just being honest, you know? I’m happy for Ranger, and I’m happy for Chappy, for sure. They’re very well-deserving. But a little selfishly, yeah, I was disappointed.”

Gray’s recent performances have been hard to ignore. In his previous outing last Sunday, he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the New York Yankees, ultimately finishing with 7 1/3 innings pitched, one hit allowed, nine strikeouts, and 97 pitches thrown in a 5-4 win.

Interim manager Chad Tracy believes the door may not be completely closed for Gray when it comes to the Midsummer Classic. “When the All-Star Game happens, there’s so much roster fluctuation — it happens every year with pitchers who can’t go, people are hurt, people back out,” Tracy said. “Things happen, so I’m still holding out hope for a couple more guys on the team who I feel are deserving.”

A raging forest fire in southwest France has burned through more than 1,500 hectares — roughly 5.8 square miles — and is now threatening to disrupt the Tour de France’s third stage scheduled for Monday. The planned finish line in Les Angles sits only about 60 kilometers away from the active blaze.

Local officials announced Sunday that a final call on whether to cancel the stage would come “before the end of the day.” Race director Christian Prudhomme had already indicated earlier that organizers could modify the route if conditions required it.

The fire is burning in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, where crews are working to hold back a fire front stretching 18 kilometers — more than 11 miles. The response effort has involved approximately 750 firefighters, 200 vehicles, and nine water-bombing helicopters along with additional aircraft, according to the departmental prefect.

No fatalities have been reported, though two individuals — one firefighter and one local resident — are in critical condition. Emergency crews are focused on keeping the fire from pushing southward toward the Tet river and the Aspres mountain area, a dry and difficult-to-access region.

France’s national weather service, Meteo France, classified seven departments in the country’s south as having a “very high fire risk” on Sunday.

The Tour de France launched in Barcelona, Spain on Saturday, and the first two stages were held in Spain’s Catalonia region, where a separate wildfire also caused concern. That blaze scorched approximately 2,200 hectares of forest in Les Gavarres before being stabilized, officials said Sunday. However, elevated temperatures and lingering smoke could still complicate full containment efforts.

Authorities believe that fire, which ignited Friday along Catalonia’s Costa Brava coastline, was started by a worker operating a circular saw near a roadway, with sparks setting off the blaze. A suspect was taken into custody on Friday.

Extreme heat and wildfire conditions have spread across much of Europe, raising significant safety questions for one of cycling’s most celebrated annual events.

Fourth seed Jessica Pegula used her veteran savvy to outlast rising American teenager Iva Jovic on Sunday at Wimbledon, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals for the second time — matching the best result of her Wimbledon career.

The match was a messy affair early on, with the opening set featuring seven service breaks. Pegula dropped that first set — her first of the entire tournament — but she regrouped and elevated her game significantly from there against the 18-year-old Jovic.

After dropping the opening game of the second set, Pegula rattled off four consecutive games and never slowed down. Her serve became a weapon again, and she began limiting her unforced errors, putting the match firmly in her control.

By the third set, the 16th-seeded Jovic appeared to lose her fighting spirit as the 32-year-old Pegula closed things out efficiently on a sun-drenched Court One.

“That was really tough,” Pegula said following the victory. “Iva’s a great player and brings lots of energy and intensity and I just couldn’t find my serve in the first set even though I wasn’t playing badly. Luckily I started to serve better.”

Pegula, who has reached at least the quarter-final stage at all four Grand Slam tournaments, was one of five American women to make it to the last 16 at Wimbledon — the most since 2002.

Depending on the outcome of a later Sunday match between Coco Gauff and Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, Pegula could find herself facing yet another American in the quarter-finals.

LONDON — Wimbledon’s fourth round gets underway Monday, with one of the tournament’s biggest storylines centered on 21-year-old Filipino sensation Alexandra Eala, who will square off against two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini. American Taylor Fritz also has his hands full against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik.

TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: EALA VS. PAOLINI

Eala has been one of the most talked-about players at this year’s tournament, having already knocked out Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff before stunning defending champion Iga Swiatek on Saturday. Now she turns her attention to world number 17 Paolini, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2024.

Despite beating Paolini in straight sets earlier this year in Dubai, Eala is keeping her expectations measured. “She is a great fighter. It was not an easy match in Dubai for me. It will not be an easy match here either,” Eala told reporters.

Paolini, for her part, spoke highly of her opponent, noting Eala’s semi-final appearance in Berlin last month as evidence of her grass-court ability. “I think that the game of Eala’s fits very well to grass… I think she’s a very dangerous player here,” Paolini said.

“She’s playing great. She has a huge crowd with her. Now on the bridge they were screaming ‘Alex, Alex’. It’s so good for our sport, I think, to involve more people around the world,” Paolini added.

TOP MEN’S MATCH: FRITZ VS. BUBLIK

On the men’s side, Fritz is chasing a third consecutive appearance in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, but he’ll have to get past Bublik, who is known throughout the tennis world for his entertaining, unorthodox approach and frequent use of trick shots. Bublik advanced to the fourth round by defeating Fritz’s fellow American Frances Tiafoe in a five-set battle.

“It’s going to be a great match against Taylor. I hope to be in form. I have to take care of my body and I hope to deliver a great performance,” Bublik said ahead of the contest.

The two players are perfectly matched historically, each holding four wins in their head-to-head series. However, Fritz has claimed victory in both of their previous meetings on grass, including a win over Bublik in the Stuttgart semi-finals last month.

DIMITROV FOCUSED ON THE PRESENT

Bulgarian veteran Grigor Dimitrov, 35, is also back in fourth-round action Monday, taking on British wildcard Arthur Fery — himself a wildcard entry — in what is a matchup between two players who earned their spots through special invitation rather than ranking.

Dimitrov’s return to Wimbledon carries extra emotional weight. Last year, he suffered a pectoral tear while leading eventual champion Jannik Sinner by two sets to none in the round of 16, ending his campaign early.

Speaking after his Saturday win over Matteo Berrettini, Dimitrov reflected on his mindset this time around. “Right now, we’re just living in the moment,” he said. “I think that’s all I have been trying to do every single day when I get out there on the courts, whether I’m playing a match or not… I know it sounds a little bit cliche, but really the outcome for me, it becomes secondary right now.”

“Falling in love again with the game and everything that I have gone through the past 12 months, the magnitude of that, it’s way different for me,” Dimitrov added.

MONDAY ORDER OF PLAY

Centre Court (Play begins at 12:30 p.m. GMT): 13-Jasmine Paolini (Italy) vs. 29-Alexandra Eala (Philippines); Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) vs. Arthur Fery (Britain); 13-Jiri Lehecka (Czech Republic) vs. 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany).

Court Number One (Play begins at 12:00 p.m. GMT): 5-Alex de Minaur (Australia) vs. 9-Flavio Cobolli (Italy); 26-Madison Keys (U.S.) vs. 9-Linda Noskova (Czech Republic); 6-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) vs. 10-Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan).

Court Number Two (Play begins at 10:00 a.m. GMT): Ashlyn Krueger (U.S.) vs. 12-Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine); 21-Marie Bouzkova (Czech Republic) vs. 25-Elise Mertens (Belgium).

Yordan Alvarez put together one of the most memorable nights of the season Saturday, capping a three-hit, six-RBI performance with a walkoff two-run blast that sent the Houston Astros past the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 10-8, and ended Tampa Bay’s nine-game winning streak.

With no outs in the bottom of the ninth, Alvarez drove in Jose Altuve with his 29th home run of the year — his second of the game — crushing a 1-2 fastball from Rays reliever Casey Legumina (2-2) an estimated 424 feet to dead center field.

The Astros had dug themselves out of a five-run hole, tying the game at 8-8 during a three-run seventh inning. That rally included a sacrifice fly from Alvarez, an RBI single by Isaac Paredes, and a pinch-hit RBI single from Zach Dezenzo. Tampa Bay had built its early advantage in part on a first-inning home run from Junior Caminero — his 11th homer in the last 11 games.

Neither starting pitcher impressed. Houston’s Hunter Brown surrendered seven runs on six hits across four innings, while Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen gave up a season-high-tying five runs on six hits over five frames.

Mariners 11, Blue Jays 0

Logan Gilbert turned in a dominant outing — 7 1/3 innings of one-hit pitching — and Randy Arozarena launched a grand slam as Seattle crushed visiting Toronto. Cal Raleigh added a three-run home run and Dominic Canzone contributed a two-run shot. The win moved Seattle past Texas and into first place in the American League West.

Gilbert (7-5) retired the first 14 Blue Jays batters before Yohendrick Pinango dropped a bloop single into shallow left with two outs in the fifth. He finished with seven strikeouts and no walks over 91 pitches. Toronto starter Shane Bieber (0-1) was roughed up for seven runs on six hits in four-plus innings.

Pirates 7, Nationals 1

Brandon Lowe and Henry Davis each drove in a pair of runs, and Braxton Ashcraft struck out seven in a quality start as Pittsburgh picked up a road victory over Washington. Ashcraft (9-3) gave up one run on six hits across 5 2/3 innings. Bryan Reynolds, Ryan O’Hearn, and Nick Gonzales each recorded two hits for the Pirates, who evened the three-game series heading into Sunday’s finale. James Wood homered for the 23rd time this season for Washington, and Daylen Lile added two hits. Starter Carson Palmquist (0-1) lasted just one-plus inning, allowing four runs on four hits.

Twins 11, Yankees 4

Kody Clemens launched a two-run homer in the first inning and Minnesota went on to slug six home runs total in a convincing win over host New York on a sweltering 95-degree afternoon. Clemens, who has now gone deep five times in eight games, connected off rookie starter Brendan Beck (0-1) following a Trevor Larnach walk and a Byron Buxton RBI double. Luke Keaschall and Alex Jackson hit back-to-back homers in the second, Larnach went deep off Tim Hill in the fourth, and Josh Bell homered in back-to-back at-bats against Ryan Yarbrough and Camilo Doval in the seventh and eighth innings. Minnesota won for the eighth time in its last 11 road games and hit six homers for the first time since September 4, 2023. The Yankees dropped their eighth loss in nine games and gave up six home runs for the first time since August 15, 2019.

Tigers 3, Rangers 0

Riley Greene’s two-run homer and a strong start from Jack Flaherty powered Detroit to a shutout win over Texas in Arlington. All three Detroit runs came in the first two innings, with Greene’s 12th homer of the year and a Ben Malgeri RBI groundout doing the damage. Flaherty (2-8) scattered three hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings and has now gone 10 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing a run since returning from the injured list. Keider Montero closed out the final three innings for his first career save. Texas starter Cal Quantrill (3-1) allowed three runs and three hits in five innings. Ben Peoples made his major league debut for the Rangers, throwing two scoreless innings.

White Sox 3, Guardians 1

Colson Montgomery hit a go-ahead home run and drove in two of Chicago’s three runs as the White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak with a win at Cleveland. Starter Sean Burke set a new career high with 11 strikeouts, holding the Guardians to one run on seven hits over six innings. Brandon Eisert (2-1) was perfect through the seventh and eighth innings, and Grant Taylor earned the save in the ninth. Cleveland’s only run came on an Austin Hedges solo homer in the fifth. Tim Herrin (1-4) surrendered Montgomery’s decisive blast in the eighth.

Orioles 8, Reds 5

Rookie Samuel Basallo launched a three-run homer in the opening inning and Adley Rutschman delivered a two-run double during a five-run fourth as Baltimore defeated host Cincinnati. Pete Alonso chipped in three hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who have now won three straight. Baltimore starter Brandon Young worked five-plus innings, giving up four runs on eight hits. Jose Trevino had three hits and an RBI for Cincinnati, and Elly De La Cruz contributed two hits and an RBI. The Reds outhit Baltimore 11-10 but stranded nine runners and have now lost six of their last seven.

Phillies 6, Royals 1

J.T. Realmuto, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Alec Bohm all went deep to back Jesus Luzardo as visiting Philadelphia topped Kansas City. Luzardo (7-4) was sharp, allowing just one run on four hits over six innings with nine strikeouts and no walks. Kyle Schwarber — one of five Phillies named to the All-Star team earlier Saturday — went 3-for-4. Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (5-6) gave up four runs on eight hits and a walk over six innings. Nick Loftin drove in the lone Kansas City run. The Royals have now dropped eight of their last nine.

Braves 14, Mets 3

Eli White homered and matched his career high with four RBIs to lead Atlanta to a blowout win over visiting New York. White went 2-for-2 and was one of five Braves to go deep. Mauricio Dubon, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Riley — ending a 36-game homerless drought — and Michael Harris II also homered, with Harris connecting off position player Luis Torrens. Chris Sale (9-6) went five-plus innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. The Mets have now lost 12 of their last 14 and sit 17 games behind Atlanta in the National League East. Starter Sean Manaea (1-4) was tagged for six runs on six hits in five innings. Tyrone Taylor and Mark Vientos homered for New York.

Red Sox 8, Angels 1

Sonny Gray limited the Angels to one run on four hits over six innings, and Willson Contreras and Romy Gonzalez each hit home runs as Boston cruised past Los Angeles in Anaheim. Wilyer Abreu drove in two runs and scored twice for the Red Sox, who have won the first two games of the series. A four-run fifth inning — all against Samy Natera Jr. — put the game away. Josh Lowe homered for Los Angeles, which has now dropped five straight. Starter Sam Aldegheri (3-4) allowed three runs and one hit in four innings.

Cardinals 3, Cubs 0

Rookie JJ Wetherholt reached base four times — including a first-inning home run — as St. Louis shut out Chicago, which has managed just one run in two games against the Cardinals after scoring 35 runs in a three-game sweep of San Diego. Wetherholt also walked in the third, doubled in the fifth, and singled in the seventh. Starter Kyle Leahy (7-4) held the Cubs to three hits over five innings. Riley O’Brien earned his 22nd save with a clean ninth. Cubs starter Shota Imanaga (5-7) surrendered four hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out eight over 86 pitches.

Diamondbacks 4, Brewers 3

Adrian Del Castillo’s three-run first-inning homer gave Arizona the lead, and the Diamondbacks held on to beat Milwaukee in Phoenix, leveling the series. Starter Merrill Kelly (6-8) snapped a five-start losing skid by holding the Brewers to two runs on eight hits over five innings. Ildemaro Vargas added a key RBI double in the eighth. Closer Paul Sewald gave up a Jackson Chourio homer in the ninth but still recorded his 20th save. Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff (2-2), making just his third start after nearly two months on the injured list, left the mound with a trainer after a sudden drop in velocity with two outs in the fourth. Christian Yelich also homered for the Brewers, and Brice Turang had three hits for the second consecutive night.

Marlins 7, Athletics 2

Otto Lopez celebrated his first career All-Star selection by going 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs as Miami beat the host Athletics in West Sacramento, California. Kyle Stowers hit a two-run home run and Joe Mack added a solo shot for the Marlins, who have scored 19 runs in winning the first two games of the series. Liam Hicks had three hits and scored twice. Sandy Alcantara (10-4) was outstanding, allowing just one run on six hits over eight innings to extend his winning streak to seven straight decisions. Carlos Cortes, Henry Bolte, and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer each had two hits for the Athletics, who have lost 10 of their last 13. Aaron Civale (5-6) gave up four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, losing his fifth consecutive start.

Giants 6, Rockies 4

Robbie Ray won his fifth straight decision, Bryce Eldridge homered, and San Francisco evened its three-game series at Colorado in Denver. Luis Arraez collected three hits, while Sam Hentges, Dylan Smith, and Caleb Kilian combined for three innings of one-run relief. Ray (8-6) gave up a three-run homer to Cole Carrigg in the first inning but settled in and allowed nothing further over six frames. Rockies rookie left-hander Sean Sullivan (0-3) — a late replacement for scheduled starter Tomoyuki Sagano — pitched 5 2/3 innings but allowed all six Giants runs on 12 hits.

Dodgers 3, Padres 0

Freddie Freeman homered and Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered seven shutout innings as Los Angeles blanked visiting San Diego. Yamamoto (9-5) matched his season best with 10 strikeouts, allowing three hits and two walks. Andy Pages opened the scoring with an RBI single, and Freeman tacked on an eighth-inning RBI single to seal the win. Los Angeles improved to 10-2 since June 22 and 7-2 against the Padres this season. San Diego right-hander Griffin Canning (1-6) gave up one run on two hits over four innings. Fernando Tatis Jr. had two of the Padres’ four hits, but San Diego’s losing streak extended to eight games — the franchise’s longest since a 10-game skid in 2013.

CHICAGO — A blanket of fog brought Saturday night’s baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs to a temporary halt at Wrigley Field, with play suspended for 15 minutes after the sixth inning.

When the delay was called, St. Louis held a 2-0 lead. The Cardinals went on to finish the game with a 3-0 victory.

With nearly 38,872 fans in attendance, the crowd turned the unplanned break into an impromptu sing-along, belting out John Denver’s classic “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The song has gained renewed popularity during the World Cup soccer tournament, where U.S. players and tens of thousands of supporters have been singing it together at the conclusion of matches.

The evening had already gotten off to a rocky start — the rare Saturday night contest at the historic North Side ballpark was pushed back an hour because of rain. Fog then began creeping in from the north as early as the second inning, growing steadily thicker as the game progressed. While outfielders appeared to have difficulty tracking fly balls through the haze, no fielding errors resulted from the conditions.

Before the delay was officially called, the umpiring crew met on the field with Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol and Cubs skipper Craig Counsell. The scoreboard eventually displayed a message citing “weather in the area” as the reason for the stoppage.

Former college basketball guard Kerr Kriisa is in federal custody after being arrested by the FBI, according to a report from Kentucky Sports Radio published Saturday.

The 25-year-old, who suited up for four different college programs throughout his career — Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Cincinnati — is linked to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that reportedly traces back to his time playing for West Virginia. Authorities are in the process of extraditing him to West Virginia, though the report offered no further specifics about the nature of the allegations.

Kriisa is originally from Estonia and built his basketball resume through stints in Lithuania and Germany before landing at Arizona, where he played three seasons from 2020 to 2023. During his time with the Wildcats, he improved his scoring average each year.

He then moved to West Virginia for the 2023-24 season, where he posted a career-best 11 points per game. That season was also marked by a nine-game suspension he served for receiving improper benefits during his time at Arizona. He went on to play at Kentucky in 2024-25 and most recently at Cincinnati in 2025-26. Across 127 college games — including 106 starts — Kriisa averaged 8.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 28.1 minutes per contest.

Just prior to his arrest, Kriisa had been listed as a participant for “La Familia,” a Basketball Tournament team affiliated with Kentucky.

Patrick Ewing is making his return to the NBA coaching world, with ESPN reporting Saturday that the basketball legend will join the Washington Wizards as an assistant coach under head coach Brian Keefe.

Ewing, 63, had most recently been working as an ambassador for the New York Knicks — the team where he built his legendary playing career from 1985 to 2000. His coaching journey actually began with the Wizards back in 2002-03, after which he went on to serve as an assistant with the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets organization.

On the court in Washington, Ewing is expected to bring his big-man expertise to veteran players Trae Young and Anthony Davis, while also helping 2026 No. 1 overall draft pick AJ Dybantsa find his footing in the NBA. The assignment carries a personal connection for Ewing — he himself was selected No. 1 overall by the Knicks back in 1985.

According to the report, former NBA head coach Steve Clifford will also be coming aboard the Wizards organization, taking on the role of coaching advisor. Clifford had been filling a similar advisory position with the Phoenix Suns since August 2025.

The pairing of Ewing and Clifford, 64, marks a reunion of sorts. Ewing previously served on Clifford’s coaching staff with the Bobcats/Hornets from 2013 to 2017.

Clifford’s head coaching résumé includes stints with the Bobcats/Hornets — from 2013 to 2018 and again from 2022 to 2024 — as well as the Orlando Magic from 2018 to 2021. Before taking the reins as a head coach, he worked as an assistant with the Knicks, Magic, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Ewing’s career has spanned both the professional and college levels. He won an NCAA championship in 1984 at Georgetown before returning to his alma mater as head coach in 2017. During his tenure, he led the Hoyas to the Big East tournament title at Madison Square Garden in 2021, before being relieved of his coaching duties there in 2023.

A Knicks icon, Ewing had his No. 33 jersey retired by the franchise in 2003. He remains the all-time franchise leader in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, and games played, and helped carry New York to the postseason in each of his final 13 seasons.

The Nashville Predators announced Saturday that forward Mavrik Bourque has signed a new six-year contract worth $33 million after joining the team through a trade.

Nashville brought Bourque aboard on July 1 in a deal with the Dallas Stars that also netted the Predators defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. In return, Dallas received two future draft picks — a second-round selection in 2027 and a third-rounder in 2028.

Bourque, who is 24 years old, was originally drafted by the Stars with the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft. His role in the league has grown steadily over the years. He appeared in just one game during his rookie season in 2023-24, then played in 73 games the following year. Last season, he suited up for all 82 regular-season games and posted career-best numbers: 41 points, 20 goals, and 21 assists.

In last season’s playoffs with Dallas, Bourque contributed one goal. Before making his mark in the NHL, he was named the most valuable player in the American Hockey League, where he led the entire league with 77 points during the 2023-24 season.

Three of baseball’s biggest names — Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, and Los Angeles’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani — may all be absent from the All-Star mound next month, each facing scheduling or health obstacles. Meanwhile, four members of the reigning World Series champion Dodgers earned starting spots in the National League lineup.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout secured his 12th All-Star selection and first since 2023, based on results from the second round of fan voting announced Saturday by Major League Baseball. Trout, who grew up in Millville, New Jersey, near Philadelphia, was voted by fans to start for the eleventh time. He is hoping to return from a right hamstring strain suffered on June 17 in time for the game.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., one of four All-Stars from the American League champion club, announced he would not appear in the July 14 game at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, citing a back problem that has nagged him for much of the season.

“Those four days will be great,” Guerrero said through a translator, “to come back strong in the second half.”

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, chosen for his eighth All-Star start, will also miss the game. He has been sidelined since May with a broken rib.

Skenes, who started the last two All-Star Games for the National League, is currently slated to take the mound for Pittsburgh on Tuesday and again on Sunday. The 24-year-old right-hander has gone 0-6 in his last nine outings, bringing his season record to 6-8 with a 3.62 ERA. He was selected by his fellow players, as was Misiorowski.

“To be honest, probably a little surprised,” Skenes said of being chosen.

Misiorowski has been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball this season, averaging 100.4 mph on his fastball and leading all of Major League Baseball with a 1.47 ERA. He was an All-Star last season after appearing in just five big league games. He is also scheduled to pitch Sunday, making his All-Star appearance uncertain.

“We’re looking for September, October,” Misiorowski said Friday. “It sucks — obviously I want to throw in a game like that — but so be it.”

Ohtani, a three-time two-way All-Star and six-time selection overall, is unlikely to pitch in the game either. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said a right biceps issue will push Ohtani’s final start before the break to next weekend.

Freddie Freeman became a 10-time All-Star when he was announced Sunday alongside Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy and outfielder Andy Pages as winners in the second phase of fan voting, which ran from June 29 through Thursday. All three joined Ohtani, who had already claimed the NL designated hitter spot after leading all vote-getters in the first round of fan selection announced June 25.

The tightest race of the voting saw Pages edge Atlanta’s Michael Harris II by fewer than 5,000 votes for the third NL outfield spot.

The Dodgers now have four starters in the All-Star Game — something that hasn’t happened for the franchise since Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, and Reggie Smith all started in 1980. World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto was also added to the NL pitching staff by Major League Baseball through one of its six selections, giving the Dodgers five or more All-Stars for the seventh consecutive year.

Among the 64 players selected, 26 are first-time All-Stars, including four rookies: Cleveland second baseman Travis Bazzana, Detroit shortstop Kevin McGonigle, Cleveland left-hander Parker Messick, and Cincinnati third baseman Sal Stewart. McGonigle, at 21, is the youngest player in the game, while Boston closer Aroldis Chapman, 38, is the oldest.

Atlanta and the host Philadelphia Phillies each claimed five All-Stars. Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh was voted to start, and he’ll be joined by first baseman Bryce Harper, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, reliever Jhoan Duran, and left-hander Cristopher Sánchez. Harper was added as a legend pick by Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin and second baseman Ozzie Albies were voted in as starters and will be accompanied by left-hander Chris Sale, a 10-time All-Star, and closer Raisel Iglesias.

Toronto’s four selections include Guerrero, second baseman Ernie Clement — who led AL players in the first round of voting — and pitchers Dylan Cease and Louis Varland.

“Our fan support is unlike any other team, obviously, because of the country backing you,” said Toronto manager John Schneider, who will manage the AL squad. “Not just Canada — I think a lot of baseball people really recognized how those guys play the game.”

Other elected AL starters include Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero, Houston designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, and the Yankees’ Judge and Minnesota’s Byron Buxton in the outfield.

With Guerrero sitting out, the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz will take his place in the starting lineup. Judge will be replaced by Yankees teammate Cody Bellinger, with replacements determined by player, manager, and coach voting.

Bellinger earned his third All-Star selection, and first since 2019. “That’s going to be cool. Last time I had no kids or family or anything,” he said.

NL starters also include New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto and Washington shortstop CJ Abrams.

Other AL pitchers chosen by players include Boston’s Chapman, Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan, the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler, and Cleveland’s Cade Smith. Additional NL pitchers voted in by players include Cincinnati’s Chase Burns and San Diego’s Mason Miller.

The 96th MLB All-Star Game is coming to Philadelphia on July 14, and the starting lineups are set — with the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers sending four hitters to the National League’s starting nine.

Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who earned the most votes among National League players to lock up his sixth straight All-Star selection last week, found out Saturday that first baseman Freddie Freeman, third baseman Max Muncy, and center fielder Andy Pages will join him in the starting lineup.

Fans and players also chose Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh, and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto as NL starters. Baldwin, Marsh, and Pages are each appearing in their first All-Star Game.

The American League starting lineup blends longtime All-Stars with some fresh faces. The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, and Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton make up the AL outfield — though Judge, dealing with a rib stress fracture, likely won’t be able to play, and Trout, nursing a hamstring injury, may not be activated in time either.

Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers and Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement are both making their All-Star debuts, joining Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez in the AL starting lineup.

Alvarez hit his league-leading 28th home run Saturday night, while Caminero launched his 11th homer over the Rays’ last 11 games to push his season total to 26.

Clement, batting .293 with a .746 OPS for the 42-47 Blue Jays, collected the most fan votes of any AL player to become the first in his league to secure a starting spot. Langeliers is the first Athletics catcher to start an All-Star Game since Terry Steinbach did it in back-to-back years in 1988 and 1989.

The AL pitching staff is headlined by 11 pitchers who have either zero or just one All-Star Game under their belts. Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman, earning his ninth All-Star nod, is the most experienced arm on the roster.

Toronto’s Dylan Cease, Cleveland’s Parker Messick, Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan, New York’s Cam Schlitter, Boston’s Ranger Suarez, and Kansas City’s Michael Wacha round out the AL starting pitchers. Chapman is joined in the bullpen by Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker, Texas’ Jacob Latz, Cleveland’s Cade Smith, and Toronto’s Louis Varland.

The National League pitching staff carries a bit more experience overall. Atlanta ace Chris Sale, making his 10th All-Star appearance, is the only NL pitcher with more than three trips to the midsummer classic. He’ll be joined on the starting staff by Cincinnati’s Chase Burns, Miami’s Max Meyer, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, San Francisco’s Logan Webb, and Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

San Diego closer Mason Miller heads up the NL bullpen, which also includes Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran and Atlanta’s Raisel Iglesias.

Philadelphia fans will have plenty to cheer about beyond Marsh, Sanchez, and Duran. First baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber were named as reserves. Harper, making his ninth All-Star appearance, received a “legend pick” designation, while Schwarber leads all of Major League Baseball with 30 home runs.

The rest of the NL bench includes catchers William Contreras of Milwaukee and Hunter Goodman of Colorado, first baseman Matt Olson of Atlanta, shortstop Otto Lopez of Miami, utility infielders Luis Arraez of San Francisco and Sal Stewart of Cincinnati, and outfielders Corbin Carroll of Arizona, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs, Jordan Walker of St. Louis, and James Wood of Washington.

The AL reserve group features catchers Dillon Dingler of Detroit and Adley Rutschman of Baltimore, designated hitter Yandy Diaz of Tampa Bay, first basemen Nick Kurtz of the Athletics and Ben Rice of the Yankees, rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana of Cleveland, rookie shortstop/third baseman Kevin McGonigle of Detroit, third baseman Miguel Vargas of the White Sox, and outfielders Randy Arozarena of Seattle, Cody Bellinger of the Yankees, and Riley Greene of Detroit.

When all is said and done, the Phillies, Dodgers, and Braves each claimed five All-Star spots — the most of any team. In total, 26 players are heading to their first-ever All-Star Game, including 15 of the 32 players on the American League roster.

Darryn Peterson, selected second overall in the NBA Draft, wasted no time making his presence known in his Summer League opener, dropping 28 points in 27 minutes as the Utah Jazz edged the Atlanta Hawks 103-102 in overtime on Saturday in Salt Lake City.

The young guard has faced plenty of scrutiny following a challenging college season at Kansas, where he battled recurring cramping issues and other injuries. The Jazz selected Peterson after the Washington Wizards used the top pick on BYU’s AJ Dybantsa.

Peterson shot 11 for 21 from the field, including a 4-of-7 showing from beyond the arc, while adding five rebounds and two blocked shots. However, he did struggle with ball security, committing eight turnovers on the night.

The outing marked Peterson’s first competitive game since Kansas was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by St. John’s back in March. He averaged 20.2 points per game last season but sat out 11 of the Jayhawks’ 35 contests due to injury.

Peterson reflected on the experience after the game. “It felt great,” he said. “I hadn’t played since my last game in March. Playing another basketball game, this is what I love to do.”

Utah’s Summer League schedule continues Monday when the Jazz face the Memphis Grizzlies, also on the University of Utah campus.

Mbappé Powers France Into World Cup Quarterfinals With 1-0 Win Over Paraguay

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kylian Mbappé notched his 19th career World Cup goal, lifting France to a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in brutal heat and sending Les Bleus into the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive time. Temperatures hovered near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) throughout the match, with an extreme heat warning in effect. Mbappé converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute to break a scoreless deadlock against a tough, defense-first Paraguay squad. The penalty was awarded after a video review determined Diego Gomez tripped Mbappé. France will next face Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Mbappé One Goal Behind Messi on All-Time World Cup List

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mbappé’s penalty against Paraguay was his seventh goal of this tournament, pulling him even with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race for the tournament’s top scorer. The goal came in the 70th minute of his 19th World Cup appearance, when Mbappé used a stutter-step to beat Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill. Messi holds the all-time World Cup scoring record, and Mbappé now trails him by just one goal overall.

Morocco Rolls Past Canada 3-0, Becomes First African Nation to Reach Quarterfinals Twice

HOUSTON (AP) — Azzedine Ounahi scored twice as Morocco dominated Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16 on Saturday, making Morocco the first African country to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals on more than one occasion. The victory builds on Morocco’s landmark run in 2022, when the team became the first African nation to reach the semifinals. For Canada, a co-host of this World Cup, the loss ends a memorable run that included the country’s first-ever knockout stage victory — a 1-0 win over South Africa.

Eala Stuns Swiatek at Wimbledon; Rybakina Also Eliminated

LONDON (AP) — Wimbledon’s title defense by Iga Swiatek came to an abrupt end Saturday in a straight-set third-round defeat to 21-year-old Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. Eala made history as the first Filipino player — man or woman — to advance to the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles event. Swiatek had defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in last year’s final. Shortly before Swiatek’s elimination, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina was also knocked out in the third round, falling to Elise Mertens in straight sets. In another notable result, Madison Keys defeated sixth-seeded Anisimova 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an all-American matchup on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

Serena Williams’ Coach Cites Nerves and Closed Roof in Wimbledon Defeat

LONDON (AP) — One of Serena Williams’ coaches is opening up about what affected the 44-year-old’s performance in her first singles match in nearly four years. Coach Rennae Stubbs told The Associated Press that nerves played a role in Williams’ loss earlier this week at Wimbledon. Stubbs recalled a moment about an hour into the match: “I noticed her in the middle of the second set take a big sort of deep breath and I actually turned around to Venus and said, ‘Oh I think she just relaxed.’” Stubbs also shared that she resumed coaching Williams in March and immediately saw that the 23-time Grand Slam champion still had the ability to compete. Williams lost 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 to 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia on Tuesday.

Serena Williams Pulls Out of Wimbledon Doubles Due to Knee Injury

LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams has withdrawn from her scheduled doubles partnership with sister Venus at Wimbledon, citing a right knee injury. The 44-year-old sustained the injury during her singles return earlier in the week, at the end of the first set of a three-set loss. Williams addressed the situation on Instagram, writing: “I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside @venuswilliams once more meant the world to me. I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete.” Her post included photos of four syringes, which she said showed “the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match.”

Mexico Hosts England in High-Stakes World Cup Round of 16 at Estadio Azteca

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s four-decade quest to return to the World Cup quarterfinals reaches a defining moment Sunday when El Tri takes on England in the Round of 16 at home. The match is being called arguably the most significant game in Mexican football history. Mexico has an extraordinary record at the Estadio Azteca, which opened in 1966 — the national team has lost there just twice, with the most recent defeat coming against Honduras in September 2013. Mexico has not allowed a single goal at the venue during this World Cup.

Egypt Coach Waves Palestinian Flag After World Cup Victory

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan took to the pitch holding a Palestinian flag following his team’s win over Australia in the World Cup. Hassan dedicated the victory to both Egyptians and Palestinians, saying his heart is with them. Egypt advanced from the elimination round for the first time in its history on Friday, defeating Australia on penalty kicks after a draw. Video of Hassan with the flag spread widely online, with crowds chanting “free Palestine.” The gesture came amid widespread pro-Palestinian demonstrations linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. Whether FIFA will take disciplinary action remains unclear, as the governing body has previously moved to limit political displays on the field.

Messi Scores 20th World Cup Goal, Extends Record Streak and Leads Golden Boot Race

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi has now scored in eight consecutive World Cup matches, a record-extending streak that grew Friday when Argentina’s captain found the net in the 29th minute against Cape Verde. The goal was the 20th of Messi’s World Cup career, pushing him two ahead of France’s Mbappé on the all-time list. Messi now has seven goals in this tournament — one more than Mbappé — giving him the lead in the Golden Boot race. He has scored 12 times across his last eight World Cup appearances. Argentina held on for a 3-2 win in extra time.

Boston’s Aroldis Chapman Sets MLB Record for Strikeouts as a Reliever

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman has broken a major league record that had gone untouched for more than 50 years. The 38-year-old Cuban left-hander struck out the Angels’ Denzer Guzman for the 1,364th strikeout of his career as a reliever, surpassing a mark set by Hall of Fame knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm, whose 21-year career wrapped up in 1972. It was Chapman’s 1,364th career strikeout across 17 seasons with seven teams. The Red Sox honored the milestone in their clubhouse at Angel Stadium, playing a video retrospective of Chapman’s career for his younger teammates.

PHILADELPHIA — In brutal summer heat that pushed temperatures past 100 degrees, France ground out a narrow 1-0 victory over a scrappy Paraguay side on Saturday, with Kylian Mbappe’s penalty kick proving the difference and sending the French into a World Cup quarter-final against Morocco.

The win marked Mbappe’s 19th World Cup goal in as many appearances, and it came at just the right time — preventing what could have been another stunning upset after Paraguay had already knocked out four-time champions Germany earlier in the tournament. Cape Verde had also nearly pulled off a miracle against Argentina the day before.

Speaking after the match, Mbappe didn’t mince words about the style of play. “We knew what kind of match we were going to have. If we have to get our hands dirty, we can do that. We can play ugly football. They thought we would turn up in tuxedos, but we were there,” he said.

“Even at that game, we were better than them. That’s their football — there is no right or wrong way to play the game. They tried to get at us that way, but we won,” Mbappe added.

France went into the contest without midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who was pulled just before kickoff with a muscle injury. Manu Kone stepped in alongside Adrien Rabiot in midfield, while Paraguay lined up in a defensive 5-4-1 formation, making it clear they had no intention of playing open football.

With the thermometer hitting 39 degrees Celsius — about 102 degrees Fahrenheit — the first half was a grinding, scoreless affair. Neither team managed a single shot on target before the break. Rabiot, Kone, and Ousmane Dembele each had attempts for France, while Julio Enciso was Paraguay’s only real threat going forward.

The second half brought more urgency from France, and the breakthrough finally came when substitute Desire Doue — who had entered the game in place of Bradley Barcola — was tripped inside the penalty area by Diego Gomez. After a review by the video assistant referee, official Ilgiz Tantashev pointed to the spot.

Mbappe stepped up and calmly sent goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way in the 70th minute, notching his seventh goal of the tournament. The strike also moved him level with Lionel Messi on the all-time World Cup scoring list, just one goal behind the Argentine legend.

Paraguay refused to go quietly. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan was finally called upon in the 90th minute — his first save of the entire match — as the South Americans pushed forward and tried to create havoc near France’s penalty area in the closing moments.

France then endured a tense stoppage time after Mbappe was denied twice in rapid succession by Gill, but Les Bleus held on to secure the victory. The win sets up a quarter-final rematch with Morocco, the same opponent France eliminated in the semi-finals four years ago.

For Paraguay, it was a familiar story. They had hoped to settle an old score dating back to their 1998 last-16 loss to France — a match decided by Laurent Blanc’s golden goal — but their defensive approach once again left them without a reward.

Reigning world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden delivered a dramatic victory over Sha’Carri Richardson in the women’s 100 metres at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on Saturday, winning by the slimmest of margins in a breathtaking photo finish.

Richardson, widely celebrated for her blazing closing speed, was unable to hold off Jefferson-Wooden in the final stretch. Jefferson-Wooden crossed the tape in 10.78 seconds, edging Richardson by just one hundredth of a second to claim the win.

Twenty-year-old Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands rounded out the podium with a time of 10.80.

“It was a fight literally to the finish but I wanted it more,” Jefferson-Wooden said after the race.

On the men’s side, Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi pulled off a major upset, overtaking Jamaican world leader Oblique Seville at the 50-metre mark and finishing in 9.84. Seville came in five hundredths of a second behind, while American Christian Coleman took third in 9.95.

“I’ve been consistent,” Ajayi said. “That was part of my goal. Stay on top of it all, stay consistent, come out here and do what I have to do and just execute my race.”

The meet also featured a remarkable performance from 18-year-old American Tate Taylor, who knocked off reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana in the men’s 200 metres. Fresh out of high school, Taylor ran into a headwind and still crossed the finish line 0.18 seconds ahead of the field, posting a time of 19.75 — well below his previous personal best of 19.94.

“I just can’t really believe it,” Taylor said. “I wasn’t going to expect to win this race.”

Australia’s Cameron Myers, 20, dominated the men’s mile, winning in 3:46.06 and finishing 0.55 seconds ahead of American 1,500m Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse after pulling away down the final straightaway.

American Nikki Hiltz set a world-leading time of 4:17.49 to take the women’s mile, with Kenya’s Dorcus Ewoi finishing second in 4:17.62. Three-time 1,500m Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon was a surprising third in 4:17.80.

In the 110m hurdles, American Jamal Britt won in 12.86, with Ja’Kobe Tharp — who shattered a 14-year-old U.S. record in the same event at the same track last month — fading after a strong start to finish just 0.05 seconds behind.

U.S. Olympic champion Masai Russell dominated the women’s 100m hurdles, finishing a full tenth of a second ahead of world-record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, crossing in 12.24.

Kenya’s world champion Lilian Odira held off Britain’s Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson in the final 100 metres to win the women’s 800m in 1:56.19. Hodgkinson, who has publicly spoken about her goal of breaking the 800m world record, finished in 1:56.73. She had withdrawn from the 400m at the U.K. Athletics Championships last month but later indicated she was in good health.

Botswana’s 400m world champion Busang Collen Kebinatshipi won his specialty event in exactly 44 seconds, running down hurdles Olympic gold medallist Rai Benjamin, who finished in 44.11, on the final stretch.

In the field events, Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall soared to a winning leap of 7.13 metres in the long jump. Two-time world champion Chase Jackson won the women’s shot put on her very first throw with a distance of 20.56 metres.

China’s Zhang Jiale (77.94 metres) edged Canada’s Olympic champion Camryn Rogers (77.81 metres) in the women’s hammer throw. Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna took the men’s discus with a throw of 71.06 metres, and Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri won the men’s shot put at 22.74 metres.

Before Saturday evening’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Houston Astros made a series of roster changes, optioning outfielders Jake Meyers and Joey Loperfido to their Triple-A affiliate in Sugar Land.

To fill those roster spots, Houston called up utility player Zach Dezenzo and reinstated first baseman and outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr., who had been sidelined on the injured list.

Meyers, 30, has struggled at the plate this season, posting a .206 batting average with three home runs and 11 RBIs across 52 games. Now in his sixth year with the organization, the veteran outfielder has faced a challenging stretch at the big league level.

Houston skipper Joe Espada addressed the move with reporters, acknowledging Meyers’ contributions over the years. “He’s helped us to win a lot of games, helped us win a lot of postseason games,” Espada said. “He’s part of this organization’s success, but he understood it. We’re going to help him. We’ve pinpointed some things that he’s going to be working on in Triple-A.”

Over his career, Meyers has appeared in 517 games and carries a .240 lifetime batting average, along with 36 home runs, 172 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases.

Loperfido, 27, is also having a difficult season, hitting .216 with one home run and 12 RBIs in 39 games. This marks his second time suiting up for Houston at the major league level.

Dezenzo, 26, appeared in 21 games with the Astros earlier this year, batting .191 with one home run and two RBIs before being sent down.

Wade, 32, signed with Houston in early June and made a strong initial impression, going 4-for-12 with a home run and four RBIs in four games before suffering a right hamstring injury. His last appearance came on June 8.

Earlier in his career, Wade saw regular playing time with the San Francisco Giants from 2021 through 2025. Across 564 games with four major league organizations, he holds a .236 career batting average with 56 home runs and 189 RBIs.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews had to exit Saturday’s game at New York against the Yankees after sustaining a laceration to his right foot.

The trouble began in the fifth inning when Matthews appeared to be in pain after delivering a 95 mph fastball that missed the strike zone against batter Ben Rice.

Manager Derek Shelton and a trainer made their way out to the mound to check on the right-hander. Matthews signaled he was okay with a thumbs up and remained in the game after throwing a practice pitch.

However, Matthews continued to struggle with his command, throwing three consecutive balls out of the zone to Rice — issuing his third walk of the inning — before Shelton decided to pull him from the game.

Over his 4 2/3 innings of work, Matthews surrendered four runs on three hits.

Heading into Saturday’s contest, the pitcher carried a 4-5 record with a 4.43 ERA across 11 starts on the season.

The Cincinnati Reds have reinstated right-handed pitcher Hunter Greene from the injured list, setting him up to take the mound for the first time this season Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles.

To make room on the roster, the Reds sent right-hander Chase Petty down to Triple-A Louisville and designated outfielder Will Benson for assignment.

Greene, 26, has been sidelined since late March following a procedure to remove bone chips from his elbow.

When at full strength, Greene has ranked among the top pitchers in the National League over the past two seasons. He compiled a 16-9 record with a 2.76 ERA across 258 innings, striking out 301 batters. That said, injuries limited him to just 45 starts, with a groin strain and elbow troubles costing him significant time.

Before rejoining the Reds, Greene made two tune-up starts with Triple-A Louisville. In his most recent outing, he dominated opposing hitters, tossing 6 1/3 innings in a 3-0 victory while retiring 16 consecutive batters and throwing 82 pitches.

Petty, 23, posted a 1-1 record with a 4.37 ERA across 10 appearances — including two starts — for Cincinnati this season.

Benson, 28, struggled at the plate this year, batting .188 with three home runs and six RBIs in 51 games for the Reds. Over five seasons split between the Cleveland Guardians (2022-23) and Cincinnati, he carries a career batting average of .221 with 40 home runs and 124 RBIs in 405 games.

HOUSTON — Canada’s remarkable World Cup journey came to a painful close Saturday, as they fell 3-0 to Morocco in the round of 16. But head coach Jesse Marsch refused to let the scoreline define what his team accomplished, saying he could not be more proud of the way his players competed.

The Canadian squad had already made history during the tournament, earning their first-ever World Cup point, their first victory, and their first knockout-stage win. Against the seventh-ranked Moroccan side, Canada controlled long stretches of play but ultimately could not convert their opportunities, and the absence of their biggest star loomed large over the result.

“I’m very proud to be the Canadian national team coach, and as proud as I am, I’m even more proud of the way our boys played today,” Marsch told reporters after the match.

Wing-back Alphonso Davies, who plays for Bayern Munich, sat out the contest after suffering a hamstring injury, having appeared for only a few minutes throughout the entire tournament.

“We want players on the pitch that are 100% to play the game, I wasn’t there yet,” Davies said. “It was tough sitting there, watching the game, knowing that I’m not 100%.”

Marsch said that heading into the match, he felt his team was capable of winning based on how they were playing.

“Before today, if you would have said your team’s going to play like that, I would have said, ‘okay, there’s a good chance we’re going to win the match,’” he said.

“Thought we totally controlled the number seven team in the world in the first half, total control. There was one team on the pitch. And then we weren’t able to make the play. Even at the start of the second half, we were the aggressor, we were the ones that looked more likely to score.”

Marsch noted that Morocco’s opening goal shifted the dynamic of the game, allowing the North African side to drop back and defend while Canada chased an equalizer.

On the Davies injury, Marsch explained the decision to keep him out was made with the player’s long-term health in mind.

“He didn’t feel right yesterday in training, and we got an MRI, and it was clear, but his hamstring didn’t feel right,” Marsch said. “It killed him more than anyone, but I think it was the right decision to preserve him and his career and get him fully healthy.”

The American coach encouraged his players and Canadian soccer broadly to treat the tournament as a launching pad going forward. After gathering his team on the field for a post-game huddle — waving off television cameras in the process — Marsch challenged them to maintain the level they had shown throughout the competition.

“I challenged them to understand that we can play like this all the time,” he said. “Against the best teams in the world, we can be better on the day. The challenge is, can we hold that standard for 90 minutes? Can we continue to build the depth of what we’re doing with the team? Can we build a real Canadian DNA into the kind of football we want to play?”

Marsch said the tournament marked the beginning of a new chapter for Canadian soccer.

“It is a privilege to have now a Canadian national team competing at levels that had never been dreamed of 10 years ago,” he said. “With that excitement comes higher expectations. Nobody is more disappointed than us, but we have to continue to think about how to get better and commit ourselves to it every time we’re together.”

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney also weighed in on social media platform X, writing: “Nothing but pride … An incredible run and a sign of what’s to come.”

American tennis star Madison Keys had double the reason to celebrate this Fourth of July — she not only won her Wimbledon match but finally set foot on the tournament’s legendary Centre Court for the very first time.

Keys, seeded 26th in the tournament, defeated fellow American Amanda Anisimova, the sixth seed, by a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Saturday to move into the fourth round. What made the victory even more special was that it marked Keys’ first-ever appearance on Centre Court despite having competed at Wimbledon 11 times before.

“I’m glad that I finally got to check that off of the list,” said the 31-year-old former Australian Open champion, confirming that playing Centre Court had indeed been on her bucket list.

The fact that Keys had never previously appeared on the world’s most celebrated tennis court surprised even those close to her. She recalled a recent conversation with her agent, Max Eisenbud, about the topic.

“Everyone was shocked. I was saying that to (agent) Max (Eisenbud) the other day, and he’s like, ‘you’ve been on Centre Court.’ I was like, ‘no, I actually physically have not,’” Keys said.

When the order of play was released Friday, Keys learned she would be competing on Centre Court for the first time. Her excitement was immediate.

“I was so excited. I was texting our podcast group chat. I was like, ‘Guys, I’m going to be on the Centre Court of Wimbledon. This is crazy,’” she recalled.

Keys came into Wimbledon riding some momentum, having captured the Eastbourne title just last week. She took some time to find her footing in the match but ultimately looked right at home on the historic surface.

Describing the moments leading up to her walk onto the court, Keys said the experience was one she truly savored.

“It’s funny, just like all these years later when you do the whole walk and down the stairs, I was like, I’ve never seen this. I kind of kept looking around,” she said. “I don’t know if I would say it was intimidating. It was just really fun for me to … experience it for the first time. I really kind of took it all in. I was quite literally looking at every single picture on the wall.”

Keys will return to action Monday when she faces Czech ninth seed Linda Noskova, with a chance to match her best-ever run at the grasscourt Grand Slam.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers and Budweiser raised a glass — a very, very big glass — to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in record-breaking fashion.

The two teamed up on Saturday to claim a Guinness World Record for the biggest glass of beer ever created. A massive beer stein standing 12 feet tall and holding 600 gallons was filled in a plaza just outside Globe Life Field ahead of the Rangers’ July 4th matchup against the Detroit Tigers.

The filling process alone took close to two hours to complete. Once finished, an official Guinness adjudicator who was on-site reviewed and certified the new world record.

The achievement topped the previous record of 550 gallons, which had been set back in 2014 by Stod Fold Brewing Company, a brewery based in Halifax, United Kingdom. That record had been tied to the Tour de France bicycle race held that same year.

SEATTLE — Defender Sergino Dest says the U.S. men’s national soccer team is ready to channel the energy of a nation that is fully behind them as they prepare to battle Belgium for a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals following the July 4 holiday weekend.

The squad enjoyed a laid-back Saturday morning training session before heading off to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday with fireworks, family, and friends. Coach Mauricio Pochettino greeted reporters with holiday well-wishes before the players got down to business, while Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun — who faces a suspension after receiving a straight red card in the victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina — loosened up by tossing a baseball around.

On Friday evening, the team took in a Seattle Mariners baseball game, where midfielder Cristian Roldan fired up the crowd with a rallying cry of “let’s go win a World Cup” — a moment that captured the growing sense of belief surrounding the co-host nation.

Dest said the team intends to bring that momentum into a packed stadium in Seattle on Monday for what he acknowledged could be the most significant match in the history of American soccer — at least so far.

“At the moment, maybe yes,” Dest told reporters. “Hopefully we will win this game and then we can even play more games in this tournament. Because we have an amazing group at the moment.”

“We play really well and we’re all just so motivated and the country believes — everybody believes at the moment … the support is huge,” he added.

Belgium arrives with momentum of their own after staging a stunning comeback against Senegal, and Dest acknowledged that despite an uneven tournament, they remain a dangerous opponent.

“They are inconsistent this tournament, but we still know that they have qualities,” he said.

Fellow defender Tim Ream echoed the team’s confidence while also reflecting on the broader impact a deep tournament run could have on the sport’s popularity across the United States.

“We’re not fully thinking about that at the minute. We’re thinking about playing games and putting in performances,” Ream said. “But we are … very aware of the impact that we’re having around the country and the impact we’re having on generations of people and fans.”

With Balogun sidelined, the team will need to find a different way to generate offense. But Ream pointed to how the squad managed to hold on against Bosnia while playing a man down as proof they can adapt under pressure.

“When teams can win in different ways, when teams have to win in different ways, it gives you that mental boost,” Ream said. “Sometimes the game’s not going to be nice, it’s not going to be pretty, you’re not going to have everything go your way, but you find ways to finish games out.”

The Texas Rangers made two roster moves in their bullpen on Saturday, reinstating veteran right-handed reliever Chris Martin from the injured list while placing fellow right-hander Jakob Junis on the IL, backdated to Wednesday.

Martin, who is 40 years old, had spent just over a month on the shelf recovering from a right shoulder impingement. Through 12 relief outings this season, he posted a 1-1 record with a 7.84 ERA. Over the course of his 11-year career, Martin has appeared in 430 relief games for seven different organizations, compiling a 19-25 record and a 3.45 ERA.

Junis, 33, is being sidelined by a right hip impingement. He has been solid for Texas this season, going 1-1 with a 2.80 ERA across 31 appearances, including one start. In 10 seasons at the major league level, Junis owns a 47-47 record and a 4.29 ERA over 280 appearances — 117 of which were starts — spread across six different clubs.

HOUSTON — Morocco made short work of a spirited Canada side on Saturday, winning 3-0 in the World Cup’s round of 16 and booking their place in the quarter-finals for the second straight tournament.

Despite the comfortable final score, Morocco were far from dominant in the early going. Canada came out with intensity from the opening whistle, pressing high and creating several quality chances while Morocco struggled to find any rhythm. In fact, Morocco did not manage a single shot on goal until the 28th minute.

Things got more complicated for Morocco when midfielder Ismael Saibari, who had tallied three goals in the tournament, went down with a hamstring injury in the 22nd minute and had to be replaced by Soufiane Rahimi.

Canada — co-hosts of the tournament — had kept their fairytale run alive heading into the match, but their inability to finish those early opportunities proved costly. Just five minutes into the second half, Morocco broke the deadlock through a clever free-kick routine. Achraf Hakimi slid a low ball in from the right side, finding a completely open Ounahi, who calmly side-footed it into the bottom corner from about 25 yards out.

That goal deflated the Canadian side, who were already without key player Alphonso Davies, sidelined by fitness troubles throughout a tournament in which Canada recorded their first-ever point and victory at a World Cup.

Ounahi struck again in the 82nd minute, finishing into the top corner after a swift four-on-two counterattack in which Brahim Diaz set him up perfectly — Canada caught out pushing forward in search of a goal to get back in the match.

Morocco capped off the victory with a third goal late in the match, courtesy of substitute Rahimi, who finished off another fast break to seal a convincing win.

Morocco will now await the outcome of Saturday’s other round of 16 match between Paraguay and France, with the quarter-final scheduled for July 9.

Britain’s Arthur Fery delivered one of the most dramatic moments of this year’s Wimbledon championship on Saturday, staging a remarkable comeback against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs to advance to the round of 16.

The 23-year-old wildcard won a grueling five-set battle by a score of 2-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(5) in what became the longest match of the entire tournament, lasting four hours and 38 minutes.

Spectators packed every available spot around Court 18, cheering loudly as Fery clawed his way back from what looked like certain defeat. At one point, he was down two sets to one and trailing by a double break of serve against the world’s 37th-ranked Bergs.

Bergs appeared to have the match in hand, but his serve began to falter as Fery mounted his comeback and forced a decisive fifth set.

The drama reached new heights in the final set when Bergs surged ahead 4-1, yet once again he was unable to put Fery away. A nosebleed struck Fery while he was serving at 4-5, adding yet another layer of tension to an already electric atmosphere.

Despite the physical setback, Fery looked composed as the deciding tiebreaker got underway. With Bergs making a string of unforced errors, Fery closed out the victory and immediately collapsed onto his back on the court in a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

The win makes Fery the first British wildcard to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon since Andrew Foster accomplished the feat in 1993. Born in France, Fery is expected to crack the world’s top 100 rankings as a result of this run, setting him up for a consistent presence on the ATP Tour going forward.

Britain had a tough week overall at Wimbledon, losing 15 of its 19 singles players in the opening round. Fery stood alone as the only British player to make it as far as the third round.

A different kind of Monday Night Football is coming to Seattle, as the United States men’s soccer team squares off against Belgium in a World Cup round-of-16 clash with a quarterfinal berth on the line.

The venue is the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks — one of the noisiest arenas in the NFL — and it is expected to deliver an electric atmosphere for a U.S. squad whose ambitions have grown considerably as the tournament has progressed.

Heading into the World Cup, many American fans considered simply reaching the round of 16 a success. But victories over Paraguay and Australia in the group stage, capped by a gritty 2-0 win over Bosnia while playing the final 36 minutes a man down, have fueled belief that Mauricio Pochettino’s side can go even further on home soil.

Belgium, on the other hand, has yet to inspire much confidence. The European nation trailed Senegal for most of their match before scoring twice to level things up, then advancing on a VAR-assisted penalty in extra time — a decision that left Senegal deeply frustrated.

For Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” — headlined by Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois — this tournament could represent their final World Cup chapter together.

The U.S. defense, which raised eyebrows as a potential weak spot before the tournament, turned in a strong performance against Bosnia. That unit will now need to keep tabs on Jeremy Doku, who is considered overdue for a standout showing after a quiet tournament so far.

Monday’s match also carries a sense of unfinished business. Back in 2014, Belgium eliminated the U.S. in the round of 16 during extra time in Brazil. That game is still remembered for goalkeeper Tim Howard’s remarkable 16-save performance and a late American push that ultimately came up short.

This time around, the U.S. will be without striker Folarin Balogun, who scored in the first half against Bosnia before being shown a red card in the second half. His absence due to suspension leaves Pochettino with a significant lineup decision as the Americans look to keep their run alive.

U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams spoke to the team’s motivation heading into the match. “As a team we want to leave our mark on the game and a legacy behind,” Adams said. “We know that the further we go, the more the game is going to grow.”

Competitive eating icon Joey Chestnut held onto his throne at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Saturday, July 4th, though sweltering temperatures prevented him from putting up bigger numbers.

Chestnut secured his 18th Mustard Belt championship by consuming 66 hot dogs at the annual event held at Coney Island in New York City. That total fell short of the 70.5 dogs he ate at the 2025 competition, and well below his all-time personal record of 76 hot dogs, which he set back in 2021.

Chestnut pointed to the brutal heat gripping much of the East Coast as a major factor. Temperatures at the midday event climbed close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit — about 38 degrees Celsius — with heavy humidity that affected both the competitors’ physical condition and even the texture of the buns.

At one point during the contest, sweat was visibly pouring down Chestnut’s forehead, dripping off his nose and onto a half-eaten hot dog in his mouth.

Speaking with ESPN after his win, Chestnut acknowledged the conditions worked against him. “I knew early that I was going to win, but I also knew early I wasn’t going to break the record,” he said.

He added: “I’m not going to get into it looking for an excuse, but yeah, it slowed me down.”

Last year’s champion, Patrick Bertoletti, finished in second place this time around, eating 51 hot dogs.

In the women’s competition, undefeated champion Miki Sudo captured her 12th title, finishing with 38.75 hot dogs eaten.

LONDON — Iga Swiatek says it was the fearlessness of young Filipina Alexandra Eala that brought her Wimbledon title defense to an abrupt end in the third round on Saturday, with the former champion now pledging to “trust the process” as she navigates a difficult stretch of form.

The defending champion fought hard through an opening set that lasted 84 minutes, only to lose it in a tiebreak. From there, Eala grew increasingly confident and ultimately pulled off the biggest upset of this year’s tournament.

Swiatek’s run at the French Open had already unraveled in May — a fourth-round loss to Marta Kostyuk that came on her 25th birthday. But she was quick to draw a distinction between that defeat and Saturday’s loss on grass.

“I don’t think it’s the same as in Paris. In Paris it was completely about me not handling the pressure well. I was firing shots,” Swiatek told reporters.

“Today… I was mis-hitting half of these returns. I lost many points. Maybe if I watch, I’m going to see something else.”

“I’m also happy how I came back in the tiebreaker, and also after being a break down in the first set because in Paris I’d just lose it straight.”

“I was there to fight. It wasn’t enough… in the tiebreak, when it was tight, I slowed down a bit, but she was brave enough to play a bit faster. You need to be brave in Wimbledon to win these points.”

The six-time major champion’s 2025 season has been defined by inconsistency. She exited in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Qatar, and Indian Wells, then suffered a second-round loss in Miami before enduring a rocky clay court season that ended in disappointment at Roland Garros. Her grass court warm-up was equally underwhelming, with an early exit in Bad Homburg ahead of Wimbledon.

Despite the string of setbacks, Swiatek says she has shifted her mindset away from chasing results.

“Well, you need to trust the process. I don’t care anymore about the results. I’ve been so focused on them that it’s hard to continue like that. So I’m trying to let it go,” she said.

“I don’t have good results, so I’m not going to expect for myself good results because they’re just not happening. I’m not on that level yet.”

“I need to work from the beginning and try to just get my tennis better.”

LONDON — Men’s second seed Alexander Zverev has punched his ticket to the Wimbledon round of 16 for the fourth time in his career, and there’s growing confidence that the German star may be ready to make a real statement on grass courts this year.

Zverev, still riding high after capturing his first-ever Grand Slam title at the French Open, made quick work of Marcos Giron on Saturday, winning 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-4 on Court One.

The 29-year-old has never advanced beyond the fourth round at the All England Club and has openly acknowledged that grass is the weakest surface in his game — though he has spoken with growing confidence throughout this week’s competition.

After dropping a set in his opening-round match against Alexander Blockx, Zverev has cruised through his subsequent matches, clearly benefiting from the dry, firm court conditions that suit his powerful serve.

His path gets considerably more difficult in the next round, however, as he is set to face hard-hitting Czech 13th seed Jiri Lehecka.

LONDON — Saturday at Wimbledon turned into a day of stunning upsets as the women’s draw lost two of its biggest stars in back-to-back shockers.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek, the Polish third seed, was dominated by 29th-seeded Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, falling 7-6(9) 6-2 in a match that began with a grueling first set stretching nearly 90 minutes. Shortly after, second seed Elena Rybakina — the 2022 Wimbledon champion who added the Australian Open title to her resume earlier this year — was knocked out by Belgium’s Elise Mertens, 7-6(4) 6-1.

Eala made history in the process, becoming the first player from the Philippines ever to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam. A message written in Tagalog on her Nike cap sums up her attitude: “once it grows, it cannot be stopped.”

Speaking to an emotional Centre Court crowd, Eala reflected on her journey. “For someone who grew up in the Philippines … I went to training with my brother and my grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and my light-up shoes and chubby cheeks, so … to her, this is everything,” she said. She quickly added: “But because I’m emotional does not mean I’m satisfied, so yeah, okay, next round. Let’s go.”

The first set was a tense affair, with Eala saving a set point in the tiebreak after Swiatek netted a forehand — a moment that visibly frustrated the defending champion, who laughed sarcastically and shouted toward her team in the stands. Eala stayed composed and pulled away decisively in the second set.

A clearly dejected Swiatek later told reporters she is trying to shift her mindset. “Honestly, I don’t care anymore about the results. I’ve been so focused on them that it’s hard to continue like that,” she said. “So I’m really trying to let it go.”

Rybakina, who had a chance to reach world number one with a deep run in the tournament, also crumbled after a competitive opening set. “Definitely I need to analyse and change something, because it’s not working,” she said following the loss. Mertens, meanwhile, advanced to the last 16 for the fourth time in her career.

Eala’s next challenge will be 13th seed Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 Wimbledon runner-up, who rolled past Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-1 6-2.

The day carried added emotion for American tennis fans, as Saturday marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Serena Williams, one of the greatest athletes in U.S. history, announced via Instagram that she was withdrawing from her long-awaited doubles partnership with sister Venus due to injury. Williams had already exited the singles draw after a loss to Maya Joint following a four-year absence from the tournament. She described herself as “heartbroken to have to withdraw.”

There was some American success on the day, as qualifier Ashlyn Krueger cruised past Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-3 6-2. However, 23rd seed Emma Navarro was eliminated by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in three sets.

On the men’s side, there were no major surprises. Second seed Alexander Zverev, the newly crowned French Open champion, kept his strong run going with a 6-2 7-6(4) 6-4 win over American Marcos Giron. Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, the French Open runner-up, dropped the opening set 6-0 to Russia’s Karen Khachanov but battled back to win in five sets, 0-6 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-2.

Italy could make history in the men’s draw, with the possibility of placing four players in the round of 16 for the first time since the 1947 French Open. Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner has already advanced, while Matteo Berrettini and Lorenzo Sonego were set to play later. Cobolli, the ninth seed, will next face Australian Alex de Minaur, who defeated American Zachary Svajda 6-2 5-7 6-2 6-4.

Jonas Vingegaard is off to a strong start in his pursuit of a third Tour de France championship, claiming the coveted yellow jersey after his Visma-Lease a Bike squad turned in the best performance during Saturday’s opening stage — a 19.6-kilometer team time trial held in Barcelona.

The Danish cyclist’s team crossed the finish line in 21 minutes and 47 seconds, edging out the competition from the start of this year’s race.

Italian rider Filippo Ganna, competing for Netcompany-Ineos, came in eight seconds behind Vingegaard’s squad to take second place. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG rounded out the top three, finishing 12 seconds back.

For Vingegaard, it marks the first time he has worn the yellow jersey since 2023, as he looks to add a third Tour title to his resume.

LONDON — Wimbledon’s fourth round is set for Sunday, featuring a highly anticipated women’s showdown between world number one Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka, along with a men’s clash between top seed Jannik Sinner and Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki.

WOMEN’S FEATURED MATCH: NAOMI OSAKA vs. ARYNA SABALENKA

Osaka, ranked 14th in the world, is hoping the fourth time will be the charm against Sabalenka. The Japanese star has fallen to the Belarusian in all three of their encounters so far in 2026 — at Indian Wells, Madrid, and the French Open.

Before this year, the two hadn’t faced each other in more than seven years. Their only prior meeting came back in 2018, when Osaka defeated Sabalenka on her way to winning her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open.

Osaka addressed the losing streak directly, telling reporters: “She’s the number one player in the world. If there is someone I had to lose to, I would pick that ranking position.”

She added: “If anything, I would say I learned from all of those matches, so hopefully I can apply (that).”

Osaka also pointed to the grass surface as a potential advantage for her heading into Sunday’s contest.

“My confidence is pretty high. For me, I know what my grass court tennis looks like. It gives me a pretty stable mindset going into the match no matter who I play,” she said following her victory over Daria Kasatkina.

“I also don’t really have as many doubts as I did on clay. Maybe it would be a little bit better for me on grass,” Osaka added.

Despite her recent dominance over Osaka, Sabalenka isn’t taking the match lightly.

“Always been a tricky match. She’s very aggressive player… every time she plays me, she’s more focused,” Sabalenka said. “Every time it’s a battle. Every time it’s high-level matches. Super excited to play her.”

MEN’S FEATURED MATCH: JANNIK SINNER vs. SHINTARO MOCHIZUKI

Mochizuki entered Wimbledon ranked 151st in the world and had been struggling with losses on the professional tour. But something clicked once he arrived at the All England Club, where he previously won the junior Wimbledon title back in 2019.

The 23-year-old has turned in the best Grand Slam performance of his career, reaching the round of 16. In the third round, he rallied from a set down to defeat 23rd seed Rafael Jodar, using aggressive net rushes and flat groundstrokes to unsettle the Spaniard.

World number one Sinner has taken notice of his upcoming opponent’s impressive run.

“He’s a very good player, especially on grass. His ball is very low, so it helps a lot. Seems like a very, very aggressive player,” Sinner said. “Very dangerous player. I try to be as prepared as I can.”

Mochizuki himself seems almost puzzled by his own success at this year’s tournament.

“It’s a strange feeling to play Jannik at Wimbledon, especially now this year. I was not winning much before coming here, and I don’t know how I have been winning matches here,” he said.

GAUFF CHANGES HER APPROACH ON SERVE

Coco Gauff has been well known for her struggles with her serve, but heading into her fourth-round match against Belinda Bencic, the American says she’s shifting her mindset — going for power rather than simply trying to land the ball in play.

“I feel like most of the time when my first serve does go in, I’m getting a weaker reply,” said Gauff, who has won her last three meetings with the Swiss player and is chasing her first-ever Wimbledon quarter-final appearance.

“I think it’s much easier to start the points off when you’re on the offensive than if you just get it in and you’re hoping the girl misses. At this level, it’s not going to happen, especially now in the second week,” she added.

SUNDAY ORDER OF PLAY

Centre Court (Play begins at 12:30 p.m. GMT): Roman Safiullin (Russia) vs. 7-Novak Djokovic (Serbia); 1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) vs. 14-Naomi Osaka (Japan); 1-Jannik Sinner (Italy) vs. Shintaro Mochizuki (Japan).

Court Number One (Play begins at 12:00 p.m. GMT): 4-Jessica Pegula (U.S.) vs. 16-Iva Jovic (U.S.); 3-Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) vs. 22-Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Spain); 11-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) vs. 7-Coco Gauff (U.S.).

Court Number Two (Play begins at 10:00 a.m. GMT): Doubles matches to be announced; 10-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) vs. Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic); Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) vs. Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany).

SILVERSTONE, England — Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli had a day to remember at a blustery Silverstone circuit, first taking victory in the sprint race and then claiming pole position for Sunday’s British Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Italian set a best lap time of one minute 28.111 seconds on his opening run in the final qualifying segment, proving too quick for the rest of the field. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc slotted into second on the grid, 0.175 seconds back, while seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton secured third.

Antonelli’s closest rival in the title race, Mercedes teammate George Russell, could only manage fourth place — a significant blow at his home circuit. The pole was Antonelli’s fifth of the season and continued Mercedes’ remarkable run of starting from the top spot at all nine grands prix held so far this year.

“It was a very tidy lap, a lap where I put everything together,” Antonelli said. “It was very tricky with the wind because it was very gusty and unpredictable.”

Earlier in the day, Antonelli won the sprint race ahead of Hamilton, pushing his championship advantage over Russell out to 43 points. The young Italian had reeled off five consecutive race wins before Hamilton snapped that streak in Spain last month.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Antonelli acknowledged the challenge posed by the two Ferraris directly behind him on the grid. “It’s not going to be easy because I have two Ferraris behind me and, for sure, they will work together,” he said. “Their pace is good but ours was strong in the Sprint. Hopefully we can keep that for tomorrow and do a good race.”

Isack Hadjar qualified fifth for Red Bull, with McLaren’s reigning world champion and defending British GP winner Lando Norris in sixth. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull will start seventh, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri eighth, and the Racing Bulls duo of rookie Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have landed reliever Evan Sisk on the 15-day injured list after he developed inflammation in his left elbow, the team announced Saturday.

The 29-year-old southpaw had been a steady presence in Pittsburgh’s bullpen, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.23 ERA across 32 appearances this season. His most recent outing came on Monday, and the injured list placement was backdated to Wednesday.

Sisk came to Pittsburgh via a trade with Kansas City at the 2025 trade deadline. Over his career spanning 51 games — all relief appearances — with both the Royals and the Pirates, he carries a combined 2-1 record and a 2.67 ERA.

To fill the vacancy on the roster, Pittsburgh recalled right-hander Hunter Stratton from Triple-A Indianapolis. Stratton had not yet taken the mound for the Pirates since rejoining the club in the June 18 trade that sent catcher Joey Bart to the Atlanta Braves.

The 29-year-old Stratton has put together a career line of 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA and two saves over 60 relief appearances with the Pirates (2023-25) and Braves (2025-26). His lone outing for Atlanta this season came on May 2, when he tossed a scoreless inning, surrendering just one hit in a 9-1 victory over Colorado.

Colorado Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano will not take the mound Saturday against the visiting San Francisco Giants after being scratched from his scheduled start because of back spasms.

Stepping in to fill the role will be rookie left-hander Sean Sullivan, who carries a 0-2 record and an 8.64 ERA into the Denver contest.

Sugano, who is 36 years old and holds an 8-4 record with a 4.80 ERA this season, had been pitching well throughout June. He went 4-0 across five starts that month, though his ERA during that stretch was 6.58. His teammates provided him with a combined 40 runs of offensive support across those four victories.

Sullivan, 23, most recently pitched Monday against the Miami Marlins, where he gave up five runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings and walked away with a no-decision. Saturday’s matchup will mark his first career appearance against San Francisco.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Argentina’s reign as World Cup champions continues, but not without a significant scare. The South American side needed extra time to defeat first-time World Cup participants Cape Verde 3-2 on Friday, escaping what could have been a stunning upset in Kansas City.

Cape Verde refused to be intimidated, coming from behind twice to level the score and expose defensive weaknesses in the Argentine lineup. The match was ultimately settled when defender Cristian Romero’s header was redirected into the net off Cape Verde’s Diney Borges, finally putting the contest to rest.

Coach Lionel Scaloni had cautioned before the match that Cape Verde posed a real threat, pointing to their group stage draws against Spain and Uruguay. Still, few expected the tournament newcomers to push Argentina this close to elimination.

The result throws a spotlight on Argentina heading into their round-of-16 showdown with Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday. The team had cruised through the group stage with wins over Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0), and Jordan (3-1), but questions had already been swirling about the quality of opposition they had faced. Their defense had not been seriously tested until Friday night.

Former River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo, who represented Argentina at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, suggested the close call might be exactly what the team needed. “It was good that this happened. There will be a reaction, there has to be a reaction,” he said on ESPN Argentina.

Lionel Messi scored in the first half, extending his own World Cup record to 20 career goals, but the 39-year-old captain acknowledged the physical demands of the match took a toll. “They had the ball and made us run because we couldn’t press,” he said. “We couldn’t press them properly, the lines were too far apart.”

Scaloni acknowledged room for improvement while crediting his team’s ability to respond under pressure. “There is always room for improvement, but it is important that the team stepped up during difficult moments,” the manager said. “We can debate whether we played well or poorly, but this team doesn’t shy away from taking charge of the match.”

Two defenders who battled back from serious injuries provided key contributions and gave the victory an added emotional dimension. Lisandro Martinez, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in early 2025, scored Argentina’s second goal. Romero, who had missed earlier tournament games due to knee problems, helped set up the winning goal.

“Everything I went through was very hard, but thanks to my club and the national team today I’m very happy,” Martinez said. “I’m grateful to the doctors and coaching staff for allowing me to be here. I’m on cloud nine.”

Argentina will head to Miami on Saturday to resume training as they prepare to face Egypt in the knockout round.

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a move Sunday morning, inking restricted free agent defenseman Emil Andrae to a two-year contract extension.

While the team did not release the financial details of the agreement, TSN reported the total value of the deal at $3.1 million.

Andrae came to Toronto as part of a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on June 16. In that deal, the Maple Leafs also received goaltender Samuel Ersson and a third-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. In return, Philadelphia received defenseman Simon Benoit and goaltender Joseph Woll.

The 24-year-old Andrae wrapped up his three-year entry-level contract after putting up 13 points — two goals and 11 assists — across 61 games during the most recent season.

Originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Andrae has accumulated 20 points in 107 career games since making his NHL debut with the Flyers in October 2023, tallying three goals and 17 assists over that stretch.

Iga Swiatek’s bid to defend her Wimbledon crown came to a stunning end Saturday when the Polish third seed was defeated by Filipino sensation Alexandra Eala in a gripping third-round contest at the All England Club in London. Eala claimed the victory 7-6(9) 6-2, sending shockwaves through the tournament.

Swiatek captured last year’s Wimbledon title, finally silencing doubters who had long questioned whether she could conquer the sport’s fastest playing surface. However, the 25-year-old arrived at this year’s tournament carrying some uncertainty, having suffered an early exit at the Bad Homburg warm-up event and still working to find her best form.

She had shown encouraging signs in her previous two matches, getting past Taylor Townsend and then handling Karolina Pliskova with confidence. But on a sun-drenched Centre Court afternoon, she ran into a red-hot Eala and could not find a way through.

The two players had crossed paths before. Eala stunned Swiatek in Miami last year, only for the Pole to return the favor on the clay courts of Madrid. Saturday’s rematch, however, belonged to the left-handed Eala, whose aggressive baseline hitting put Swiatek on the back foot from the very start.

The opening set was a fiercely competitive affair, with neither player willing to give an inch. When Eala eventually claimed it in a tiebreak, Swiatek’s frustration boiled over — she was seen shouting toward her team in the stands before slamming her racket against a chair. Meanwhile, Eala soaked in the crowd’s enthusiastic applause.

Eala kept the momentum rolling into the second set, breaking Swiatek’s serve twice in quick succession to race out to a 3-0 lead. Swiatek managed to claw back one of those breaks, but Eala held firm, ultimately sealing the match with a forehand winner that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

With the victory, Eala advances to the fourth round where she will face 2024 Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini in what promises to be another exciting matchup.

Serena Williams will not be taking the court at Wimbledon for doubles play after a knee injury forced her to step away from the tournament, ending what was meant to be a memorable reunion with sister Venus on the grass courts of the All England Club.

In a heartfelt post shared on Instagram, the 44-year-old expressed her disappointment. “I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside @venuswilliams once more meant the world to me,” she wrote. “I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete.”

The withdrawal comes just days after Serena’s highly anticipated return to Grand Slam tennis — her first in four years — came to a disappointing end. She fell to Australian up-and-comer Maya Joint on Tuesday by a score of 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 in the first round of singles play.

Following that loss, Serena revealed she had “tweaked” her right knee toward the end of the opening set but had hoped to push through and compete in doubles.

The Williams sisters had received a wildcard entry into the doubles draw and were scheduled to face Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in their opening match. The pair have a storied history at Wimbledon, having claimed six doubles titles together at the prestigious tournament.

Serena also took a moment to thank tournament director Jamie Baker and the rest of the staff. “I’m especially grateful to tournament director, Jamie Baker, and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to recover,” she said.

She closed her message with a tease for her supporters: “Thank you to the fans for your incredible support and for making this comeback so meaningful…All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you…”

This is not the first time injury has disrupted Serena’s recent comeback efforts. Last month, she teamed up with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko at a WTA event at Queen’s Club, but that partnership was cut short when Mboko suffered a knee injury of her own during singles play. Serena then joined forces with Czech player Karolina Muchova at the Berlin Open, though the two were eliminated in their very first match.

Shohei Ohtani, the two-way sensation for the Los Angeles Dodgers, will not take the field Saturday night when his team faces the San Diego Padres. The reason: tightness in his right biceps.

The Dodgers, who hold the best record in Major League Baseball and a commanding 14-game lead in the National League West, are in a position to allow their designated hitter and pitcher some time to rest and heal.

Ohtani exited Friday’s 4-3 Los Angeles victory in the seventh inning after noticing the biceps tighten up following a swing he took in the previous inning.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Ohtani noted that he had dealt with a similar problem earlier this season and recovered from it “relatively quickly.”

Manager Dave Roberts echoed that optimism, saying, “He’s dealt with it before. He’s a quick healer and finds a way to get back. But I do think that for us to read and react and hear what his body is telling him is really important, given the toll it takes on his body to be a two-way player.”

Friday’s appearance against the Padres had Ohtani on the mound as the starting pitcher, working on nine days of rest. He threw a season-high 110 pitches, surrendering three runs on seven hits and two walks across six innings while striking out nine batters. At the plate, he went 0-for-3.

On the season, Ohtani is hitting .288 with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs. On the pitching side, he carries an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA, having tossed 85 and two-thirds innings over 14 starts.

LONDON — Ashlyn Krueger found the perfect way to ring in the Fourth of July, rolling through Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday to advance to the third round at Wimbledon — all on America’s 250th birthday.

Krueger, who entered the tournament as a qualifier and sits at No. 102 in the world rankings, was among eight American singles players competing in southwest London while their fellow Americans back home enjoyed holiday festivities and fireworks.

Not every American had reason to celebrate, though. The 23rd-seeded Emma Navarro struggled against her Ukrainian opponent, falling 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 to 12th seed Marta Kostyuk.

On the men’s side, 23-year-old Zachary Svajda made his Wimbledon debut and gave fifth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur a scare, capturing a set before ultimately bowing out 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

Fans at the All England Club were also eagerly awaiting a much-anticipated doubles appearance by Venus and Serena Williams, who were scheduled to take the court Saturday against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Argentina’s Solana Sierra.

The iconic sisters, now 46 and 44 years old, last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open. Between them, they captured six Wimbledon doubles titles from 2000 to 2016, part of a combined haul of 22 doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.

LONDON — A stunning upset unfolded at Wimbledon on Saturday when 25th-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens knocked out second seed Elena Rybakina, handing the Kazakh star a 7-6(4) 6-1 defeat in the third round of the prestigious grass-court tournament.

The loss crushed Rybakina’s dual ambitions of capturing a second Grand Slam title this year and climbing to the top spot in the WTA world rankings. To have any shot at overtaking Aryna Sabalenka at number one, Rybakina needed to advance at least to the quarterfinals.

Rybakina, who had won this year’s Australian Open to go along with her 2022 Wimbledon championship, never found her footing after dropping the opening set in a tiebreak. Mertens, the savvy 30-year-old, used a wide range of shot-making to keep her opponent off balance throughout the match — a contrast to what was described as a flat showing from Rybakina on Court One.

Mertens, who currently holds a Wimbledon doubles title, was dominant during one stretch of the second set, reeling off nine consecutive points. Though she showed some nerves while serving out the match, she closed things out emphatically with an ace. It marked just her second victory over Rybakina in nine career meetings between the two.

With Czech player Marie Bouzkova standing between her and the quarterfinals, Mertens has a real opportunity to post the deepest Wimbledon singles run of her career.

Kimi Antonelli delivered a dominant performance at Silverstone on Saturday, taking the British Grand Prix sprint race victory for Mercedes while denying Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton a win in front of his home crowd.

Hamilton had secured pole position heading into the 17-lap sprint but found himself overtaken on lap eight, ultimately crossing the finish line 2.7 seconds behind Antonelli in second place. McLaren’s Lando Norris came in third.

Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell, who sits as his closest rival in the championship race, finished fourth on a windy day at Silverstone.

The sprint victory earns a maximum of eight points, pushing the 19-year-old Italian to 179 total points in the Formula One standings. Russell sits 43 points back with 136, while seven-time world champion Hamilton holds 132 points.

LONDON — Saturday brought another full day of action at Wimbledon, with play beginning under clear skies and temperatures hovering around 23 degrees Celsius at the All England Club.

Matches got underway at 10:07 a.m. GMT, with players competing across multiple courts throughout the day.

On Centre Court, where play began at 12:30 p.m. GMT, 29th-seeded Alexandra Eala of the Philippines faced third-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland in a highly anticipated matchup. Also on Centre Court, sixth-seeded Amanda Anisimova of the United States squared off against 26th-seeded Madison Keys, also of the U.S. Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria rounded out the Centre Court schedule against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.

Court Number One opened at noon GMT with 25th-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium taking on second-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. American Marcos Giron then faced second-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany, followed by a matchup between 17th-seeded Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. and 10th-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

Court Number Two kicked off the day’s schedule at 10:00 a.m. GMT, featuring 23rd-seeded Emma Navarro of the U.S. against 12th-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine. That was followed by 19th-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia taking on ninth-seeded Flavio Cobolli of Italy, and sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz of the U.S. meeting Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

Jake McCarthy wasted no time making his mark Friday night, sending the very first pitch of the game over the fence for a leadoff home run, then adding a grand slam later in the contest as the Colorado Rockies rolled over the San Francisco Giants 15-3 in the opener of a three-game series in Denver.

McCarthy wrapped up the night with four hits and a career-best six runs batted in, cementing his place in the record books as just the seventh player in major league history to hit both a leadoff homer and a grand slam in the same game, according to MLB.com.

Cole Carrigg chipped in three RBIs and hit two triples for Colorado, while starting pitcher Ryan Feltner turned in six solid innings to earn the win, improving to 3-2. Gabriel Hughes closed things out with a three-inning save — all in his major league debut.

Giants starter Logan Webb, who had just been named National League Pitcher of the Month for June, had a rough outing, giving up seven runs on 11 hits across three innings. His record fell to 5-6. Rafael Devers contributed a home run and a second hit for San Francisco.

Cardinals 17, Cubs 1

Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson each drove in four runs as visiting St. Louis set new season highs in both runs scored and hits — 17 of each — in a blowout win over Chicago. The Cardinals piled on multiple runs in each inning from the second through the sixth, building a staggering 16-0 cushion. Winn contributed an RBI single and a three-run home run, with Nathan Church also going deep for three runs. Andre Pallante earned the win, improving to 10-5, scattering five hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Alex Bregman had an RBI double in the seventh for Chicago, whose five-game winning streak came to an end. David Peterson dropped to 4-7 after surrendering 10 runs on nine hits in just 3 2/3 innings.

Nationals 9, Pirates 5

Luis Garcia Jr. and Daylen Lile each went deep twice to power Washington to a home victory over Pittsburgh. Lile also doubled and finished with four RBIs, while Garcia drove in three. Jose Tena added a two-run homer and James Wood contributed a double, a triple and a run scored. Foster Griffin improved to 9-2, allowing just one run on four hits over five innings. Bryan Reynolds homered and doubled with two RBIs for Pittsburgh, and Esmerlyn Valdez went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Mitch Keller fell to 6-6 after giving up five runs on eight hits in six innings.

Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0

Dylan Cease delivered seven sharp innings as Toronto blanked host Seattle in the first game of a three-game series between teams that faced off in the 2025 American League Championship Series. Cease improved to 5-4, surrendering only three hits, issuing one walk and striking out nine. It marked the third win in the last four games for Toronto following a six-game losing skid. The loss snapped Seattle’s three-game winning streak and dropped the Mariners out of a first-place tie with the idle Texas Rangers in the AL West. Luis Castillo allowed two runs on five hits over six innings, falling to 3-7.

Dodgers 4, Padres 3

Teoscar Hernandez delivered a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to lift Los Angeles past visiting San Diego, handing the Padres their seventh straight defeat — a new season high for consecutive losses. Shohei Ohtani started for the Dodgers, striking out nine over six innings while allowing three runs. Kyle Hurt, now 3-1, tossed a scoreless frame, and Tanner Scott closed it out in the ninth for his 12th save. Los Angeles has now won nine of its last 11 games. Jackson Merrill homered for San Diego, which had led 3-0 before the Dodgers rallied. Michael King carried a shutout into the seventh but was charged with two runs on three hits over six-plus innings. Adrian Morejon, who dropped to 6-2, gave up Hernandez’s decisive slam.

Red Sox 5, Angels 2

Romy Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, and closer Aroldis Chapman set a new all-time record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher while picking up his 17th save as Boston beat Los Angeles in Anaheim. Caleb Durbin homered and scored twice, Jarren Duran drove in two runs, and Ceddanne Rafaela had two hits for the Red Sox. Jake Bennett earned the win at 3-3, allowing two runs on five hits over 7 2/3 innings. Chapman struck out Denzer Guzman for his 1,364th career strikeout as a reliever, surpassing the previous record held by Hoyt Wilhelm. Jose Siri homered for the Angels, and Zach Neto had two hits and an RBI. Reid Detmers fell to 3-6 after yielding five runs on seven hits over five innings. Los Angeles has now dropped four straight.

Marlins 12, Athletics 5

Heriberto Hernandez launched a three-run homer and Jakob Marsee added a solo shot during a six-run first inning as Miami posted a win over the Athletics in West Sacramento. Kyle Stowers had a huge night, going 4-for-5 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs scored as the Marlins snapped a two-game skid. Owen Caissie also went deep, giving Miami five home runs on the night — matching a season high. Nick Kurtz hit a two-run homer and Jeff McNeil drove in three with a double for the Athletics, who have now lost nine of their last 12 games.

Guardians 4, White Sox 3 (10 innings)

Kahlil Watson delivered a walk-off single up the middle in the 10th inning, scoring the winning run as Cleveland edged visiting Chicago to take a one-game lead over the White Sox atop the American League Central. Travis Bazzana opened the 10th with a single off Sean Newcomb, who fell to 0-2, moving automatic runner Steven Kwan to third base. Watson then came through with Cleveland’s second straight walk-off hit to open the four-game series. Erik Sabrowski improved to 3-1 with a perfect top of the 10th. White Sox starter Anthony Kay departed after a two-hour rain delay, having allowed one run and one hit in four innings. Miguel Vargas hit a three-run homer for Chicago.

Orioles 3, Reds 0

Trevor Rogers tossed five shutout innings and Samuel Basallo delivered a two-run home run as Baltimore shut out host Cincinnati. Rogers, now 6-7, held the Reds to just two hits and five walks while striking out four, earning his third win in three consecutive starts. Tyler Wells retired Cincinnati in order in the ninth to record his first save since 2023. Baltimore’s first run came in the opening inning on a throwing error by catcher Tyler Stephenson. Reds starter Brady Singer fell to 3-8 after going five innings and allowing three hits and five walks. Cincinnati left 10 runners on base, went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and managed just four hits — all singles.

Braves 5, Mets 3

Matt Olson dramatically ended a 16-game drought without a home run by hitting two solo shots, leading Atlanta past visiting New York in the opener of a four-game series. It was the second multi-homer game of the season for Olson and the 27th of his career, pushing his season total to a team-leading 22. Atlanta managed only five hits, but four of them cleared the fences, as Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies also went deep. Christian Scott fell to 2-1 after allowing three runs on two hits over four innings as New York dropped to a season-worst 16 games below .500.

Rays 3, Astros 1

Junior Caminero launched his 10th home run over his last 10 games and Nick Fortes contributed two run-scoring extra-base hits as Tampa Bay stretched its winning streak to nine games with a road victory at Houston. Caminero, the American League Player of the Month for June, broke a 1-1 tie with his 25th homer of the season — a solo shot off Astros reliever Steven Okert in the seventh inning. Okert fell to 1-1. Fortes homered in the sixth and added an RBI double with two outs in the eighth. Bryan Baker closed out the ninth for his 23rd save. Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti bounced back from a difficult June, going six innings and allowing just one run on two hits.

Yankees 5, Twins 2

Ben Rice slugged a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning to help New York snap a seven-game losing streak — the franchise’s longest in three years — with a win over visiting Minnesota. Rice connected on a full-count fastball from Twins rookie starter Mike Paredes, sending it into the right field seats for his 24th homer of the season. Paredes fell to 0-2. Trent Grisham, returning from the injured list, accounted for two runs and two RBIs. Gerrit Cole improved to 3-3, allowing two runs on five hits over five innings, and David Bednar struck out the side in the ninth for his 17th save. Kody Clemens homered in the first inning and Victor Caratini added an RBI single in the fourth for Minnesota. Paredes gave up three runs on four hits in four innings of work.

Brewers 7, Diamondbacks 4 (11 innings)

Brice Turang delivered a two-run single during a four-run 11th inning to lift Milwaukee past Arizona in the opener of a three-game series in Phoenix. Turang finished with three hits and also scored a run, Jake Bauers had three hits with an RBI and a run scored, and Garrett Mitchell hit a two-run homer for the Brewers, who have now won four of their last five games. Kyle Harrison has won seven consecutive decisions but picked up a third straight no-decision after allowing a 3-0 lead to slip away, giving up three runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings. Ildemaro Vargas had three hits and an RBI for Arizona, Gabriel Moreno added two hits, an RBI and a run, and Nolan Arenado contributed a two-run double. Diamondbacks rookie Jose Cabrera went 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits, as Arizona dropped its second straight game.

Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers left Friday’s game against the Miami Marlins with a left thumb contusion during a 12-5 defeat in West Sacramento, California.

The injury happened in the first inning when Langeliers went to catch a pitch thrown by Jack Perkins. The ball struck the thumb area of his glove and bounced away, allowing Miami to score a run on the play.

Despite the injury, Langeliers stayed in the lineup initially. However, he was pulled from the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, replaced by pinch hitter Jonah Heim. He had struck out in each of his two at-bats before being removed.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay confirmed after the game that Langeliers had X-rays taken and said, “We’ll evaluate him again tomorrow.”

The timing of the injury is particularly significant for Langeliers, who is set to find out Saturday whether he will serve as the starting catcher for the American League in the July 14 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. He and Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk are the two finalists for the AL spot.

Through 80 games this season, Langeliers is hitting .264 with 20 home runs and 44 RBIs. Among AL catchers, he leads the pack in both home runs and hits, with 87 hits on the year.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Baseball history was made Friday night when Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox claimed the all-time record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher, shattering a mark that had gone unchallenged for over half a century.

The 38-year-old left-hander did not accomplish the feat with one of the blazing triple-digit heaters that have defined his career. Instead, his record-breaking pitch to the Angels’ Denzer Guzman registered at 98.6 mph — and Guzman still couldn’t get his bat around in time to make contact.

“I feel very happy, very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “I just feel very satisfied right now.”

The strikeout was the 1,364th of Chapman’s 17-year career, all of which has been spent coming out of the bullpen. It eclipsed the long-standing record of Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm, whose 21-year career wrapped up in 1972 — just five days before what would have been his 50th birthday.

After fanning Guzman, Chapman took only a brief moment to acknowledge the achievement before refocusing on the task at hand. He gave up a pair of hits but worked out of the jam by inducing a double-play grounder, helping Boston secure a 5-2 victory and earning his 383rd career save.

The Red Sox marked the occasion in their Angel Stadium clubhouse, playing a video highlighting Chapman’s career journey — from his debut with Cincinnati in 2010 through his two World Series titles with the Cubs and Rangers.

“It’s cool. We’ve been waiting for that one,” said Boston interim manager Chad Tracy. “What a career he’s had. The cool thing is watching the video, and you’re seeing him at a young age throwing 102, and he’s still doing it. It’s just incredible.”

The record-setting strikeout came in Chapman’s 889th major league appearance — every single one of them in relief. He earned the win for Red Sox rookie Jake Bennett, who was making his seventh appearance before tiring in the eighth inning.

“It’s incredible,” Bennett said. “It’s incredible to even just be a part of a team that it happens on.”

Chapman had not taken the mound since tying the record last Sunday, when he blew a save against the Yankees — a franchise with which he spent parts of seven seasons before a contentious parting four years ago. Since defecting from Cuba in 2009, Chapman has pitched for seven different teams, earned eight All-Star selections, and climbed to 10th on the all-time saves list.

The record spans more than 50 years of baseball and reflects a dramatic shift in how pitchers are deployed. Of the 14 pitchers in major league history to reach 1,000 strikeouts as a reliever, only Lindy McDaniel played in the same era as Wilhelm. The crafty knuckleballer was a World War II veteran and a trailblazer in relief pitching, among the first to be used in what is now called high-leverage situations — entering close games regardless of whether the starting pitcher was worn out.

Chapman has spent his entire career in those high-pressure moments, frequently overpowering hitters with a fastball that has reached as high as 105 mph.

His career has seen a resurgence since joining the Red Sox ahead of last season. After taking home AL Reliever of the Year honors in 2025 with a 1.17 ERA, he has converted 17 of 19 save opportunities this season while continuing to handle the toughest assignments.

“I was just focused on doing the job, day in and day out over the course of the last few weeks, getting to this point where I had the opportunity to break the record,” Chapman said. “I had some highs and some lows, but I’ve just tried to stay positive throughout.”

Argentina edges Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time, advances to Round of 16

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Lionel Messi and Argentina survived a dramatic scare Friday, defeating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time to advance to the World Cup Round of 16. The small island nation pushed the defending champions to the brink before Argentina pulled ahead in the 111th minute on an own-goal — a header by Cristian Romero that deflected off Cape Verde’s Diney Borges. Messi had opened the scoring earlier in regulation with his record-extending 20th career World Cup goal. Argentina will now face Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Messi extends record with 20th World Cup goal, leads Golden Boot race

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Friday’s match against Cape Verde marked the eighth straight World Cup game in which Lionel Messi has scored at least once, a new record for the Argentine captain. His 29th-minute strike was the 20th goal of his World Cup career, putting him two ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé on the all-time list. Messi now has seven goals in this year’s tournament — one more than Mbappé — in the race for the Golden Boot. He has found the net 12 times across his last eight World Cup appearances. Argentina held on for a 3-2 extra time victory.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce marry at Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK — Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are officially husband and wife after exchanging vows at Madison Square Garden. Actor Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony, which drew a celebrity-packed crowd including Camila Cabello, Hugh Grant, and Gigi Hadid. The announcement came Friday evening, though many details — including photos of the couple’s outfits — have been kept private. Swift wore Cartier jewelry, and both she and Kelce dressed in Christian Dior Haute Couture. Dolly Parton was among those celebrating the newlyweds, even joking about their future children.

NFL stars show up for Kelce-Swift nuptials

NEW YORK — The guest list at Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s wedding included a who’s-who of the sports world. Among those spotted in New York were NFL players JuJu Smith-Schuster, Cooper Kupp, and Kareem Hunt — a current or former Kansas City Chiefs teammate of Kelce. Retired Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl champion Jason Kelce, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, and figures from golf and other sports were also expected to attend.

Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha leaves lasting World Cup impression

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Cape Verde’s debut World Cup run came to an end Friday with a 3-2 extra time loss to Argentina, but goalkeeper Vozinha and his teammates made a lasting mark on the tournament. The 40-year-old netminder had dreamed of his mother watching him play on the world’s biggest stage — and that dream came true. Vozinha made four elite saves against Messi during the run, and Cape Verde’s earlier scoreless draw against Spain turned heads worldwide. Despite not winning a match, the Blue Sharks earned $11 million from FIFA and won over fans with their heart and determination.

LeBron James weighing options as NBA free agency heats up

MIAMI — All eyes in the NBA remain on LeBron James as he considers his next move in free agency. While players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown have already changed teams, James has yet to make a decision. His agent, Rich Paul, appeared on the “Game Over” podcast and hinted at possible destinations including Philadelphia and New York, while emphasizing that James remains the face of the league. James, who turns 42 in December, is set to play his 24th NBA season — but it won’t be with the Lakers. Money is reportedly not his primary concern; he’s focused on finding a title-contending team that fits his lifestyle.

Caitlin Clark speaks out as WNBA players face rising online threats

NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark is among the WNBA players speaking out against a surge of social media harassment directed at players and teams across the league. The rise in attention brought by Clark, Angel Reese, and others has come with both positives — including a multi-billion dollar media rights deal, million-dollar salaries, and bigger crowds — and a troubling increase in online threats. While online hatred toward WNBA players is not new and has persisted for more than a decade, players and coaches say the threats tied to on-court incidents have recently grown worse.

Colombia beats Ghana 1-0, punches ticket to Round of 16

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jhon Arias scored early for Colombia on Friday night, and Los Cafeteros held on for a 1-0 victory over Ghana to advance to the World Cup Round of 16. Arias converted off a cross from Luis Suárez, who had just entered the match as an injury substitute. Colombia controlled possession throughout, while Ghana had little success generating offense. The win sets up a Tuesday matchup with Switzerland in Vancouver, British Columbia. Conditions at Arrowhead Stadium were brutal — 88 degrees Fahrenheit with a heat index of 96 at the 8:30 p.m. local kickoff.

US forward Balogun says red card was too harsh in World Cup win

SEATTLE — United States forward Folarin Balogun is respectfully pushing back on the red card he received during the Americans’ 2-0 World Cup victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Balogun was ejected Wednesday after stepping on the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic, but he said before Friday’s practice at Husky Soccer Stadium that a yellow card would have been the fairer call. The suspension means he will miss Monday’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium automatically, though he would be eligible to return for the quarterfinals if the U.S. advances. Balogun described the past several days as an emotional roller coaster.

Shohei Ohtani unlikely to pitch in MLB All-Star Game

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is not expected to take the mound at the All-Star Game after the Los Angeles Dodgers shifted his pitching schedule. Ohtani had been working on a weekly Wednesday rotation, but the team moved his start to Friday to better manage his workload. Manager Dave Roberts said it would be difficult to envision Ohtani pitching on July 14 in Philadelphia, given that he is now slated to start July 10 against Arizona. Ohtani will still participate in the All-Star Game as the National League’s designated hitter starter, having led all players in the first round of fan voting.