Today is
Sunday July 19, 2026
ATLANTA (AP) – Brandon Nimmo’s two-run single in the sixth inning gave Texas the lead as the Rangers rallied from an early deficit to beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6 on Saturday in a matchup of first-place teams.
Texas left-hander MacKenzie Gore (6-8) gave up a two-run homer to Eli White in Atlanta’s four-run second inning and another homer to Michael Harris II the following inning. After giving up five runs in the first three innings, Gore gave up no more runs while pitching 5 2/3 innings.
All-Star left-hander Jacob Latz recorded the final four outs for his 19th save.
Evan Carter hit a two-run homer off Tyler Kinley (5-4) in the sixth as the Rangers pulled even at 5-5. Dylan Lee allowed infield singles to Wyatt Langford and Josh Jung before Nimmo’s two-run single up the middle gave the Rangers the lead. Nimmo drove in three runs with two hits.
Braves right-hander Owen Murphy allowed three runs, two earned, in 2 2/3 innings in his first major league start.
Murphy, who made two relief appearances before his first start, was hurt by Mauricio Dubón’s fielding error in the Rangers’ two-run third inning. Dubón collided with Harris on Kyle Higashioka’s fly ball to center field. Langford and Nimmo had run-scoring singles in the inning.
Dubón’s run-scoring double in the seventh trimmed the Rangers’ lead to 7-6.
The Braves had 19 hits in Friday’s 15-1 win to open the series.
Up next
Braves RHP Grant Holmes (5-4, 3.61 ERA) will start in Sunday’s final game of the series. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said RHP Nate Eovaldi (9-7, 4.04), who has been out with an illness, is tentatively set to start.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Bukayo Saka scored three goals to lead England to a 6-4 win over France for third place in the World Cup, while Kylian Mbappé surpassed Lionel Messi’s career World Cup scoring record and took the lead in the Golden Boot race with a pair of second-half goals on Saturday.
It was the highest-scoring World Cup game since Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982, and the 10 goals were the most in a third-place match.
Saka had goals in the 37th minute and first-half stoppage time, then added his third on a penalty in the 87th for his second career hat trick with England. The Three Lions also got goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa to build a 4-0 halftime lead and secure their best finish in a World Cup since winning their only title in 1966.
England’s Jude Bellingham capped the scoring in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time, his seventh goal of the tournament.
Mbappé reached 22 career goals, one more than Messi. The star striker finished this World Cup with 10 goals, two ahead of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, which is awarded to the tournament’s top scorer.
Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also scored for France.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard has agreed to a $75 million, five-year contract, completing a major offseason goal for the team.
The rebuilding Blackhawks announced the deal on Saturday. Bedard, who turned 21 on Friday, had been a restricted free agent.
“Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a release. “He utilizes all aspects of his game to not only be a constant threat, but to make the players around him better every time he steps on the ice. Connor’s strong work ethic and determination to always improve his game has set an extraordinary standard for our young core.”
The deal was finalized 10 days after Bedard had surgery on his left shoulder. The center is expected to miss the start of the season after he got hurt while skating with a group of NHL players in western Canada.
Chicago went 29-39-14 this year, an 11-point improvement on the previous season and still nowhere near playoff contention. The team has finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the last three years.
The Blackhawks haven’t made a postseason appearance since the NHL used an expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They acquired defenseman Bowen Byram in a trade with Buffalo on June 23, and they also signed forward prospect Roman Kantserov in May.
Bedard has been the centerpiece of the team since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He made his anticipated NHL debut that October and won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year.
He had 23 goals and 44 assists while appearing in all 82 games in his second season. He continued his steady improvement this year, setting career highs with 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.
“He’s so important to our team,” Davidson said in April. “He took such a big step forward this year in every facet.”
Bedard missed nearly six weeks of his rookie season with a broken jaw, and he was sidelined for 12 games this year after he injured his right shoulder.
With the contract done, the next big moment for Bedard could be taking over as the 36th captain in franchise history. He became an alternate captain after the team traded away its entire leadership group in March.
His teammates think he’s ready for the challenge.
“I think that he has every leadership quality like I was just talking about to be a captain in this league,” forward Oliver Moore said in April. “He brings it every day.”
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Sam Burns gets his best chance at winning a major he never planned to play.
Two weeks after his daughter was born, one week after Burns changed his mind and decided to fly from Louisiana to play in the British Open, he followed his record-tying 62 with a 5-under 65 on Saturday to build a two-shot lead at Royal Birkdale.
Perhaps even more impressive is that Burns played with purpose amid the chaos that is Bryson DeChambeau, who played alongside him and heard big support from the gallery a day after he theatrically protested a two-shot penalty for improving the area of his swing.
DeChambeau seems to thrive among distractions, and two late birdies kept him in the game. Even with a bogey on the final hole — after playfully engaging with the gallery — DeChambeau had a 69 and goes into the final round four shots behind.
Burns was at 10-under 200 and with a two-shot lead over Si Woo Kim (67) and Ryan Fox, who became the third player this week to tie the major championship record with a 62. That took the New Zealander from even par into the final group with a shot at his first major.
Also still hanging onto hope was Southport’s own Tommy Fleetwood, who had a 69 and was five shots behind. About the only one missing was Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, who struggled again to make putts and had to settle for a 70, leaving him six shots behind.
Of the leading 10 players going into Sunday, DeChambeau — a two-time U.S. Open champion — is the only player who has won a major.
That’s not to say Burns hasn’t experienced the pressure.
He was a 17-foot putt away from forcing a playoff in the U.S. Open last month at Shinnecock Hills. He was the 54-hole leader in the U.S. Open at Oakmont last year and was slowed only by wet conditions in which he lost control of two key shots because of all the water in the fairway.
Part of Burns feels as though he has nothing to lose because he never expected to be at Royal Birkdale. His wife, Caroline, was due to give birth the week of the British Open, but he never withdrew. She gave birth to a daughter, Belle, on July 3.
“To be able to come here was a bonus,” Burns said. “I didn’t think there was anyway possible. It will be a great challenge tomorrow. No matter what happens, I can live with the results.”
LONDON (AP) – British runner Josh Kerr ran 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds to break the long-standing men’s mile world record at a Diamond League meet in London on Saturday.
Kerr broke Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj’s mark of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds, set in Rome in 1999, and the Edinburgh native then set off on a lap of honor at London Stadium.
Kerr, 28, was so dominant Saturday that he finished just over three seconds clear of American Yared Nuguse in 3:45.69.
The crowd support as he closed in on the record was “just incredible,” Kerr told the BBC.
“It was just me, my shoes and the track,” he said. “I was absolutely deaf in that last 110 meters.
“I didn’t take my foot off the gas,” he continued, “but … I started to glide and I was like ‘Oh wow, this feels incredible.’ It’s incredible because I’m slowing down. So, I was like ‘I better get to the line.’ So, crossing the finish line, seeing 42-something — anything — was my goal, so it was great.”
Kerr’s previous best time was 3:45.34 in 2024.
He had targeted the mile race at the Diamond League meet as a main goal in a track season with neither Olympics nor world championships.
The mile is not a championship event, yet it has iconic status in track history, with the four-minute barrier broken in 1954 by another British runner, Roger Bannister.
Kerr was a silver medalist in the 1,500 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — France and England agree on this: Neither team wanted to be playing on Saturday.
France was a favorite to win the World Cup. England was close to ending a decades-long wait for its first World Cup title since 1966.
Both fell one match short of their ultimate goals after losses in the semifinals. And instead of playing in Sunday’s final — that game will be between Argentina and Spain — England and France will face each other in a consolation match for third place.
“None of us wanted to play in this game for third place,” France defender Ibrahima Konate said Friday. “But we don’t have a choice to play. France and England have a big story together. And yeah, we are looking forward for the game tomorrow, and let’s see what will happen.”
Though the match will provide little more than moral victories, it may give Thomas Tuchel a chance to regain favor after the England coach faced widespread criticism about his tactical choices in the Three Lions’ semifinal loss to Argentina.
“Nobody wants to be, tomorrow, in this game,” Tuchel said Friday evening. “All of these four teams wanted to be in New York (at the final). But it is an official World Cup game. It’s a chance to have the best result in 60 years for England. Mentality is not something that you switch on and switch off as you like it. It is a moment to show that we are actually made of what we showed through the whole tournament.”
France star Kylian Mbappé also still has a chance to win the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament’s leading scorer.
Mbappé has eight goals, tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the tournament lead. Messi has an edge in the tiebreaker with four assists to Mbappé’s three. England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are also in the mix with six goals each.
France coach Didier Deschamps said Mbappé is available for Saturday’s match — the star participated in France’s training session Friday in Fort Lauderdale — but added he will make changes to his regular lineup. Tuchel said there will also be changes to England’s lineup.
“We do have a match for the third place playoff, and there’s a duty,” Deschamps said. “We have duties. I have duties, my staff has duties and so do the players. We have a responsibility to wear this jersey for all the French people who are cheering for us.”
It will also be the final game for Deschamps as France’s coach after 14 years leading the squad. Konate said the French players want to “pay back our head coach” with one last win.
“He carried many French players,” Konate said. “We had some disappointing moments, but he brought a lot of joy.”
France won the World Cup under Deschamps in 2018, lost a gut-wrenching final to Argentina on penalties in 2022, and fell short tactically on Tuesday, when the offensive firepower of Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise was neutralized by the stout Spanish defense.
Deschamps won one major trophy — albeit the biggest of all — having lost the European Championship final on home soil in 2016.
“I know it will be the last match and I also know that the French national team will be missed,” Deschamps said. “I had the privilege for 15 years to be up here with this jersey, to experience magnificent moments, more difficult moments. The French national team is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me in my professional career.”
For England, which reached the World Cup semis for the first time since 2018, there is still work to do in closing the gap with France, Argentina and Spain.
“I think out of the four (semifinal) teams, the other three teams almost expect to be world champions,” Tuchel said. “We were hoping. We were dreaming. We were pushing and believing. But still we have to close that gap. And we’re up for that from tomorrow.”
The German coach, who has won trophies with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, said his squad was too passive against defending champion Argentina. Leading 1-0 going into the 85th minute and in a defensive shell, England surrendered goals to Enzo Fernández and substitute Lautaro Martínez amid widely questioned tactics and substitutions by Tuchel.
He said he trusted his instincts during the match and did not regret his decisions.
“If it’s easier that someone takes the blame,” Tuchel added, “I take the blame.”
HOUSTON (AP)- Taylor Ward hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Friday night to extend their season-best win streak to five games.
Adley Rutschman had a ground-rule double to begin the inning against Bryan King (2-3) before Ward hit the next pitch out to left for his seventh homer.
Cam Sanders (1-0), acquired from Pittsburgh for cash on Monday, came in with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. The right-hander struck out Isaac Paredes looking and got Christian Walker to pop out foul behind home plate to pick up his first major league win.
Tyler Wells allowed Jeremy Peña’s infield hit in the ninth before retiring Yordan Alvarez on a shallow fly to center field for the second out. After Paredes walked, Wells struck out Walker for his third save.
Houston starter Peter Lambert allowed three hits, struck out a career-high 10 over six innings and left with a 2-1 lead. He issued three straight two-out walks in the third, including a free pass to Pete Alonso that made it 1-1.
Alvarez had an RBI double in the first for Houston and finished 2 for 3 with two walks. He leads the AL with a .321 batting average, 71 RBI and 31 home runs as he pursues the Triple Crown.
Paredes’ sacrifice fly in the third made it 2-1. Orioles starter Dean Kremer allowed two runs in four innings.
Astros center fielder Lucas Spence made his big league debut and singled in the seventh.
Up next
Orioles LHP Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.48 ERA) starts Saturday opposite Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-5, 4.50).
ATLANTA (AP) – Chris Sale pitched seven shutout innings of two-hit ball and Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Austin Riley homered for Atlanta during a 19-hit outburst as the Braves pounded the Texas Rangers 15-1 on Friday night.
Sale (10-6) became the 27th major leaguer to reach 2,700 career strikeouts when he fanned Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran in the fifth.
Baldwin was 3 for 4 with a walk and five RBI. His three-run homer into the Braves bullpen in the fourth gave Atlanta a 5-0 lead. Olson followed two batters later with a 420-foot shot into the Chop House restaurant in right field. He was 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs.
The Rangers had won eight of their last 10 games against left-handed starters, but they were overmatched against Sale. The veteran ace sat out Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia and was ready for Texas. He had six strikeouts, no walks and allowed just a single in the third and a double in the seventh. He threw 62 strikes on 89 pitches.
Rangers starter Cal Quantrill (3-2) lasted four innings and gave up 11 hits and six runs on a season-high 86 pitches. He was relieved by Emiliano Teodo, who permitted two runs over 1 2/3 innings in his big league debut.
All nine Braves starters had a hit, and seven had at least two. Riley was 2 for 5 with two runs. Rookie shortstop Jim Jarvis went 2 for 4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies was 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Michael Harris II had two doubles and three RBI.
Up next
Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore (5-8, 4.63 ERA) will face Braves rookie RHP Owen Murphy (0-1, 2.25) in the first start of Murphy’s career Saturday.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark scored a career-high 45 points and had 10 assists for the first 40-10 game in WNBA history, and the Indiana Fever beat Seattle 110-107 on Friday night.
Clark, who had four steals and two blocks, also became the fastest player in WNBA history to make 200 career 3-pointers, doing it in 74 games, breaking the previous mark of 81 games set by Katie Smith. Her 45 points were also a franchise record.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 30 points for the Fever (15-10) and Monique Billings added 16.
Dominique Malonga had 28 points and 14 rebounds for Seattle, which lost its fourth in a row.
It appeared Flau’jae Johnson had a fast-break layup, but Clark hustled back and blocked the shot off Johnson and out of bounds with 54.9 seconds to play. Clark then hit a 3 from the left wing that made it 105-102 and made 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in the final 17 seconds to seal it.
Clark scored 10 points in a 12-4 run and capped the spurt with a 3-pointer that made it 49-32 with 7:28 left before halftime.
Mitchell scored 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Clark added five points, five assists and two steals, as the Fever tied their highest-scoring first quarter this season and took a 37-26 lead after one.
Johnson and Awa Fam had 16 points apiece for Seattle, and Natisha Hiedeman and Jade Melbourne each scored 15.
The Storm (6-21) have lost six of seven.
Aliyah Boston (leg) did not play for Indiana on the first night of a back-to-back.
Indiana beat the Storm 89-78 at home on May 17.
NEW YORK (AP) – The NFL has suspended Arizona Cardinals personnel executive Ryan Gold indefinitely for violating the league’s gambling policy.
The league said Friday that its investigation determined that Gold provided confidential, non-public inside information regarding 2026 draft selections by the Cardinals before the picks were announced, and Gold also participated in parlay bets on NFL and college games. The league didn’t say who Gold had provided with the information.
“The Gambling Policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, strictly prohibits anyone in the NFL from participating in or facilitating any form of sports gambling, and from providing third parties non-public information,” the NFL said in a statement. “Although there is no reason to believe the integrity of any NFL game was affected, the League takes any violation of the Gambling Policy with the utmost seriousness.”
The Cardinals also issued a statement, saying: “The NFL’s policies and expectations for all employees are clear, comprehensive, and consistently communicated. We fully support the league’s decision in this matter, which involves a single employee. Our focus remains on preparing for the start of training camp next week and the 2026 season.”
Gold, who is in his 13th season with the Cardinals, was promoted to director of college scouting in June 2025. He spent the previous three years (2022-24) as the assistant director of college scouting after working for four seasons (2018-21) as a college scouting coordinator.
Gold has the right to appeal the suspension. He couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Friday.
The NFL has strict gambling policies for players and club and league personnel. The league has also dedicated significant resources to its gambling education program, reaching more than 20,000 people associated with the league.
The policy says players must not:
— place any bet on NFL football;
— throw or fix any NFL game or event, or otherwise manipulate or attempt to manipulate any play or other aspect of an NFL game;
— share confidential, non-public information regarding any NFL game, player or event with any third party.
NFL players — but not league or club staff — are allowed to legally place bets on other sports as long as they are off club property or not traveling with the team. They also are allowed to take part in traditional fantasy football leagues (prize money cannot exceed $250) and legally gamble at casinos on personal time.
The NFL said the Cardinals fully cooperated with the investigation and the league has seen no indication that any other member of the organization, coach or player was aware of or involved in this activity. The league also said there was no indication that any play or game was affected by this activity.
The NFL’s review included interviews with relevant people and an examination of electronic records.
At least 15 players have been suspended by the league for gambling violations since 1963, including several in recent years, but none since Isaiah Rodgers (then with the Indianapolis Colts) was suspended indefinitely in June 2023.
NEW YORK (AP) — The lineup of sports legends simultaneously on the stage at Fanatics Fest on Friday night was almost absurd. There was Tom Brady, the greatest Super Bowl champion of all time. There was Novak Djokovic, the winner of more men’s Grand Slam tennis tournaments than anyone else. There was Kevin Durant, the only four-time Olympic gold medalist in men’s basketball history.
And before they left, they all got a selfie with Lionel Messi.
Let that be the latest proof of Messi’s power: Even the biggest stars in the sports universe clearly enjoy a chance to be around the best soccer player of all-time. They’ll all be watching Sunday — along with probably 1.5 billion other people worldwide — when Messi and Argentina face Spain in the World Cup final.
“We will give it our all,” Messi said.
The star-studded news conference was expected to be Messi’s last public appearance before Sunday’s final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. FIFA decided to use Fanatics Fest — a four-day celebration of sports in New York, replete with autograph signings and celebrity appearances — as the backdrop for its preview news conferences, meaning hundreds of people got the chance to get a glimpse of Messi in the sort of setting not usually open to the public.
“It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player and what he means for Argentina,” Spain captain Rodri said. “Obviously, for me, he’s the greatest of all times.”
The idea for the appearance by Messi and the other players and coaches from Argentina and Spain was simple: Instead of having traditional media asking questions, the stars got to do the asking.
Brady probed Messi about a remarkable photo that has gone viral this week of him bathing a cute baby boy who grew up to be Spain star Lamine Yamal — “What a crazy picture,” Messi said. Djokovic asked Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni about dealing with pressure, then posed a version of that same question to Messi.
And when Messi finished, Djokovic simply said, “Gracias, Leo.” Djokovic then asked Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and captain Rodri about staying calm in big moments, before Brady asked Messi about the infamous photo with Yamal, and Rodri about what he’ll say to teammates before Sunday’s final. Durant then came out, asking Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez about what it would mean to win back-to-back World Cups.
The Argentina and Spain sides, to their credit, seemed to enjoy the show. The World Cup final is a spectacle, and so was the preview event.
“It’s one more game,” Scaloni said. “We cannot really think about the fact that it’s a World Cup final.”
It was not the easiest of roads for Argentina to get back to the final, even though the defending champions (7-0-0) are the only unbeaten and untied team left in the tournament; Spain (6-0-1) drew its opening match against Cape Verde.
Argentina had to rally from a 1-0 second-half deficit to beat England in the semifinals, had to rally from a 2-0 second-half deficit to beat Egypt in the Round of 16, and got taken to extra time by both Cape Verde (in the round of 32) and Switzerland (in the quarterfinals).
“I’ve said many times: We never stop fighting,” Messi said.
With that, the defending champions got their ticket to New York. And when Messi walked onto that stage Friday, not many of those who were jammed inside the theater applauded — since they were holding their phones instead, hoping to capture images of the moment.
Messi knew what they wanted. He smiled and waved. They roared.
When the event wrapped up, everyone — the players, the coaches, actor and comedian Kevin Hart, rapper and producer Travis Scott, England great Rio Ferdinand, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and more — gathered for that selfie with the fans in the background.
“Sunday is going to be a great show,” Scaloni said.
It seemed like Messi may have taken a quick look at the case holding the trophy before he departed. Either way, it’s not like he needs a reminder of what’s at stake. No team has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, and Messi now has a chance to add one more accomplishment to his already overstuffed resume.
“We’ve got a group of players and a group of coaches that are working incredibly hard every single day to try to bring happiness to my country,” Martinez said. “We’re going to give absolutely our best, with Leo, with the team that we have, to bring the World Cup back to my country and celebrate with our people.”
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty after his second round at the British Open on Friday that dropped the American star out of the final group and raised initial doubts about whether he would show up on the weekend at Royal Birkdale.
In a dramatic late-evening development after a 4-under 66, DeChambeau was taken back out to the fifth hole for a rules review. Footage taken during his round showed him stomping around in high grass to the right of the fairway trying to figure out his shot 72 yards out from the hole.
DeChambeau was seen in a lengthy, heated exchange with rules officials — at one point, he waved his arms and pointed in clear frustration — before being driven back to the scoring tent, where he was followed by officials including R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.
The verdict then came in: DeChambeau was deemed to have inadvertently improved the area of his intended swing by tamping down a section of grass behind the ball that might have affected his backswing on the shot.
His bogey 5 on the No. 5 was turned into a triple-bogey 7 and the two-shot penalty turned his score to a 68, leaving him three shots behind, tied for fifth place.
DeChambeau left for the range, saying only, “Are you guys having a good night?” as he walked past dozens of reporters, and stopped to sign an autograph before hitting balls in twilight.
Just after midnight local time, DeChambeau posted on X: “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”
The post suggested DeChambeau had made up his mind to keep playing. Earlier Friday night, his agent, Brett Falkoff, was asked if the two-time U.S. Open champion would play Saturday and he replied: “We’ll see.”
It is proving an action-packed trip to Royal Birkdale for DeChambeau, who was accused by Nick Faldo of having “zero clue of strategy” when the three-time Open champion spoke on the Sky Sports Golf podcast ahead of the tournament.
After shooting 67 in the first round, DeChambeau skipped media, though later agreed to take a few questions from the R&A.
His answers were pointed. “I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic,” he said, before later adding: “I feel like my strategy was nice today.”
DeChambeau — one of the most high-profile players in golf — left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022 and still plays on the breakaway circuit, while continuing to produce videos on his YouTube channel that has 2.77 million subscribers.
He draws attention more than pretty much any golfer, as Friday proved.
The ruling explained by the R&A
At issue for DeChambeau was whether he violated Rule 8 that governs the intended swing.
“An improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke,” Grant Moir, the R&A’s executive director for governance, told media.
“The player,” Moir continued, “must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing.”
Moir said this applied “even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case.”
He makes the cut at a major for the 1st time this year
DeChambeau missed the cut in each of the first three majors of 2026.
If he does turn up for the third round, he will play with fellow American Sam Burns in the third-to-last group.
NEW YORK (AP) — Mikel Merino can smell and see the smoke from the Canadian wildfires that are making for hazy conditions across large parts of the U.S., including northern New Jersey where he and Spain are set to face Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Merino is trying not to focus on it.
It remains unclear how much, if at all, the smoke will affect the final. The World Health Organization forecast calls for an improvement to “moderate” air quality in East Rutherford.
“For a game that is as important as a World Cup final, you have to be able to shut out external factors as much as possible,” Merino said Friday. “Luckily, we are being careful with every detail thanks to the federation and the organizers of the World Cup.”
Spain practiced outside in hazardous conditions in East Hanover, New Jersey, on Thursday, alarming experts who thought the team should have held the session inside instead. Messages sent to FIFA and the Spanish Football Association asking whether that was considered or possible were not returned.
Air quality improved Friday, but the uncertainty lies in what will follow what could be up to 1.25 inches (3.17 centimeters) of rain expected to fall Saturday.
“Following that, it looks like there is another smoky air mass following in behind that system, but it’s not clear right now how much or how it might reach New York or New Jersey, when it comes to actually Sunday,” said Mark Parrington, senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. “If the fire intensity really picks up again through (Saturday), it’s possible it puts more smoke into the atmosphere that then might quickly follow that rain event.”
Smoke from wildfires — which are burning more of North America as Earth warms — attacks nearly every system in the body, killing tens of thousands of people a year, numerous medical studies show.
It attacks the body immediately, spiking asthma cases with increased ambulance runs within hours. Smoke can trigger inflammation in different parts of the body, often attacking a person’s weakest points, which can then cascade into different effects of an immune system trying to fight a nasty irritant, doctors and scientists say.
Parrington said as a general rule the advice is to try to minimize outdoor activity and exercise when the air is full of pollutants.
“There’s the obvious sort of respiratory illness, cardiovascular issues, vulnerable people with asthma and things like this,” Parrington said. “Then for sure they’re going to feel the effects.”
President Donald Trump is set to meet with FIFA President Gianni Infantino later Friday. Members of the administration, including Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, have been discussing the matter with soccer’s governing body and monitoring the wildfire situation, according to a White House official. The person was granted anonymity to confirm internal discussions.
Roughly 80,000 fans are expected at the final, which takes place in the large, open-air stadium in the Meadowlands that is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans will induct Chris Johnson, the sixth man in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season, into their Ring of Honor during halftime of their regular-season opener Sept. 13.
The Titans announced the honor Friday following Johnson’s announcement June 29 on ABC’s “ Good Morning America ” that he was diagnosed with ALS, the fatal nervous system disease a year earlier.
“Chris Johnson holds a special place in the hearts of our organization and our fans,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “His stats speak for themselves, and he will forever remain a leader in our record books, but the man behind the yardage deserves just as much celebration.”
Johnson was the 24th pick overall in 2008 by the Titans and played six of his 10 seasons in the NFL with Tennessee. He rushed for 7,965 yards and had 58 total touchdowns in that span. Those totals both rank fourth for a franchise that also had Earl Campbell, Eddie George and Derrick Henry.
He earned the nickname “CJ2K” in 2009 when he finished with 2,006 yards rushing to join O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis and Jamal Lewis in the exclusive 2,000-yard club. Johnson also had 2,509 yards from scrimmage, a single-season record that still stands in the NFL.
That earned him The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Johnson will be inducted at halftime of the Titans’ opener against the New York Jets, the team the running back played for in 2014. He becomes the 20th inductee into the Titans’ Ring of Honor with former radio analyst and assistant coach Dave McGinnis being inducted posthumously later this season.
PARIS (AP) — Adieu Didier. Bonjour Zinedine?
Coach Didier Deschamps takes charge of his last game for France on Saturday when Les Bleus face England at the World Cup in Miami. The winner gets third place, an anti-climactic award brought about by agonizing semifinal defeats.
It is a disappointing end to Deschamps’ reign when many observers touted his star-studded attack to win another World Cup. Zinedine Zidane is widely expected to be confirmed as France’s new coach in the coming days by the French soccer federation.
The Deschamps years
France won the World Cup under Deschamps in 2018, lost a gut-wrenching final on penalties in 2022, and fell short tactically against Spain on Tuesday.
In his 14 years in charge, Deschamps won just one major trophy — albeit the biggest of all — having lost the European Championship final on home soil in 2016.
Some observers suggest that was not quite enough given the talent at France’s disposal — including Kylian Mbappé, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Ballon d’Or winners Ousmane Dembélé and Karim Benzema — while others argue France was remarkably consistent under Deschamps, who is now 57.
Whatever the view, France’s next coach has big shoes to fill and a big aura will help. As arguably France’s greatest ever player, and a prolifically successful coach with Real Madrid, Zidane seems the perfect fit.
Polar opposites as players, Zidane and Deschamps are forever linked by glory.
The industrious midfielder Deschamps was France’s tireless captain when it won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, while Zinedine was the unstoppable creative force that drove that brilliant team to new heights.
Here’s a look at how France might look with Zidane in charge.
What would Zidane change?
France’s 2-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup semifinal was more crushing than the score suggests.
France was found wanting tactically when put under sustained pressure by the slick Spanish. Completely dominated in midfield, France got its pressing game all wrong. The attack was blunted and Deschamps had no Plan “B” to turn things around.
Deschamps has had his detractors over the years — chief among them Christophe Dugarry, his former France teammate — who said his approach was too restrictive and lacked sufficient creativity in central midfield.
Zidane would doubtless want a more expansive approach, such as during his heyday when he roamed the field as a playmaker. Michael Olise or Rayan Cherki could fill that role.
Both are technically gifted although neither are a playmaker by definition like Zidane was. Another option could be Dembélé dropping deep into that role, as he has done well with Paris Saint-Germain.
Benzema’s return?
Zidane is a huge fan of Benzema and they became close friends when Zidane coached him at Real Madrid.
They won three straight Champions League titles together from 2016-18 and Benzema became a more complete player, as well as a ruthless finisher, under Zidane’s guidance. Benzema is 38 and his advanced age may prove a stumbling block.
But given how the age-defying Lionel Messi has dazzled at this World Cup aged 39, Zidane may think Benzema — a Ballon d’Or winner in 2022 — has something left to give. Especially if he plays in a more withdrawn role, where he can use his excellent technical skill and passing ability to good effect.
Critics of Deschamps never forgave him for leaving out Benzema for the best part of six years, due to Benzema’s alleged part in a “sex-tape scandal” targeting then-France teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
However, France won the World Cup without Benzema.
He was finally recalled in time for the European Championship in 2021, where he was France’s top scorer with four goals, and combined brilliantly with Mbappé when they won the Nations League later that year.
Benzema fell out with Deschamps after being released from the 2022 World Cup because of a thigh injury, with Benzema contesting events leading to his departure.
It would be a big call for Zidane to recall him, but it’s not impossible.
Five years away from the game
One question is how ready Zidane would be for such a high-pressured job, giving that he has not coached since leaving Madrid after his second spell in 2021.
Yet he will also be fresh after several years away from the stress and scrutiny of management.
Should the 54-year-old Zidane take charge, his first game would be away to Turkey in the Nations League on Sept. 25, followed by a match in Belgium three days later.
Home fans would need to wait until Oct. 2 for a glimpse of Zidane at Stade de France, when France plays Italy.
Zidane’s last game as a player for France was against Italy in the 2006 World Cup final. He scored early with a Panenka-style penalty, before an infamous moment saw him red-carded for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi during extra time.
France lost the final on penalty kicks but the French public quickly forgave Zidane — affectionally known as “Zizou” — for getting sent off, such was his deep bond with the nation.
LONDON (AP) — The storied men’s mile record in track that has stood for 27 years will come under attack Saturday from Britain’s Josh Kerr.
Kerr, the 2023 world champion over the 1,500 meters metric mile, has called it “Project 222” — for each second he aims to take in breaking Hicham El Guerrouj’s mark of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds.
“It’s in my favor,” Kerr said Friday at a news conference at London Stadium that staged track and field at the 2012 Olympics. “My body is capable of the mark and so my job tomorrow is to have my mind to be available to let my body do its job.”
The 28-year-old Kerr has targeted the mile race at the Diamond League meeting as a main goal in a track season with neither Olympics nor world championships.
“I’m very excited. It’s been on my mind, my team’s mind, for a long time,” said the 1,500 silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The mile is not a championships event yet has iconic status in track history, with the four-minute barrier finally broken in 1954 by another British runner, Roger Bannister.
El Guerrouj’s record set in 1999 is more than 16 seconds faster than Bannister, and Kerr is the sixth-fastest athlete on the all-time list. One of his rivals Saturday is No. 4 in that list.
Yared Nuguse set a United States record three years ago, 0.84 slower than El Guerrouj, in a race won by Jakob Ingebrigtsen at Eugene, Oregon.
While Bannister’s feat running 3:59.4 is remembered in track lore, he held the record just a few weeks before Australian John Landy lowered it by 1.4 seconds.
Jim Ryun of the U.S. later held the record for nine years until Filbert Bayi of Tanzania took it in 1975.
A stellar 10 days in August 1981 saw a British rivalry play out: Sebastian Coe took Steve Ovett’s mile record, Ovett got it back then Coe beat it again clocking 3:47.33.
In the 45 years since, the mile record was held only by Steve Cram, Noureddine Morceli and El Guerrouj.
(NEW YORK) -- Argentina's Lionel Messi could add another milestone to his storied career on Sunday by winning his second World Cup title. To achieve that feat, the defending champions will have to beat Spain, a team that has only allowed one goal this entire tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final arrives after 48 teams competed in over 100 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada over the past six weeks.
Here's what to know ahead of the final weekend of the World Cup.
How did Spain and Argentina get to the final?
Spain advanced to the final after defeating France, a two-time World Cup winner, on Tuesday in a 2-0 upset. France had been tipped as a strong contender for the trophy after previously topping the FIFA men's ranking.
The Spanish men's team, known as La Roja, won its first and only World Cup in 2010. The team most recently won the UEFA European championship in 2024, defeating England 2-1.
Meanwhile, Argentina proved resilient yet again with a stunning comeback against England in the final minutes of its semifinal match on Wednesday. England had been holding onto a 1-0 lead when two late goals from Argentina flipped the score. England was unable to respond and the final score was 2-1.
Argentina has won the World Cup three times, most recently in 2022 with a victory over France in penalty kicks. The team also won the last two Copa America championships in 2021 and 2024.
The final match will kick off on Sunday, July, 19, at 3 p.m. from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
What about the third place game?
England and France are not out of the tournament yet. The two will face each other in the third place game on Saturday, July 18, at 5 p.m. ET from Miami Gardens, Florida.
What other awards are handed out besides the trophy?
The tournament recognizes outstanding individuals through several awards, including the Golden Ball for best player, Golden Boot for top scorer, Golden Glove for best goalkeeper and the FIFA Young Player Award.
Medals will be handed out to the players and coaching staff of the first, second and third place winners.
Where can I watch the final?
The last match will air live in the U.S. on FOX for the English-language broadcast, with streaming on FOX One, and Telemundo for the Spanish-language broadcast. The Telemundo broadcast will also stream on Peacock.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It’s been six months since Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney publicly called out Ole Miss for engaging in what he called “blatant” tampering to lure away transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
He has heard nothing back despite providing an alleged timeline, evidence and receipts to the NCAA.
Swinney said Thursday he doesn’t regret pointing the finger at Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding and general manager Austin Thomas. And he again pushed for change and accountability on Thursday for what he called “rampant” tampering in college football.
“We’re probably gonna need some congressional help for that,” Swinney said during the Atlantic Coast Conference’s preseason football media days. “There has to be some type of order put in place. The tampering is a problem. So there needs to be consequences or you just say to heck with it, don’t worry about it, and let’s just call it like it is — the wild, wild West.”
Swinney suggested fines, suspensions and even firings should be considered to discourage tampering, which has been a frequent topic of concern in multiple sports.
“There is lots of things that can be put in place,” Swinney said. ”(Tampering) is rampant because there hasn’t been consequences and I don’t know there has been much fear of consequences. So you’ve got to get some order.”
Golding defended Ole Miss in April, explaining there are “two sides to every story” referring to Ferrelli, who abruptly transferred to Ole Miss 20 days after beginning classes and team meetings at Clemson in January.
Ferrelli played last season at Cal before originally transferring to Clemson.
In March, Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey called NCAA language covering tampering rules “archaic,” but stopped short of urging the oversight body to halt tampering investigations.
Sankey said the new landscape in college sports calls for the rules language to be changed.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips on Wednesday urged coaches and administrators to go public with information if they see potential tampering.
Other ACC coaches have expressed support for Swinney for speaking out.
“I agree with Dabo,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said. “He should have been upset. To me that type of tampering shouldn’t happen. It goes back to there needs to be more guardrails. There needs to be a system in place where there’s consequences for doing things you’re not supposed to do, and that’s not in college football right now.”
Brohm said it’s one of the reasons he wants to see the Protect College Sports Act passed in Congress.
The bill that top lawmakers and athletic leaders have described as the best hope to stabilize college sports cleared a key vote in the Senate in June following weeks of input from schools, conferences and athletes.
It is now currently in the House for a vote.
The bill would address many areas, including tampering.
“It may not be perfect for everyone, but I’m all for it,” Brohm said. ”I think it’s important that we do something to try to help the game overall and then make adjustments along the way. Until there’s consequences for cheating and tampering, people will continue to skirt the edges.”
Syracuse coach Fran Brown said he’s not sure any rules will change how some teams conduct business behind the scenes.
“Some people just gonna be certain ways,” Brown said. “There’s still crime in America, right? It’s just certain things that you’re not gonna ever be able to stop.”
Swinney said that despite not receiving an update from the NCAA, he doesn’t regret going public with the allegations against Ole Miss — despite receiving some public criticism.
“They don’t owe me an update,” Swinney added. “I did my part. The NCAA, ask them for an update. No idea.”
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Jackson Suber got his first taste of links golf — on his first trip to Europe — when he arrived at Royal Birkdale. Three days later, he proved to be a quick study with a superb par save and a 6-foot eagle late in his round for a 5-under 65 to lead the British Open.
Bryson DeChambeau might be getting the hang of this, too, no matter what three-time British Open champion Nick Faldo thinks about his strategy.
An opening round lasting some 15 hours included just about everything during a warm and breezy start. Five of the leading 12 players were playing the British Open for the first time. Rory McIlroy missed three 4-foot putts in a four-hole span and had six bogeys in his round of 72. Scottie Scheffler opened with four birdies in six holes and didn’t make another the rest of the way for a 68.
Most startling was Suber, a 26-year-old American who has yet to win anywhere since leaving Ole Miss and is playing in only his third major. He made a tough par save on the new par-3 15th with slopes off severely on both sides. He followed with a 6-foot birdie on the 16th and then choked up on a 4-iron from 233 yards and hit it to 6 feet for eagle.
Not bad for his seventh round in any major, and first on a links course as tough as Birkdale.
“Just kind of kept the ball in good spots and didn’t put much pressure on my game to make pars,” Suber said.
He led by one shot over Sungjae Im and Dan Brown of England. The nine players at 67 include four Open debutants — Alex Smalley, Ryan Gerard, M.J. Daffue, Pierceson Coody.
And then there was DeChambeau, who has missed the cut in all three majors this year and has chosen not to speak to the media since Friday at the Masters, except for on LIV Golf.
Turns out he had enough strategy to get in the mix, often ripping driver to take the fearsome bunkers out of play and doing enough right for a 67 that left him two shots behind.
Strategy became a talking point when Faldo told the Sky Sports Golf Podcast this week, “DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy. He said last year, ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links’. Well, I’ve never attacked a links. You thread it, don’t you? You feed it down the fairway. … You don’t think, ‘Oh, I’ll just blast it down there.’”
DeChambeau hit only four fairways but missed only three greens, though he was rarely in big trouble when he wasn’t in the short grass.
He twice blasted tee shots over the trouble and close to the green at the par-4 second and the par-4 10th, the latter a blind shot. He made birdie on both. And while Jon Rahm was among those who said going long can lead to trouble at some point, the only two shots DeChambeau dropped came from his putting (the par-5 14th) and chipping (the par-4 18th).
He was tied for the early lead until going from wispy rough over the back of the 18th, chipped weakly to 8 feet and missed the putt. He missed three birdie chances from around 10 feet or under, one of them on redesigned, 321-yard fifth hole, when he drove it just over the green.
DeChambeau agreed to take a few questions from the R&A and said, “I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places. Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today.”
Cameron Young, one of the hottest players in the spring but quiet the past two months, also was at 67 along with Robert MacIntyre, Thomas Detry and Francesco Molinari, the 2018 Open champion at Carnoustie, which also featured a baked links course.
Scheffler had few complaints after a 68, even not making a birdie over his last 12 holes, playing the two par 5s in 1 over and making a pair of soft bogeys. He also missed a 5-foot birdie putt. Whether he could have gotten more out of his round was of little concern.
“If I continue to strike the ball the way I did today and just keep giving myself looks, that’s part of it,” Scheffler said. “Golf is played over 72 holes, and I definitely liked what I saw today.”
Smalley, who took a two-shot lead into the final round at the PGA Championship, was leading until his drive on the 18th was fading with the wind and then the luck of links golf took over. One wild bounce sent it further right and out of bounds. He finished with a double bogey for a 67.
“Got up to where the ball was supposed to be and was told it hit a spectator fence and kicked another 15 yards right out of bounds. All three of us in our group actually hit it over there, and mine just got an unlucky break,” Smalley said. “Poor tee shot, poor break. Sometimes that’s how it goes.”
Scheffler played in the group with DeChambeau and they traded birdies early. For six holes, the world’s No. 1 player had total control of his shots and looked as though he couldn’t miss. He got to 4 under when he gave a leg kick as his 40-foot birdie putt dropped on No. 6.
But then he missed the seventh green — 139 yards, downhill — to the left between a pair of bunkers, and his pitch was so strong it flirted with going in a bunker on the other side. He missed a 5-foot birdie chance on the 11th, and then made a mess of the par-5 17th when his ball was buried so deep in the grass he thought someone might have stepped on it during the search.
“Sometimes you hit it over there and you get a clean lie and you’re able to give yourself a look, and then other times like today, you pay a pretty severe price,” he said. “But I guess don’t hit it offline.”
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
LONDON (AP) — The British government on Thursday urged FIFA to investigate Argentina’s team after players celebrating their 2-1 win over England in the World Cup semifinals posed with a banner that claimed sovereignty over the contested Falkland Islands.
During post-match celebrations Wednesday in Atlanta, Argentine players held a banner handed over by fans, reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina’s then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.
“The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday. “Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”
Starmer supported calls for FIFA to investigate, the spokesperson said, after U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the players’ behavior was “entirely inappropriate.”
FIFA can prosecute Argentina’s players and soccer federation because its disciplinary code prohibits at stadiums any “message that is not appropriate for a sports event” including those of “a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.”
The FIFA fines for political messaging range from around $5,000 to $20,000. FIFA was approached for comment Thursday.
Argentine President Javier Milei described the players’ celebration with the banner as “perfectly valid,” saying the message “reflects a sentiment shared by all Argentines.” But he said he expected FIFA to sanction the team with a fine.
“What the players do is understandable; they get carried away by their emotions, they act on impulse, and that will likely lead to discussions about a fine,” Milei told a local Buenos Aires radio station.
Vice President Victoria Villarruel was more vocal in her support, posting a photo on social media of the players raising the banner with the caption: “The Malvinas are Argentine! They banned us from bringing (signs) into the stadium, forgetting that we carry them in our blood and in our hearts.”
A FIFA disciplinary case under previous leadership banned a South Korea player for two 2014 World Cup qualifying games because he held up a similar banner about a territorial claim against Japan at the 2012 London Olympics. Park Jong-woo took a fan banner with the slogan “Dokdo is our territory” after South Korea beat Japan in the men’s bronze medal game.
On Wednesday, Argentina player Lisandro Martínez was asked if the banner could have stirred deep emotions for veterans of the conflict.
“We couldn’t let the Argentine people down” said Martínez, who has played in England for the past four years with Manchester United.
Argentina-England soccer rivalry
The sporting rivalry between the two countries is heightened by political tensions over the South Atlantic archipelago. It is a British overseas territory with a population of around 3,500 people located about 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers) from the U.K. and 300 miles (480 kilometers) from Argentina.
Argentina argues the islands were illegally taken from it in 1833. Britain, which says its territorial claim dates to 1765, sent a warship to the islands in 1833 to expel Argentine forces who sought to establish sovereignty over the territory.
The war in 1982 killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service personnel and three islanders.
That conflict ended during the 1982 World Cup in Spain where Argentina, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all played. British television networks declined to broadcast Argentina playing in the tournament’s opening game, when the defending champion lost to Belgium.
“Sadly, it is a sad part of our history,” Argentina player Leandro Paredes said in Atlanta about the banner, “for everyone involved in that chapter of, I repeat, our history. And it hurts. We knew we were playing for them, too.”
Politics in soccer
British government minister Kyle told the BBC “politics needs to be separate from football.”
“In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football,” he said. “That is now a matter for FIFA.”
FIFA’s statutory political neutrality has been questioned at this World Cup after its president, Gianni Infantino, and disciplinary process — which could now judge Argentina — seemed to cave to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump in allowing United States forward Folarin Balogun to play Belgium in the round of 16.
Balogun was shown a red card in the previous round and FIFA disciplinary rules mandated he should be banned from his team’s next game. FIFA deferred that suspension for one year of probation, provoking an all-time controversy in modern World Cup history. Belgium beat the U.S. 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Infantino is expected to sit with Trump at the World Cup final Sunday. Argentina plays Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Previous cases
Argentina players showed the same “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” slogan at a warm-up game in June 2014 in Buenos Aires for the World Cup that started days later in Brazil.
FIFA’s disciplinary panel ruling in that case was published after the tournament finished and fined the Argentina federation 30,000 Swiss francs ($37,000).
In the 2012 London Olympics case, FIFA’s ruling said the conduct of the South Korea player “cannot be tolerated.”
At the 2022 World Cup, FIFA fined the Serbia federation 20,000 Swiss francs ($24,800) for hanging a political banner about neighboring independent state Kosovo in the locker room before playing Brazil. It showed a map of Serbia that included the territory of Kosovo, which has been an independent state since 2008, and the slogan “No Surrender.”
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Dunbar contributed from Geneva. Associated Press writer Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Myles Garrett has been the NFL’s dominant defensive player for years, leading to his record-setting campaign with 23 sacks last season before being traded in June from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams.
Garrett’s performance helped him earn the honor of being named the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at edge rusher, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Garrett got all eight first-place votes and won the voting with 80 points. Green Bay’s Micah Parsons was the only other player named on all eight ballots and was second with 27 points. Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. was third, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt was fourth and Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson was fifth.
Brian Burns of the New York Giants, Baltimore’s Trey Hendrickson, Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby, San Francisco’s Nick Bosa and Jacksonville’s Josh Hines-Allen also received votes.
1. Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
Garrett won his second AP Defensive Player of the Year award last season and earned All-Pro honors for the fifth time after breaking the single-season sack record held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. His 125 1/2 career sacks are the second-most to Reggie White among players in their first nine seasons in the NFL and Garrett is the only player with five straight seasons with at least 14 sacks.
Now after playing in only three playoff games in his career with the Browns, Garrett could have a chance to deliver in the postseason following the trade to the preseason Super Bowl favorite Rams.
2. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
Parsons was dealt from Dallas to Green Bay before last season and delivered 12 1/2 sacks in 14 games while earning his third career All-Pro honor. Parsons’ season ended early following a torn ACL in Week 15 that is expected to sideline him for at least the start of this season.
But Parsons has performed at a high level every year in the NFL and is the only player ever to start his career with five straight seasons with at least 12 sacks.
3. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
Anderson is the anchor of one of the NFL’s top defenses and earned his first All-Pro honor last season when he had 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He turned that performance into a three-year, $150 million contract extension in the offseason.
In three seasons with the Texans, the 24-year-old Anderson has piled up 30 sacks and 136 tackles, including 46 for loss. He also has 64 quarterback hits in his career and has forced four fumbles and recovered three.
4. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt’s production has dipped a bit in recent years but he still remains one of the game’s top pass rushers. He had seven sacks in 14 games last season when he earned his eighth straight Pro Bowl bid.
He has led the NFL in sacks three times and has 115 for his career.
5. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
The No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft bounced back from an injury-shortened 2024 campaign to record a career high last season with 14 1/2 sacks to make his second Pro Bowl and be named a second-team All-Pro.
Hutchinson has 43 sacks, 100 quarterback hits, 44 tackles for loss and five INTs in 56 career games.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
(NEW YORK) -- It was a night to remember for some of the sports world's biggest stars at the 34th annual ESPY Awards on Wednesday.
The best sports moments, winning plays, and superstar players were celebrated at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Olympian Simone Biles presented the ESPY Award for best team to the New York Knicks, one month after the NBA team secured this year's championship title in five games against the San Antonio Spurs.
"I hope this trophy, especially here in New York, getting this trophy shows the word love. The love of each other and this team is what got us through the humps in December when we were not playing our best basketball. The love of the fans is what got us back [when we were] down 29 at home," Knicks center-forward Karl-Anthony Towns said in a speech, as the team accepted the award.
Knicks guard Jose Alvarado added, "We've got the best fans in the world."
Knicks captain Jalen Brunson also won multiple ESPYs on Wednesday, including best championship performance and best athlete - men's sports.
"I'm at a loss of words. It has been a hell of a run to say the least," Brunson said.
Brunson's teammate OG Anunoby also took home the ESPY for best play for his now-famous tip-in that cemented the Knicks' eventual win of game 4 during the NBA Finals.
"I think it's pretty exciting for everyone," Anunoby said of his ESPYs experience last night. "I mean I grew up watching this award show, so full circle, crazy to be here."
The ESPYs also honored athletes on the rise, including 24-year-old Olympic gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu, who earned the ESPY for best breakthrough athlete.
"The past six months have been really crazy, but I've been enjoying it," Liu said. "And once it's all kind of slowing down, I'm gonna journal about it, so I can remember everything."
"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts delivered the Arthur Ashe Courage Award honoring late NBA trailblazer Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in league history.
Collins died of a brain tumor in May, so Roberts presented the award to his twin brother Jarron Collins, who accepted it on his behalf.
"It really does make all the difference in the world. Representation matters," Jaron Collins said.
"When you see someone of the LGBTQ community following their passions, following their dreams, living their life, being their authentic self -- it inspires other people," he added. "So, my brother, being a professional NBA basketball player and being openly gay, lived his life, lived his dream, lived his truth."
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(ATLANTA) -- Argentina will advance to the 2026 World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 on Wednesday.
Spain and Argentina will now face each other to determine the winner of the 2026 tournament on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. ET from New York-New Jersey Stadium.
After a scoreless first half, England struck first in the match with a goal from Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute. Argentina responded with a late goal from Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute to tie the game.
A goal by Argentina's Lautaro Martinez in stoppage time put them up 2-1.
Defending champions Argentina came into the tournament as one of the strong favorites to win the trophy. This tournament is expected to be Lionel Messi's final World Cup appearance after 20 years representing his country on the world stage.
Messi and Argentina hoisted the trophy in 2022, after defeating France in penalty kicks.
England will play for third place against France on Saturday, July 18, at 5 p.m. from Miami Stadium.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
CLEVELAND (AP) – The Cleveland Cavaliers have achieved one of their primary aims of the offseason while the wait continues on whether LeBron James will return to the franchise for a third time.
The team announced Thursday that Donovan Mitchell has signed his four-year, $273 million contract extension.
The seven-time All-Star agreed to the extension on Tuesday, the first day the Cavs could offer it. Mitchell had two seasons remaining on his contract and could have waited to re-sign until next summer, when he would be eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth $350 million.
“From day one, he embraced this organization, our fans, and our community. He’s been clear in his desire to be here, and that speaks volumes about who he is,” president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement. “Securing Donovan long term reflects our shared vision and our commitment to building toward another NBA championship in Cleveland.”
The 29-year-old Mitchell led the Cavaliers this past season to their first conference final since 2018. He averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds during the regular season, along with 26 points in the playoffs.
Mitchell’s extension has been the Cavaliers’ biggest move of the offseason while everyone in the NBA waits to see where James decides to sign.
The Cavaliers are a sentimental favorite for James to return. The 41-year-old from Akron, Ohio, was the top overall pick by Cleveland in 2003 and has spent 11 of his 23 seasons wearing wine and gold (2003-10, 2014-18). He left for Miami in 2010 but returned four years later to lead the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in 2016.
James Harden — whom the Cavaliers acquired at the trade deadline — also is considering a new deal to remain with Cleveland after turning down his player option for 2026-27.
It is likely Harden will wait until after the Cavaliers do the rest of their offseason moves before coming back.
So far the Cavaliers have seen Dean Wade (Philadelphia) and Larry Nance Jr. (Indiana) depart, but they did re-sign reserve center Thomas Bryant.
For now, Mitchell’s extension it is the fourth-biggest contract in terms of total value in NBA history behind the $314 million contract Boston gave to Jayson Tatum, the $285 million deal that the Celtics gave to Jaylen Brown — who now plays for Philadelphia — and the $276 million deal that Nikola Jokic currently has with Denver.
That assumes Mitchell will pick up a player option worth nearly $76 million for 2030-31. The average annual value of just over $68 million is, for now, an NBA record, barely passing the $67.9 million average value of the deal that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has with Oklahoma City.
The extension also includes full trade kicker.
Mitchell is averaging 26.7 points in four seasons with Cleveland since he was traded by the Utah Jazz in 2022.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark wanted to talk Tuesday about the league’s upcoming season, not the Brendan Sorsby gambling saga at Texas Tech that led to a lot of legal wrangling and a since-dismissed court order that had sent shockwaves through college sports.
Even though that was the first thing Yormark was asked about after his opening remarks at Big 12 football media days.
“I appreciate the question. I appreciate other questions that are probably going to come forth today. Today is not the time to address that issue,” Yormark answered. “Today is about celebrating the upcoming football season and celebrating our 16 schools.”
Yormark later spoke about the conference “moving ahead as 16 strong.”
That would include Texas Tech, which the league and its other 15 members were discussing potentially punishing if Sorsby had indeed played this fall for the Red Raiders after the quarterback transferred from Cincinnati, another Big 12 school where he played the past two seasons.
Sorsby won’t play even after being granted a temporary injunction against the NCAA last month that would have allowed him to remain eligible even after he acknowledged making thousands of impermissible bets worth at least $90,000 on college and pro sports. Those include some bets on his own team when he was a freshman at Indiana in 2022, which in past cases had led to players being banned from playing.
This combination of album cover images show, top row from left, “Adam,” by Adam Lambert, “Foreign Tongues” by The Rolling Stones, “The Story of Michael and Tanya” by The War and Treaty,” bottom left, and “Fire From the Hip” by Finn Wolfhard. (More is More/Capitol/Atlantic Outpost/AWAL Recordings via AP)
What to Stream: Rolling Stones, ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and ‘Backrooms’
Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders talks about working the Da Vinci robotic surgical machine used to remove his cancerous bladder last year during a demonstration of the device Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin, center right, confers with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, center left, during an NCAA college football game against Florida, Nov. 15, 2025, in Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Trinidad Chambliss disagrees with LSU coach Lane Kiffin about how Black recruits view Ole Miss
Sorsby later dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA, making him ineligible again, after the NCAA appealed the injunction and the Big 12 filed a still-pending federal complaint in U.S. District Court in Dallas. The conference was trying to preserve its ability to use the league’s bylaws for possible sanctions against Texas Tech had Sorsby played this season.
One reporter asked Yormark why Texas Tech fans should believe comments about the league moving ahead as one. The reporter mentioned that the Big 12 last year targeted the school’s tortilla-throwing tradition — passing the measure on a 15-1 vote — while Oklahoma State has an artificial noise exemption for students to bang paddles against the stadium pads along the sideline. He also mentioned Cincinnati, Sorsby’s former school.
Yormark walked across the stage, then asked the reporter to stand up and repeat his question.
“I said we’re going forward as 16 strong, and that’s my answer to your question,” Yormark then answered.
Monster partner
Yormark announced a multiyear agreement with Monster Energy to be the entitlement partner for conference-controlled Big 12 regular-season football games, as well as men’s and women’s basketball.
Yormark said the partnership with the international energy drink brand is “built on the right brand and culture alignment. … (and) will take this conference to places it has not been before.”
It will include a co-branded Monster Energy and Big 12 logo being featured on football and basketball jerseys, fields and courts, with additional integration across conference digital and social media channels. The company’s first partnership in college athletics began last fall when the brand became the conference’s official energy drink.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said he considered the matter resolved after he and team director Ibrahim Hassan had a physical confrontation with a police officer at the team’s hotel in Dallas.
Video began circulating Thursday, a day before Egypt beat Australia in the round of the 32 at the World Cup, showing both men arguing with a Dallas police officer, apparently over a player preparing to take a picture with a young fan in the hotel lobby.
The officer approaches Hossam Hassan first, but his interaction with Ibrahim Hassan became a shoving match. Ibrahim Hassan appeared to be upset at the officer intervening.
Dallas police issued a statement saying officers were responding to a request from hotel security about an individual without event credentials attempting to gain access. The statement said the issue was resolved at the scene, and that police met with Egyptian representatives to address their concerns.
Hossam Hassan said through a translator the team had accepted an apology from police.
“We are really happy to be here at this tournament and we are satisfied with the security personnel that are accompanying us,” Hossam Hassan said. “I would like to point to the high-level organization we have with us and the level of security we have with us.”
Hassan is the first person to play and coach for Egypt at the World Cup. The victory over Australia came in Egypt’s debut in the knockout round of the tournament.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
BERN, Switzerland (AP) — The soccer league in FIFA’s home country Switzerland is not interested in World Cup -style mandatory drinks breaks splitting games into four quarters.
The Swiss Football League said Wednesday “hydration breaks” are not planned in its games next season. It starts July 25 with two 6 p.m. kickoffs, then games at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. the next day.
Switzerland has sweltered in the European heat wave during the World Cup with some evening temperatures around 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).
FIFA ordered three-minute breaks midway through each half of all 104 World Cup games to let players hydrate, regardless of the temperature or if the stadium is cooled under a roof.
Critics of “hydration breaks” say the stoppages disrupt the natural flow of games and are designed, as well as to protect players’ health, to give broadcasters who paid FIFA a collective billions of dollars for World Cup rights time to sell more advertising.
The Swiss league joins European soccer body UEFA in stating they will continue to apply drinks breaks only “when temperatures justify it” after a pre-game agreement with teams.
The first high-profile drinks breaks in soccer involved Lionel Messi at the 2008 Olympics. The men’s final kicked off at midday in Beijing and play stopped for less than two minutes in each half during Argentina’s 1-0 win over Nigeria.
FIFA enforced cooling breaks also required by a Brazilian labor court at some games during the 2014 World Cup.
DALLAS (KETK) – The 2026 NFL season is almost here but the Silver Star Nation doesn’t have to wait any longer to learn who the Dallas Cowboys will be facing on the field this year.
Here’s the 2026 Houston Texans regular season schedule
The NFL released team schedules on Thursday and KETK News has put Dallas’ regular season games together in the list below:
WEEK 1 · Sun 09/13 · 7:20 PM CDT at New York Giants
WEEK 2 · Sun 09/20 · 3:25 PM CDT vs Washington Commanders
WEEK 3 · Sun 09/27 · 3:25 PM CDT vs Baltimore Ravens in Brazil
WEEK 4 · Sun 10/04 · 12:00 PM CDT at Houston Texans
WEEK 5 · Thu 10/08 · 7:15 PM CDT vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WEEK 6 · Sun 10/18 · 7:20 PM CDT at Green Bay Packers
WEEK 7 · Mon 10/26 · 7:15 PM CDT at Philadelphia Eagles
WEEK 8 · Sun 11/01 · 12:00 PM CST vs Arizona Cardinals
WEEK 9 · Sun 11/08 · 12:00 PM CST at Indianapolis Colts
WEEK 10 · Sun 11/15 · 3:25 PM CST vs San Francisco 49ers
WEEK 11 · Sun 11/22 · 12:00 PM CST vs Tennessee Titans
WEEK 12 · Thu 11/26 · 3:30 PM CST vs Philadelphia Eagles
WEEK 13 · Mon 12/07 · 7:15 PM CST at Seattle Seahawks
WEEK 15 · Sun 12/20 · 3:25 PM CST at Los Angeles Rams
WEEK 16 · Sun 12/27 · 7:20 PM CST vs Jacksonville Jaguars
WEEK 17 · Sun 01/03 · 12:00 PM CST vs New York Giants
WEEK 18 · TBD at Washington Commanders
To learn more about the Cowboys’ preseason games or to buy tickets, visit the Dallas Cowboys online.