Sports

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — A diplomatic delegation from the three host countries of the 2026 World Cup were in Qatar for a handover ceremony ahead of the final between France and Argentina. The United States, Mexico and Canada will stage soccer’s biggest event in less than 3½ years. U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams lost All-Pro receiver Cooper Kupp to a high ankle sprain that could sideline him for the rest of the season. The Green Bay Packers lost their top wideout from the past few seasons when they traded two-time All-Pro Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. Their

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi made his strongest case yet to be considered soccer’s greatest player of all time after finally winning the World Cup. It will never be possible to say definitively even after Argentina’s 4-2 penalty shootout victory over France in the final at Lusail Stadium.

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins was taken to a hospital with a neck injury after he got hurt during a 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jenkins went down while blocking for David Montgomery on a running play with 12:31 left in the first quarter. The right guard was carted off

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi, wearing a black Qatari robe over his blue-and-white Argentina shirt, kissed the World Cup, shuffled toward his teammates and hoisted the golden trophy high in the air. It was an iconic sight that finally — definitively — places the soccer superstar in the

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees was run into by a New Orleans Saints player who was trying to field a punted ball during warmups and was taken off the field on a stretcher less than an hour before kickoff of the Falcons game at New Orleans. It appeared that Pees’

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Geno Auriemma missed No. 9 UConn’s game against Florida State on Sunday as he wasn’t feeling well after the team’s shootaround earlier in the day. Associate head coach Chris Dailey filled in for the Hall of Famer. She’s gone 13-0 filling in for Auriemma in games he’s missed over the years.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA says Al Horford of the Celtics has been fined $25,000 for making what it called “unnecessary and excessive contact” to the lower body of Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner during a loss in Boston. Horford was assessed a flagrant-two foul and was ejected for elbowing Wagner during the third

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets will be without star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams for their game against the Detroit Lions. Williams leads the Jets with a career-high 11 sacks. He has a calf injury and was declared inactive by the team 90 minutes

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi is making a record 26th appearance at the World Cup. That breaks a tie with Germany great Lothar Matthäus. Messi’s games have been spread over five World Cups. He played at his first World Cup tournament in 2006. He has scored 11 goals in total to be tied for

LA VILLA, Italy (AP) — Lucas Braathen won the Alta Badia giant slalom for his second win in as many races. Braathen moved up from third after the opening run to finish a slim 0.02 seconds ahead of Norwegian teammate Henrik Kristoffersen on the Gran Risa course. Overall World Cup leader Marco Odermatt recovered from

By ALEX TURNBULL Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Fans are applying their blue, white and red face paint, squeezing into national team jerseys and icing champagne as France hopes that Les Bleus will win beat Argentina to win their third World Cup title. French TV carried live images of the France team leaving its hotel

GRAND BAIE, Mauritius (AP) — French golfer Antoine Rozner has produced a brilliant burst of scoring on the front nine to win the Mauritius Open by five shots and become a three-time European tour champion. Rozner, who started the final round with a two-shot lead, extended his advantage to five after carding an eagle and

By DANIEL POLITI Associated Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentines woke up ready to watch the national team play for its third World Cup title amid a national feeling of unity and joy that is rare for a country that has been engulfed in an economic crisis for years and has one of the

CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Revived UConn and hot Marshall will face each other in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday. The Huskies had won just four games combined the previous three seasons before going 6-6 in Jim Mora Jr.’s first year to reach the postseason for the first time since 2015. The Thundering Herd pulled

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin has a women’s World Cup super-G victory to top off her first speed race weekend of the season with career win No. 77. The result leaves the American skier five wins short of the women’s record set by her former teammate Lindsey Vonn. Shiffrin finished sixth and fourth

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The World Cup champions will earn $42 million in prize money for their soccer federation. The losing team in the final between France and Argentina will get $30 million from a FIFA prize fund of $440 million. The French soccer federation got $38 million from FIFA’s $400 million prize fund when

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé head the selections for the team of the tournament as chosen by writers covering the World Cup for The Associated Press. Messi is joined by Argentina teammates Julián Álvarez and Nicolas Otamendi while the France players alongside Mbappé are Antoine

By DANIEL POLITI Associated Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentines woke up ready to watch the national team play for its third World Cup title amid a national feeling of unity and joy that is rare for a country that has been engulfed in an economic crisis for years and has one of the