AP National Sports

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — France’s World Cup squad has been decimated by injuries to star players like Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante. While it’s a big blow for Les Bleus it opens the door for a new generation to make a name for themselves in Qatar. Among

By ISABEL DEBRE and STEPHEN WADE Associated Press DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The fan zone set up in central Doha has turned into a chaotic scene on the opening day of the World Cup as tens of thousands of fans are pushing and shoving against police lines to enter the venue. Fans were trying to

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Enner Valencia has scored the first goal of the World Cup by converting a penalty in the 16th minute to put Ecuador ahead of host nation Qatar 1-0. The Ecuador captain earned the spot kick himself after being tripped by goalkeeper Saad Alsheeb. Valencia celebrated scoring a goal inside three

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving has returned to the Brooklyn Nets and apologized to anyone who felt threatened or hurt when he posted a link to a documentary with antisemitic material. Irving was suspended by the team on Nov. 3 hours after he refused to say he had

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer DENVER (AP) — First-year Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett is handing over offensive play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. The person, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Hackett hasn’t publicly disclosed the handoff,

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel has bowed out of the sport after 16 years. Vettel is a lifelong auto racing fan who is known for his advocacy of human rights and environmental causes. It’s been a delicate balance for a driver who has become increasingly uneasy at

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Perss DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Chris, a British fan in Qatar for the World Cup, tried to order a beer with his dinner at a kebab joint on Sunday. He was quickly rebuffed. He sighed and settled for a lemonade instead. “If I were a few years younger, I wouldn’t have

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Gareth Bale says he is ready to play against the United States in Wales’ first World Cup match since Pelé scored to give Brazil a 1-0 win in the 1958 quarterfinals. Bale is a five-time Champions League winner and three-time Spanish league champion and had

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Qatar has opened the Middle East’s first World Cup with its ruler sitting next to the leaders of two countries that only a year and a half earlier were part of a boycott trying to bring the energy-rich nation to its knees. The presence of

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Max Verstappen has won a record-extending 15th race of the year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to conclude one of the most dominant seasons in Formula One history. There was little drama at the Yas Marina Circuit a year after it saw Verstappen’s tense and controversial win

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Max Verstappen won a record-extending 15th race of the year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday to conclude one of the most dominant seasons in Formula One history. There was little drama at the Yas Marina Circuit a year after it saw Verstappen’s tense and controversial

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Qatar has opened the Middle East’s first FIFA World Cup before global leaders and fans now pouring into this energy-rich nation after being battered by a regional boycott and international criticism. Regardless of the outcome of Qatar versus Ecuador on the pitch, Doha already has

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Wales midfielder Joe Allen will miss his team’s World Cup opener against the United States on Monday because of a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for more than two months. Allen left Swansea’s match against Hull on Sept. 17 in the 30th minute. The

LEVI, Finland (AP) — Overall World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States claimed a slalom event for a sweep of the two season-opening races. Shiffrin posted the fastest time in both runs in Finnish Lapland to beat Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener by 0.28 seconds. After also winning in the Finnish resort on Saturday, it

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy finished the year as Europe’s top-ranked golfer for the fourth time – and first since 2015 – despite Jon Rahm winning the DP World Tour Championship. The Spaniard’s two-shot victory over England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Sweden’s Alex Noren was his third in six years at Jumeirah Golf

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Tyler Adams will captain the United States at the World Cup. He is 23 and will be the youngest at the tournament. Adams will also be the youngest World Cup captain for the Americans since Walter Bahr in the 1950 game against Chile. Adams is

By GERALD IMRAY AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The Netherlands looks to make two statements in its opening World Cup game on Monday against a Senegal team that has to quickly get over the loss of Sadio Mané to injury. The first for the Dutch is strictly about soccer and establishing themselves as

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Qatar is preparing to open the Middle East’s first FIFA World Cup before global leaders and fans now pouring into this energy-rich nation after being battered by a regional boycott and international criticism. Regardless of the outcome of Qatar versus Ecuador on the pitch, Doha