Champions League: Rashford stars in Barcelona win as De Bruyne loses on Man City return
Marcus Rashford proved the perfect replacement for Lamine Yamal in Barcelona’s 2-1 win at Newcastle in the Champions League and Kevin De Bruyne watched mostly from the sideline as Napoli lost 2-0 at his former club Manchester City. Rashford got a start on his return to England because of an injury to Yamal and scored both of Barcelona’s goals at St. James’ Park. The second was a long-range piledriver. De Bruyne was back at the club where he spent 10 years before an emotional farewell in May but his Etihad Stadium return lasted 26 minutes before he was substituted following a red card for teammate Giovanni Di Lorenzo. City’s goals came from Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami near deal to extend contract through at least 2026, AP source says
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are reviewing the final details of a contract extension to keep him with the club until at least 2026, a person with knowledge of the matter tells The Associated Press. Talks have been ongoing for months, but neither Messi nor the team has revealed details. Reports say the deal is close to being finalized. Inter Miami wants Messi to stay, especially with their new stadium opening next year. The 38-year-old Messi has scored 20 goals and provided 11 assists this season. He joined Inter Miami in July 2023 on a 2½-year contract. Messi has helped the team win its first two trophies.
McLaughlin-Levrone cracks 48 seconds in historically fast 400 at the worlds
TOKYO (AP) — Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has become the first woman in nearly 40 years to crack 48 seconds in the 400 meters. She timed 47.78 in an historically fast one-lap race at the world championships in Tokyo. McLaughlin-Levrone had company. Second-place finisher Marileidy Paulino clocked 47.98 on the rain-slickened track. They were the second and third-fastest times in history, behind only the 47.60 run by East Germany’s Marita Koch in 1985. That’s one of the last remaining vestiges of an Eastern Bloc doping system that was exposed decades after it ended.
By the numbers: An in-depth look at Clayton Kershaw’s remarkable career with the Dodgers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 as a gawky left-hander with an obvious potential for greatness. He will leave this fall with a stuffed trophy case, a massive list of accomplishments and a future appointment in Cooperstown. During the 17 years in between, Kershaw became one of Los Angeles’ most beloved athletes of the 21st century and one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. He won three Cy Young Awards, an NL MVP trophy and two World Series rings during an epic career.
Boston has go-ahead basket with 7.4 seconds left as Fever beat Dream 87-85 to reach WNBA semifinals
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — Aliyah Boston made the go-ahead basket with 7.4 seconds left, Lexie Hull stole the ensuing inbounds play and the Indiana Fever beat the Atlanta Dream 87-85 to advance to the WNBA semifinals. Despite missing Caitlin Clark among its injured players, Indiana closed on a 7-0 run to win a playoff series for the first time since 2015. Boston was left alone under the basket for an easy layup after Brionna Jones went to the ground going for a loose ball. It gave Indiana its first lead, 86-85, since it was 33-30. The Fever will play on Sunday.
Alex Ovechkin just turned 40. The Washington star’s future past this season remains uncertain
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin remains reticent about his future. He spoke with reporters at the Washington Capitals’ media day on Thursday. A day after his 40th birthday, the NHL’s career goal-scoring leader said he hasn’t been thinking much about what happens after this, his 21st season. That wait-and-see approach seems fine with the Capitals as Ovechkin enters the last season of his contract. The Russian star scored 44 goals last season despite a broken leg that limited him to 65 games. His pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals was a highlight of the NHL season, and Ovechkin enters the 2025-26 campaign three shy of 900.
LA Kings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire after his upcoming 20th season
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire from his 20-year NHL career after the upcoming season. The 38-year-old Kopitar made the announcement Thursday following the first practice of training camp with the Kings. The Slovenian center has spent his entire adult life with the Kings since making his NHL debut in October 2006. He is a five-time NHL All-Star, a two-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, and a three-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanlike play.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says high player pay comes with high responsibility amid team’s struggles
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney believes college football players should carry more responsibility as they earn more money. He says revenue-sharing is based on performance, similar to professional contracts. Swinney’s comments come amid pressure from Clemson’s 1-2 start. This season, athletic departments are sharing revenue with players, with a $20.5 million cap per school. Most of Clemson’s revenue sharing goes to football. Quarterback Cade Klubnik, reportedly earning $2.5 million, is struggling. Swinney suggests money might affect some players’ performances. Arkansas is also facing revenue challenges, with concerns about unbalanced competition.
No longer a dull formality, NFL kickoffs require a new set of skills for kickers and returners
The NFL introduced the so-called dynamic kickoff last year, limiting how far the coverage team has to run and establishing a landing zone inside the 20-yard line. This year, touchbacks on kicks that reach the end zone on the fly put the ball on the 35 instead of the 30. Now there’s a big incentive for kickers to land the ball between the 20 and the goal line, and that’s altered the nature of the job. Although distance isn’t a priority anymore for kickers, they do have a chance to show off their creativity trying to create tricky bounces for returners.