International sports

More than seven years after the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 was awarded to a joint bid of the United States, Mexico and Canada, and three years after learning Seattle would be a host city, the two most important days for the tournament to date are finally here. We’re finally going to learn the groups for the first 48-team World Cup. And, more important locally, what the matchups will be for the ...

The greatest women’s tennis player of all time has taken the first step toward a potential comeback.

TAMPA, Fla. – It was obvious enough before Tuesday night that Mauricio Pochettino had made incremental progress with the U.S. men’s national soccer team in recent months. With individual growth came collective cohesion. And the modest string of results? Not necessary but validating all the same.

Will world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka go “Slamless” in 2025 – and does it even matter?

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – This here was going to be about Scottie Scheffler trying to find his way. His way around the fifth Open Championship appearance of his career. His way around the links at Royal Portrush. His way, perhaps, to the three-quarter mile marker in golf’s career Grand Slam.

Changes could be coming to LIV Golf as the league again attempts to gain world ranking points, reapplying for Official World Golf Ranking recognition on Friday.

LOS ANGELES – In America, the NFL laps every other sport. Around the world, where its product is labeled “American football,” the NFL has largely failed to export its massive domestic popularity.

WIMBLEDON, England — The vision of Jannik Sinner covered in sweat and red dust, bleary-eyed and emotionless, will not soon be forgotten by those who watched last month’s epic French Open final matching the current standard-bearers in men’s tennis. Sinner led by two sets and had three championship points against Carlos Alcaraz but lost the trophy anyway. After 5 hours 29 minutes, there was nothing he could do but stare into the void.

WIMBLEDON, England – The park where Wimbledon hosts the Queue was a madhouse on day one this year.

WIMBLEDON, England – Through a noisy Wimbledon that began with a splashy TikTok dance, featured several clamorous upsets and will end with a booming rerun of the best current rivalry in men’s tennis, Iga Swiatek moved silently through the draw.

HOUSTON – The narrative at the start of the Concacaf Gold Cup was the U.S. men’s national soccer team would field a second-rate squad, then come autumn, welcome back its high-end talent for the push to next summer’s World Cup.

HOUSTON – It was a delayed celebration for Mexico on Sunday evening, first having to fight back from an unexpected deficit and then waiting for a video review to award them the game-winning goal, but El Tri were deserving 2-1 victors over the U.S. men’s national team, as they captured a second consecutive Gold Cup trophy – and record 10th all-time – in front of 70,925 partisan fans at NRG Stadium.

HOUSTON – Asked what it would mean to win the Gold Cup in what would be his “last chance,” to lift the trophy, U.S. men’s national team veteran Tim Ream’s first response was to go with a joke.

Is Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff’s olive branch a sign of things on court?

ARLINGTON, Texas – The real test begins now.

One year from Wednesday, a World Cup hosted by a record number of countries will play the first of an unprecedented number of games involving an unequaled total of teams over a historic volume of days.

The jaw-dropping shot-making and variety of his game aside, what sets Carlos Alcaraz apart in the history of men’s tennis is the breadth of his achievements at such a young age.

Tennis fans have grown accustomed to American champions who dictate. Serena Williams revolutionized women’s tennis with her powerful game and unmatched serve that gave her the immediate upper hand in most points she played. Even the Americans without 23 Grand Slam titles favor strike-first tennis. “Ready, fire, aim,” Andre Agassi half-joked on the French Open broadcast Friday, describing the classic American mentality.

Darrell Doucette III is probably the best flag football player in the world. He quarterbacked the U.S. national team to the past four global championships and won every international game he played. Now 35, he has played flag – never tackle – since he was 8 years old. He stands 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds, but as he once said, flag football makes quarterback a “size-less position.”