Soccer fans in the United States soon might not have to travel to Spain in order to see La Liga matches in person. According to La Liga president Javier Tebas, the league plans to stage official matches in the U.S. by the 2025-26 season.

Back in 2018, La Liga and Relevent Sports Group, founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, revealed plans to organize a match between Girona and Barcelona at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. The announcement was met with opposition from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and FIFA, causing the plans to be scrapped.

Relevent responded with an antitrust lawsuit against FIFA, U.S. Soccer Federation, and RFEF. The lawsuit was recently partially settled, resulting in FIFA being removed as one of the defendants. The company and La Liga believe this strengthens their position and that La Liga official matches being played in the U.S. are just a matter of time.

“I think it could be in the 2025-26 season, but La Liga will play official matches abroad,” Tebas told Spanish media outlet Expansion. “An official match in the U.S. will strengthen our position in the North American market, which is the second market for La Liga after Spain.”

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The Cincinnati Bengals are bringing back their backup quarterback Jake Browning. The franchise announced on Tuesday that Browning agreed to a new two-year deal.

Browning earned his new contract after a strong outing in the second part of the 2023 season. He took over as a starter following star Joe Burrow’s wrist injury and completed 70.3% of his passes while throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Bengals went 4-3 in the seven games he started.

Browning entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and spent his first two seasons on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. He followed that up with two more years on the Bengals’ practice squad before beating out veteran Trevor Siemian for the backup position.

Shortly after re-signing Browning, the Bengals added further depth to their QB room by bringing in Logan Woodside on a one-year deal. Woodside was selected in the seventh round pick of the 2017 NFL draft by the Bengals but ended up being released before the season started. He went on to play with the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons later on.

Cincinnati is hoping that they won’t need to see either Browning or Woodside on the field once the 2024 season starts. Burrow has been reportedly progressing well in his rehab and is expected to return to action in May.

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The Brooklyn Nets have wrapped up their head coaching search. The franchise announced that they have hired Sacramento Kings’ assistant Jordi Fernandez for the position.

The Nets fired head coach Jacque Vaughn after a poor start to the 2023-24 season, with assistant Kevin Ollie taking over on an interim basis. Brooklyn finished the campaign at No. 11 on the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-50 record.

Fernandez has served as the Kings’ assistant for the past two years while also coaching Canada’s national team, with whom he won a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He previously had a stint as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets and served as the head coach for the G League team Canton Charge.

The Nets considered a number of candidates for their head coaching vacancy, including the former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer, but ended up deciding that Fernandez was the best option available.

“We’re thrilled to announce Jordi Fernández as Brooklyn’s new head coach,” said Nets’ general manager Sean Marks in a statement. “As we progressed through an extensive search over the past six weeks, it became increasingly clear that Jordi is the best coach to lead our team forward. Jordi brings a diverse set of experiences and basketball knowledge gained over the course of a coaching career that has taken him around the world.”

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has defended his performance in what has been a challenging season for his team. Ahead of his team’s FA Cup semifinal against Coventry City on Sunday afternoon, Ten Hag claimed that his team has been unable to reach its potential due to missing players and the inability to field the club’s strongest lineup.

“What concerns me is that in 18 months I have never had my favourite team on the pitch, that concerns me because players are injured,” the Dutch manager claimed. “One time, against City at home last season — that is the only time I had a full squad where I can pick my team. In all the other games always there was an injury aspect we have to deal with.”

United are expected to be without six first-team players for the Coventry game, however, Scott McTominay and Antony are set to return. Harry Maguire is also expected to return from injury. The FA Cup is United’s last chance to win silverware this season, with the team currently in seventh place in the Premier League.

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Julian Nagelsmann has signed a contract extension with the Germany national team, thereby remaining in his role as head coach until after the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the German Football Association confirmed on Friday.

“This is a decision of the heart. It is a great honor to be able to train the national team and work with the best players in the country,” Nagelsmann stated.

In addition to the 2026 World Cup, Nagelsmann will lead his team in the upcoming Euro 2024 competition as the host nation. Having become Germany’s head coach after being sacked by Bayern Munich in 2023, Nagelsmann was being linked with a return to the club after current manager Thomas Tuchel announced that he would depart at the end of the season. This decision has thus brought an end to such speculation.

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Six-time All-Star power forward Blake Griffin announced his retirement from the NBA on Wednesday. Griffin, who is best known for his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, walks away from professional basketball after 13 years in the league.

Griffin last played in 2022–23, when he appeared in 41 games with the Boston Celtics and averaged a career-low 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds. He remained unsigned throughout the 2023-24 season.

The former first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft made his retirement announcement via a statement shared on social media.

“I never envisioned myself as the guy who would have a ‘letter to basketball’ retirement announcement … and I’m still not going to be that guy. But as I reflected on my career, the one feeling I kept coming back to and the one thing I wanted to express was thankfulness,“ Griffin wrote in the statement. “The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

After sitting out his rookie season due to a knee injury, Blake Griffin made his NBA debut in the 2010-11 NBA season and immediately took the league by storm. He won the Rookie of the Year honors, was named an All-Star, and won the Slam Dunk Contest in his first year as a pro. Griffin would follow that by being an All-Star in each of the next four seasons while also finishing third in MVP voting in the 2013-14 season.

After this dominant five-year stretch, injuries derailed Griffin’s career and caused the Clippers to trade him to the Detroit Pistons midway through the 2017-18 season. Griffin briefly returned to All-Star form in 2018–19 before the injuries got the better of him once again. He was released by the Pistons during the 2020–21 season and played one-and-a-half seasons with the Brooklyn Nets before a stint with the Celtics.

Griffin retires with NBA career averages of 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.

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The Philadelphia Eagles have locked their wide receiver DeVonta Smith to a new contract extension. Smith inked a three-year deal that will now keep him with the organization through the 2028 NFL season.

Smith, who was the 10th overall pick in 2021, had two more years left on his rookie deal. The Eagles confirmed the news on social media but didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement. 

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Smith’s extension is worth $75 million and comes with a $51 million guarantee. This makes Smith the fifth wideout in the league with an average annual salary of at least $25 million.

Since entering the league, Smith emerged as one of the best young receivers in the game. Throughout three seasons as a pro, the Heisman Trophy winner caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The Eagles are known to prioritize locking their key players to contracts early on, which is why they offered Smith a new deal even though they had two more years of control. The move will likely save Philly some money down the line, considering that the wide receiver market is heading toward reset with star wideouts like Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson and Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase expected to land near-record deals soon.

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Former Orlando City striker Alexandre Pato could soon be off the free-agent market. According to TNT Sports, Brazilian powerhouse Santos is considering making a contract offer for Pato in the near future.

Pato has been linked with Santos on several occasions in recent years, but the club was reportedly unsure about the move due to his recurring injury problems. However, after being relegated to the second division for the first time in their history, the 22-time Brazil league champion now believes Pato’s experience could help them in a quick return to the top flight.

Most recently, Pato suited up for Sao Paulo for his third stint with the club but only managed to play 10 games due to injuries. This led the club to reject the contract option for another year and make him a free agent in December.

Prior to joining Sao Paulo, Pato spent two seasons in the United States with Orlando. He was expected to be a big boost for the MLS side, but a knee injury limited him to five games in the 2021 season. Pato was relatively healthy in 2022, making 27 appearances and scoring four goals.

Alexandre Pato was regarded as one of the brightest Brazilian talents early in his career, but a series of injuries prevented him from reaching his potential. He is best remembered for his stint with AC Milan between 2007 and 2013. He scored 63 goals in 150 games with the Italian club and helped them win a Seria A title in 2010–11.

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Real Madrid and Manchester City delivered a spectacle in their first leg of the UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday, which ended in a 3-3 draw. 

City opened the scoring in the second minute of the match thanks to Bernardo Silva’s beautiful free-kick goal. Silva surprised Real’s keeper Andriy Lunin, who was expecting a cross, with a long-range shot, sending the ball past the free-kick wall and into the net.

Real didn’t take long to recover from the shock. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga scored an equalizer in the 12th minute before Rodrygo made it 2-1 for the Spanish club just two minutes later.

Midway through the second half, it was City’s time for rapid fire. Phil Foden scored a stunning goal from outside the penalty box in the 65th minute, only for defender Josko Gvardiol to add another one in a similar fashion in the 70th minute.

But getting behind once again didn’t discourage Real. They committed to an all-out-attack approach almost instantly and got rewarded in the 78th minute with a goal from Federico Valverde.

Both Real and City were looking for a winner until the very end of the match but ended up having to settle for a draw. The second leg, which will determine who plays in the UCL semi-finals, is scheduled for April 17 at City’s Etihad Stadium.

“It was a good match, very good, from our side,” said Real’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti after the match. “It was competitive and evenly matched until we had energy and put pressure on City …  Now we’re at a slight disadvantage because we’re playing away in the second leg, but we’re confident that we can repeat the game we played here.”

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The Chicago White Sox All-Star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. is facing a lengthy absence due to a hip flexor strain. According to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, Robert will miss anywhere between six and eight weeks while recovering.

Robert got hurt during Friday’s 10-1 loss to Kansas City Royals while rounding 1st base in the 9th inning. The White Sox placed him on a 10-Day Injured List over the weekend but didn’t disclose how much time he’ll miss.

Van Schouwen’s reports about Robert’s possible return seem to be optimistic. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale previously reported there is a concern among some members of the White Sox organization that Robert might be out for three to four months. The player already dealt with a similar injury in 2021 and was sidelined for more than three months.

Luis Robert Jr. had a breakthrough season in 2023, appearing in a career-high 145 games and finishing the campaign with a .264 batting average to go with 38 home runs and 80 RBIs. He earned his first All-Star nod while also winning a Silver Slugger Award.

So far in 2024, Robert batted .214 with two home runs and four RBIs as the White Sox opened the season with just one win and eight losses.

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Soccer fans in the United States soon might not have to travel to Spain in order to see La Liga matches in person. According to La Liga president Javier Tebas, the league plans to stage official matches in the U.S. by the 2025-26 season.

Back in 2018, La Liga and Relevent Sports Group, founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, revealed plans to organize a match between Girona and Barcelona at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. The announcement was met with opposition from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and FIFA, causing the plans to be scrapped.

Relevent responded with an antitrust lawsuit against FIFA, U.S. Soccer Federation, and RFEF. The lawsuit was recently partially settled, resulting in FIFA being removed as one of the defendants. The company and La Liga believe this strengthens their position and that La Liga official matches being played in the U.S. are just a matter of time.

“I think it could be in the 2025-26 season, but La Liga will play official matches abroad,” Tebas told Spanish media outlet Expansion. “An official match in the U.S. will strengthen our position in the North American market, which is the second market for La Liga after Spain.”

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The Cincinnati Bengals are bringing back their backup quarterback Jake Browning. The franchise announced on Tuesday that Browning agreed to a new two-year deal.

Browning earned his new contract after a strong outing in the second part of the 2023 season. He took over as a starter following star Joe Burrow’s wrist injury and completed 70.3% of his passes while throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Bengals went 4-3 in the seven games he started.

Browning entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and spent his first two seasons on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. He followed that up with two more years on the Bengals’ practice squad before beating out veteran Trevor Siemian for the backup position.

Shortly after re-signing Browning, the Bengals added further depth to their QB room by bringing in Logan Woodside on a one-year deal. Woodside was selected in the seventh round pick of the 2017 NFL draft by the Bengals but ended up being released before the season started. He went on to play with the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons later on.

Cincinnati is hoping that they won’t need to see either Browning or Woodside on the field once the 2024 season starts. Burrow has been reportedly progressing well in his rehab and is expected to return to action in May.

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The Brooklyn Nets have wrapped up their head coaching search. The franchise announced that they have hired Sacramento Kings’ assistant Jordi Fernandez for the position.

The Nets fired head coach Jacque Vaughn after a poor start to the 2023-24 season, with assistant Kevin Ollie taking over on an interim basis. Brooklyn finished the campaign at No. 11 on the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-50 record.

Fernandez has served as the Kings’ assistant for the past two years while also coaching Canada’s national team, with whom he won a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He previously had a stint as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets and served as the head coach for the G League team Canton Charge.

The Nets considered a number of candidates for their head coaching vacancy, including the former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer, but ended up deciding that Fernandez was the best option available.

“We’re thrilled to announce Jordi Fernández as Brooklyn’s new head coach,” said Nets’ general manager Sean Marks in a statement. “As we progressed through an extensive search over the past six weeks, it became increasingly clear that Jordi is the best coach to lead our team forward. Jordi brings a diverse set of experiences and basketball knowledge gained over the course of a coaching career that has taken him around the world.”

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has defended his performance in what has been a challenging season for his team. Ahead of his team’s FA Cup semifinal against Coventry City on Sunday afternoon, Ten Hag claimed that his team has been unable to reach its potential due to missing players and the inability to field the club’s strongest lineup.

“What concerns me is that in 18 months I have never had my favourite team on the pitch, that concerns me because players are injured,” the Dutch manager claimed. “One time, against City at home last season — that is the only time I had a full squad where I can pick my team. In all the other games always there was an injury aspect we have to deal with.”

United are expected to be without six first-team players for the Coventry game, however, Scott McTominay and Antony are set to return. Harry Maguire is also expected to return from injury. The FA Cup is United’s last chance to win silverware this season, with the team currently in seventh place in the Premier League.

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Julian Nagelsmann has signed a contract extension with the Germany national team, thereby remaining in his role as head coach until after the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the German Football Association confirmed on Friday.

“This is a decision of the heart. It is a great honor to be able to train the national team and work with the best players in the country,” Nagelsmann stated.

In addition to the 2026 World Cup, Nagelsmann will lead his team in the upcoming Euro 2024 competition as the host nation. Having become Germany’s head coach after being sacked by Bayern Munich in 2023, Nagelsmann was being linked with a return to the club after current manager Thomas Tuchel announced that he would depart at the end of the season. This decision has thus brought an end to such speculation.

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Six-time All-Star power forward Blake Griffin announced his retirement from the NBA on Wednesday. Griffin, who is best known for his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, walks away from professional basketball after 13 years in the league.

Griffin last played in 2022–23, when he appeared in 41 games with the Boston Celtics and averaged a career-low 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds. He remained unsigned throughout the 2023-24 season.

The former first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft made his retirement announcement via a statement shared on social media.

“I never envisioned myself as the guy who would have a ‘letter to basketball’ retirement announcement … and I’m still not going to be that guy. But as I reflected on my career, the one feeling I kept coming back to and the one thing I wanted to express was thankfulness,“ Griffin wrote in the statement. “The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

After sitting out his rookie season due to a knee injury, Blake Griffin made his NBA debut in the 2010-11 NBA season and immediately took the league by storm. He won the Rookie of the Year honors, was named an All-Star, and won the Slam Dunk Contest in his first year as a pro. Griffin would follow that by being an All-Star in each of the next four seasons while also finishing third in MVP voting in the 2013-14 season.

After this dominant five-year stretch, injuries derailed Griffin’s career and caused the Clippers to trade him to the Detroit Pistons midway through the 2017-18 season. Griffin briefly returned to All-Star form in 2018–19 before the injuries got the better of him once again. He was released by the Pistons during the 2020–21 season and played one-and-a-half seasons with the Brooklyn Nets before a stint with the Celtics.

Griffin retires with NBA career averages of 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.

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The Philadelphia Eagles have locked their wide receiver DeVonta Smith to a new contract extension. Smith inked a three-year deal that will now keep him with the organization through the 2028 NFL season.

Smith, who was the 10th overall pick in 2021, had two more years left on his rookie deal. The Eagles confirmed the news on social media but didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement. 

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Smith’s extension is worth $75 million and comes with a $51 million guarantee. This makes Smith the fifth wideout in the league with an average annual salary of at least $25 million.

Since entering the league, Smith emerged as one of the best young receivers in the game. Throughout three seasons as a pro, the Heisman Trophy winner caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The Eagles are known to prioritize locking their key players to contracts early on, which is why they offered Smith a new deal even though they had two more years of control. The move will likely save Philly some money down the line, considering that the wide receiver market is heading toward reset with star wideouts like Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson and Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase expected to land near-record deals soon.

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Former Orlando City striker Alexandre Pato could soon be off the free-agent market. According to TNT Sports, Brazilian powerhouse Santos is considering making a contract offer for Pato in the near future.

Pato has been linked with Santos on several occasions in recent years, but the club was reportedly unsure about the move due to his recurring injury problems. However, after being relegated to the second division for the first time in their history, the 22-time Brazil league champion now believes Pato’s experience could help them in a quick return to the top flight.

Most recently, Pato suited up for Sao Paulo for his third stint with the club but only managed to play 10 games due to injuries. This led the club to reject the contract option for another year and make him a free agent in December.

Prior to joining Sao Paulo, Pato spent two seasons in the United States with Orlando. He was expected to be a big boost for the MLS side, but a knee injury limited him to five games in the 2021 season. Pato was relatively healthy in 2022, making 27 appearances and scoring four goals.

Alexandre Pato was regarded as one of the brightest Brazilian talents early in his career, but a series of injuries prevented him from reaching his potential. He is best remembered for his stint with AC Milan between 2007 and 2013. He scored 63 goals in 150 games with the Italian club and helped them win a Seria A title in 2010–11.

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Real Madrid and Manchester City delivered a spectacle in their first leg of the UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday, which ended in a 3-3 draw. 

City opened the scoring in the second minute of the match thanks to Bernardo Silva’s beautiful free-kick goal. Silva surprised Real’s keeper Andriy Lunin, who was expecting a cross, with a long-range shot, sending the ball past the free-kick wall and into the net.

Real didn’t take long to recover from the shock. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga scored an equalizer in the 12th minute before Rodrygo made it 2-1 for the Spanish club just two minutes later.

Midway through the second half, it was City’s time for rapid fire. Phil Foden scored a stunning goal from outside the penalty box in the 65th minute, only for defender Josko Gvardiol to add another one in a similar fashion in the 70th minute.

But getting behind once again didn’t discourage Real. They committed to an all-out-attack approach almost instantly and got rewarded in the 78th minute with a goal from Federico Valverde.

Both Real and City were looking for a winner until the very end of the match but ended up having to settle for a draw. The second leg, which will determine who plays in the UCL semi-finals, is scheduled for April 17 at City’s Etihad Stadium.

“It was a good match, very good, from our side,” said Real’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti after the match. “It was competitive and evenly matched until we had energy and put pressure on City …  Now we’re at a slight disadvantage because we’re playing away in the second leg, but we’re confident that we can repeat the game we played here.”

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The Chicago White Sox All-Star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. is facing a lengthy absence due to a hip flexor strain. According to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, Robert will miss anywhere between six and eight weeks while recovering.

Robert got hurt during Friday’s 10-1 loss to Kansas City Royals while rounding 1st base in the 9th inning. The White Sox placed him on a 10-Day Injured List over the weekend but didn’t disclose how much time he’ll miss.

Van Schouwen’s reports about Robert’s possible return seem to be optimistic. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale previously reported there is a concern among some members of the White Sox organization that Robert might be out for three to four months. The player already dealt with a similar injury in 2021 and was sidelined for more than three months.

Luis Robert Jr. had a breakthrough season in 2023, appearing in a career-high 145 games and finishing the campaign with a .264 batting average to go with 38 home runs and 80 RBIs. He earned his first All-Star nod while also winning a Silver Slugger Award.

So far in 2024, Robert batted .214 with two home runs and four RBIs as the White Sox opened the season with just one win and eight losses.

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