June 28, 2026 7:28 am
EAST RUTHERFORD, N,.J. (AP) — Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored early in the second half, lifting England over Panama 2-0 and into what appears to be a more favorable bracket for the World Cup’s knockout phrase. Bellingham put the Three Lions ahead in the 62nd minute from Bukayo Saka’s corner kick. Held in bear hug by Jorge Gutiérrez at the top of the 6-yard box, Bellingham stuck out his left leg and stabbed the ball past goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera for his third World Cup goal, his second this year. Five minutes later, Kane became England’s record World Cup scorer with his 11th goal, one more than Gary Lineker.
June 28, 2026 7:28 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Congo has advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time by rallying to a 3-1 win against Uzbekistan. The African nation was playing in soccer’s biggest tournament for only the second time in its history after a 52-year absence. Two second-half goals from Yoane Wissa and one from Fiston Mayele sealed the win and saw Congo join Cape Verde as another surprise qualifier for the round of 32. Uzbekistan led through Eldor Shomurodov’s first-half strike that looked set to end Congo’s hopes. But Sébastien Desabre’s team fought back after the break.
June 28, 2026 7:26 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Austria and Algeria played to a thrilling 3-3 draw Saturday night in what amounted to a win-win result in their World Cup group-stage finale, allowing both to advance to the knockout round while eliminating Iran from the tournament. The game was tied 2-all in the closing minutes, and Algeria looked as if it was content to run out the clock, when captain Riyad Mahrez scored his second goal with about a minute left in stoppage time. That put Austria on the verge of elimination, only for Sasa Kalajdzic to head in the equalizing goal moments later and rescue Das Team’s World Cup hopes.
June 27, 2026 4:41 am
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs have selected Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 NHL draft pick. The 18-year-old McKenna is from Yukon’s capital of Whitehorse, has been a prolific scorer on both sides of the border, with McKenna’s selection validating the projections of the left winger being his age group’s top prospect more than two years ago. For Toronto, McKenna represents a major plank in the rebuilding process of a team suddenly in transition under new general manager John Chayka. Toronto finished last in the Atlantic Division last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since Matthews’ arrival. [AP photo]
June 27, 2026 4:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pinch-hitter Noelvi Marte hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning after Cincinnati scored four runs off Paul Skenes in the second, and the Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4. Given a 1-0 lead on Konnor Griffin’s first-inning homer, Skenes allowed RBI singles to Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson and sacrifice flies to Blake Dunn and Elly De La Cruz. Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, gave up four runs, six hits and two walks while striking out seven in five innings. His ERA rose from 2.86 to 3.10.
June 27, 2026 4:44 am
A Philadelphia-based data monetization company announced a partnership with 21 In Right Inc, the Clemente family entity that owns and manages the name, image, and likeness (NIL) of Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, to apply the Company& data valuation, monetization, and digital Twin technology to initiatives that build and expand the Roberto Clemente legacy. Under the agreement, 21 In Right will use Datavault AI platforms, to manage, value, and protect Roberto Clemente’s name, image, and likeness, preserve his legacy through digital Twins and digital archives, and develop new ways for fans and communities to engage with that legacy. 21 As part of the collaboration, Datavault AI and 21 In Right plan a fan activation in Philadelphia starting in July. Planned elements include interactive demonstrations of the company’s AI tools, Clemente-themed digital collectibles, and tributes to Clemente.
June 26, 2026 4:54 pm
Konnor Griffin has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list and will return to the field on Friday against the Reds. Griffin landed on the IL on May 31 with a right forearm strain. The Pirates initially tried to use Griffin as designated hitter, since he was cleared to bat but not throw before deciding to place him on the IL. The 20-year-old appeared in 51 games for the Pirates prior to getting injured .270/.327/.402 with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs, 22 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Over his last 32 games before he was placed on the IL, Griffin hit .317.
June 26, 2026 10:19 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Mendoza has been fired as manager of the underperforming New York Mets and replaced by Andy Green. New York is 34-47 following a six-game losing streak, 15 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta and 9 1/2 games back of the NL’s last wild-card berth. Mets owner Steve Cohen had high expectations for a team without a World Series title since 1986. The team opened the season with baseball’s highest payroll at $358 million and projected to [pay an additional $124 million in luxury tax. “Our commitment to bringing our fans a championship-caliber team has not changed,” Cohen said in a statement. “There is no sugar-coating it: This season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we’ve delivered.” Slowed by injuries to Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr., Clay Holmes and Jorge Polanco, the Mets traded pitcher David Peters tow the Chicago Cubs on Thursday and could pivot to a selloff and retooling for the future.
June 26, 2026 4:28 am
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kaan Ayhan scored on the final kick of the match, and Turkey beat the United States 3-2 for its only win of the World Cup. Auston Trusty scored in the third minute and Sebastian Berhalter got a tying goal early in the second half for the Americans, who had already won the group with victories over Paraguay and Australia. Pochettino fielded nine new starters for this low-stakes game, but Christian Pulisic entered in the 58th minute. Turkey won in the eighth minute of stoppage time when Can Uzun got the ball in space on the back post and got it to Ayhan.
June 26, 2026 4:29 am
Major League Baseball proposed limiting most free agent contracts to five years and 15% of a team’s salary cap and to eliminate deferred compensation, fleshing out details of a salary cap plan likely to spark a confrontation with the players’ association that could lead to the first loss of regular-season games since 1995. During a bargaining session Thursday at the union’s office, MLB said it would accept the union’s proposal granting free agency a year early for players who have reached age 30 as part of a salary cap system. MLB also proposed boosting the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1 million for those with two years of big league service.
