AP – Sports
June 12, 2026
A Bosnian song about disillusionment with the American Dream becomes a World Cup banger
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — The opening lyrics couldn’t be plainer: “I am from Bosnia; take me to America.” But by rewriting their classic “USA,” the Bosnian band Dubioza Kolektiv has transformed a song about disillusionment with the American Dream into a viral anthem powering Bosnia-Herzegovina’s own World Cup dreams. Bosnia-Herzegovina is making only its second appearance at a World Cup. The goal once seemed improbable, but the song has become a rallying cry that’s unified a divided country as the team qualified. Bosnia’s first match is Friday, against Canada.
Canada is ready to become a soccer nation as it hosts World Cup opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina
TORONTO (AP) — The World Cup is drawing attention to soccer’s growing popularity in Canada. Soccer has surpassed hockey and all other sports in youth participation, according to a recent report by Jumpstart, a Canadian charity. Canada coach Jesse Marsch said Thursday he has “felt a real momentum behind this team and behind this moment.” He says Canada has become more multicultural and that has helped fuel excitement for global soccer. Canada opens the tournament on Friday against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Star defender Alphonso Davies won’t play because of a hamstring injury.
Knicks fever is colliding with World Cup buzz, and New York soccer bars are trying to juggle both
NEW YORK (AP) — In most nations hosting the World Cup, soccer is a fixation. But with the New York Knicks holding a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven NBA Finals against San Antonio and one win from their first title since 1973, attention is surely going to be split this weekend. The Knicks can clinch with a victory in Game 5 on Saturday night. Tipoff will come shortly after Brazil and Morocco wrap a World Cup match in New Jersey, and it will directly overlap with a showdown between Scotland and Haiti.
Head of Palestinian soccer says he wasn’t granted US visa to attend World Cup
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The United States has not given a visa to the head of the Palestinian Football Association even though FIFA typically invites the heads of each national federation to attend the World Cup. Jibril Rajoub attended Thursday’s opening match in Mexico City. But he said he is among invitees who have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the United States. The United States has refused entry to delegates from a raft of countries, including a referee from Somalia and a photographer traveling with the Iraq’s team. It had no immediate comment on Rajoub’s visa.
Christian Pulisic is ready to shoulder the burden of US hopes in home World Cup opener vs Paraguay
IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Christian Pulisic is the most accomplished and most famous player on his national team at the exact time when his nation is hosting a World Cup. His U.S. teammates recognize the extraordinary burden he is carrying while the Americans prepare for their home opener Friday night against Paraguay. Pulisic does not shy from the spotlight that will glare more brightly than ever in the next few weeks. He says the challenge is what he’s always wanted. Pulisic has enough achievement and enough faith in his teammates to focus on how far the Americans can go, not how far they might fall.
Judge rules Trump can stage UFC fights on the White House’s South Lawn this weekend
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ruled the White House is allowed to stage a UFC show this weekend in an elaborate ring already built on the South Lawn to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary — on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Friday that organizers can use the White House lawn as the venue for Sunday’s planned UFC mixed martial arts event. The nonprofit Public Integrity Project had sued to challenge Trump’s UFC Freedom 250 event. The White House calls the lawsuit baseless, saying the UFC event is no different from many other events hosted at public forums in the capital.
Tarik Skubal, the Cleveland Browns and other athletes credit a tiny new scope for faster recoveries
CHICAGO (AP) — Several top pro athletes and their surgeons say a modern version of an old tool is shaving weeks off the recovery time after certain injuries. And some top doctors think this is only the beginning. Cy Young Award winners Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell let doctors use the instrument on their prized elbows. Connor Hellebuyck, the 2025 Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP, trusted it to address issues in his knee. Several NFL players have turned to it, too. It’s called the NanoNeedle scope 2.0, a miniaturized, flexible version of the traditional arthroscope. It’s very early — there is little research into the instrument — but it is accumulating an impressive list of proponents.
Tortorella’s confidence unshaken as Golden Knights face elimination game in Stanley Cup Final
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella is unshaken in his confidence as his team faces its first elimination game of the playoffs in the Stanley Cup Final. The Golden Knights lost 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes in Thursday’s Game 5. That pushed Carolina within a victory of claiming the Cup. The series shifts to Las Vegas for Sunday’s Game 6. Tortorella said Friday that his team has “been through it all” and will “be ready to play.” Vegas is looking to improve its penalty kill in this series. The Golden Knights also face a key injury to center William Karlsson.
NFL says no discipline for Stefon Diggs under its personal conduct policy
Stefon Diggs won’t face discipline from the NFL after a league review determined that there wasn’t enough evidence to punish him under its personal conduct policy. The wide receiver, who played for the New England Patriots last season and helped them reach the Super Bowl, was released in March and currently is unsigned. Several NFL players, including Ben Roethlisberger, Jameis Winston and Ezekiel Elliott, have been suspended for violating the personal conduct policy despite not being arrested or charged with a crime. Diggs, who turns 33 on Nov. 29, has played for three teams in the past three seasons.
US OPEN ’26: Scottie Scheffler trying to make history and Shinnecock tries to avoid recent history
This U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills is all about history. There’s Scottie Scheffler trying to take his place in history with the career Grand Slam if he were to win. And there’s the recent history at Shinnecock Hills and it’s not pretty. The USGA thinks it finally has it right after the greens were borderline unplayable in 2004 and 2018. The chief setup person for the USGA says the idea is to let Shinnecock Hills play as it was designed. That means slightly wider fairways. But there’s no getting around the wind or some of the toughest greens around.
