Sports

Mbappé files harassment complaint against PSG and judicial officials are investigating

PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé has filed a legal complaint against Paris Saint-Germain, accusing the club of moral harassment. French prosecutors have confirmed an investigation has opened. Mbappé claims PSG owes him 55 million euros in unpaid wages and alleges mistreatment after he decided not to extend his contract before the 2023-24 season. He was isolated from the main squad, a practice known in France as “lofting.” Mbappé left PSG last summer for Real Madrid after a tense standoff with the club. His departure followed disputes over unfulfilled promises and contract disagreements, ending a seven-year stint with a record 256 goals for PSG.

Funding of Olympic sports a bargaining chip as NCAA seeks antitrust help, AP sources say

College sports leaders seeking antitrust and other protections from Congress have a potential bargaining chip: School assurances that they will provide funding for their increasingly imperiled Olympic programs, by far the biggest pipeline of talent for Team USA. Four people familiar with the talks tell The Associated Press that the discussions are ongoing. The idea is to find common ground that could help legislation win enough Democratic support make it through a narrowly divided Congress.

Families and businesses are concerned about the effect of tariffs on youth sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Youth sports are a big part of Karli Casamento’s life. Her 15-year-old son, Jax, golfs and plays on three baseball teams. Her 7-year-old son, Colt, plays baseball and basketball. The costs add up in a hurry. That’s why Casamento and her husband, Michael, are watching closely for the ramifications of tariffs on their rising youth sports budget. Karli Casamento, a second-grade teacher in suburban Philadelphia, says it’s a concern. For families like the Casamentos and businesses in the marketplace, there is continued uncertainty surrounding the possible effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on youth sports.

NHL, NHLPA close to agreeing on a new collective bargaining agreement, AP sources say

Two people familiar with negotiations tell The Associated Press the NHL and NHL Players’ Association are close to an agreement on an extension of the collective bargaining agreement. The league and union have been in talks since April and are on the verge of a deal more than a year before the current CBA expires. An 84-game season has been discussed and is believed to be among the changes that could be announced as soon as Friday in Los Angeles before the first round of the draft. The people spoke to the AP on condition on anonymity Thursday because the deal had not yet been finalized.

Faith Kipyegon falls short in attempt to break 4-minute mile

PARIS (AP) — Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon has failed in her bid to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes. On Thursday in Paris, she clocked 4 minutes, 06.42 seconds, surpassing her world record of 4:07.64. However, the time won’t be officially recognized as the event was unofficial. The race featured 13 pacers to reduce drag, but Kipyegon struggled midway and couldn’t shave off the needed 7.65 seconds. The event took place in excellent weather conditions before a few thousand spectators. Kipyegon set the women’s mile world record two years ago and remains a dominant figure in middle-distance running.

Fleming, Raynaud, Penda headline the list of best available players entering Round 2 of NBA draft

The freshman-heavy first round of the NBA draft squeezed out some veteran college big men. That means players like St. Joseph’s junior Rasheer Fleming and Stanford senior Maxime Raynaud are among the notable names waiting to hear their name called entering the second round Thursday night. The list includes fifth-year big men in Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and Auburn’s Johni Broome. The list of best-available talents includes French forward Noah Penda and Marquette guard Kam Jones. Minnesota is on the clock for the first pick of the second round.

Wimbledon 2025: Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz give tennis two young superstars

LONDON (AP) — Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are ushering in a new era for tennis. Wimbledon begins Monday, and the sport’s most recent Grand Slam champions are Gauff and Alcaraz. She is a 21-year-old American. He is a 22-year-old Spaniard. Both are No. 2 in the rankings and both are coming off French Open titles secured in riveting finals against the sport’s No. 1 players. They are young, they are charismatic on the court and they are media-friendly off it. And along with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and former No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the women’s game, and No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the men’s, they offer a bright future for the sport.

Bigger, better, more popular: Women’s Euro 2025 set to break records

When England played one of the very first matches of the Women’s European Championship back in 1984, only around 1,000 fans were present. More than 87,000 packed into Wembley for the final of the last edition of the tournament. Euro 2022 smashed all records for attendances with a total of nearly 575,000 fans at the 31 matches and that mark looks set to be broken again in Switzerland next month. The rise in attendances at international matches is reflected in the rise at club games. The continued growth in popularity of women’s soccer has the knock-on effect of more sponsorship, more prize money and more to invest in grass roots soccer and clubs.

Ronaldo declares ‘Al Nassr forever’ after signing a two-year deal to stay in Saudi Arabia

Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a two-year contract extension with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. The Portugal great’s deal lets him continue playing until at least the age of 42. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner moved to Saudi Arabia at the end of 2022 in one of the most shocking transfers in soccer history after leaving Manchester United. The deal was reportedly worth up to $200 million a year and led to a slew of top players leaving Europe for the oil-rich kingdom. The deal is evidence the former Real Madrid forward wants to achieve more. The move to a less-challenging league has also not hindered his standing with his national team.

Team USA’s Bobby Witt Jr. ready for bigger role in 2026 World Baseball Classic

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is going to again play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He certainly will have a bigger role than last time. Witt announced Thursday that he’s committed to playing for the United States in the 2026 WBC. When part of Team USA in 2023, he was 22, coming off a standout rookie MLB season and the youngest player on the team. He was was a bench player who went 1 for 2 at the plate. Witt was the runner-up to Yankees slugger and Team USA captain Aaron Judge in the American League MVP voting last season.