National Sports

ZURICH (AP) — The FIFA best men’s player award for 2023 will be another contest between Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.

When Richard Norman was invited to a celebrity fundraising curling bonspiel at Toronto's Cricket Club several years ago, he went scratching his head. "I'm like 'what's curling? Curling's not for Black people.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Another poor performance by Barcelona in a defeat at modest Antwerp has increased the pressure on Xavi Hernández to turn things around. The 3-2 loss in Belgium on Wednesday didn't mean much in practical terms.

So much for the English taking over European soccer.

MILAN (AP) — World Cup winner Lautaro Martínez has two targets: To score 100 goals this season and to renew his contract with Inter Milan. One is more realistic than the other.

If this is to be Roy Hodgson's final stint in his long, itinerant coaching career, then the oldest manager in the English Premier League is going out swinging.

SELVA DI VAL GARDENA, Italy (AP) — American skier Bryce Bennett surprised the favorites by winning the Val Gardena downhill with a late start number as the men’s World Cup speed season finally opened on Thursday a month later than scheduled.

SASKATOON — Brandon Lisowsky scored a goal and an assist as Saskatoon Blades topped Kamloops Blazers for their seventh straight win. Lukas Hansen, Egor Sidorov, Easton Armstrong and Morgan Tastad all scored for Saskatoon.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gabriel Vilardi scored a career-high four points with a goal and three assists in his impressive return to Los Angeles, leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-2 victory over the Kings on Wednesday night.

NORTH BAY, Ont. — Alex Kostov scored twice as Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds topped the North Bay Battalion. Brenden Sirizzotti scored twice while Christopher Brown and Justin Cloutier had a goal each for the Greyhounds.