CNN – Sports

By Ben Church, CNN Melbourne Victory FC has been fined $310,000 (AUS$ 450,000) and hit with a number of sanctions by Football Australia (FA) after the ugly scenes that forced its derby match against Melbourne City to be abandoned in December. Fans had planned to protest the decision to move the next three A-Leagues Grand

By Coy Wire and Aya Elamroussi, CNN A week after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing the Cincinnati Bengals, doctors are hoping Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is healthy enough to be released from a Buffalo hospital within 24 to 48 hours, Michael Hughes, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Kaleida Health, told

By Steve Almasy, CNN The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs scored on their first six drives and dominated No. 3 Texas Christian University 65-7 to win their second consecutive College Football Playoff championship game on Monday night in Inglewood, California. In the convincing win, Heisman Trophy-finalist quarterback Stetson Bennett passed for four touchdowns and ran for

By Aqeel Najim and Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Iraq is holding its first international soccer tournament in more than four decades, hosting its Gulf Arab neighbors for a two-week competition as it emerges from its worst and longest political deadlock in years. The tournament, analysts say, is a glimmer of hope for a struggling population, but

By Matias Grez, CNN Spanish golfer Jon Rahm won his third PGA Tour title in six starts with a stunning comeback to overturn a seven-shot deficit at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. The world No. 5 even bogeyed Sunday’s first hole but went on a remarkable run to finish the final round with a

By Ben Church, CNN Victoria Lee, one of the brightest new stars in mixed martial arts (MMA), has died at the age of 18, her sister confirmed. “She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then,” her sister Angela said in an Instagram post Saturday. “We miss her. More than

By Ben Morse, CNN JJ Watt struggled to hold back his tears as he received a standing ovation while he left the NFL field for the final time after his likely Hall of Fame career came to an end on Sunday. The 33-year-old — one of the best defensive players of all time — announced

By Jacob Lev, CNN Chicago White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks says he has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In an Instagram post on Sunday, the 33-year-old expressed his determination to fight the disease — a cancer of the lymphatic system. “As a professional athlete, I have always been mindful to try and use my position

By Jacob Lev, CNN The Houston Texans have fired head coach Lovie Smith after just one season in charge, the team announced on Sunday. The Texans finished the year with a 3-13-1 record. “On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Lovie Smith for everything he has contributed to our team over

By Jacob Lev and Ben Morse, CNN The NFL playoffs are set following the Green Bay Packers 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions Sunday night. After winning four straight games following a disappointing start to the season, the Packers had given themselves a shot at making the postseason. But a fourth quarter touchdown from former

By Nouran Salahieh, Coy Wire and Steve Almasy, CNN Bills safety Damar Hamlin is now at a Buffalo hospital, having been released from the medical facility where he stayed seven days after his heart stopped and he had to be resuscitated on the field during an NFL game, Dr. William A. Knight said Monday during

By Coy Wire, CNN A flood of memories came rushing in as I flew to Buffalo a week ago to cover the story of Damar Hamlin — the Buffalo Bills safety who suffered cardiac arrest during a game Monday night. Buffalo feels like home. Growing up, I had never seen an NFL game in person,

By Matt Foster, CNN The college football season arrives at its climax on Monday as the heralded Georgia Bulldogs attempt to defend their title against the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University (TCU). For many of the players, it will be their final shot at collegiate glory before embarking on their professional careers. Georgia heads

By Aimee Lewis, CNN The 2023 FIS Para World Snowboard Championships have been postponed because of a lack of snow. In a statement, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) said that the competition, which was due to take place this month in La Molina in the Spanish Pyrenees, will now be held from March

By Issy Ronald and Jacob Lev, CNN In the first games since Damar Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest on Monday, the NFL honored the Bills safety as he posted on Instagram for the first time, thanking everyone for the “love” he’s received. Already, the weekend was significant as the last of the regular season, and Hamlin’s

By Aimee Lewis, CNN The United States celebrated winning the inaugural United Cup Sunday with a comprehensive victory over Italy in the final in Sydney, Australia. Taylor Fritz, the world No.9, secured victory, defeating big hitting Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (8-6) in a tense two-hour-plus match. When Berrettini sent a forehand long on championship

By Eric Levenson, Ben Church and David Close, CNN Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin posted a photo of himself on social media Sunday that shows him sitting up in his hospital bed and rooting on his teammates less than a week after his cardiac arrest and on-field collapse. “GAMETIME!!!” Hamlin wrote in the post. The

By Hilary Whiteman, CNN Two-time champion Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Australian Open, tournament organizers announced on Sunday, without elaborating on the reason. “Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open. We will miss her at #AO2023,” the Australian Open tweeted. Former world No. 1 Osaka was not listed to play in warm-up

By Rebekah Riess, Alex Medeiros and Zoe Sottile, CNN A 25-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged with burglary after allegedly breaking into the Milwaukee Brewers’ clubhouse at American Family Field and removing items, including club memorabilia and keys to the baseball team’s Arizona spring training facility, according to court documents. According to the complaint, police

By Issy Ronald, CNN Romeo Beckham, son of former England captain and soccer icon David Beckham, has joined Premier League Brentford’s B team for the rest of the season on a loan deal from MLS NEXT Pro club Inter Miami CF II. The 20-year-old midfielder will join his new teammates in Brentford’s reserve team, playing

By Aimee Lewis, CNN Less than a week after a Denver Nuggets game was delayed because of a crooked rim, a Nuggets game was put on hold again because the same rim was bent. On Sunday, officials worked frantically to level one of the rims, which appeared to have been bent out of line by

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN The NFL family has waited on tenterhooks this past week on the health of Damar Hamlin as he continues to recover in hospital, but this weekend the show goes on and the final game week of the regular season still holds plenty of thrilling football. Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter

By Issy Ronald, CNN Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to an injury she sustained at the ASB Classic in New Zealand, tournament organizers announced via Twitter on Saturday. The American was awarded a main-draw wild card for what would have been her 22nd appearance at the Australian Open, 25 years after

By Ben Morse, CNN The NFL has experienced nothing quite like the last few days. After Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital, Cincinnati Bengals fans embraced their Buffalo Bills counterparts in the Paycor Stadium, men and women broke into tears, while others prayed. Hour-by-hour, day-by-day, the emotion and concern

By Elizabeth Wolfe, Jacob Lev and Adrienne Broaddus, CNN Just days after his stunning on-field cardiac arrest, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin said on Instagram he was thankful for the love he’s received and asked for continued prayers for a “long road” ahead. “When you put real love out into the world it comes back

By Coy Wire, CNN Here are five things to watch as the NFL enters the final weekend of the regular season. Do It For Damar The massive groundswell of support for Damar Hamlin will rise even higher when the final regular season games get underway. There may be some uncertainty, doubts, and fears about players

By George Ramsay, CNN Jack Grealish says moving to Manchester City has been “so much more difficult” than he anticipated after he had a hand in the team’s crucial 1-0 win against Chelsea. Grealish broke the British transfer record when he joined City from Aston Villa for a reported fee of £100 million ($138 million)

By Jacob Lev and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Just seconds after Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field from cardiac arrest on Monday, medical personnel swarmed onto the field in an immediate response that has been widely credited for the player’s steps toward recovery. But one Bills team member in particular — assistant athletic

By Ben Morse, CNN Italy football great Gianluca Vialli has died aged 58 after what he described as his “journey” with an “unwelcome travel companion” — pancreatic cancer. Vialli announced in December that he was stepping away from his role with the Italian national federation for health reasons after consultation with his oncologists. Vialli had

By Matias Grez, CNN Jessica Pegula, the daughter of Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula, secured her first career victory over a world No. 1 on Friday, beating Poland’s Iga Świątek 6-2 6-2 in the opening match of the United Cup semifinal in Sydney. The 28-year-old American lost all four of her matches against Świątek last

Story by Reuters Veteran Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire died on Thursday while practising tow-in surfing on the giant waves in Nazaré on the central coast of Portugal, the local maritime authority said. Support staff on jet-skis managed to get the 47-year-old to the beach, but all attempts to revive him failed. Freire was one of

By Zayn Nabbi and Matt Foster, CNN Amnesty International said Wednesday that soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo should highlight human rights issues in Saudi Arabia during his time playing at Al Nassr. A press release from the human rights watchdog quotes Dana Ahmed, its Middle East researcher, saying, “Al-Nassr’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo fits into a

By Matt Foster, CNN FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed his support for two Lecce players who were racially abused in an Italian Serie A match on Wednesday, calling upon fans to “shut up all the racists.” During the match between Lecce and Lazio in Italy’s top division, French defender Samuel Umtiti and Zambian forward Lameck

By Ben Church and Jill Martin, CNN Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow says he “probably wants to play” his team’s next game but also understands that others don’t in the aftermath of Damar Hamlin’s collapse on Monday. Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest when playing against the Bengals, an incident which left players

By George Ramsay, CNN American skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin is one win away from equaling Lindsey Vonn’s record of 82 World Cup wins after taking victory in the slalom competition in Zagreb, Croatia, on Wednesday. That was Shiffrin’s fifth consecutive win — and she might not be done yet. With another slalom in Zagreb scheduled

By David Close, CNN United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) soccer player Gio Reyna’s mother, Danielle, said Wednesday she was the one who reported the 1991 incident between US Soccer men’s head coach Gregg Berhalter and his wife Rosalind. Reyna says she told United States Soccer Federation (USSF) sporting director Earnie Stewart about the incident

By Carma Hassan, Jason Hanna, David Close and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin is awake in a Cincinnati hospital, appears neurologically intact and is moving his hands and feet, doctors said Thursday, news that has drawn relief and joy from supporters nationwide days after the 24-year-old’s in-game cardiac arrest. And his first

By Elizabeth Wolfe and Jacob Lev, CNN As Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering a mid-game cardiac arrest, his childhood friend and high school teammate, Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II, says there is “no doubt in my mind” that Hamlin will recover. Thomas drove directly to the hospital where

By Matt Foster and Ben Morse, CNN Lionel Messi has returned to the Paris Saint-Germain training center after winning the World Cup with Argentina last month. A tweet from the club’s official account on Wednesday reads: “Welcome back Leo,” accompanied by a video of the 35-year-old arriving at the complex. A separate post shows images

By George Ramsay, CNN Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins has recalled the moment he realized something was “really, really wrong” after teammate Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin remains in hospital and in a critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest in Monday’s game. His uncle, Dorrian Glenn, told

By Ben Morse, CNN Damar Hamlin’s former high school and college teammate John Petrishen said the Buffalo Bills safety’s work ethic is matched by him being a “good person.” Petrishen, who played with Hamlin at both Pittsburgh Central Catholic and the University of Pittsburgh, told CNN that as well as being “gifted” on the field,

By Andrew McNicol and Cheng Cheng, CNN Snooker’s governing body on Tuesday said it had suspended two more Chinese players as it investigates an alleged match-fixing and betting scandal — bringing the number of players from the Asian country caught up in the probe to 10. In a statement, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker

By David Close, CNN US Soccer has launched an investigation into men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter, the organization announced Tuesday, as the coach released a statement addressing a previous domestic violence incident between himself and his now-wife. While US Soccer did not provide details of the incident, Berhalter issued a lengthy statement on

By Adrienne Broaddus, Elizabeth Wolfe and Jason Hanna, CNN After suffering a cardiac arrest during a game on Monday, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition in intensive care, with “signs of improvement” noted over the past day, his team tweeted Wednesday afternoon, while uneasy supporters across the nation awaited word of his

By Matias Grez, CNN Messages of support for Damar Hamlin have been pouring in from around the world of sport following the Buffalo Bills safety’s on-field collapse. Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and fell onto his back moments after tackling Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins during Monday’s NFL game. The 24-year-old remains in critical

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Art McNally, the “father of instant replay” and the first game official inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died at 97 of natural causes at a Pennsylvania hospital near his home Sunday, his son said Monday in a statement from the hall. McNally was an NFL official for nine

By Ben Church, CNN Tennis great Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with both stage one throat and breast cancer, her agent told CNN in an email Monday. “This double whammy is serious but still fixable,” the 66-year-old said in a statement on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) website. “I’m hoping for a favorable outcome. It’s

By George Ramsay, CNN Paris Saint-Germain suffered a first defeat since March as the French champion lost 3-1 against Lens on New Year’s Day. PSG was without Lionel Messi — still absent following Argentina’s World Cup victory — and Neymar — who was banned after receiving a red card against Strasbourg — for Sunday’s top-of-the-table

By Aimee Lewis, CNN Real Madrid forward Vinícius Jr. accused LaLiga of “doing nothing” about racism at matches after the Brazil star appeared to be racially abused during Real’s 2-0 win at Real Valladolid on Friday. “Racists still keep going to the stadiums and keep following closely the biggest club in the world and the

By Matt Foster, CNN Tom Brady is no stranger to high pressure situations — although usually they come in the playoffs, as opposed to the weeks prior as his stuttering Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to secure their spot in the postseason. Brady has now spent more of his life in the NFL than he has

By Kevin Dotson and Nouran Salahieh, CNN The Georgia Bulldogs have advanced to the College Football Playoff Championship after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-41 in the second semifinal College Football Playoff game Saturday. Trailing by six points late in the 4th quarter, defending national champion Georgia mounted a 72-yard drive capped by quarterback Stetson

By Issy Ronald, CNN Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Blaine Gabbert used Jet Skis to help rescue the occupants of a helicopter after it crash landed in the water on Thursday, he said in a press conference on Friday. He and his two brothers, Tyler and Brett, were jet skiing in Hillsborough Bay, Florida when he

By Issy Ronald, CNN Magnus Carlsen won both the World Rapid and World Blitz chess titles in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in the latest landmark of his glittering career. The 32-year-old Norwegian is now the holder of all three world chess championship titles — in Classical, Rapid and Blitz — for the third time in his career,

By AJ Willingham, CNN Don’t have any New Year’s plans? Yes you do! The NCAA College Football Playoff games are on, and nothing says “glamor” or “party time” like eight straight hours of televised sports. Plus, the two semifinal games on December 31 will determine the match-up for the College Football Playoff Championship game on