CNN – Sports

By Aimee Lewis, CNN LeBron James knows how to celebrate in style, scoring a season-high 47 points as he inspired the Los Angeles Lakers to a 130-121 win over the Atlanta Hawks on his 38th birthday. James helped his team come back from 15 points down at the State Farm Arena and ended the game

By Ben Church, CNN He’d won three World Cups, scored goals galore and become a global icon, but Pelé wasn’t quite done yet, so off he went to the US and helped transform the sport of soccer in North America. The Brazilian great was convinced to come out of retirement, signing in 1975 for the

By Kevin Dotson and Wayne Sterling, CNN Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel announced on Friday that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will remain in the NFL’s concussion protocol and miss Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. McDaniel first announced on Monday that the player was in the league’s protocol after suffering a concussion during the

By David Close, CNN Famed Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, the team announced on social media Friday. The club tweeted a picture of Ronaldo holding up a yellow No. 7 Al Nassr jersey and said: “History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our

By Ben Morse, CNN Born into poverty — he used to kick a grapefruit around Brazil’s Minas Gerais state — Pelé finished his career as arguably soccer’s greatest ever player. He was that rarity; like Muhammad Ali, Pelé was a sports star, who transcended his sport. The Brazilian brought joy and creativity to a sport

By Jonathan Hawkins, CNN Her head cradled in a crash helmet, Dania Akeel’s voice crackles through the intercom above the roar of the engine and the rush of wind through the windowless cabin of her rugged, black UTV. “We’re so lucky,” Akeel tells CNN Sport. “I mean, look at this place, it’s so beautiful.” The

By Swati Gupta, Vedika Sud and Alex Stambaugh, CNN India international cricketer Rishabh Pant has been hospitalized after he was injured in a car accident in the northern state of Uttarakhand on Friday. The state’s chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, confirmed the news on Twitter, while wishing Pant, 26, a “speedy recovery.” The car Pant

By Camilo Rocha, George Ramsay, Tara John, Flora Charner and Rodrigo Pedroso, CNN Pelé, the Brazilian soccer legend who won three World Cups and became the sport’s first global icon, has died at the age of 82. “Everything that we are, is thanks to you,” his daughter Kely Nascimento wrote in a post on Instagram,

By Ben Church, CNN Just 10 days after suffering disappointment in the World Cup final, Kylian Mbappé rescued Paris Saint-Germain with a last-gasp penalty as his side beat RC Strasbourg 2-1 in Ligue on Wednesday. Mbappé, who had ended up on the losing side against Argentina in Qatar 2022’s showpiece final despite scoring a hat-trick,

By Matias Grez, CNN Three players were ejected after a clash between the Orlando Magic’s Moe Wagner and Detroit Pistons guard Killian Hayes sparked a bench-clearing brawl on Wednesday. It certainly wasn’t anywhere near the antagonism of the infamous “Malice at the Palace” during the Detroit game against the Indiana Pacers in 2004, but the

By Matias Grez, CNN Luka Dončić put up a historic triple-double in the Dallas Mavericks’ thrilling 126-121 overtime win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. The 23-year-old recorded a career-high 60 points and a career-high 21 rebounds to go with 10 assists, helping the Mavericks come from nine points down with just 33 seconds

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Arizona Cardinals defensive end JJ Watt, one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, will retire after the 2022 season, he announced on Tuesday. Watt, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, said he played his “last ever” home game this past Sunday, a 19-16 overtime loss to the

By John Sinnott, CNN Arsène Wenger’s departure from Arsenal as the club’s manager in 2018 was bittersweet. He is the longest serving manager still in the English Premier League, but stepped down after 22 years in charge with a disgruntled section of fans unhappy that Arsenal had been unable to win the league title since

By Sahar Akbarzai and Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN The family of an Iranian soccer great was prevented by authorities in the Islamic Republic from leaving the country on Monday. A Dubai-bound flight carrying the wife and daughter of Ali Daei was forced to return to Iran, the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. Daei is a

By Aimee Lewis, CNN Liverpool has agreed to sign forward Cody Gakpo, one of the most coveted young players in Europe, from PSV Eindhoven, the Eredivisie club said on Monday. Gakpo, 23, impressed for the Netherlands at the World Cup in Qatar, scoring three goals as the Dutch reached the quarterfinals. The clubs did not

By Aimee Lewis and David Close, CNN The Denver Broncos have named Jerry Rosburg as interim head coach, it was announced on Monday, after Nathaniel Hackett was relieved of his duties. Hackett, in his first season as a head coach in the NFL, was fired a day after the struggling Broncos were crushed 51-14 by

By John Sinnott and Jill Martin, It’s a question that keeps getting asked of the 45-year-old Tom Brady. In February, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Brady announced he was retiring from the NFL. His decision proved short lived, and just weeks later the seven-time Super Bowl champion changed his mind and returned for his 23rd NFL

By Kevin Dotson, CNN Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is in the NFL’s concussion protocol, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said at a Monday news conference. The announcement comes a day after Tagovailoa played the entire game as the Dolphins lost to the Green Bay Packers. It is the second time this season the 24-year-old quarterback

By Jacob Lev, CNN Kathy Whitworth, the winningest golfer in history, has died at the age of 83, the Ladies Professional Golf Association announced on Sunday. Whitworth died suddenly Saturday night while celebrating Christmas Eve with family and friends, her longtime partner Bettye Odle said. “Kathy left this world the way she lived her life,

By Wayne Sterling and Zoe Sottile, CNN Stephan Bonnar, the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer who popularized the sport in the finale fight of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, died Thursday, the mixed martial arts promoter announced Saturday. Bonnar died from “presumed heart complications while at work,” the UFC said

By Ben Church and Hanna Brewitt, CNN When the Pittsburgh Steelers host the LA Raiders on Saturday, it will be one of those rare moments in sport where the result won’t really matter. Instead, thoughts will be with Steelers legend Franco Harris who died earlier this week at the age of 72. Harris’ death came

By Jacob Lev, CNN A pair of goals from Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin on Friday secured yet another feat in his surefire Hall of Fame career, passing hockey legend Gordie Howe for the second-most goals scored in NHL history. In front of a friendly home crowd against the Winnipeg Jets, Ovechkin scored on a

By Matt Foster and Heather Chen, CNN English cricketer Sam Curran has become the most expensive auction buy in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) — after being sold to the Punjab Kings for 18.5 crore rupees ($2.22 million). Friday’s auction, which took place in the Indian city of Kochi, saw multiple records

By Jacob Lev, CNN A review into New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker’s head injury found no violations of the National Football League’s concussion protocol, the NFL and NFL Players Association announced Friday in a joint statement. In the first quarter of the Patriots’ game against the Arizona Cardinals on December 12, Parker received

By Matt Foster and Zayn Nabbi, CNN Italian rugby team Benetton Treviso announced Thursday that they have suspended a member of their team after Guinea-born Italian international Cherif Traore received a “rotten banana in a wet bag” as a gift during a Christmas dinner. In a statement posted to its official website, Benetton, along with

By Ben Church, CNN Quarterback Zach Wilson endured a torrid night before eventually being benched as the New York ​​Jets were beaten 19-3 by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday. Wilson was booed at different points throughout the game before being replaced by Chris Streveler in the third quarter after completing just nine of 18 passes

By David J. Lopez, CNN Fifty years after the “Immaculate Reception” and just hours before his death, Franco Harris said it “blows my mind” how he pulled off arguably the most memorable play in NFL history. In a live interview Tuesday on “Mad Dog Unleashed” on SiriusXM radio, Harris recalled December 23, 1972, when he

By George Ramsay, CNN An athlete, former jockey AP McCoy said earlier this year, is the only person who dies twice, such is the pain of walking away from the intoxicating, all-consuming nature of professional sport. McCoy retired from his long, decorated racing career in 2015, and since then has had to learn, in his

By Matt Foster, CNN Ronnie Hillman, a Super Bowl-winning running back for the Denver Broncos, passed away aged 31 on Wednesday, according to a post from his family on his Instagram page. Hillman was in August diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma, a rare form of cancer, according to a statement posted to his social media

By Matias Grez, CNN The Brooklyn Nets put up a franchise record 91 points in the first half — the third highest total in NBA history — in Wednesday’s 143-113 blowout win over reigning champion the Golden State Warriors. The Phoenix Suns hold the first half points record with 107 scored against Denver in 1990,

By George Ramsay, CNN It’s believed to be a sport that started with a siesta. The intense heat in Acapulco, Mexico meant businessman Enrique Corcuera would take a nap at his family home each afternoon. His daughter Viviana, meanwhile, would irritate him by hitting tennis balls against the walls of the house. That prompted Corcuera

By Angela Reyes and Jill Martin, CNN Pelé’s health has worsened and the Brazilian soccer great now requires greater care due to the progression of his cancer, according to a statement by the Albert Einstein Jewish Hospital in São Paulo on Wednesday. Pelé was admitted to the hospital on November 29 for a respiratory infection

By Jack Bantock, CNN A coalition of families and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks says it will protest at the “front door” of Augusta National Golf Club if the institution doesn’t reconsider its decision to invite golfers who have played in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series to the Masters in April. A number of

By Matias Grez, CNN Lionel Messi sits on Sergio Aguero’s shoulders, both hands clasped firmly on the World Cup trophy as he holds it aloft. A broad smile is etched across his face, his eyes alight; it is a moment of pure, raw joy, the culmination of a lifelong dream after years of World Cup

By Homero De La Fuente, CNN Pittsburgh Steelers great Franco Harris, who was arguably best known for one of the most iconic plays in NFL history — dubbed the “Immaculate Reception” — has died at the age of 72, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday. Harris died overnight, the Hall of Fame

By Chris Stern, Inke Kappeler and Zayn Nabbi, CNN Boris Becker says a prison “inmate tried to kill” him during the tennis great’s incarceration in a British jail during an interview that was aired Tuesday by German broadcaster Sat 1. The inmate at Huntercombe prison, who Becker calls John, had been in prison for over

By Stefano Pozzebon and Abel Alvarado, CNN Argentine national soccer team stars Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, along with coach Lionel Scaloni, were forced to fly in a helicopter over the center of Buenos Aires after their bus got stuck in the massive crowds gathered to watch the parade celebrating the country’s World Cup

By Ben Morse, CNN Simiso Buthelezi, Miracle Amaeze and Luis Quiñones are some of the talented boxers who have died this year as they pursued their sporting careers and chased dreams of world titles. It’s an accepted risk of the profession. A database first compiled by anti-boxing activist Manuel Velazquez and updated in the Electronic

By Sammy Mngqosini and David de Sola, CNN United States President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron are amongst world leaders who have congratulated Argentina President Alberto Fernández following Sunday’s World Cup victory in Qatar. Argentina captain Lionel Messi led the 3-3 (4-2 on penalties) win over the 2018 defending

By Matias Grez, CNN If you’ve had a catchy tune stuck in your head from the World Cup, it’s likely this one. Heard in the streets of Doha, the stands of the Lusail Stadium and even in the Argentine dressing room, the 2003 hit ‘Muchachos’ by La Mosca has become the unofficial anthem of Argentina’s

By Don Riddell, CNN This was never going to be a traditional World Cup. Breaking ground in the Middle East and played for the first time in the European winter, it was always going to look and feel different. Qatar was described by some as the most controversial World Cup tournament host, with criticism ranging

By Abel Alvarado, Jessie Yeung and Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad arrived home to a jubilant Buenos Aires on Tuesday as millions of people lined the streets and celebrated their champions’ return. On arriving in the country on Tuesday morning, team Captain Lionel Messi stepped off the plane first, holding the gold trophy

By Ben Church, CNN At just 23, Kylian Mbappé has won more in his short career than most players are ever able to achieve. He’s already claimed five domestic titles in France, scored 250 career goals and, four years ago, lifted the World Cup trophy. Despite already proving he belongs among the elite, Mbappé has

By Matias Grez, CNN When engaging in discussions or debates about the greatest players of all time, soccer fans and pundits will often point to tangible achievements: trophies, individual accolades or scoring records. What is often overlooked in those discussions, however, are the players’ intangible achievements — how they make fans feel and the emotions

By Jacob Lev, CNN The Buffalo Bills claimed victory in a last-second 32-29 win over the Miami Dolphins Saturday night, a dramatic win after the game was briefly paused due to fans throwing snowballs onto the field. During the pause at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium, officials announced that if anyone on the field is hit with

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN After a month of unpredictable results, we are left with two World Cup heavyweights going head-to-head in a mouthwatering final as reigning champion France faces two-time champion Argentina Sunday. In an era of systems and styles of play taking precedence over individuals, this World Cup has been defined by superstar players.

By Matthew Chance, CNN Ukraine’s presidential office is criticizing FIFA for refusing to show a video message from President Volodymyr Zelensky in Qatar’s Lusail Stadium ahead of the World Cup final on Sunday. The video, which was recorded in English, is meant to be an “appeal for peace,” Ukraine’s presidential office said in a written

By Issy Ronald, CNN Qatar has been at the center of the world over the last few weeks — and it’s been quite a ride. For Qataris, as well as putting on a well-organized tournament, the World Cup was an opportunity to expose the world to their culture, displaying everything from their architecture to their

By Homero De la Fuente and Zoe Sottile, CNN The Minnesota Vikings rallied from a 33-point deficit at halftime to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 39-36, completing the largest comeback in NFL history. In the first half of the game Saturday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, the Colts’ defense stifled the Vikings’ offense, tallying two

By Wayne Sterling, CNN An A-League derby match in Australia was abandoned after fans invaded the pitch, injuring a goalkeeper in an ugly scene on Saturday. Video shows chaos erupting after a flare landed on the pitch, with fans pouring onto the field and surrounding match official Alex King and Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover.

By Zoe Sottile, CNN Chris Paul is winning both on and off the court. Just hours after helping the Phoenix Suns defeat the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, Paul received his bachelor’s degree in communications from Winston-Salem State University. Paul, the Suns’ star point guard, made it from Los Angeles to North Carolina to

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN This year’s World Cup was a tournament of firsts — the first to be held in the Middle East, the first to be held in November-December and the first where a woman refereed a men’s World Cup match. From surprise victories, to tears and spectacular goals, this tournament will stick in

By Hannah Brewitt, CNN The end of the NFL season is quickly approaching. There are just four weekends of regular season play left and with playoffs just around the corner, the stakes climb higher with every matchup. Last week, the Philadelphia Eagles (12-0) became the first team to clinch a playoff spot by defeating the

By Sammy Mngqosini, Issy Ronald and Manveena Suri, CNN English football great David Beckham has addressed criticism over his role as an ambassador for Qatar during the World Cup, saying it is “positive that debate about the key issues has been stimulated directly by the first World Cup being held in the region.” British comedian

By Ben Church, CNN FIFA president Gianni Infantino told reporters that “every person dying is one person too many” when asked about the death of migrant workers. Infantino, the boss of soccer’s world governing body, was speaking to reporters in a press conference in Doha, Qatar, on Friday when he was asked to clarify how

By Jacob Lev, CNN Tyrell Terry, a 2020 NBA draft pick of the Dallas Mavericks, has announced his retirement from basketball, citing anxiety. In an Instagram post on Thursday, the 22-year-old Terry called it “the darkest times” of his life while describing the anxiety basketball caused him. “Intrusive thoughts, waking up nauseous, and finding myself

By Matthew Chance, CNN A request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to share a message of world peace prior to kickoff at the World Cup final on Sunday has been rebuffed by FIFA, a source told CNN. The source said Zelensky’s office is offering to appear in a video link to fans in the stadium

By Ben Morse, CNN Is there any stopping Brock Purdy? The rookie quarterback, drafted with the final pick of the 2022 NFL draft, started just his second game on Thursday night, and recorded his second successive victory as a starter. Purdy completed 17 of his 26 pass attempts for 217 yards, threw two touchdowns and

By Ben Morse, CNN Magnus Carlsen enjoyed an undefeated victory over reigning US blitz champion Fabiano Caruana, winning by an 18-point margin. The two were squaring off at the 2022 Speed Chess Championship — described as Chess.com’s “major speed chess event.” Each match at the tournament consists of three segments; 90 minutes of 5+1 blitz

By Steve Almasy and Jill Martin, CNN Billie Moore — the head coach of the first US women’s Olympic basketball team, the first head coach to lead two schools to national championships in women’s basketball and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — died Wednesday at the age of 79. Her

By Homero De La Fuente, CNN Real Madrid has signed the highly-touted 16-year-old Brazilian forward Endrick from Brazilian club Palmeiras, both clubs announced on Thursday. “Real Madrid C. F., Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, and Endrick and his family have reached an agreement that allows the player to join Real Madrid when he reaches legal age in

By David Close, CNN Mississippi State University has hired Zach Arnett as the team’s next head football coach following the death of Mike Leach on Monday. Hired in 2020, Arnett served as the team’s defensive coordinator for the last three seasons. The school says he agreed to a four-year deal worth $3 million per year

By Sammy Mngqosini, CNN The decisions taken by soccer bodies FIFA and UEFA to block the European Super League (ESL) are in line with European Union (EU) competition laws, according to an EU Opinion issued on Thursday. “The FIFA-UEFA rules under which any new competition is subject to prior approval are compatible with EU competition

By David Close, CNN The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has hired Charlie Baker, the outgoing Governor of Massachusetts, as the next president of the organization. A year ago, Baker announced he would not seek re-election in 2022 for a third term as governor. Baker succeeds long-time president Mark Emmert. In June, Emmert announced he

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN And just like that, after 62 matches over nearly a month, the stage for Qatar 2022’s showpiece final was set. Two-time champion Argentina overpowered Croatia in the first semifinal earlier in the week, while defending champion France ended Morocco’s 2022 World Cup dream with a 2-0 win on Wednesday. Attention now

By Nadine Schmidt, Chris Liakos and Homero de la Fuente, CNN Former world No. 1 men’s tennis player Boris Becker has left for Germany after serving just eight months of his sentence in the UK, his lawyer said on Thursday, after UK media reported he had been released from custody and was due to be

By Ben Morse, CNN One has played 331 regular season games and is widely regarded as the NFL’s greatest ever player. The other is making his first start in the league, having been the last player selected in the 2022 draft, earning himself the moniker, “Mr. Irrelevant.” But, as they shake hands and exchange some

By Saskya Vandoorne, CNN A young boy died after being hit by a car Wednesday evening in the southern French city of Montpellier following France’s win over Morocco in the World Cup semifinal on Wednesday. The boy was rushed to the hospital after the incident but died shortly after being admitted, Herault’s police chief Hugues

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN Golden State fans wait anxiously for a verdict on Steph Curry as the superstar guard will get an MRI after he suffered a shoulder injury in the Warriors‘ 125-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Late in the third quarter, Curry was injured when trying to defend against the Pacers’ Jalen Smith.

By Ben Morse, CNN Defending champion France ended Morocco’s 2022 World Cup dream on Wednesday thanks to a 2-0 victory at the Al Bayt Stadium. Theo Hernández scored on five minutes with an acrobatic finish, with substitute Randal Kolo Muani tapping home late on as France reached its fourth World Cup final just four years

By David Close, CNN The National Women’s Soccer League and its players’ union have released a 128-page independent investigation report following a 14-month inquiry into accusations of “discrimination, harassment, abuse (physical, emotional or sexual) and retaliation” within the women’s professional league. The joint investigative team, which included members from two law firms, found “widespread misconduct