Sports

CNN By Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — [Breaking news update, published at 11:20 p.m. ET] The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 on Monday to advance to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The Bucs will play the Detroit Lions on Sunday at 3 p.m. [Original story, published at 10:32 p.m. ET]

By George Ramsay and Matias Grez, CNN (CNN) — Spanish motorbike rider Carles Falcón has died from injuries he sustained in a crash while competing at the Dakar Rally more than a week ago, race organizers announced on Monday. He was 45. “It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Spanish

By Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — Andy Murray says there is a definite possibility he has played his final Australian Open match after a straight-set defeat in the first round of this year’s tournament. Murray, 36, lost 6-4 6-2 6-2 to Argentina’s Tomás Martín Etcheverry on Monday, just his second opening-round defeat at the grand

By George Ramsay, CNN (CNN) — Naomi Osaka’s return to grand slam tennis ended in a first-round defeat against Caroline Garcia at the Australian Open. Osaka, a two-time champion in Melbourne, was competing in her first grand slam tournament in more than a year when she fell to Garcia 6-4 7-6(7-2) on Monday. The Japanese

By Sam Joseph, CNN (CNN) — Real Madrid claimed its 13th Spanish Super Cup with a comprehensive 4-1 demolition of arch-rival Barcelona in El Clásico on Sunday. Young superstar Vinícius Jr. scored a hat-trick inside the first 40 minutes of the game to allowed Real to race into an early lead before a second-half strike

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN (CNN) — Inevitability isn’t a word often associated with sport – especially in the National Football League (NFL) where fans know that almost anything can happen at any given time. Yet the Philadelphia Eagles seem close to harnessing the power of certainty thanks to one play: “The Brotherly Shove.” A play

By Homero De la Fuente and Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — The next round of the NFL playoffs is decided after six games filled the ‘Super Wild Card Weekend.’ The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the last to advance after beating the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 Monday night to move on to the divisional

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — Coco Gauff showcased a devastating new serve as she sealed an impressive straight sets – 6-3 6-0 – victory against Anna Karolína Schmiedlová at the Australian Open on Monday. The world No. 4 had traveled in the offseason to train with former tennis star Andy Roddick, who is widely

By Hande Atay Alam, Scott McLean, Amir Tal and Isil Sariyuce, CNN (CNN) — Sagiv Jehezkel, the Israeli soccer player suspended from top-tier Turkish club Antalyaspor for an on-pitch protest in support of hostages held in Gaza, has returned to Israel after he was briefly detained by police. Jehezkel, who had been held by police in Antalya,

By Ben Morse and Jacob Lev, CNN (CNN) — The Green Bay Packers dominated the Dallas Cowboys during Sunday’s wild-card round to advance in the NFL playoffs and send “America’s Team” into disarray, while later, the Detroit Lions edged past the Los Angeles Rams to win their first playoff game in 32 years. History was

CNN By Jacob Lev, CNN (CNN) — The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins 26-7 at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, in conditions so cold that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s mustache froze over. The temperature at kickoff was -4 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -20 degrees, making it the fourth coldest game in National

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — It looked on paper to be an easy start to Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open campaign, but the 24-time grand slam champion was given a scare by Croatian youngster Dino Prizmic in a thrilling first round encounter on Sunday. The Serb, bidding to make history by winning a record-breaking 25th

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde posted a picture from his hospital bed after suffering a “brutal” full-speed crash and being airlifted off the slopes during a World Cup downhill race in Switzerland. The 31-year-old was nearing the finish line on the challenging Lauberhorn course in Wengen on Saturday, before

By Sam Joseph, CNN (CNN) — More than 130 Englishmen, 37 Scots and three Americans have sat down in a Premier League dugout. There have been Italians, Argentinians, Chileans and Swedes. There are three managers from Spain’s Basque Country in the league right now. However, the top flight of English soccer had never seen an

By Jacob Lev, CNN (CNN) — The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins 26-7 at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, in conditions so cold that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s mustache froze over. The temperature at kickoff was -4 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -20 degrees, making it the fourth coldest game in National Football

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — Coco Gauff may have won her maiden grand slam title at last year’s US Open, but the American youngster already has that particular success in her rear-view mirror. Not content with just the one major title to her name, the 19-year-old says she is now focused on increasing her

By Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — So it begins. After 18 weeks of hard-hitting, explosive NFL action, the playoffs are finally upon us. Only the best of the best have booked their spot in the ‘win or go home’ portion of the season, with just a few more victories standing between them and football immortality.

By Homero De la Fuente and Issy Ronald, CNN (CNN) — The Golden State Warriors defeated the Chicago Bulls 140-131 following a second-half surge on Friday, but the game was marred by fans at the arena booing Bulls’ former general manager Jerry Krause during a Ring of Honor ceremony at halftime, leaving his widow, Thelma,

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — This year’s Australian Open is set to be the tournament of comebacks, but not every returning star will end up competing at this season’s first slam. Fans, for instance, won’t get the chance to see Rafael Nadal in action as the Spaniard’s hopes of returning to grand slam tennis

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN (CNN) — The University of Alabama has named Kalen DeBoer, head coach at the University of Washington, as its next head football coach, the school announced Friday. DeBoer succeeds the retiring Nick Saban, who announced his retirement Wednesday after a 17-year tenure at Alabama, where he won six national

By Ben Morse and Jill Martin, CNN (CNN) — The New England Patriots are hiring Jerod Mayo as head coach, the team announced on Friday, a day after Bill Belichick announced he was leaving. The Patriots said that Mayo – the organization’s 15th in its history – has been hired and will be formally introduced

By George Ramsay, CNN (CNN) — About this time last year, Ben Shelton was an up-and-coming tennis player taking his first-ever trip outside the United States. Not long out of college, Shelton was relatively unknown on the circuit having only been pro for the past six months. But armed with a lethal serve and the

By Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — Tom Brady paid tribute to Bill Belichick, the long-time head coach of the New England Patriots with whom he had so much success, after the 71-year-old announced on Thursday that he is leaving the team after 24 seasons at the helm. Brady was drafted by Belichick and the Patriots

By Eric Levenson, CNN (CNN) — Bill Belichick and Nick Saban have been many things to each other over their illustrious coaching careers. Friends. Coworkers. Rivals. Confidantes. And perhaps, even family? “Somewhere along the line we’re probably related, distantly,” Belichick said in the 2019 HBO documentary “Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching,” citing their

By Matias Grez, CNN (CNN) — The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, winning by 62 points to record the biggest win in franchise history and move into a tie for first place in the Western Conference. The 139-77 victory tied the fifth-biggest blowout in NBA history, per StatMuse, and

Alasdair Howorth, CNN (CNN) — Born and raised in Dublin, Roberto “Pico” Lopes had long given up hope of representing the Republic of Ireland at the senior international level, for whom he had starred at junior level. Then, out of the blue, Lopes received a message on the social networking website LinkedIn. It was a

CNN By Daniel Renjifo, CNN (CNN) — More than a year after a fairytale performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, all eyes are still on Morocco’s national football team and its head coach Walid Regragui. And to up the stakes even more, they are one of the favorites to win this latest

By Daniel Renjifo, CNN (CNN) — More than a year after a fairytale performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, all eyes are still on Morocco’s national football team and its head coach Walid Regragui. And to up the stakes even more, they are one of the favorites to win this latest edition

CNN, WFXT By Jill Martin and Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — Legendary head coach Bill Belichick confirmed on Thursday that he is leaving the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, during which the franchise won six Super Bowl titles. Standing next to Patriots owner Robert Kraft at a media conference, Belichick said the two of

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — Barcelona has warned fans to be “prudent and discrete” when traveling to Saudi Arabia for the team’s Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Osasuna on Thursday, urging spectators to “strictly respect the country’s customs and ways.” The advice, released on the Barça website Monday, also warned that people could face

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN (CNN) — Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson has publicly revealed he has terminal cancer and has “about a year” to live, the 75-year-old told Swedish radio station P1 on Thursday. CNN previously had learned from a source close to Eriksson that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “Everyone can see that I have

By Jill Martin and Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — Legendary head coach Bill Belichick confirmed on Thursday that he is leaving the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, during which the franchise won six Super Bowl titles. Standing next to Patriots owner Robert Kraft at a media conference, Belichick said the two of them had

By Sam Joseph, CNN (CNN) — And just like that, in double quick time, Victor Wembanyama recorded his first NBA triple double. The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick’s landmark moment came on Wednesday as the San Antonio Spurs dominated the Detroit Pistons on the road, 130-108. The French phenom scored 16 points, grabbed 12

By Jack Bantock, CNN (CNN) — American golfer Gary Woodland said he was “fear-driven every day, mostly around death” in the months before undergoing brain surgery last year. The former US Open champion returns to competitive action on Thursday for the first time since the craniotomy to remove a lesion on his brain on September

By Wayne Sterling, CNN (CNN) — Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll will not return to the sidelines next season after being relieved of his duties as head coach, the team announced Wednesday. However, Carroll will remain with the franchise as an advisor. “Pete is the winningest coach in Seahawks history, brought the city its

By Matias Grez, CNN (CNN) — Real Madrid remains on course for a clean sweep of trophies this season after battling past Atlético Madrid to reach the Spanish Super Cup final, beating its city rival 5-3 after extra time in a thrilling encounter. Atlético opened the scoring after just six minutes through Mario Hermoso, before

By Steve Almasy and Jacob Lev, CNN (CNN) — Alabama football coach Nick Saban, whose seven career national championships are the most by a head coach at NCAA football’s highest level, is retiring, the school said Wednesday in a news release. “It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the

By Sam Joseph, CNN (CNN) — Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra started out as the team’s video coordinator in 1995; almost 30 years later, he has reportedly agreed to sign one of the biggest contracts in North American sports coaching history. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, citing unnamed sources, the Heat and Spoelstra, who

By Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — Russell Wilson was meant to be the Denver Broncos’ savior. But things have not gone to plan. His two seasons in Colorado have been disappointing for both the front office and fans, with the team missing out on the playoffs twice and with the 35-year-old QB being benched at

By Jack Bantock, CNN (CNN) — “It was a hell of a round, Tiger.” And just like that, one of the most prolific commercial partnerships in the history of sport was over. After 27 years, 15 major championships, 82 PGA Tour wins and hundreds of millions of dollars in endorsement contracts, Tiger Woods and Nike

By Matias Grez, CNN (CNN) — Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković let rip at the referees following his team’s narrow 132-131 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Rajaković was left furious by the free throw disparity between the two teams, with the Lakers shooting 36 free throws in the game compared to

By George Ramsay, CNN (CNN) — The founder and boss of gambling company Bet365 earned a salary of around $281 million (£221 million) in the last financial year – ending March 26, 2023. The figure was described as not “sensible and proportionate” by one campaign group. Denise Coates, the joint-chief executive and majority shareholder of Bet365,

By David Close, CNN (CNN) — After six seasons in charge, Mike Vrabel is out as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. On Tuesday, owner Amy Adams Strunk announced the move and called the decision to remove Vrabel “as difficult as any I’ve made as Controlling Owner.” Vrabel proved to be an immediate success with

CNN By Jill Martin, CNN (CNN) — He just won a national title, but did Jim Harbaugh potentially just coach his last game at Michigan? Harbaugh said he “can now sit at the big person’s table in the family” after the Wolverines won the College Football Playoff national championship game 34-13 against the Washington Huskies

By Matias Grez, CNN (CNN) — A promising youth team player for English soccer team Grimsby Town has died at the age of 16 after the car he was traveling in crashed into a canal, with the club describing his death as a “heartbreaking loss.” “Cameron Walsh was an integral part of the GTFC academy,”

By Sam Joseph, CNN (CNN) — Revolutionary soccer player Franz Beckenbauer, one of the few men to win the World Cup as both as a player and a coach, has died at the age of 78, according to the German football federation (DFB). Nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’ ‘(The Emperor’), Beckenbauer is regarded as one of soccer’s all-time greats.

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN (CNN) — Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, the team announced on Monday night. Morant, who was suspended for the first 25 games of the season for off-court issues, suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder during a training session on Saturday, according to the

CNN By David Close and George Ramsay, CNN (CNN) — Soccer icon Franz Beckenbauer, widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game, has died aged 78, according to the German football federation (DFB). The DFB called Beckenbauer “one of the best players this sport has seen and a

By David Close and George Ramsay, CNN (CNN) — Soccer icon Franz Beckenbauer, widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game, has died aged 78, according to the German football federation (DFB). The DFB called Beckenbauer “one of the best players this sport has seen and a natural

By Jill Martin and Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — The Washington Commanders are making a massive overhaul in the team’s front office, firing head coach Ron Rivera and hiring a surprise face from basketball. In addition to Rivera’s dismissal, Commanders owner Josh Harris has opted to hire Bob Myers – the former general manager of

By Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — Bill Belichick has said it’s “way too early” to make any decision on his future as the head coach of the New England Patriots. After 24 seasons and winning six Super Bowl titles with the team, rumors about the 71-year-old’s continued tenure in the head coach role swirled, with

By Jack Bantock, CNN (CNN) — There was a time when Chris Kirk thought he might never play on the PGA Tour again, let alone win a tournament. In Hawaii on Sunday, he saw in 2024 with his second triumph in less than a year. A stunning birdie at the penultimate hole fired the American

By Sam Joseph, CNN (CNN) — After finishing with a 7-10 record for the third season in a row, the Atlanta Falcons have fired head coach Arthur Smith. The Falcons’ season ended on Sunday when they were blown out on the road 48-17 by their division rivals, the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta announced the decision

By Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — After 18 weeks of grueling action, the NFL regular season has come to an end. Some teams will be happy, others will be disappointed and wait for next season, while another portion will be satisfied but insist their season is still far from over. With postseason places now locked

By Matias Grez, CNN (CNN) — Spanish motorbike rider Carles Falcón was airlifted to hospital in a “serious condition” after crashing during the second stage of the Dakar Rally, which is being staged in Saudi Arabia, race organizers said in a statement on Monday. “A fellow entrant who was behind him immediately alerted the organisation, which

By Wayne Sterling and Thomas Schlachter, CNN (CNN) — Olympic gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton says she is lucky to be alive after the 55-year-old was hospitalized last year with a rare form of pneumonia that left her unable to breathe on her own. Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that can cause the lungs to fill with fluid, with symptoms that can range from

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN (CNN) — The No. 1 Michigan Wolverines used a punishing rushing attack to down the No. 2 Washington Huskies 34-13 in Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston. It is the first national title since 1997 for Michigan and 10th overall NCAA football crown for

By Jacob Lev and Wayne Sterling, CNN (CNN) — After the New England Patriots lost 17-3 against the New York Jets on Sunday, Bill Belichick was his typical, often terse, self as reporters asked whether the six-time Super Bowl winning coach will be back next year. After the Patriots ended the season 4-13, the 71-year-old,

By Issy Ronald, CNN (CNN) — Coco Gauff enjoyed a strong start to her season, defending her Auckland Classic title after defeating Elina Svitolina 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3 in the final on Sunday. It marked the 19-year-old’s eighth WTA title, equaling Serena Williams’ record haul for American teenagers in the past 25 years. “It was not

By Patrick Sung, CNN (CNN) — Traveling often marks the beginning of much rest and relaxation, but for one soccer club from the small island nation of Martinique, that was perhaps not the case in its recent trip to northern France. Golden Lion FC was drubbed by Ligue 1 club Lille 12-0 in its French

By Homero De la Fuente and Issy Ronald, CNN (CNN) — The Houston Texans clinched their first playoff spot since 2019 following a 23-19 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, marking a dramatic turnaround from last season when they finished 3-13. Reaching the playoffs is a remarkable achievement for head coach DeMeco Ryans and

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN (CNN) — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been reinstated after serving a 12-game suspension, the National Basketball Association announced on Saturday. Green was ejected from a 119-116 defeat to the Phoenix Suns on December 12 after spinning around and striking center Jusuf Nurkić in the face with

By Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — When Bill Belichick steps out of the tunnel into Gillette Stadium on Sunday, he’ll know he’s done a good job. It might be his final game as head coach of the New England Patriots and it might even be his final game in the NFL as a whole. During

By Issy Ronald, CNN (CNN) — Rafael Nadal will not play at the Australian Open after suffering an injury during his quarterfinal defeat to Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane International on Friday, he announced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The 22-time grand slam winner sustained a “micro tear on a muscle,”

By Hannah Brewitt, CNN (CNN) — The NFL season wraps up this weekend, but there is still much to be decided when it comes to the postseason. Four playoff spots are ripe for the taking on Sunday and, while 10 teams have already punched their ticket to the playoffs, seeding will not be complete until

By Issy Ronald, CNN (CNN) — Soccer icon Mário Zagallo, a four-time World Cup winner with Brazil as a player and coach, has died at age 92, a post on his official Instagram account announced on Saturday. After playing in two World Cup winning teams in 1958 and 1962, he went on to win the

By Patrick Sung, CNN (CNN) — The Golden State Warriors got back on the winning track Friday, edging out the lowly Detroit Pistons 113-109, but suffered a big personnel loss as guard Chris Paul fractured his left hand in the third quarter. Paul missed a three-pointer with 6:10 left in the third and attempted to

By Kevin Dotson, CNN (CNN) — Mark Cuban, who recently sold a majority share of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks franchise, surprised Mavs employees on Friday when he informed them that the team would distribute more than $35 million in bonuses, a spokesperson for the team told CNN Sport. In an internal memo obtained by ESPN’s Tim

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — Despite falling just short of winning a historic world title, teenage darts sensation Luke Littler has seen his life change forever. The 16-year-old, largely unknown before this year’s World Darts Championship, has been catapulted into global stardom after showcasing his amazing ability on a fairytale run to Wednesday’s final.

By George Ramsay, CNN (CNN) — Rafael Nadal’s first singles competition since returning from injury ended in a riveting quarterfinal defeat against Australian Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane International on Friday. The Spaniard, playing in his first singles event in almost a year, won the first set and had three match points in the second

By Sam Joseph, CNN (CNN) — Superstar center Nikola Jokić hit a spectacular game-winning shot against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, banking in a three-pointer at the buzzer from the near the half-court line as the Denver Nuggets escaped California with a 130-127 win. With 3.6 seconds left in the game and the game

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — İlkay Gündoğan scored a stoppage time penalty to secure Barcelona a 2-1 win against Las Palmas in La Liga on Thursday. Las Palmas had taken an early lead in the match after former Barça player Munir El Haddadi finished off a flowing move for the underdogs in the 12th

By Ben Morse, CNN (CNN) — It was a nervous few days, but finally David Warner has been reunited with his missing ‘baggy green’ hat. After posting on social media asking for help after his iconic cap had gone missing, Warner provided an update on Friday saying that it had been found. “I am pleased