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Some teams are facing easier paths at World Cup than others

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — If the World Cup was the NCAA basketball tournament, then teams like Morocco and the Netherlands would have some serious anger toward the selection and seeding committee right now. England, Mexico, Portugal and Spain might not be all that happy, either. Lionel Messi and Argentina, on the other hand, probably wouldn’t complain much about their potential path to the World Cup final four. The bracket is set for the knockout stage of the World Cup. There was no selection committee; slots were predetermined — Group A winner on this line, Group D runner-up on this ...

Sports at a glance: Hornets deal Bridges

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A person familiar with the situation said the Charlotte Hornets are trading forward Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round draft pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for guard Grayson Allen, forward Royce O’Neale and a 2033 first-round pick. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the trade still needs to be approved by the league. The Hornets last week traded star point guard LaMelo Ball to Minnesota as part of a larger deal setting off a major restructuring in Charlotte just months after the team improved its ...

McKenna makes PSU history as first pick in NHL draft

BUFFALO, N.Y. — With most of Yukon watching and a loud presence of Maple Leafs fans in the stands, Toronto selected Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the first pick in the NHL draft on Friday night. The 18-year-old McKenna is from Yukon’s capital of Whitehorse and has been a prolific ...

Stokes, Holt, Smith headline early list for 2027 NBA draft

High-end freshman talent teemed through the last two NBA draft classes with names like Cooper Flagg in 2025 or AJ Dybantsa at No. 1 this year. The 2027 class lacks that same lofty status. Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s national recruiting director for high school basketball, said it was long clear ...

US Cup coach annoyed with fans upset over loss to Turkey

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The United States only wanted to get through its final World Cup group stage match Thursday night without an injury or a red card, while Turkey was playing for a face-saving victory to end a dismal tournament. Both teams got what they wanted most out of their meaningless ...

Finishing in third place matters now at World Cup Tournament

As group play winds down at the World Cup, the biggest intrigue might not be who finishes first in a four-team group. It’s who finishes third. Teams that are first and second in their groups move on automatically to the Round of 32. The United States, Canada and Mexico, co-hosts of the ...