4:00 AM ET Tor-Kristian Karlsen Welcome to the ESPN FC hotlist, which each month highlights some of the most in-form talent aged 23 or under across Europe. Generally, young but established stars like Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund‘s Jude Bellingham or Barcelona‘s Gavi aren’t included — otherwise they’d be on the list every month
admin
8:17 AM ET Sam Marsden Moises Llorens Barcelona have acknowledged they are in contact with Lionel Messi about bringing him back to the club when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in June. Vice president Rafa Yuste confirmed Friday the club are looking into the possibility of re-signing Messi, who left for PSG in 2021,
1:22 PM ET CLEVELAND — The New York Knicks feel terrible that All-Star forward Julius Randle is out for at least two weeks because of a left ankle injury, but as a group they remain steadfast in the belief that they can keep winning in the short term without their talented big man. “Feel for
7:00 AM ET Major League Baseball’s new rules didn’t impact scoring significantly in spring training, and oddsmakers began the season without adjusting their numbers on runs scored, while taking a wait-and-see approach to the pitch clock and elimination of the infield shift. MLB games have averaged 9.1 runs scored over the past five seasons. Last
9:35 AM ET EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A new playing surface has been installed at MetLife Stadium, where the previous turf had become an object of widespread criticism in recent years. While not grass, the new surface is believed to be an improved synthetic turf that will decrease the number of injuries that occur at
11:53 AM ET ESPN News Services LONDON — Anthony Joshua will come in at the heaviest fighting weight of his career when he takes on Jermaine Franklin in London on Saturday. Joshua, a former two-time world heavyweight champion, weighed in Friday at 255.4 pounds for the fight at the O2 Arena. That is nearly 11
5:00 AM ET Ian DarkeESPN.com writer Close Darke, who called games for the network during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, is ESPN lead soccer voice in the United States. He has covered the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League since 1982, and has one of the world’s most recognizable soccer voices.
8:27 AM ET World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka says she has withdrawn from next week’s Charleston Open after picking up an injury in Miami. The Australian Open champion was stunned 6-4, 6-4 by unseeded Sorana Cirstea in the Miami Open quarterfinals Wednesday after suffering the injury earlier in the tournament. She did not specify the
9:47 PM ET ARLINGTON — Perhaps there’s some irony in Jacob deGrom‘s first start as a Texas Ranger on Thursday. Known for getting little run support in his years with the New York Mets, deGrom got plenty from his new teammates – except they came after he was chased from the game by the Philadelphia
7:48 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Anthony Joshua’s likeness was plastered on the exterior walls of New York’s Madison Square Garden in larger-than-life form ahead of his hotly anticipated U.S. debut in June 2019. Joshua, of Watford, England, then one of the sport’s top-two global stars alongside Canelo Alvarez, already had conquered Europe and now was
7:10 AM ET TORONTO — Matthew Tkachuk expected this season would be different. New team. New conference. New lifestyle, even. Tkachuk was ready for all of it when the Calgary Flames traded him to the Florida Panthers last July. But a photo finish to the Panthers’ playoff race? Tkachuk didn’t see that coming. And with
9:55 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The hopes of American men’s tennis rest largely on the talented rackets of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. But a Spanish roadblock named Carlos Alcaraz is in the way – never more illustrated by the last few days at the Miami Open. Two days after routing
12:22 AM ET Jamal CollierESPN MILWAUKEE — The Boston Celtics responded from one of their worst losses of the season with one of their biggest wins. The Celtics cruised to a 140-99 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, bouncing back from a disappointing loss in their previous game against the Washington Wizards and
10:33 PM ET Associated Press BOSTON — David Pastrnak scored his 53rd goal of the season 41 seconds into overtime and the Boston Bruins wrapped up the Presidents’ Trophy with their franchise-record 58th victory, 2-1 over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. Hampus Lindholm sent a pass to Pastrnak for the backhand winner. The
10:12 PM ET Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani began the 2023 season with a twist: calling his own pitches through a PitchCom device hidden underneath his jersey near his left shoulder. Ohtani’s decision to call his own game is directly related to the pitch clock. “Shohei’s got so many pitches he can throw,” Angels
8:57 PM ET The Toronto Maple Leafs have successfully collaborated with Justin Bieber before on jerseys and merchandise. Now that partnership is adding a charitable component. Editor’s Picks 1 Related The Leafs have joined forces with Bieber’s Drew House clothing company and Tim Hortons to create a new program called “House of Hockey,” with an
4:07 PM ET Associated Press GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Anthony Richardson completed the last of 45 passes, raised his right index finger and started jogging toward midfield. He got near the Florida Gators‘ logo and delivered a roundoff backflip that was as perfect as any throw he made during Florida’s pro day Thursday. It might have
11:13 AM ET Associated Press Owners and directors of English Premier League clubs can be disqualified for human rights abuses, the organisation said Thursday. The league announced changes to its owners’ and directors’ test (OADT), which include new rules that will give it power to remove leading officials who contravene them. As well as human