FIFA’s resale site has four tickets on sale for the World Cup final for just under $2.3 million each.

The $2,299,998.85 seats for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, are located behind a goal in the lower deck in block 124, row 45, seats 33-36.

FIFA does not control the asking prices on its Resale/Exchange Marketplace but takes a 15% purchase fee from the buyer of each ticket and a 15% resale fee from the seller.

An aisle seat 33 in block 146, row 32 of the lower deck listed as easy access standard was listed at $207,000, while a category two seat in the last row of the uppermost third deck was listed at $138,000 for block 310, row 26, seat 23. A few feet away, seat 21 has an asking price of $23,000.

The lowest-priced tickets for the final listed Thursday on the Marketplace were $10,923.85 for four seats four rows from the top of the upper deck behind a goal, in block 323, row 23, seats 13-16.

“FIFA has established a ticket sales and secondary market model that reflects standard ticket market practices for major sporting and entertainment events across the host countries,” the governing body said in a statement. “The applicable resale facilitation fees are aligned with industry standards across North American sports and entertainment sectors. FIFA’s variable pricing ticketing approach aligns with industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors, where price adaptations are made to optimize sales and attendance and ensure a fair market value for events.”

FIFA says it reinvests World Cup revenue among its 211 members to develop the sport.

FIFA put new blocks of tickets on sale Wednesday on its direct tickets site. Available tickets for the final cost $10,990.

Tickets were available from FIFA at $11,130 for the July 14 semifinal in Arlington, Texas, and at $9,660 and $4,360 for the July 15 semifinal in Atlanta.

Prices for the U.S. opener against Paraguay on June 12 at Inglewood, California, were listed at $4.,105, $2,735, $2,330 and $1,940, while seats for the Americans’ second match against Australia on June 19 at Seattle cost $2,715. Tickets for the U.S. group stage finale against Turkey on June 25 at Inglewood cost $2,970 and $1,345.

Canada’s opener vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 at Toronto was available for $3,360, $2,240, $1,645 and $980.

No tickets were listed directly by FIFA for the June 11 tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City.

For the quarterfinals, available tickets were $4,200 and $1,610 for the July 9 match at Foxborough, Massachusetts; $5,730 for the July 10 game in Inglewood; $4.770 and $1,815 for the July 11 match at Miami Gardens, Florida, and $4,080 for the July 11 game at Kansas City, Missouri.

Tickets for the third-place game at Miami Gardens on July 18 could be purchased at $1,125.

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World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka retains her rank Monday after defeating Elena Rybakina in the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Sabalenka saved a match point in the third-set tiebreaker on Rybakina’s serve, hitting a blistering return on a 121 mph serve before nailing a cross-court backhand winner to even the tiebreaker at 6-6.

She clinched the match by winning the next two points, the final one on her serve after Rybakina’s return went long.

“It was a very difficult match,” Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, told the crowd afterward. “Congratulations to Aryna and her team for all the achievements, and this final battle.”

It is the first BNP Paribas Open singles title for Sabalenka, the 27- year-old from Belarus who lost to Rybakina in the 2023 women’s final at Indian Wells, 7-6, 6-4. Sabalenka also lost last year’s BNP Paribas Open final to Mirra Andreeva, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

“Thank God I got this trophy,” Sabalenka told the crowd at the podium after the match. “What a week: getting a puppy, getting engaged and winning a title. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

Sabalenka improved to 17-1 on the year, with her only loss coming to Rybakina in the Australian Open final, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The BNP Paribas Open was Sabalenka’s first tournament since the Australian Open.

Sabalenka earned $1,511,380 for the tournament title. Rybakina received $612,340 as the runner-up.

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The president of Iran’s soccer federation says he does not know if the national team can play World Cup matches in the United States following the surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment of his country.

“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Mehdi Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 as Iran traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by the bombardment.

The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran continued for a second day on Sunday after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threw the future of the Islamic Republic into uncertainty and raised the risk of regional instability.

Iran has been drawn in Group G at the World Cup and is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before finishing the first round against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

The U.S. is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

Fans from Iran were already banned from entering the U.S. in the first iteration of the travel ban announced by the Trump administration.

FIFA did not immediately reply to an email from The Associated Press over the current situation regarding Iran’s participation in the World Cup.

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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have agreed to a rematch of their landmark 2015 bout.

Their second fight will be held Sept. 19 in Las Vegas, the boxing icons announced Monday. The fight, which will be streamed on Netflix, will be the first boxing match to be held at Sphere, the immersive event venue east of the Strip.

Mayweather, who turns 49 years old on Tuesday, announced his intention last week to end his nine-year retirement from competitive boxing. The 47-year-old Pacquiao ended his own retirement last year, and he is scheduled to meet Ruslan Provodnikov on April 18 in the second bout of his comeback.

The two most prominent boxers of their generation will meet again 11 years after Mayweather beat Pacquiao by decision in a fight that didn’t live up to the decade of hype preceding it. The bout’s promoters claimed it was still the most profitable fight in history, setting pay-per-view records and attracting worldwide attention.

“I already fought and beat Manny once,” Mayweather said in a statement. “This time will be the same result.”

Pacquiao later revealed he fought with a shoulder injury because he didn’t want to postpone such an important event. He was unable to apply his usual offensive pressure to Mayweather, who employed his usual defense-first strategy while easing to victory.

“The fans have waited long enough — they deserve this rematch,” Pacquiao said. “I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”

The fighters’ first meeting happened more than a half-decade after fans first began to clamor for an obvious matchup between two similarly-sized greats. Both sides blamed the other for the delay at times, but Mayweather always asserted he would fight whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted — leading many fans to feel Mayweather waited to accept the bout until he felt age had taken a bit of sting out of Pacquiao’s famously vicious punches.

Both fighters are now much more than a decade removed from their primes, but Mayweather and Pacquiao remain two of the biggest names in boxing.

After Mayweather beat Conor McGregor in 2017 and retired with a 50-0 record, he spent much of his 40s competing in lucrative boxing “exhibitions” against YouTubers and fringe competitors while largely maintaining his lavish lifestyle outside the ring. He is currently in legal disputes with multiple alleged creditors over issues ranging from unpaid rent on a Manhattan apartment to outstanding jewelry bills.

Pacquiao ran unsuccessfully for the presidency of his native Philippines and then lost in the Philippine Senate election last May. He returned to the ring two months after that setback, fighting WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a majority draw while trying to become the oldest welterweight champion.

The rematch is the latest bout to land on Netflix as the platform continues to scoop up top fights for its live sports programming. The streamer showcased Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo Álvarez last year, and it will show heavyweight champ Tyson Fury’s comeback bout in April.

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The city of Eastvale is joining the nation in celebrating a historic achievement by hometown standout Cayla Barnes, who helped lead Team USA to a dramatic gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics.

Barnes, competing in her third Olympic Games (2018, 2022 and 2026), was part of the American squad that secured a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Canada in Thursday’s championship matchup.

Canada controlled much of the game and carried a narrow lead late into regulation. Hilary Knight, serving as Team USA’s captain, delivered a clutch goal in the closing minutes to force overtime. In the extra period, Megan Keller found the net to clinch the victory and bring home the gold.

Canada’s lone goal came from Kristin O’Neill, who scored shorthanded in the second period — a lead that held until the final stretch of regulation.

For Barnes, the 2026 triumph adds to an already impressive Olympic résumé. She previously earned gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics and silver at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Her latest gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics further cements her legacy as one of the sport’s premier defenders.

At the professional level, Barnes competes in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) with the Seattle Torrent, where she plays alongside fellow Team USA stars Knight and Alex Carpenter.

When she’s not on the ice, Barnes enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, paddleboarding, swimming and tubing — a reminder that even Olympic champions appreciate time spent away from competition.

Eastvale residents, along with hockey fans across the country, are celebrating yet another milestone in Barnes’ remarkable career.

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Geoffrey Mason, who had a five-decade career in sports television and was best known as the coordinating producer for ABC’s coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games hostage crisis, has died. He was 85.

ESPN said Mason died Sunday in Naples, Florida. He died of natural causes, according to his family.

“Geoff was a giant visionary in television, never seeking credit. He preferred leading and mentoring teams, connecting people to projects, and was devoted to people and recovery of all sorts. He was a great teacher and mentor to everyone who came in his orbit,” former ESPN President Steve Bornstein said.

Over the course of his career, Mason worked on eight Olympics. As a young producer on Sept. 5, 1972, he was in the control room in Munich, Germany, when the Palestinian militant group Black September stormed the Olympic village and took Israeli Olympic team members hostage.

ABC provided continuous coverage for 22 hours, culminating in a failed rescue attempt where six Israeli coaches and five athletes died. Jim McKay broke the news with, “They’re all gone.”

Mason was a consultant on the script and every aspect of production for the 2024 feature film “September 5,” which recreates what it was like in the ABC control room that day. The international broadcast center in Munich was 100 yards away from where the hostage crisis was taking place in the Olympic village.

The movie recreates the moment when West German police stormed the control room and pointed guns at Mason’s face. This happened because one of ABC’s cameras was showing a tactical squad taking position on the roof above the hostages. Mason ended up cutting off the camera’s feed.

It is estimated that nearly 900 million people worldwide at some point viewed ABC’s coverage.

“Geoff told me that day there was no chance to think. Their singular goal was to stay on the air to keep the story going, to do their job as sports broadcasters,” said John Magaro, who played Mason, in 2025. “Once the clock starts ticking, there’s no chance to think.”

Mason’s career was largely spent with ABC and ESPN, but he also worked for NBC, Fox, NFL Network, and other television entities. He began as a production associate at ABC Sports in 1967, working on “Wide World of Sports” and the 1968 Winter and Summer Olympics. Over the years, he earned 24 Emmy Awards and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2010.

He also worked on Super Bowl 25, “Monday Night Football”, the World Series, horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Indianapolis 500, and the FIFA Men’s and Women’s World Cup tournaments.

He is also known for his coverage of the 1986-87 America’s Cup from Fremantle, Australia.

“Geoff Mason was a friend and a colleague who had a storied career, touching just about every corner of the sports television industry,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC and ESPN. “He had a passion for the business, which was evidenced in his prodigious work ethic and the constant love and enthusiasm he exhibited on everything he worked on.

Mason was selected by Jim Valvano as a founding board member of the V Foundation for Cancer Research and a longtime board member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. He delivered a eulogy during Betty Ford’s funeral in 2011.

“Geoffrey was a force of nature in our industry for six decades, but more important is all the help he gave to so many people through his association with the Betty Ford Center. He changed so many lives personally and professionally,” said former CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus, who worked with Mason at both ABC and NBC.

Mason was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology in 1963. Survivors include wife Chris, son Geoff Jr. and brother David.

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LA QUINTA, CA — Scottie Scheffler shot a 6-under-par 66 Sunday at the Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta to win the $9.2 million The American Express PGA tournament by four strokes over four golfers.

Scheffler had nine birdies, a bogey on the par-4 second hole and a double-bogey on the par-3 17th hole to record his 20th victory in 151 starts on the PGA Tour, the second fewest starts to reach the milestone.

The record is 95 by Tiger Woods.

The 29-year-old is the first player since Woods to have 20 victories before turning 30. Woods was 24 when he won the 2000 U.S. Open for his 20th victory.

Scheffler said he “had not really thought about that very much” about reaching the 20-victory milestone, which makes him eligible to be a life member of the PGA Tour, the category behind tournament winners on the tour’s priority rankings to enter tournaments.

Scheffler entered Sunday’s play tied for second with 18-year-old Blades Brown, one stroke behind South Korean Si Woo Kim.

Brown was seeking to become the first 18-year-old to win a PGA Tour event since Charles Kocsis won the 1931 Michigan Open. Brown shot a 2-over-par 74 Sunday to finish in a six-way tie for 18th, eight strokes behind Scheffler.

Brown began play in The American Express Thursday, one day after completing play in The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club in Great Abaco, The Bahamas. Brown finished in a six-way tie for 18th in the tournament on the developmental Korn Ferry Tour, eight strokes behind winner Ian Holt.

Brown did not play any practice rounds on the three courses The American Express is played at.

Brown called playing eight rounds in eight days “a good thing.”

“Eight rounds I know sounds like a lot, but I was having a lot of fun,” Brown said. “You’re telling me I get to play in a PGA Tour event and to play with Scottie Scheffler and see him win it, that was insane.”

Kim shot a par-72 to tie Sam Stevens for sixth, five strokes behind Scheffler. He had four birdies, bogeys on the sixth and ninth holes and a double-bogey on the par-5 eighth.

Scheffler earned $1.656 million for his seventh victory in his last 13 starts on the PGA Tour.

The four golfers who tied for second — Jason Day, Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty and Andrew Putnam each received $616,400.

This was the sixth time Scheffler played in The American Express. His best previous finish came the first time he played in the tournament, 2020, finishing third after holding a share of the 36- and 54-hole lead.

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The Single-A Inland Empire 66ers introduced new cap logos that commemorate their once and future parent club, the Seattle Mariners. The 66ers were a Mariners affiliate from their inception in 2003 through the 2006 season. Since then, they’ve been affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2007–2010) and Los Angeles Angels (2011–2025).

The new caps merge existing 66ers logos with elements from Mariners brands. One cap integrates a 66ers IE logo with the compass that Seattle has used since 1993. Another sets an IE logo against a star shape that evokes the Mariners’ logo from 1981 to 1986.

The Single-A Inland Empire 66ers introduced new cap logos that commemorate their once and future parent club, the Seattle Mariners. The 66ers were a Mariners affiliate from their inception in 2003 through the 2006 season. Since then, they’ve been affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2007–2010) and Los Angeles Angels (2011–2025).

The new caps merge existing 66ers logos with elements from Mariners brands. One cap integrates a 66ers IE logo with the compass that Seattle has used since 1993. Another sets an IE logo against a star shape that evokes the Mariners’ logo from 1981 to 1986.

The 66ers are one of three California League teams that shuffled parent clubs and locations this offseason, and the third of the three to unveil new branding related to those changes. The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes recently unveiled red Angels-themed logos and uniforms in honor of their new parent club, and the Ontario Tower Buzzers, a Dodgers affiliate in a new location, launched an entirely new brand.

Inland Empire will debut their new Mariners affiliation on the field when the California League begins play in April.

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The NFL is not considering dropping Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl halftime headline performer, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday, reaffirming a decision to put the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist on the league’s biggest stage that led to criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump and some of his supporters.

Goodell addressed the Bad Bunny controversy at his news conference following the annual fall owners meeting. It is the first time he has commented on the move announced in late September that garnered worldwide attention, including an increase in streams of Bad Bunny’s music, along with backlash.

“It’s carefully thought through,” Goodell said. “I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.”

The 31-year-old born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio has been vocal in his opposition to Trump and his policies. He decided to do a 31-day residency in Puerto Rico, avoiding stops in the mainland U.S., citing concerns about the mass deportation of Latinos.

He performs in Spanish and is expected to do so at the Super Bowl.

“We’re confident it’s going to be a great show,” Goodell said, acknowledging there could be more talent added to the lineup along with Bad Bunny. “He understands the platform that he’s on, and I think it’s going to be exciting and a united moment.”

The San Francisco 49ers are hosting the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It is unclear if Trump plans to be there, though he has made appearing in person at major sporting events a significant part of his second term in the White House.

Trump in an interview on conservative news network Newsmax said he had “never heard of” Bad Bunny.

“I don’t know who he is,” Trump said. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Goodell defended the decision on Wednesday, explaining it was made because of Bad Bunny’s immense popularity.

“He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” Goodell said. “That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment value.”

Banning the tush push has been tabled … for now

Echoing what senior VP of football operations Troy Vincent said Tuesday, Goodell said there has not been much discussion about the tush push quarterback sneak since an effort to ban it narrowly failed to pass in the spring.

Vincent said the primary concern is how tough it is to officiate the maneuver that the Philadelphia Eagles have successfully executed so often. It was not on the formal agenda at this meeting, though owners did get an update on penalties and other football matters.

“It’s something we will continue to monitor on all phases, just like we do every other aspect of the game,” Goodell said. “We don’t have any proposals to bring it back up. It wouldn’t surprise me if something does evolve. But it’s not something we’re really focused on during the season.”

More from Roger Goodell at the NFL owners meeting

Asked about replay reviews and the length of time they are taking, Goodell said game times are actually down through the first seven weeks compared to last season, despite a surge in kick returns after an adjustment was made to the so-called dynamic kickoff.

“That’s quite remarkable when you add the number of kickoffs,” Goodell said. “You’re going to get more fouls. You’re going to get different sets of fouls. You’re going to have a little bit (more) length of the game.”

Goodell said he had breakfast with interim Players Association executive director David White before one of the league’s international games this season but expects any talk about a move to an 18-game regular season and other collective bargaining discussions to wait until the union chooses its long-term leader.

The current CBA runs through the 2031 league year. White told The Associated Press last month that an 18-game season was not inevitable.

“The negotiations will be a lot more than just simply the 18 and two (exhibition games),” Goodell said. “There are a lot of issues that we are going to raise and I’m certain that the players will raise, and that’s what it should be. That’s what collective bargaining is all about. They’re going to need time to make sure that they’re prepared, that they’re ready for the negotiations (and) they have their priorities straight, and then we can begin negotiations.”

Goodell said work is being done to choose sites for the Super Bowl to cap the 2028 and ‘29 seasons and expects an announcement on those next year.

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The road to a California League championship will end in San Bernardino.

On Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday (if necessary) the Low Single-A affiliates of the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels will face off in a best-of-three series to claim the California League championship.

The San Jose Giants, Low-A affiliate of the Giants, saw an easy route to the postseason claiming the Cal League North Division firs- half title by four games and finishing the season 81-51, tied for the fifth-best overall record across all 120 full-season teams in Minor League Baseball.

The Giants’ lethal offense led the California League in hits (1,188), runs (811), home runs (101), batting average (.261) and slugging percentage (.397); while their pitching staff held a league-leading 3.50 earned-run-average, over 0.8 runs better than the second-best ERA.

San Jose defeated the Fresno Grizzlies in two games to claim a championship berth, with their first game being a masterful pitching performance from Giants prospects Luis De La Torre and Hunter Dryden, who combined for a three-hit, 16-strikeout shutout in a 2-0 victory. They sealed the North Division title with a 7-6 win on Thursday.

Opposite the Giants, the Inland Empire 66ers, Low-A affiliate of the Angels, had an atrocious start to the season going 18-48 in the first half, the worst first-half record across all Minor League Baseball.

The 66ers made an immediate turnaround in the second half, going 42-24 to win the South second-half title, including 25 wins in their final 34 games and finishing the regular season with a nine-game win streak.

The 66ers increased that to an 11-game win streak by sweeping the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the South Division finals, backed by a strong offense that scored 16 runs in the two games: a 5-4 victory on Tuesday, and 11-5 win on Thursday.

In the head-to-head matchup, the Giants dominated the opening six-game series in San Jose from May 26 to June 1, taking 5 of 6 games while outscoring Inland Empire 48-21. The two clubs split their second six-game series in San Bernardino from July 22-27.

Despite the rosters being notably different from their late May and late July series, 13 of the players on both sides played against each other in the Arizona Complex League (ACL) championship series, where the ACL Angels swept the ACL Giants in a best-of-three series.

Inland Empire will see their roster headlined by California League Pitcher and Player of the Month, Dylan Jordan and Raudi Rodriguez. Fellow Angels top pitching prospect Trey Gregory-Alford is expected to pitch in the final.

The Giants pitching staff will be highlighted by top prospects Argenis Cayama and Jacob Bresnahan; while shortstop Jhonny Level (named Baseball America’s top ACL prospect in 2025) headlines the Giants offense.

Neither team has announced their pitching rotation for the series, though it is expected that Game 1 will have a highly-anticipated pitching rematch between Jordan and Cayama, the Game 1 starters of the ACL Championship.

The series will begin on Sunday at 5 p.m. in San Jose at Excite Ballpark. Tickets range from $5-30.

Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino, where the 66ers will continue their regular season promotion where tickets, hot dogs, popcorn, tacos and lemonade will all be $2. All tickets, excluding executive box seats, will cost $2, with executive box seats ranging from $18-28.

If necessary, Game 3 will be held at San Manuel Stadium on Wednesday with a first pitch time to be decided. Tickets will range $5-22. Parking is not included with the ticket price for any of the three games.

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