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NFL wide receiver Rondale Moore, who played most recently for the Minnesota Vikings, was found dead Saturday night in Indiana, authorities said. He was 25. Floyd County coroner Matthew Tomlin did not share additional details on the circumstances of Moore’s death but said there was no threat to the public and an autopsy would be conducted Sunday. Moore, a receiver and return specialist drafted in the second round out of Purdue University, spent his first three years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. In 2024, he dislocated his right knee during training camp with the Atlanta Falcons, and he never played for them. Moore attempted to make a comeback with Minnesota in 2025 but was injured while returning a punt in the first exhibition game. University of Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm, who coached Moore at Purdue, called him an “ultimate competitor who wouldn’t back down” from a challenge. “We all loved Rondale; we loved his smile and his competitive edge that always wanted to please everyone he came in contact with,” Brohm said in a statement. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Everyone loves new soccer kits – and all 30 teams across Major League Soccer recently released some pretty sharp ones. Some honor musical tradition (like St. Louis City SC’s homage to Tina Turner, the San Jose Earthquakes’ tribute to the Grateful Dead, or Sporting Kansas City’s take on the legendary 18th & Vine jazz district). Others lean into their home city’s natural landscape, such as Austin FC or the Seattle Sounders. Others focus on important causes, like CF Montréal’s design that brings awareness to prostate cancer. – RELATED: All 30 MLS Kits, Explained But for Alexi Lalas, FOX Sports soccer analyst and host of the “Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast”, there are five kits that truly stand out – including the appropriately named “July Fourth Kit” by the New England Revolution. Of course, Lalas played for the Revs – but it’s still a solid selection for the top of his New MLS Kit Power Rankings. Let’s break down his selections: 5) Philadelphia Union (‘1776′ Kit) Details: The kit honors Philadelphia’s role in the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding and its enduring spirit of rebellion and unity. Inspired by the city’s architecture, documents, and icons that shaped the USA, the design features a “1776” jock tag and the club’s signature “Join or Die” emblem. Alexi’s Take: “It’s a little understated for me. But you’ll find the Liberty Bell, a dollar bill, the Constitution. It’s very 1776 as the name implies. I would have liked to be a bit more bold. At least they have the respect to recognize the birthday and with the understanding of what they are.” 4) Orlando City SC (‘Sunken Treasure’ Kit) Details: Did Orlando strike gold here? The look dives into Florida’s storied coastline and the legend of the 1715 Treasure Fleet. Inspired by shipwrecks and sea exploration, this is the Lions’ first-ever predominantly gold jersey – although the look includes trademark deep purple accents. Alexi’s Take: “If you look into it, there’s an actual lion that is embedded in the background. I like the color because it pops with this gold, yellow type of thing.” 3) Red Bull New York (‘Rooted’ Kit) Details: RBNY’s kit reflects the club’s black and red palette with features that symbolize the literal roots and groundwork the team has placed since it was founded as one of the original teams in MLS. A bold look for a new era with former USA captain Michael Bradley returning to the club, this time as manager. Alexi’s Take: “To me, it just looks like wires and electricity. It’s something different, it’s something instantly recognizable. For me, it screams ‘Hey look at me’ and I want that. I don’t want something understated. I know it’s supposed to be roots, but it looks like veins and lightning.” 2) Atlanta United (‘Spirit of 96’ Kit) Details: Marking 30 years since Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics, the design channels that event featuring nostalgic colors and energy, with a gold crest symbolizing victory. Alexi’s Take: “We talked about 1776 [with Philadelphia’s kit]. In this moment, what Atlanta chose to celebrate is the spirit of ‘96, which was when the Olympics were held in Atlanta. The color scheme and the logo of Atlanta are made to look like a gold medal. It’s a real Olympic reference. I really appreciate that, and it’s just a clean, cool-looking uniform.” 1) New England Revolution (‘Independence Day’ Kit) Details: An apt jersey to celebrate America 250. Inspired by patriotic bunting and July 4 fireworks that light the skies each summer, the Revs’ jersey includes Heritage Tree and “Est. 1776” sign-offs. The jersey honors the region’s role in America’s founding and celebrates a milestone year. Alexi’s Take: “If any team recognized what was in the palm of its hand with the 250th birthday, it would be the New England Revolution. Their jersey is called July Fourth, it is fireworks. It is fire as far as I’m concerned. … Just because you send me something doesn’t mean I’ll wear it, and certainly doesn’t mean it goes to the top of the Power Rankings, but in this case it absolutely did. They didn’t shy away. As a matter of fact, they leaned right into it. They said, ‘You know we’re going to come up with a shirt that celebrates the greatest country in the world.’ That has the color, has the vibrancy, that ultimately has the spark, and the fire that this country deserves on our birthday.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

No more yelling about an egregious strike-three call or a ball four that touched the zone. Or at least, not as often. The start of spring training games this weekend also marks the beginning of the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system that will be introduced to Major League Baseball for the first time in 2026. With the new system, which was tested in Triple-A and at spring training games last year, teams will begin each game with two challenges to appeal a ball or strike call. All successful challenges will be retained. Only the pitcher, catcher or batter can challenge, and they can’t receive help from anyone else on the field. A challenge is signaled by tapping at the head (or can be done vocally), and the challenge must be requested immediately (within roughly two seconds) after a call is made. “We’re going to have a lot of conversations about that, and I do think there’s going to be a strategy with it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told me. “What that looks like, I don’t think I know right now. But we’re going to encourage conversations as far as leverage, when to use it, when not to, who should, who shouldn’t.” Some teams have already said they prefer their catcher to be the one challenging, given the catcher’s vantage point and understanding of the strike zone (and pitchers’ tendency to get emotional on the mound). Other teams, at least as of last week, were publicly stating that they’re still in the process of figuring out ground rules. “I think we’ve got ideas, but it’s not set in stone yet,” Padres manager Craig Stammen told me. “I’ll tell you this: It won’t be a free-for-all. We’ll try to be as strategic as we can with it.” The point of the system is not to guarantee 100% accuracy of ball-strike calls but to avoid the awful — and sometimes game-changing — misses. Before the season, every player will be measured to ensure strike-zone accuracy. The zone is a two-dimensional rectangle set in the middle of the home plate. The edges are set to the width of home plate, and the height is dependent on each individual player’s size (53.5% of the batter’s height at the top and 27% at the bottom). If any part of the ball touches the strike zone, it’s a strike. One change that fans at home will need to get used to as MLB attempts to avoid any foul play with the new system: The strike-zone box can still remain on television broadcasts but will no longer indicate whether a pitch was a ball or a strike. In addition, there will be a five-second delay on MLB GameDay before registering the location of a pitch. There will also be a delay of a few seconds on the broadcast feed. MLB’s decision to use the ABS challenge system — rather than no ABS or full ABS — came after years of studying the technology at the minor-league level and polling fans. The ABS system will make its official debut on Opening Day and continue through the postseason, but for now, teams will get practice with it at every spring-training ballpark. “It’s going to be interesting, and it’s just going to take reps and take time,” said Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. “Last year, we got a little taste of it in spring training. To me, it seems like last year the top of the zone was smaller than what it had been in the past, but they’re doing measurements now. … Obviously, you’re going to have to know that stuff, know who’s in the box, tall guy versus short guy, so there’s a lot of factors that go into that.” As Raleigh noted, the ABS strike-zone is not quite as lenient to pitchers as many umpires are at the top (or bottom) of the zone and is expected to slightly reduce strikeout rate and increase walk rate based on testing data. Still, Mariners manager Dan Wilson said he doesn’t anticipate the new challenge system “making a huge wave,” especially in relation to other rule changes in recent years. “But it’s definitely going to be an interesting twist,” Wilson said. “We’re definitely talking about it. I think the key is educating the players and helping them understand. The toughest part is there’s going to be a lot of emotion involved. That’s the part that’s tough to control.” Umpires will have the discretion to determine if a challenge was made in a timely manner, if it was prompted by someone other than the pitcher, catcher or hitter or if it had an impact on a play on the bases. When a challenge is made, the home-plate umpire will announce it to the fans, and a graphic will play on the scoreboard and broadcast. The process takes approximately 15 seconds. Per MLB’s study, the overturn rate is around 50%. There are usually about four challenges per game, and the system typically adds about one minute to the time of game. Before each extra inning, a team will be awarded a challenge if it has none remaining. The number of challenges each team has left will be displayed on the scoreboard. “I do think there’s a self-evaluation on who knows the strikezone, who doesn’t, who gets emotional, understanding everything,” Roberts said. “So, this will be a good run for us in spring training, and I’m in favor of it.” Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

This offseason will be remembered for the Dodgers’ continued spending as the back-to-back champs signed the best free agent (Kyle Tucker) and closer (Edwin Diaz) on the market. It’ll also be remembered as the winter that the Mets overhauled their roster (headlined by signing Bo Bichette), the Cubs lured Alex Bregman away from Boston, the Orioles took a Polar Bear from Queens and Blue Jays spent $210 million on Dylan Cease. And don’t forget Tarik Skubal making arbitration history with the Tigers, with the team also acquiring a big-time arm in Framber Valdez. But for all the major moves that have defined the offseason, there were also a handful of under-the-radar signings and trades that deserve more attention and could yield meaningful production. Since “under-the-radar” is a subjective phrase, we’ll include a few ground rules: The list below only includes players: – making less than the qualifying offer this year; – who weren’t any of the 20 free agents who signed for the most guaranteed money; – who weren’t All-Stars last year, or were worth 4.0 bWAR or more last season. With that, here are five offseason moves that will be worth keeping tabs on: 5) OF Harrison Bader: Signed with Giants for two years, $20.5 million The Phillies decided to give Adolis Garcia $10 million in December and let Harrison Bader walk, despite Bader coming off a much more productive 2025 season. A month later, Bader was still lingering in free agency before he signed with the Giants for basically the same amount that García will make in 2026 (plus an additional season). That’s a decision that Philadelphia could come to regret, especially considering the value that Bader brought to the Phillies down the stretch both at the plate and in the field. In addition to providing his typically elite outfield defense, the only Phillies player with a higher batting average than Bader in the second half (.305) was Trea Turner (.333). Between his 113 OPS+ in Minnesota and his 124 OPS+ in Philadelphia, last year was the best offensive season of Bader’s nine-year career. While his .359 batting average on balls in play is almost certainly not sustainable, it is notable that he increased his bat speed and registered by far the highest hard-hit rate of his career last season. Even more importantly, he’s not slowing down yet as he enters his age-32 season. Bader increased his sprint speed in 2025 and ranked in the 85th percentile of all big leaguers in the category. Whether or not he remains an above-league-average bat while playing his home games at Oracle Park in 2026, he should represent a clear defensive upgrade for the Giants, whose outfielders ranked last in MLB in outs above average last season. 4) SP Ryan Weathers: Traded from Marlins to Yankees The Yankees had more questions than answers in the rotation this offseason with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt all still working their way back from injuries. The trade for Weathers helps bridge the gap and buy time, but there’s also the potential to extract much more out of the 2018 No. 8 overall pick. – World Baseball Classic: Catch all games on FOX Sports- MLB Winners and Losers: Who Defined the Offseason? Weathers was only 21 when made his MLB debut for the Padres in 2021. He has struggled with both health and sustained production since then, registering a 4.93 career ERA and throwing just 281 innings in his five-year career. Last year, a flexor strain and lat strain limited him to just eight starts, and his trade to the Yankees this winter understandably did not get the attention of Freddy Peralta to the Mets, Edward Cabrera to the Cubs, Sonny Gray to the Red Sox or MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers. However, Weathers has been more productive when on the field lately, posting a 3.74 ERA over the past two seasons in Miami. Last year, he saw his velocity increase a tick, averaging nearly 97 mph on his four-seamer while producing the highest strikeout and whiff rates of his career. He has intriguing tools for the Yankees’ terrific pitching development apparatus to manipulate and progress. 3) SP Cody Ponce: Signed with Blue Jays for three years, $30 million The Blue Jays lavished a $210 million contract on Dylan Cease, but he’s not the only addition to the AL champions’ rotation. There have been examples before of pitchers who’ve reinvented themselves in Korea (Merrill Kelly, Erick Fedde) and returned to the big leagues a different force. At 31, after spending the last four seasons pitching in the NPB and KBO, Ponce could be the latest — with a chance to be the best. If he continues to look the way he did as a KBO MVP last year, he will be more than worth the $10 million per year the Blue Jays have committed. Last year, Ponce set a KBO single-season record with 252 strikeouts in 180.2 innings. He also set a single-game record with 18 strikeouts in a nine-inning outing and finished the season 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA for the Hanwha Eagles, showcasing a fastball that was a couple ticks up from the 93 mph four-seamer he had when he struggled as a big-leaguer in 2021 with the Pirates. The former second-round pick also now features a kick-change that should help him neutralize lefties, who were especially problematic for him the last time he pitched stateside. He’s not going to strike out 36.2% of the batters he faced in MLB the way he did last year in the KBO, but he could still raise the bar for an already formidable Blue Jays staff. 2) RP Brad Keller: Signed with Phillies for two years, $22 million If you didn’t watch Keller last year in Chicago, you might be wondering how he made his way to this list. The right-hander struggled toward the end of his tenure as a starter in Kansas City and again in 2024 with the White Sox and Red Sox in his first year back from thoracic outlet surgery. He then signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs and was a revelation in the bullpen, as the 29-year-old enjoyed the most overpowering season of his winding eight-year career after some mechanical adjustments. His increase in velocity was staggering. A year after his fastball sat 93.8 mph, it averaged 97.2 in 2025. His sweeper was basically unhittable, as opponents registered a .067 average with 25 strikeouts against the pitch. Before last season, Keller never had a strikeout rate of even 20%; last year, it was 27.2%. He allowed just one run in 27.2 innings in the season’s second half. With a starters’ repertoire in the bullpen, Keller can handle lefties and righties alike and is able to go multiple innings when needed. Pitching in front of closer Jhoan Duran, the new Phillies setup man has the potential to be one of the best bullpen signings of the offseason. 1) 1B Willson Contreras: Traded from Cardinals to Red Sox Acquired by the Red Sox on the same day that top NPB slugger Munetaka Murakami made his surprise decision to join the White Sox — and in an offseason that saw Boston whiff on Alex Bregman, spend $130 million for Ranger Suarez and trade for Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo and Caleb Durbin — the Contreras trade might get overshadowed. But it shouldn’t. Last year, the Red Sox lost Triston Casas to a ruptured patellar tendon and saw their first basemen struggle both offensively (26th in wRC+) and defensively (21st in OAA). As a team, they also recorded the most errors in MLB. Contreras, who had a 123 OPS+ last year while ranking fourth defensively among all qualified first basemen in outs above average in his first season at the position, should help across the board. The former catcher has been a consistent force at the plate, hitting above league average in nine of his 10 MLB seasons. Last year, he lowered his whiff rate significantly and recorded the highest hard-hit rate of his career, which should help mitigate some of the potential concerns about his bat as he enters his mid-30s. He had a .791 OPS last year, and the underlying numbers suggest that figure should have been higher. He also pulled the ball in the air more often than ever before in his career, which should serve the veteran righty well as he moves from Busch Stadium to the Green Monster at Fenway Park. He’s a vital upgrade for a Boston team that did little else offensively to address the loss of Bregman.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin might not “give a rat’s ass” about the Michigan State student section, but he wants Bruins redshirt senior Steven Jamerson II to know that he’s sorry for making a scene and ejecting the big man for a flagrant foul he committed during the team’s Tuesday night loss to the Spartans. Even before the referees reviewed the play and assessed Jamerson with a flagrant-1 foul, Cronin grabbed Jamerson’s jersey and pointed for him to leave the court in the waning minutes of Tuesday’s 23-point loss to the Spartans in East Lansing. “I don’t think, to be honest, the entire world has ever seen that in a game,” Bruins guard Trent Perry said. “I already apologized to Steve, OK?” Cronin told reporters before UCLA’s practice. “It’s the only reason I sent him to the locker room. I thought he literally made a dirty play and tried to wipe the guy out. Once I saw the film, I mean, he still got an F-1. To be honest with you, I don’t even know if he deserved that.” Cronin said Spartans coach Tom Izzo “thought the same thing when I communicated with him.” Cronin joked that Jamerson “asked me for $10,000 more in NIL because of that.” He went on to speak glowingly of Jamerson, who played three seasons at the University of San Diego before transferring to UCLA last summer for his final year of eligibility. Jamerson has started once in 26 games, averaging 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11.3 minutes. He was unsuccessful in walking on at Michigan State earlier in his career. “Steve is everything that’s good about college basketball,” Cronin said. “He’s everything that I believe in about college basketball. That being said, I’m trying to protect, like I take it really seriously. Our guys don’t get techs. We’re not taking guys out in the air.” Cronin said he’s sometimes too candid in his comments. He has complained about travel and tipoff times since UCLA joined the Big Ten last season, and been harshly critical of his players at times after games. After the Michigan State loss, he also had a testy reply to a reporter’s question about Spartan fans. “I have to do a better job of this, that in this climate, you’ve got to be careful with what you say. I’m a good fit here because I know I’m not bigger than the brand and the brand matters here, the school matters. The last thing I want to do is bring negative publicity to our school,” Cronin said. “I apologize to our people — school, students, everybody in our community — because it’s important. These jobs, you gotta raise money, you gotta be friends with donors, I mean I believe in all that stuff.” Jamerson wasn’t made available to media on Friday when he practiced with the team. Asked how the redshirt senior took Cronin’s apology, the coach replied, “Oh, he’s the best, man. … It’s not like I kicked him off the team.” Perry, who is Jamerson’s roommate, has provided a reassuring ear. “He’s been very mature about it,” Perry said. “I’m just glad that he’s keeping his head and I’m also checking in with him every single day.” Guard Skyy Clark said the team is supporting Jamerson. “Coach gave a pretty sincere apology,” Clark said. “I mean, obviously he was a little in his head about it, but you know, we gave him some words of encouragement.” Clark said a players’ only meeting was called after the blowout road losses and another one was likely later Friday. “We just gotta stay together,” he said. “That’s been the main focus.” Cronin pushed back against perceptions that by ejecting Jamerson he doesn’t have his players’ backs. “I know what I’m about,” the eighth-year coach said, “so I don’t really worry about that.” Clark, a Louisville transfer and the Bruins’ third-leading scorer, has found a balance between Cronin’s varying forms of criticism. “I say just listen to the message and not how it’s being conveyed. If you do that, then you really hear what he’s trying to say instead of how he’s trying to say it,” he said. “That’s just how he coaches. He was mentored under some pretty similar coaches, and so that’s just his style of coaching.” UCLA is 17-9 overall and 9-6 in Big Ten play, good for ninth in the conference. The Bruins are back in action at home on Saturday night against the No. 10-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), with each of their remaining five regular-season games airing on FOX or FS1. Their lone signature win of the season was a 69-67 win over then-No. 4 Purdue last month. “We saw that we can do it and so why not do it again?” Clark said. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Welcome to the stretch run of the men’s college basketball season. With Selection Sunday less than a month away, the NCAA Tournament picture is becoming more clear and teams sitting on the bubble are looking for résumé-boosting wins anywhere they can get them. According to FOX Sports bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy, the Ohio State Buckeyes are clinging to one of the final spots in the field, landing among his Last Four In. Meanwhile, UCLA has slipped to the wrong side of the cut line, sitting among DeCourcy’s First Four Out after back-to-back losses of 20-plus points for the first time since the 1944-45 season. The Buckeyes will get a prime opportunity to add to their résumé on Sunday when they travel to East Lansing to face the No. 15-ranked Michigan State Spartans. UCLA will look to bounce back Saturday against No. 10 Illinois. For two big-name brands, this weekend could go a long way toward determining whether they’re dancing or sweating on Selection Sunday. As the 2025-26 regular season quickly winds down, here are DeCourcy’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament projections. EAST REGION SOUTH REGION MIDWEST REGION WEST REGION And it’s never too early to check in on the bubble. According to DeCourcy’s projections, Santa Clara, Ohio State, VCU and New Mexico are the last four teams in the tournament, while TCU, UCLA, San Diego State and Auburn are the first four out. As for conference representation, the SEC and the Big Ten lead the way with 10 teams each, while the ACC has eight teams. The Big 12 has seven teams in DeCourcy’s latest tournament projections. The Big East and the West Coast have three teams represented, while the Mountain West and A-10 have two teams. Selection Sunday is less than one month away, and these projections will inevitably evolve. For now, DeCourcy’s latest bracket forecast offers a clear snapshot of who’s rising, who’s falling and which programs are already building the résumés they’ll need when March arrives.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

For the first time in the 30-year-history of Major League Soccer, the starting World Cup goalkeeper for the U.S. men’s national team is expected to come from the domestic league, which kicks off its 2026 season on Saturday. Think about it. The top American keeper at each World Cup since MLS was founded in 1996 — whether it was Kasey Keller (1998), Brad Friedel (2002), Keller again (2006), Tim Howard (2010 and 2014), or Matt Turner (2022) — always played his club ball overseas, usually in the Premier League. That’s where Turner was employed four years ago, having moved to mighty Arsenal from the New England Revolution a few months before he backstopped the USA to a round-of-16 appearance, which included posting group stage clean sheets against England and Iran. But he then lost the main job to New York City FC’s Matt Freese midway through 2025. Turner – who made just 31 appearances for Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace over his three seasons in England – returned to the Revs last summer in an effort to boost his chances of manning the USA net in a second consecutive World Cup. That means MLS will be the stage that Turner and Eastern Conference rival Freese use to prove their case to USA coach Mauricio Pochettino, who will be watching closely. Pochettino will also be getting regular feedback from Toni Jiménez, his longtime goalkeeping coach. “Last season, we began a system of watching live MLS games of the goalkeepers on our shortlist, visiting their training facilities to observe practices, and exchanging ideas with their coaching staffs, including the head coach and goalkeeping coach,” Jiménez told me earlier this week. “We’re going to use a similar process for this upcoming season.” Jiménez will be a busy man. The shortlist he mentioned includes several other U.S.-based goalkeepers, too. It’s entirely possible — and perhaps even likely — that all three keepers who are eventually named to Pochettino’s final 26-man World Cup roster in May will be MLS players. Presumed third-string keeper Patrick Schulte of the Columbus Crew has been called up consistently since Pochettino was appointed to succeed Gregg Berhalter back in September 2024. Schulte, a 2023 MLS Cup winner who started for Team USA (composed of mostly the under-23 team) at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has three senior caps. – 2026 World Cup: USA’s Roster Projection: Who Makes The Cut? Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati) was included in two of Pochettino’s final three camps of 2025. Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), was in the one camp last fall and served as the third string behind Freese and Turner during the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. Brady and Celentano are both uncapped, as is Jonathan Klinsmann, the only World Cup roster candidate who has played consistently in Europe this season. Klinsmann (the son of former USA manager Jürgen Klinsmann) starts for Cesena in Italy’s second tier. So while U.S. assistants Jesus Perez and Miguel D’Agostino have crisscrossed Europe all winter keeping tabs on top American field players like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, much of Jimenez’s focus has been on this side of the Atlantic. “There is communication between myself and several of their goalkeeping coaches, as well as the goalkeepers themselves,” said Jiménez, who worked with the likes of French World Cup winner Hugo Lloris at Tottenham and Costa Rican legend Keylor Navas at PSG.  “These communications, notifications, and updates are always shared with the rest of the national team coaching staff.” – MLS: 5 Biggest Storylines For 2026 Season He knows what Pochettino is looking for. “The first thing we evaluate is whether they have the qualities to operate within Mauricio’s playing principles,” Jiménez added. “The goalkeeper must establish a connection with the team to contribute to both defensive and offensive play. This defines the profile of the goalkeeper we need.” With that keeper in MLS, look for Jiménez at a stadium near you in the weeks and months ahead. “I’ll be traveling two weeks before the March training camp and will be able to attend a series of games and training sessions,” he said. “And I’ll be conducting another tour between March and May as we consider the final roster selections for the World Cup.” USA Stock Watch The striker battle got even more interesting on Monday, when Haji Wright’s hat trick against Middlesbrough leapfrogged Coventry over their English Championship rivals and back to the top of the Premier League promotion race. It heated up further midweek. Here’s who’s trending up and down right now: Stock Up Folarin Balogun, Forward, Monaco In Monaco’s biggest game of 2025-26 so far, Balogun scored twice against PSG  in the Ligue 1 rivals’ UEFA Champions League knockout round playoff first leg. Although Monaco went on to lose 3-2, it was a big-time performance from the 24-year-old, who now has 10 goals in 30 games across all competitions this season. Tanner Tessmann, Midfielder, Lyon Lyon keeps winning and the Alabama-born Tessmann keeps starting. Last weekend, the former Clemson University football recruit logged 90 minutes for the fourth consecutive Ligue 1 contest, all of them wins. Weston McKennie, Midfielder, Juventus Luciano Spalletti wasn’t kidding when he said that the outrageously versatile McKennie is good enough to play as a striker — Juventus’ manager backed up those words by deploying the Texan up top in Juve’s Champions League playoff opener against Turkish behemoth Galatasaray in Istanbul. McKennie responded by setting up Teun Koopmeiners with a perfectly weighted assist. The best spell in McKennie’s already-career season continues; the 27-year-old has two goals and three assists in his  last four Champions League and Serie A games this month. Stock Down Ricardo Pepi, Forward, PSV Through no fault of his own, could Pepi actually miss out on a second straight World Cup roster? The Texas native and former FC Dallas standout has been injured most of this season and won’t return from his broken arm until next month. This is all while Balogun, Wright and Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang are all scoring goals for their clubs. The popular assumption is that Pochettino will take three dedicated strikers to the World Cup. Could he bring four? Wright can also play on the wing after all, and the USA will need goals this summer. If not, Pochettino will have a hard decision to on who gets cut. Gio Reyna, Midfiedler/Forward, Borussia Mönchengladbach It’s been more than a month now since Reyna has been on the field for ‘Gladbach, and the club has been worryingly coy about what’s keeping the oft-injured 23-year-old attacker on the shelf. Time is clearly running out for Reyna to be ready for the March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal, if not the World Cup itself. Malik Tillman, Midfielder/Forward, Bayer Leverkusen Has Tillman lost his spot at Leverkusen? Or is he just nursing a minor injury? The silky German-born playmaker had been in the lineup for 10 of the club’s last 11 Bundesliga games before coming off the bench last weekend against St. Pauli (and USMNT teammate James Sands). Tillman was a second half sub again on Wednesday, entering after the scoring was over in a 2-0 win over Olympiacos in Athens.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The two-time defending champions again made the ultimate splash(es) this offseason, while some other top teams kept us guessing for the majority of the cold season. Meanwhile, a surprising number of would-be contenders appear content with mediocrity. Outside any last-minute developments, the time for your favorite team to make vital moves is in the rearview mirror. Now that rosters are complete, there are players and clubs that stood out, for better or worse, this winter. Before spring training games get underway, let’s look back and evaluate the winners and losers of this MLB offseason. Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers, winners of the last two championships and every offseason of late, delivered again this winter when they snagged shutdown closer Edwin Diaz on a three-year, $69 million pact. Nobody saw that one coming, least of all his former team, the Mets. Early in the offseason, Los Angeles addressed its only real flaw by bolstering the bullpen with one of the game’s best closers. The Dodgers didn’t even need to execute the blockbuster signing of Kyle Tucker to have a winning offseason. (See: their star-studded, back-to-back championship roster.) Tucker and Diaz became the latest top free-agent players of the offseason to land in Hollywood, joining Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell as the Dodgers’ recent winter splashes. Rocking a $400 million-plus payroll, they are the overwhelming favorites to win the World Series in 2026. Loser: Houston Astros The Astros missed the postseason last year for the first time since 2016, and they enter 2026 having failed to significantly improve that roster. Houston finished last season with 87 wins, and FanGraphs projects it to take a step back this year with 81. The ‘Stros entered spring training with an awkward position-player group that has forced Isaac Paredes to be the odd man out. Carlos Correa is back at third base, Jose Altuve is manning second, Jeremy Pena is in the dirt at short, Christian Walker is at first, and Yordan Alvarez is DH. Either Paredes or Walker could be traded before Opening Day, but even if a deal materializes, Houston will need an All-Star caliber outfielder to significantly change its outlook for the season. At the very least, the Astros reinforced their starting rotation by winning the Tatsuya Imai sweepstakes, one of the top international pitchers on the market. But that’s likely not enough to fill the hole Framber Valdez left behind. It was a strange and flat offseason for an Astros club trying to get back into the October dance. Winner: Tigers ace Tarik Skubal Baseball’s best pitcher, Skubal found himself in a unique position in his final year of arbitration with the Tigers. With over five years of service time and back-to-back Cy Young awards under his belt, Skubal was able to compare himself to any major-league pitcher in his prime rather than limit his field to arbitration-only players. He walked away from his hearings with a $32 million salary for 2026, breaking the salary record for a player in the arbitration system. Skubal and his agent, Scott Boras, pushed the boundaries of the system and, in a way, set the market for everyone else. Few players, if any, will come close to matching Skubal’s talent and service time to use his case as precedent in future hearings. But it was a huge victory for Skubal, who dramatically raised his ceiling ahead of his free agency. Loser: San Diego Padres Sure, the Padres’ spending is handcuffed due to large player salaries and a potential franchise sale, but we were expecting something to address the losses of All-Stars Dylan Cease, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn. Even though right-hander Michael King returned to San Diego’s rotation, its starting pitching staff without Cease and Yu Darvish is projected by FanGraphs to be in the league’s basement. The Padres didn’t add elite talent or pitching depth this offseason, weakening their previously strong bullpen. And for a lineup that ranked 28th in home runs last year, no top-tier slugging additions were made to try and improve that position. Their current stars are aging and declining, and without real upgrades and reinforcements, this Padres season could very well be a car crash in slow motion. Winner: Chicago Cubs The Cubs responded aggressively in the wake of Tucker’s departure, signing third baseman Alex Bregman to the third-largest contract in the organization’s history. Bregman’s five-year, $175 million deal was a game changer in Wrigleyville. The big-market Cubs finally flexed their financial might in free agency, and it has boosted their chances of having one of the most successful seasons in the league this year. PECOTA has the Cubs, Braves and Mets essentially tied for the second-best record in the National League. FanGraphs is not as high on Chicago’s rotation, which is projected to rank 19th in MLB with a group consisting of Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon and Cade Horton. The Cubs are hoping their strong lineup can outweigh any concerns about whether they did enough to upgrade the pitching staff. Winner(ish): Toronto Blue Jays The Blue Jays looked like an early winner of the winter when they jumped the market and signed right-hander Dylan Cease, the top starter available, to a massive seven-year, $210 million contract that marked the largest free-agent deal in franchise history. Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce and Shane Bieber (when he returns from a forearm injury) will give the Jays one of the best rotations in baseball. But the reason Toronto isn’t a clear-cut winner is due to its lineup, which is objectively worse today than it was during Game 7 of the World Series. The Jays hoped to land Tucker, but were bridesmaids again for the top free agent of the class, and they were bizarrely not interested in bringing back homegrown second baseman Bo Bichette. Without a replacement for Bichette, the Blue Jays offense will be weaker than it has been in previous years, putting a damper on an otherwise solid offseason. Loser: Milwaukee Brewers The Brewers’ complete refusal to even dabble in free agency, let alone be players, was disappointing. They enter the year representing the only team in MLB that distributed zero — none, zilch! — major-league deals this offseason. Right-hander Brandon Woodruff agreeing to a one-year, qualifying offer was the only money Milwaukee spent in free agency on major-league acquisitions. Woodruff is now the team ace, but he’s not a replacement for Peralta. The Brewers did make some trades that could be beneficial as soon as this year, with former Mets right-hander Brandon Sproat and infielder/outfielder Jett Williams headlining that list. The Brew Crew is far from doomed in the NL Central, but it was unfortunate to see Milwaukee refrain from spending when other smaller-market teams at least dipped their toes in free agency. Winner: Pete Alonso and the Baltimore Orioles At long last, the Orioles remembered they can spend money on top-tier free agents. Adding first baseman Pete Alonso to stabilize a young lineup was smart, and the O’s were overdue on bringing a right-handed slugger with elite power to Camden Yards. More than Baltimore, which goes into the season without a true ace in the rotation, Alonso is the real winner here. New York’s former Polar Bear achieved his goal of landing a long-term deal (five years, $155 million) and playing for a contender. The Mets have remained steadfast in saying the market was thin for Alonso, and the first baseman still managed to secure a lucrative contract that takes him through his age-35 season. The O’s are immediately projected into the realm of World Series contenders, even if they likely didn’t do enough to bolster their rotation. Loser: Corner infielder Munetaka Murakami The Japanese star signed extremely far below expectations when he agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal with the White Sox this offseason. Murakami, 26, was considered the best international talent available, with his contract projected to be north of $150 million on a long-term deal. Instead, any team could’ve signed Murakami at that annual salary of $17 million, even the Angels or — gasp — the Rays. But it was particularly perplexing why top contenders didn’t get involved in Murakami’s prove-it deal, given that he was being hailed as the next Japanese phenom to take his incredible power bat to the States. Murakami possesses elite power (he broke the NPB record by hitting 56 home runs in 2022), but he also has a concerning swing-and-miss rate. His high strikeout clip against NPB arms was obviously concerning enough that no contender wanted to make the splash. It all amounted to a disappointing pay day for Murakami — unless he can reset his market with a couple of strong years on the South Side. Maybe a Winner: New York Mets This was a stunning execution of a complete roster turnover from Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. After cutting ties with four longtime players (Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Diaz and Jeff McNeil), it’s astonishing that the Mets are now right up there with the Braves and Cubs, projected to finish the season with the second-best NL record behind the Dodgers. The splashy additions of Bichette and infielder Jorge Polanco add average and power to a lineup that parted ways with its franchise home-run leader in Alonso. Right-hander Freddy Peralta, acquired via trade with the Brewers, gives the Mets their first ace since Jacob deGrom. But replacing Diaz with closer Devin Williams is a downgrade, and concerns persist regarding the new-look infield. Second baseman Marcus Semien is a defensive upgrade over McNeil, but at 35, his offensive production is not expected to be noteworthy. Former White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. is a low-risk, high-reward acquisition if he’s able to stay healthy. There’s a lot of potential on this Mets roster, and they could be winners, but their question marks carry weight going into 2026. Loser(ish): New York Yankees “Man, we’re the New York Yankees,” Aaron Judge thought as his front office sat on its hands and watched top free agents fly off the board earlier in the offseason. Judge was eager for the Yankees to re-sign outfielder Cody Bellinger, which they eventually did in January. That was their biggest and most significant move of the winter. Bellinger is a perfect fit in the Bronx after he finished second in team WAR behind only Judge last year. Making sure he stayed in pinstripes was important. The Yankees were excellent last season even after losing Juan Soto to the Mets and Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery. Getting Cole back around May-June will be huge, but it’s fair to question whether running back the same roster will be enough to win their first championship since 2009. It’s not that the Yankees aren’t strong. In fact, FanGraphs has them projected to win the division with around 87 wins. But since we’re strictly grading offseason moves, their inactivity with so much top talent available was underwhelming. There’s an argument that the front office should be doing more while Judge, 34, is in the final years of his prime.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

This Major League Soccer season will be an historic one in so many ways. We’ll see Lionel Messi and Inter Miami aim to repeat as MLS Cup champions. We’ll see him aim to also repeat with his other team this summer at the World Cup, the largest that will be ever staged. But there will be plenty of other reasons to tune in to this season, which kicks off on Saturday with a full slate of games, including a nationally televised match between FC Cincinnati and Atlanta United. Here are five big storylines to follow as the 2026 campaign gets underway: Another Trophy Haul For Lionel Messi? The last time we saw Lionel Messi, in December at the 2025 MLS Cup final, he and his Inter Miami teammates were bathed in champagne after winning the domestic league’s ultimate prize. The spotlight will remain on the GOAT in early 2026. According to the man himself, Messi’s participation with Argentina’s national team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup will hinge on his health during the early part of the MLS campaign. Messi turns 39 in the summer and the living legend has already had some injury worries during preseason, with the Herons even canceling a friendly match in Puerto Rico because Messi couldn’t play. Still, the expectation is that the Albiceleste captain will do everything possible to make sure he’s available to captain his country when Argentina begins the defense of the World Cup it won four years ago in the country he currently calls home. World Cup Audition For Key USA Players Orlando City may have shipped young fullback Alex Freeman to La Liga’s Villarreal last month, but the first few months of the 2026 season will serve as a crucial proving ground for several other MLS-based USA players who are aiming to make Mauricio Pochettino‘s roster for this summer’s World Cup. Chief among them are captain Tim Ream; goalkeepers Matt Freese (New York City FC) and Matt Turner (New England Revolution); left back Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew); midfielders Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps) and Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders); and forward Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake). Those right on the World Cup bubble include Crew keeper Patrick Schulte, FC Cincinnati duo Roman Celentano and Miles Robinson, along with Toronto FC centerback Walker Zimmerman. A few others also remain in the mix, both for the high-profile March tuneups against Belgium and Portugal and the final 26-man squad. Based on the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager’s selections over the second half of last year, as many as 10 MLS-based players are expected to be on the rosters. Time will tell who those could be. MLS Representation on Canada and Mexico Squads? It’s not just USA players. At Qatar 2022, more World Cup players came from MLS than any league outside of England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A and France’s Ligue 1. An even larger percentage will come from the league this summer. While most of Canada’s projected starting lineup at the 2026 World Cup will be European-based, their starting keeper will be either Inter Miami’s Dayne St. Clair or Orlando City’s Maxime Crépeau. The competition for roster places is stiff, with the Chicago Fire’s Joel Waterman, Portland Timbers’ Kamal Miller and LAFC pair Mathieu Choiniere and Jacob Shaffelburg all firmly in the running under Canada manager Jesse Marsch. Mexico, the other host nation, could have some players with MLS ties on its World Cup squad. German Berterame, newly signed to Miami after a fruitful stint with Liga MX side Monterrey, could make Mexico’s final squad. Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, who remains in limbo with San Diego FC amid drama with the coaching staff and front office, is also in the mix. More Big Summer Signings Ahead? Earlier this month, Minnesota United made waves by inking Colombian superstar James Rodriguez. The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich forward signed with the Loons only until June, ultimaltey deciding that MLS would provide ideal World Cup preparation. He isn’t alone. James chose MLS on the heels of last summer’s marquee arrivals of Messi’s Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), South Korean icon Son Heung-min (LAFC) and German great Thomas Muller (Vancouver). A few of global soccer’s other household names could inevitably join them after the biggest World Cup in history is over. Kevin De Bruyne, Antoine Griezmann, Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah and maybe even Cristiano Ronaldo are popular candidates. But MLS is nearing the day when it can pry elite talents from Europe in their prime. Or maybe it already has. De Paul had just turned 31 when he left Atlético Madrid for South Florida; the 2022 World Cup winner promptly led Miami to its MLS Cup triumph by scoring the clincher against Vancouver. And this winter, the San Jose Earthquakes landed striker Timo Werner. While Werner needed a change of scenery after opportunities across the pond dried up, he has 24 goals in 57 appearances for Germany and is still only 29. Alignment With European Soccer Calendar For the first three decades of its existence, MLS — which launched in 1996 — started its season early in the calendar year and finished in the fall. That will change in 2027 when MLS aligns with the European schedule, which begins in late summer and ends in the spring. That means this is the last campaign under the league’s original format. The switch will fundamentally change the product, and it should help front offices land better players now that the transfer windows are the same as in other top circuits.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

February is a month filled with hope across college football. It’s a time for fresh starts at programs that have hired new coaches, for exhales at schools where existing coaches barely held on after dodgy seasons and to dream about what might be possible with a new batch of recruits and an arsenal of incoming transfers. At this point in the year, almost everyone still believes. Reality lurks somewhere beneath the surface. Waves of optimism and possibility can only do so much to obscure the cold, hard truth: There are plenty of coaches that will enter the 2026 season with seats that are somewhere between warm and scalding, and there are plenty of new hires who need strong starts to justify the choices their athletic directors made during the coaching carousel. Our panel of experts cuts through the noise to examine which individuals have the most to prove this fall: Which coach is under the most pressure heading into the 2026 college football season and why? Michael Cohen: Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Widely viewed as a strong hire by athletic director Chris McIntosh following the shocking decision to fire head coach Paul Chryst partway through the 2022 season, Fickell has been unable to replicate the remarkable success he enjoyed at Cincinnati. From 2018-22, Fickell won an incredible 53 games with the Bearcats, who were part of the American Athletic Conference at that time, and even guided them to the College Football Playoff in his penultimate season. Few young coaches, if any, were held in higher regard than Fickell when he accepted the job at Wisconsin. Since then, though, almost nothing has gone according to plan for Fickell, who needed a public vote of confidence from McIntosh last fall amid widespread rumors about his job security. The Badgers finished 7-6 during Fickell’s first season in 2023, but they’ve finished below .500 each of the past two years. Injuries and questionable talent identification at quarterback have paired with a revolving door at offensive coordinator to leave Fickell in a precarious spot entering the 2026 season. Laken Litman: Lincoln Riley, USC Riley is entering his fifth season in Los Angeles and doesn’t have much to show for himself. No conference championships, no CFP appearances. Perhaps his greatest feat in his tenure thus far is that he coached Caleb Williams. There’s a feeling that things have changed entering the 2026 season, though. USC has the nation’s top recruiting class. This is huge considering the Trojans haven’t claimed the No. 1 class since Pete Carroll was there. While some younger players from this freshman class might have opportunities to contribute early, Riley has veterans on both sides of the ball who he can rely on, which is also a plus. This includes starting quarterback Jayden Maiava, as well as running back King Miller. Regardless of the talent, though, Riley has to be the one to get his team into gear. Otherwise, his seat will really heat up. RJ Young: Deion Sanders, Colorado Sanders enters a year when he once again turned over the roster and lost good players to great programs — like offensive tackle Jordan Seaton to LSU and corner back DJ McKinney to Notre Dame. He retained former five-star quarterback Julian Lewis and added innovative offensive coordinator Brennan Marion to his staff, though. Those last two principals in the play might define Coach Prime’s season. Another losing season at Colorado might not be enough for athletic director Fernando Lovo to begin a search for a new head coach, but it isn’t going to do much to cool frustrations in Boulder. “Prime Time” needs a fast start because his program hasn’t won a single game since Oct. 11, 2025 — a ranked matchup against a depleted No. 22 Iowa State. Which first-year coach needs to get off to a strong start in the 2026 college football season and why? Litman: Pete Golding, Ole Miss This is his first head coaching gig, and he’s following Lane Kiffin. Golding has already gotten a taste of what things are going to be like after stepping into the job early when he assumed the role during the Rebels’ recent CFP run. Kiffin bolted for LSU right after the regular season, leaving Golding to figure things out when the lights were brightest. Ole Miss has a tough 2026 schedule — and hosts Kiffin and LSU in Oxford on Sept. 19. Winning that game will be crucial in keeping fans happy. One massive edge Golding has in his first full season as the program’s head coach is that star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will return after receiving an injunction to play a sixth season, as will star running back Kewan Lacy and a loaded transfer portal class. They’ll need a strong start to the year to prove Ole Miss is still a top program without Kiffin running things. Young: Lane Kiffin, LSU Kiffin left a program he led to its first CFP appearance — and arguably its best modern season — to take a job at a rival that had just fired its head coach and athletic director within three months of each other. LSU then paid Kiffin bonuses for each of Ole Miss’ CFP wins in 2025 while making him the second-highest-paid coach in the sport. Finally, the Tigers opened their checkbook to assemble the most expensive transfer portal class money could buy, highlighted by offensive tackle Jordan Seaton (Colorado) and quarterback Sam Leavitt (Arizona State). Opening with a record short of 4-0 — which would feature wins against Clemson, Louisiana Tech, Ole Miss and Texas A&M — is his only option. Cohen: Alex Golesh, Auburn At 41 years old, Golesh is certainly one of the fastest-rising coaches in the profession given the work he did as head coach at South Florida from 2023-25, a three-year run that included 23 victories at a school that only won four games over the preceding three seasons combined. His 9-3 overall record and 6-2 conference mark this past fall meant that Golesh was always going to be a central figure in the coaching carousel — especially when considering he had the chance to bring star quarterback Byrum Brown with him to a new locale. Even with his rising stock, Golesh needs a strong debut at Auburn to placate a fan base that has been unhappy for nearly a decade. Five consecutive losing seasons under predecessors Hugh Freeze (15-19 overall) and Bryan Harsin (9-12 overall) were preempted by a noticeable decline across the back half of the Gus Malzahn era, which began bathed in glory courtesy of a national championship game appearance in 2013. Given his youth and relative inexperience (he’s only been a head coach for three seasons), Golesh will need to start quickly to get the fans on his side. In Let’s Debate, our experts tackle and explain the hot-button issues fans care about.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports