Sports

By David Close, CNN (CNN) — Despite growing calls for Gianni Infantino to step down as FIFA president following his controversial high-profile proposal to sell off commercial and operational rights to ​the World Cup, he retained the backing of FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and other members of FIFA management, according to a statement released

By Hannah Keyser, CNN Seattle (CNN) — Scott Harris, the president of baseball operations for the Detroit Tigers, has at least one thing in common with Riley Greene, the team’s 25-year-old former first round draft pick and three-time All-Star outfielder. “I hate selling with every fiber of my body,” Harris told reporters a little more

By Issy Ronald, CNN (CNN) — Soccer legend Luis Figo has publicly said beleaguered FIFA President Gianni Infantino “must go,” piling the pressure on the sport’s chief administrator as he holds a crisis meeting with top FIFA officials on Wednesday after scrapping a hugely controversial plan to sell private stakes in the World Cup and

By Maya Baylis, CNN Swedish mountain biker Alma Wiggberg, 23, maneuvers her bike up some winding stairs and onto a roof of a building in Groningen in the Netherlands. The roar of 20,000 spectators rises from the Dutch market square 50 feet below her. Her mind blank, she does a final exhale, a head shake,

By Emile Nuh, Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — More than 1,200 players represented their countries at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and among those, perhaps none will remember the tournament more fondly than Spain forward Ferran Torres. Every kid who falls in love with the Beautiful Game dreams of scoring the winning goal in a

By Jill Martin, CNN (CNN) — While it took an extra day, it was worth the wait for Alexandra Eala. The 21-year-old became the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour-level title, coming back from a set down to defeat American Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 at the DC Open on Monday.

By Ainsley Flood, CNN (CNN) — In every World Cup, there’s an underdog. It’s always a memorable storyline, but in 2026, Cape Verde stole the show. The island nation off the west coast of Africa has a population of about half a million and was ranked 67th in the world. It is the second-smallest country

By Emile Nuh, CNN (CNN) — Watch the CNN Original Series “Decades in Sports,” which will be premiering on August 2 and available to stream on the CNN app the next day. Across six episodes, the series explores the defining moments, athletes and cultural shifts that shaped sports over the past six decades, from the

By Sophie Tanno, CNN (CNN) — European soccer’s governing body UEFA declared it has lost confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino, piling pressure on the beleaguered sporting chief despite the organization dropping a hugely controversial plan to sell private stakes in the World Cup and other top tournaments. In a blistering statement released Saturday morning,

By Emile Nuh, CNN (CNN) — Just over four years ago in May 2022, 10-year-old Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast Sasha Paskal and her mother, Maria, were enjoying some time together in the scenic seaside village of Zatoka in the Odesa region of southwestern Ukraine. It was a sunny day and they were getting ready to head

By Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN (CNN) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino is finding himself increasingly isolated as pressure and opposition build against the world soccer governing body’s plan to inject private money into its competitions. European soccer’s governing body UEFA threatened Thursday to boycott future men’s and women’s World Cups in reaction to the proposal.

By Dana O’Neil, CNN Chicago (CNN) — Tony Petitti chuckled at the question, clearly amused at its bluntness if not the essence of the query. “I was wondering, Tony,’’ the reporter asked the Big Ten commissioner at his annual football media day, “is it a little bit sad that y’all have had to turn college