An expanded Club World Cup marked by empty seats, slashed ticket prices, searing heat, weather-delayed matches and a criticized field surface ended in a surprise victory by Chelsea, the fourth-best team in the Premier League.
Among the lasting lessons was FIFA's decision to dramatically drop ticket costs as some kickoff times approached, which could impact decisions by fans thinking of attending next year's World Cup. FIFA lowered the cost to attend the Chelsea-Fluminense semifinal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to $13.40 from $473.90, then dropped the Chelsea-Paris Saint-Germain final from $330 to $199.60.
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Carlos Alcaraz takes on Taylor Fritz, and Jannik Sinner faces Novak Djokovic in the men's semifinals at Wimbledon.
Both matchups are scheduled to be played Friday at Centre Court, with No. 2 seed Alcaraz vs. No. 5 Fritz leading things off at about 1:30 p.m. local time, followed by No. 1 Sinner vs. No. 6 Djokovic.
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Lionel Messi became the first player in Major League Soccer history with four consecutive multi-goal games, scoring twice to lead Inter Miami past the New England Revolution 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Miami (10-3-5) has won four straight and is unbeaten in its last five.
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Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 in their Club World Cup semi-final on Wednesday to set up a final showdown against Chelsea.
Fabian Ruiz scored twice in the first half either side of an Ousmane Dembele strike, and Goncalo Ramos sealed the stunning victory late on. PSG and Chelsea will meet in the final on Sunday.
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Kylian Mbappé has dropped the legal proceedings he started this year against Paris Saint-Germain for moral harassment, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press.
The Paris prosecutor's office last month said Mbappé accused the club in a legal filing, and opened an investigation. A person close to the France captain said on Tuesday that Mbappé's decision to end that legal procedure was linked to a desire for reconciliation with his former club.
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Lifelong soccer fan Victor Dumois expressed concern about the United States co-hosting the 2026 World Cup after attending a recent Club World Cup match in Miami.
"I think after the Copa America, a weird phenomenon has occurred here," said Dumois, who is from Spain. "There's people that don't like the World Cup being in the United States."
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After wrapping up a straight-set win on Centre Court, Novak Djokovic ran into another 38-year-old in the Wimbledon locker room.
Gael Monfils, who was born about eight months before Djokovic and is the only player in the men's draw who's older, was waiting for the start of his second-round match.
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Atletico Madrid continued boosting its squad by signing midfielder Álex Baena from Villarreal on Wednesday.
The transfer was announced a day after Atletico said it signed 22-year-old Italian left back Matteo Ruggeri from Atalanta. Both have signed five-year contracts. Financial details were not immediately disclosed.
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Reaction to the deaths of Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, in a car accident in Spain:
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Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother have died in a car accident in Spain, police said Thursday.
The Spanish Civil Guard confirmed to The Associated Press that Jota and his brother were found dead after their car went off a road near the western city of Zamora. Authorities said the car was in flames.
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