It didn’t take long to recognize San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was considerably more upset than usual after his team’s loss in Tuesday night’s NBA Cup final.

At the postgame news conference on Dec. 16, after falling to the New York Knicks 124-113, Wembanyama couldn’t even answer the first question before he began to cry.

“Sorry,’ he said. ‘I just lost somebody today.”

Wembanyama answered one more question before cutting the interview short.

Even though he knew about her death before the game, Wembanyama still played against the Knicks. He did not start and finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in 25 minutes of action.

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Carlos Alcaraz is splitting up with the former French Open champion who has coached him since he was 15 years old.

The six-time Grand Slam winner stunned the tennis world on Wednesday, Dec. 17, announcing on social media he is ending a seven-year partnership with fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero. Alcaraz, 22, became the youngest player to reach No. 1 in the ATP rankings when he won his first U.S. Open in 2022 with Ferrero alongside him as he quickly became a force in men’s tennis. They most recently won the U.S. Open again in September.

Alcaraz finished with a career-best eight titles and 71 wins in 2025 and he is currently ranked No. 1 in the ATP rankings despite losing to No. 2 Janik Sinner at the ATP Finals last month in Saudi Arabia. Alcaraz also won two French Open titles and two Wimbledon titles under Ferrero.

‘After more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to bring our chapter together as coach and player to an end,’ Alcaraz wrote in a post translated from Spanish to English, referring to Ferrero by his nickname. ‘Thank you for turning childhood dreams into reality. We started this journey when I was barely a kid, and throughout all this time you’ve accompanied me on an incredible journey, on and off the court. And I’ve enjoyed every step of it so much with you.’

Though Alcaraz indicated the split was a mutual parting, Ferrero put out his own statement on social media addressing the situation that read, in part, ‘I wish I could have continued. I am convinced that good memories and good people always find a way to cross paths again.

‘We have been an incredible team despite the difficulties,’ wrote Ferrero, a former world No. 1 from Spain, ‘and I am sure you will continue to achieve great success.’

Neither Alcaraz nor Ferrero mentioned a specific reason or event that led to their decision to move on from their decorated run. Last year, Alcaraz hired Samuel Lopez to coach alongside Ferrero.

‘I sincerely wish you all the best in everything that comes your way,’ Alcaraz wrote. ‘I’m comforted by the knowledge that we gave our all, that we offered everything to each other. Thank you for everything, Juanki!’

The Chiefs have knocked the Bills out of the playoffs four times since 2020, acting as a major roadblock.
Despite recent comeback wins, quarterback Josh Allen acknowledged the team needs to start games faster.

Maybe the stars are aligning for the Buffalo Bills.

Go ahead, tell me how a team – and one with a suspect, 30th-ranked run defense – can rally from a 21-0 deficit on the road to beat an opponent that was seemingly on the verge of breaking out division-title swag. And this, a week after overcoming a 10-point fourth-quarter hole.

We know: The Bills are plenty resilient.

Insert Chris Berman soundbite here: No one circles the wagons like…

The Bills have had four games this season when they allowed at least 30 points, and guess what? They won all four of those games.

With Josh Allen or not that’s seriously living right.

Yet the Bills (10-4) also received quite the bonus attached to their latest triumph, the 35-31 thriller at New England:

The Kansas City Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs.

No, that hasn’t happened in a decade. You could set your clock to Patrick Mahomes, bless him, making a run at another Super Bowl.

But not now. Now, the Bills Mafia can really look to the stars.

The witch is dead. But will Bills travel yellow brick road to Super Bowl?

The Chiefs have been some kind of boogeyman to Buffalo’s (long-suffering) vision of finally winning a Lombardi Trophy. They were like Freddy Krueger, Jason and Chucky all rolled into one when it came to Buffalo’s Super Bowl-seeking nightmare.

It’s no wonder that the Bills knew better than to get giddy after they battered Mahomes and blasted Kansas City in November at Highmark Stadium. No big deal. They have repeatedly proven able (five times since 2020, to be exact) to handle Mahomes & Co. in regular-season showdowns.

It’s just that beating the Chiefs in January has been the issue, with Buffalo getting knocked out of the playoffs by that dreaded rival four times since 2020.

But it can’t happen this time because the witch is dead.

Hey, who knows what will actually go down on the yellow brick road of the upcoming playoffs? It has the potential to be wide open, like something cooked up by the ghost of Pete Rozelle, father of NFL parity. Aaron Rodgers might be in the mix. Philip Rivers? Never say never. Sean Payton and the magnificent Denver Broncos defense will surely have a say.

One glance at the dizzying lineup of playoff-clinching scenarios on tap for Week 16 emphasizes the range of possibilities. Nine teams can clinch playoff berths this week and the Broncos can even lock up a No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by defeating the Jaguars while three other things happen: The Chargers lose or tie. The Patriots lose. The Bills lose or tie. If. If. If.

Yet one thing is now certain: The Chiefs will not end Buffalo’s season again.

Without Chiefs roadblock, a path clears for Buffalo – maybe

The Bills had a chance to advance to the franchise’s first Super Bowl since the 1990s (hello, Bruce Smith and Jim Kelly), if only they could have pulled off a last-minute rally in the AFC Championship Game at Kansas City in January. But it ended with a 32-29 loss, as Dalton Kincaid couldn’t make what would’ve been a difficult catch of Allen’s fourth-down throw. And the setback came with the officiating controversy of a spot in a scrum.

Previous heartbreak moments included the 44-yard field goal try by Tyler Bass that sailed wide right – how cruel, given Scott Norwood’s miss at the end of Super Bowl 25 – to seal a three-point loss in the 2023 AFC divisional playoff at Buffalo.

Before that, the Bills were victimized in the 2021 divisional round when Mahomes needed just 13 seconds to engineer a field goal drive that forced overtime with Harrison Butker’s 49-yard kick. Then the Chiefs won the coin toss and promptly produced a 75-yard drive capped by Mahomes’ 8-yard TD pass to Travis Kelce. Sorry, Buffalo. It wasn’t until after that episode that the NFL changed the overtime rules, allowing for both teams to at least touch the ball.

Enough of such details. The Bills in current form need not to rehash the pain.

After all, with the Chiefs out of the way, there is a clearer view of the stars that seem to be aligning in the so-called Super Bowl window for the Bills.

Maybe.

On top of the past two comeback victories, the Bills won a 44-32 shootout against the Bucs in Week 11 when the lead changed nine times. They beat the Ravens in the season opener despite trailing by 15 points with five minutes to play. And the way they pummeled Pittsburgh, rushing for a James Cook-powered 249 yards, left track marks on the Steelers defense.

You can’t blame Buffalo for feeling that this season, the final one in their rickety stadium in Orchard Park, will be something special.

Still, even with the Chiefs finished, they are warned. The Bills can’t expect to keep pulling out inspiring comebacks when the competition rises to another level in the playoffs.

“Obviously, we want to start faster,” Allen, the reigning NFL MVP, said after the win at Foxborough on Sunday. “We don’t want to continue to find ourselves in these holes that we’re finding ourselves in.”

It’s a good thing to be “battle-tested coming down the stretch,” as Allen went on to describe it.

“I’d love to find ways earlier on in the game to get things going,” he added, “so we don’t have to put ourselves in that situation.”

At least there’s one situation – facing Kansas City in the playoffs – that the Bills can thank their lucky stars that they don’t have to worry about this time around.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell

Professional wrestling legend Mick Foley says he’s cutting ties with World Wrestling Entertainment over the organization’s support of Donald Trump, citing the president’s ‘incredibly cruel comments in the wake of Rob Reiner’s death’ as the ‘final straw.’

In a post on Instagram, Foley said he no longer wishes to represent ‘a company that coddles a man so seemingly void of compassion as he marches our country toward autocracy.’

As a result, Foley said he would no longer represent WWE or make any appearances for the company as long as Trump remains in office.

Disgraced WWE co-founder Vince McMahon is a known long-time friend of Trump, though he’s no longer directly affiliated with the company. McMahon’s wife, Linda, is currently Trump’s Secretary of Education. And their son-in-law, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple-H’ Levesque, is part of the president’s ‘fitness council.’

Foley − who also wrestled under the aliases Mankind, Cactus Jack and Dude Love − was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, part of the class that included Trump.

Nearly two months into Major League Baseball’s free agency period, plenty of elite talent remains ‒ though the overall depth available has been significantly hollowed out.

Most significantly, a run on relievers ‒ often the last class of players to come off the board ‒ has left clubs scrambling to fill key roles in their bullpen, even as top-shelf sluggers like Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette remain very much available.

Who’s left on the free agency market? USA TODAY Sports ranks the top remaining free agents and breaks down who’s already signed:

Ages on April 1, 2026:

1. Kyle Tucker (29, OF, Cubs)

He brings not the international superstar vibes that top free agents Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani took to the market in previous winters. He’s also never hit more than 30 homers in a season (he did it twice) and was limited to 78 and 136 games by injury the past two seasons. Yet he’s the one legitimate aircraft carrier in this class, and will benefit from a likely bicoastal bidding war.

2. Bo Bichette (28, SS, Blue Jays)

Bichette’s sterling World Series performance on, essentially, one leg spoke to both his grit and significant skill set. Posted a .311/.357/.483 line before getting hurt. And if he’s better suited to second base in the future, consider that he’s hitting the market two years earlier than Marcus Semien, and that worked out OK for Texas.

3. Alex Bregman (31, 3B, Red Sox)

Run free, child, unencumbered by all qualifying offers. It’s no coincidence the Red Sox made the playoffs for the first time in four years with Bregman aboard, and he can take that ‘winner’ brand along with an .821 OPS back to the market. Will suitors be mildly scared off by his 114 games played? Or intrigued by the 3.5 WAR he racked up in that time?

4. Framber Valdez (32, LHP, Astros)

Not sure if he’ll sniff the Max Fried rent district for lefty starters but it never hurts when you’re literally one of two on the market. Valdez is consistently right around 200 innings, has a championship pedigree and suppresses the home run ball. Not an ideal conclusion to his Houston era, but it’s also easy enough to hand him the ball and set your alarm clock for September.

5. Cody Bellinger (30, OF/1B, Yankees)

Bellinger topped the 150-game mark for the first time since 2019 and had an excellent season his one year in the Bronx – producing 5.1 WAR, hitting 29 homers and playing typically sound defense. Given his health history, there will be some risk wagering on a hale Bellinger for the next five-plus years – but his overall skill set will be difficult to ignore.

6. Zac Gallen (30, RHP, Diamondbacks)

He led the NL in WHIP (0.91) and the majors in fewest hits per nine innings (5.9) in 2022, but regressed to 1.26 and 8.3/8.1 the past two seasons. He was much better once the trade deadline passed, posting a 3.32 ERA in his last 11 starts.

7. Ranger Suárez (30, LHP, Phillies)

If you have designs on making a playoff run, Suárez can be an invaluable cog. He’s never approached 200 innings as a starter and doesn’t miss bats the way they like nowadays. Yet in 11 postseason appearances, he’s posted a 1.48 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while serving as starter, bulk guy and anything else.

8. Lucas Giolito (31, RHP, Red Sox)

Giolito finally turned the page on a pair of injury-ravaged seasons to make 26 starts and post a 3.41 ERA, enough to comfortably decline his $19 million player option. Giolito completed at least six innings in 15 of his 26 starts, though he missed a playoff outing with elbow soreness.

9. Eugenio Suárez (34, 3B, Mariners)

Forty-nine home runs at age 34: What kind of a price do you put on that? Suarez, a free agent for the first time in his career, is about to find out. Suitors know what they’re getting: Punishing power, a ton of strikeouts, suboptimal defense at third but off the charts on the clubhouse affability index.

10. Chris Bassitt (37, RHP, Blue Jays)

A little high for the reliable righty? Well, consider that there are so few Chris Bassitts out there and this one just completed a three-year, $63 million deal with numbing consistency: 32 starts a year, a 3.89 ERA, nearly six innings per start. He topped that off with a selfless stint in the playoff bullpen, where he gave up one earned run in seven appearances.

11. Max Scherzer (41, RHP, Blue Jays)

He indicated after World Series Game 7 that he hadn’t thrown his final pitch, and he posted often enough in 2025 that the standard one year, $15.5 million deal should still be waiting for him.

12. Justin Verlander (43, RHP, Giants)

Those videos of Verlander and Scherzer playing bridge in the nursing home are gonna be wild 40 or so years from now. For now, though, they’ve got innings in their arms and for Verlander’s sake, hopefully he can find a home that’s both pitcher-friendly but also not totally lacking in run support: His 3.85 ERA resulted in a 4-11 record as he sits on 266 wins.

13. Michael King (30, RHP, Padres)

Another fascinating case. King has been outstanding more often than not as a starter, and when healthy, for the Padres, posting a 3.10 ERA in 45 starts. But injuries at the start and end of this season limited him to 15 starts. Someone will be getting a very good pitcher, just with a few unknowns attached.

14. J.T. Realmuto (35, C, Phillies)

What’s the going rate for a highly skilled glue guy these days? Realmuto has been integral to the Phillies’ success in recent years, but he’s now a decade into a career as a big league catcher. His OPS and adjusted OPS sagged to career-worst marks of .700 and 91 last season, even as he caught a major-league high 132 games. Seems likely player and team will find a price agreeable to both.

15. Luis Arráez (28, INF/DH, Padres)

Let the Arráez Rorshach tests begin. Do you see a singles hitter with a league average OPS? Or a magician with elite bat-to-ball skills? A three-time batting champion with three teams? Or a guy who can never justify his lack of slug despite all those one-baggers. Be interesting to see what the market thinks.

16. Nick Martinez (35, RHP, Reds)

More invaluable than his peripherals indicate, Martinez took the ball 82 times over two years in Cincy, including 42 starts, and amassed 6.3 WAR and a steady 3.83 ERA.

17. Jose Quintana (37, LHP, Brewers)

Can we at least spare this man the indignity of nosing around for a job in March?

18. Paul Goldschmidt (38, 1B, Yankees)

Until further notice, he remains a decent right-handed platoon option at first, the Yankees eminently pleased at the 1.2 WAR and clubhouse gravitas he provided.

19. Tyler Mahle (31, RHP, Rangers)

Mahle nearly made very good on the second year of his deal in Texas coming off Tommy John surgery, but his ’25 campaign was interrupted by a three-month IL stint with shoulder fatigue. But he was very good in the 16 starts he did make, posting a 2.18 ERA and 2.2 WAR.

20. Harrison Bader (31, OF, Phillies)

The man simply seems to get better and more valuable with age. He received $6.25 million from Minnesota last winter, and after a July trade to Philadelphia was perhaps their most valuable player down the stretch.

21. Rhys Hoskins (33, 1B/DH, Brewers)

A bumpy couple of years in Milwaukee, where injuries and the emergence of Andrew Vaughn cut Hoskins out of the fun this past season. He struck out more than once per game as a Brewer but did salvage league-average OPS thanks to his power.

22. Ryan O’Hearn (32, 1B/OF, Padres)

O’Hearn earned his first All-Star nod and then kept hitting after a trade from Baltimore to San Diego, racking up career highs in hits (133) and homers (17). A reliable platoon bat and positive clubhouse presence.

23. Zack Littell (30, RHP, Reds)

Littell completed the transition from swingman to full-fledged starter the past two seasons and this year reached 186 ⅔ innings with Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. Just 130 strikeouts might give suitors pause to believe he can repeat it, but Littell has proven himself as a reliable innings-eater.

24. Seranthony Dominguez (31, RHP, Blue Jays)

Durable and relatively dependable, Dominguez cut his home runs per nine in half this year (1.5 to .7) and landed a high-leverage spot in a playoff bullpen after a trade to Toronto.

25. Tomoyuki Sugano (36, RHP, Orioles)

A tale of three seasons for Sugano, who started strongly, faded badly and then made a mini-comeback to land almost exactly on the definition of ‘quality start’: A 10-10 record and 4.64 ERA. Probably did enough to land another job stateside in 2026.

26. Michael Conforto (33, OF, Dodgers)

Will that beautiful left-handed swing again prove irresistible to a suitor? The Dodgers gambled $17 million that they could turn him into a weapon and he batted .199 and did not make the playoff rosters.

27. Michael Lorenzen (34, RHP, Royals)

A bit of a backslide for Lorenzen, whose ERA rose from 3.31 to 4.64, even as his strikeout rate rose to 8.1. Coming off three consecutive years with at least 26 starts.

28. Marcell Ozuna (35, DH, Braves)

Last call for the full-time DH? The Braves couldn’t get rid of Ozuna at the trade deadline and now he’ll take his 21 homers to the market. Hit 40 and 39 homers in 2023-24, finishing fourth in NL MVP voting in ’24.

29. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (31, INF, Blue Jays)

Simple though his role may be, there’s simply not many IKFs out there, tasked with catching the ball, running the bases well and possessing the ability to fill in anywhere on the infield.

30. Austin Hays (30, OF, Reds)

Cincy was a solid fit for Hays, who smacked 15 homers in 380 at-bats. Still adept in a right-handed platoon role.

31. Shawn Armstrong (35, RHP, Rangers)

Set career bests in appearances (71), strikeouts (74 in 74 innings) and adjusted ERA (159).

32. Patrick Corbin (36, LHP, Rangers)

Can still eat innings – 155 of ‘em in 2025 – and now with a little less pain, as he shaved his ERA from 5.62 his final year in Washington to 4.40 in Texas.

33. David Robertson (40, RHP, Phillies)

Used to be only Roger Clemens could get away with chilling out for a few months and then hopping aboard a playoff train. Robertson did so to some success in Philly; will he be up for the long haul next spring?

34. Tommy Kahnle (36, RHP, Tigers)

Leaving New York – where he’d posted a 2.38 ERA his past two seasons – was tricky for Kahnle, whose 4.43 ERA was his worst since 2018.

35. Daniel Coulombe (36, LHP, Rangers)

Was better before he got caught up in the Twins fire sale (1.16 ERA in Minnesota, 5.25 in 15 appearances in Texas) but on balance remains one of the most reliable and versatile lefty relief options available.

36. Jakob Junis (33, RHP, Guardians)

All he does is get outs, though the itinerant swingman did see some WHIP inflation (1.230) this past season.

37. Walker Buehler (31, RHP, Phillies)

The arm is too good to give up on, even if the Red Sox had little choice but to do so after posting a 5.45 ERA and 5.89 FIP in 22 starts there. He fared a little better in a two-start look-see with Philadelphia, but he’ll clearly be in a short-term incentive-laden situation in 2025.

38. Jon Gray (34, RHP, Rangers)

His 2025 was a wash, as a fractured wrist in spring training and shoulder neuritis limited him to six appearances.

39. Tyler Anderson (36, LHP, Angels)

Seemed like a quick three years in Anaheim, mercifully, where Anderson posted a good year, not-so-good and a so-so season. He’s coming off the last of those, the biggest bugaboo a career worst 1.8 homers per nine.

40. Sean Newcomb (32, LHP, Athletics)

A useful campaign with Boston and then in Yolo County, as Newcomb gave up five home runs in 92 ⅓ innings with a 2.73 ERA. Lefty swingmen never die.

41. Miles Mikolas (37, RHP, Cardinals)

A bit of will-he or won’t-he involved with Mikolas, who may retire, though he’s never one to leave any innings on the table. Last year, he ate up 156 ⅓ of them, with a 4.84 ERA.

42. Victor Caratini (32, C, Astros)

A fairly deluxe backup catcher, with a league-average OPS, 12 homers and well-regarded behind the plate.

43. Miguel Andujar (30, INF, Reds)

A nifty revival for the 2018 Rookie of the Year runner-up, as he posted an .822 OPS with the A’s and Reds and positioned himself as a versatile righty platoon bat going forward.

44. Justin Wilson (38, LHP, Red Sox)

About as close to a LOOGY as one can get in this three-batter minimum era, as Wilson tossed 48 1/3 innings in 61 appearances, holding lefties to a .212 average.

45. Mitch Garver (35, C/DH, Mariners)

The bat continues to fade, but Garver did catch 43 games backing up the Big Dumper in Seattle.

46. Scott Barlow (33, RHP, Reds)

A throw-till-you-blow guy and well, Barlow hasn’t blown yet, his 75 appearances always a value to a team needing innings.

47. Martin Perez (34, LHP, White Sox)

Declined the player portion of his mutual option after a flexor strain limited him to 10 starts in 2025.

48. Starling Marte (37, OF, Mets)

His four years of meritorious, if injury-plagued, service in Flushing are over. But Marte should still retain some value as an extra outfielder.

49. Andrew McCutchen (39, OF, Pirates)

He’s not so sure about that open invitation to return to Pittsburgh, but has indicated he’ll run it back one more time, somewhere, in 2026.

50. Brent Suter (36, LHP, Reds)

If only for the post-clinch dance moves. For real, though, Suter never pitched more than 3 ⅔ innings last season but appeared in 1 through 9 at some point. Anytime, anywhere.

Free agent signings, with pre-winter rankings:

5. Pete Alonso (31, 1B/DH, Mets)

SIGNED: Five years, $155 million with Orioles, Dec. 10.

7. Kyle Schwarber (33, DH, Phillies)

SIGNED: Five years, $150 million with Phillies, Dec. 9.

8. Dylan Cease (30, RHP, Padres)

SIGNED: Seven years, $210 million with Blue Jays, Nov. 26.

10. Edwin Diaz (32, RHP, Mets)

SIGNED: Three years, $69 million with Dodgers, Dec. 9.

12. Josh Naylor (28, 1B, Mariners)

SIGNED: Five years, $92.5 million with Mariners, Nov. 16.

13. Shota Imanaga (30, LHP, Cubs)

SIGNED: Accepted $22.025 million qualifying offer from Cubs, Nov. 18.

15. Trent Grisham (29, OF, Yankees)

SIGNED: Accepted $22.025 million qualifying offer from Yankees, Nov. 18.

18. Merrill Kelly (37, RHP, Rangers)

SIGNED: Two years, $40 million, with Diamondbacks.

19. Ha-Seong Kim (30, SS, Braves)

SIGNED: One year, $20 million with Braves, Dec. 15.

20. Robert Suarez (34, RHP, Padres)

SIGNED: Three years, $45 million with Braves, Dec. 11.

12. Gleyber Torres (29, INF, Tigers)

SIGNED: Accepted $22.025 million qualifying offer from Tigers, Nov. 18.

26. Raisel Iglesias (35, RHP, Braves)

SIGNED: One year, $16 million with Atlanta, Nov. 19.

32. Mike Yastrzemski (35, OF, Royals)

SIGNED: Two years, $23 million with Atlanta, Dec. 10.

33. Devin Williams (31, RHP, Yankees)

SIGNED: Three years, $51 million with Mets, Dec. 1.

34. Emilio Pagán (34, RHP, Reds)

SIGNED: Two years, $20 million with Reds, Dec. 3.

38. Tyler Rogers (34, RHP, Mets)

SIGNED: Three years, $37 million with Blue Jays, Dec. 12.

39. Jorge Polanco (32, INF, Mariners)

SIGNED: Two years, $40 million with Mets, Dec. 13.

42. Kyle Finnegan (34, RHP, Tigers)

SIGNED: Two years, $19 million with Tigers, Dec. 9.

45. Brad Keller (30, RHP, Cubs)

SIGNED: Two years, $22 million with Phillies, Dec. 17.

47. Steven Matz (34, LHP, Red Sox)

SIGNED: Two years, $15 million with Rays, Dec. 8.

48. Ryan Helsley (31, RHP, Mets)

SIGNED: Two years, $28 million with Orioles, Nov. 30.

49. Drew Pomeranz (37, LHP, Cubs)

SIGNED: One year, $4 million with Angels, Dec. 16.

52. Danny Jansen (30, C, Brewers)

SIGNED: Two years, $14.5 million with Rangers, Dec. 13.

53. Phil Maton (33, RHP, Rangers)

SIGNED: Two years, $14.5 million with Cubs, Nov. 25.

54. Josh Bell (33, 1B/DH, Nationals)

SIGNED: One year, $7 million with Twins, Dec. 15.

56. Caleb Thielbar (39, LHP, Cubs)

SIGNED: One year, $4.5 million with Cubs, Dec. 16.

60. Luke Weaver (32, RHP, Yankees)

SIGNED: Two years, $22 million with Mets, Dec. 17.

67. Mike Soroka (28, RHP, Cubs)

SIGNED: One year, $7.5 million with Diamondbacks, Dec. 8.

For the 48 nations participating in next year’s World Cup, it will be a lucrative windfall whether they win a game or hoist the trophy for winning the tournament.

The FIFA Council approved the financial contribution each nation will receive, with a record $727 million distributed to participating teams. The Council also announced Wednesday, Dec. 17, the launch of a FIFA U-15 festival-style tournament open to all 211 FIFA members in 2026, as well as a post-conflict recovery fund to help nations that have experienced conflict.

For compensation, the largest share of the distributed money ($655 million) goes directly to the teams as prize money, a 50% increase from the funds awarded during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

‘The FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community,’ FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

Each nation is guaranteed $10.5 million for participating, including $1.5 million to cover preparation costs.

2026 World Cup prize money breakdown

Champions: $50 million
Runners-up: $33 million
3rd place: $29 million
4th place: $27 million
5th-8th place: $19 million
9th-16th place: $15 million
17th- 32nd place: $11 million
33rd-48th place: $9 million

The 2025 NCAA women’s college volleyball tournament is down to the Final Four with Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and Texas A&M advancing to the semifinals, but it’s never too early to look ahead to next season.

As the NCAA crowns a national champion this weekend, some of the biggest names in the sport have entered the transfer portal in search of a new home for the 2026 season. Penn State setter Izzy Starck is among the hundreds of players entering the portal after the defending champion Nittany Lions were ousted in the second round of the tournament.

Here are the best players available in the transfer portal, as of Wednesday:

NCAA women’s volleyball transfer portal

Izzy Starck, Penn State, So.: The 2024 AVCA National Freshman of the Year and second-team All-American appeared in four games for Penn State before stepping away for the season to prioritize her mental health. The 6-foot-1 setter said her hiatus wasn’t a ‘goodbye forever,’ but her time at Penn State has officially come to an end. Starck averaged 10.89 assists per set her freshman season.

Ayden Ames, Texas, So.: The 6-4 middle blocker averaged 1.52 kills and 1.11 blocks per set with a .368 hitting percentage. She recorded a career-best eight total blocks in the first round of the NCAA tournament vs. Florida A&M on Dec. 5 before Texas was upset by Wisconsin in the Elite Eight.

Jovana Zelenovic, Kansas, Fr.: The 6-7 hitter from Serbia was named to the All-Big 12 first team after leading the Jayhawks in kills (375) and service aces (46) with a .276 hitting percentage. Zelenovic was named the AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year and was unanimously voted to the Big 12’s All-Rookie Team.

Natalie Ring, Marquette, Sr.: The 6-1 outside hitter set career highs in kills (497) and kills per set (4.60), ranked 17th nationally, while hitting .274. She was unanimously named to the All-Big East first team and selected for the 2025 AVCA third team.

Jaela Auguste, Florida, So.: The 6-2 middle blocker was named to the All-SEC first team after averaging 2.69 kills per set and 106 total blocks. The 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year hit .344 her sophomore season and was named to the 2025 AVCA third team.

Alex Bower, BYU, So.: The 5-11 setter was named to the All-Big 12 first team after recording a team-high 10.63 assists per set and 1,265 total assists this season, which ranks 10th in the nation. Bower isn’t the only Cougar to hit the transfer portal: Big 12 Freshman of the Year Suli Davis has committed to SMU.

Kaia Castle, Ohio State, Fr.: The 6-4 middle blocker led the team with 91 blocks and 0.88 per set. She broke the Buckeye’s single-match block record with 15 blocks vs. Troy on Sept. 21.

Katie Dalton, Kansas, Sr.: The 6-1 setter led the Jayhawks with 780 assists and 8.76 assists per set. She recorded 55 assists vs. Iowa State on Oct. 10. She was named to the All-Big 12 second team.

Zoe Humphrey, Tennessee, Fr.: The 6-2 middle blocker was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after recording 75 kills on .381 hitting and 68 blocks. She had a career-high eight blocks against South Carolina on Sept. 26.

Gabi Placide, Ole Miss, Jr.: The 6-0 outside hitter averaged 4.48 kills per set for Ole Miss this season, which ranks 23rd in the nation. She started her collegiate career at Northern Colorado before transferring to Ole Miss.

Marina Crownover, Missouri, Jr: The 5-11 setter led the Tigers in assists (965) and assists per set (9.37) this season, adding 231 digs and 31 service aces. She recorded a season-high 54 assists vs. Auburn on Oct. 12.

NCAA women’s volleyball transfer portal: Players on the move

There’s already movement in the transfer portal. Here’s some players who have committed to a new team, as of Wednesday Dec. 17:

BYU freshman outside hitter Suli Davis is transferring to SMU after leading all rookies nationally in total kills (541) and kills per set (4.55). She recorded a career-high 28 kills against both Utah on Nov. 14 Arizona on Nov. 19.
Florida redshirt junior setter Alexis Stucky is transferring to Penn State after racking up 1,062 assists and 10.31 assists per set this season.
Tennessee sophomore outside hitter Paityn Chapman is transferring to Illinois after averaging 165 kills and 2.46 kills per set with a .297 hitting percentage with the Lady Vols.
Arizona sophomore setter Avery Scoggins is transferring to Vanderbilt after recording 1,190 assists and 10.62 assists per set this season, which both rank in the top 20 in the nation.
Marquette freshman setter Isabela Haggard is transferring to Baylor after recording 997 assists and 257 digs in her rookie campaign. She was named the co-Big East Freshman of the Year

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