Lamine Yamal once again showed that age is nothing but a number, and Spain should be thanking their lucky stars for that after a wild UEFA Nations League semifinal win over France.

Spain claimed a thrilling 5-4 victory on Thursday at the MHPArena in Stuttgart, Germany, but had to hold on for dear life after watching 4-0 and 5-1 leads dissolve in the game’s final 30 minutes. Yamal struck twice for Spain, including what turned out to be a vital game-winner as France’s astounding push for a late comeback fell just short.

Earlier on Thursday, Yamal was named the U-23 Player of the Year in La Liga, capping off a season in which the 17-year-old attacker put up 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 total appearances for Barcelona. The teenager has been similarly relentless with the national team, as he has six goals and nine assists in 20 games for Spain.

Yamal played a major role in Spain’s first goal, drawing two defenders before clipping a pass inside for center forward Mikel Oyarzabal, who in turn teed Nico Williams up for a 22nd-minute opener. Mikel Merino scored three minutes later to give Spain a 2-0 edge that lasted into the second half.

That’s when a seemingly normal game between two of the sport’s big powers became an unreal spectacle. Yamal got on the scoresheet with a 54th-minute penalty kick, sending France goalkeeper Mike Maignan the wrong way to make it 3-0 in Spain’s favor.

France seemed en route to a historic collapse when Yamal’s club teammate Pedri fired past Maignan just 98 seconds later. Kylian Mbappé struck from the spot in the 59th minute to save France’s blushes, but Yamal was at it again just eight minutes later, sneaking a low effort past Maignan after Pedro Porro’s delicate pass sent him in on goal.

At the time, it seemed like Spain was just pouring it on, but that goal proved critical. Rayan Cherki produced a thunderous volley in the 79th minute, and Spain defender Daniel Vivian had the misfortune of blocking a low cross into his own goal, leaving the score 5-3 after 84 minutes.

Randal Kolo Muani then scored for France in second-half stoppage time, but before Les Bleus could complete one of the all-time great comebacks, full time arrived with Spain somehow still in front.

La Roja will now advance to Sunday’s UEFA Nations League final, in which they will face Portugal (who beat host Germany 2-1 on Tuesday, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the game-winner). That match is set for a 3 p.m. ET kickoff, with Allianz Arena in Munich the venue.

Lamine Yamal highlights: Spain 5, France 4 in UEFA Nations League

What is UEFA Nations League?

The UEFA Nations League is an international soccer tournament for European national teams.

Essentially, UEFA — which has huge powers like Spain and France, but also tiny nations like Gibraltar or Andorra to account for — wanted to make sure teams had more games against opponents that were roughly of similar quality. At the same time, powerful clubs on the continent wanted their players traveling shorter distances when on international duty, with long flights across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans cited as a cause for wear and tear.

The solution was the Nations League, which separates Europe’s men’s national teams into four tiers. Leagues A, B and C all feature 16 teams playing in round-robin groups, with A being the pinnacle of the tournament. Teams that win their groups or succeed in promotion playoffs can move up to a higher level, while strugglers are relegated down a tier for the next edition.

League D, meanwhile, includes six of the smallest nations in Europe, with San Marino — whose win over Liechtenstein was the country’s first in any men’s soccer competition since 2004 — clinching a place in League C after finishing atop a three-team group with Gibraltar and Liechtenstein.

After what will be 86 days – though it felt much longer – Aaron Rodgers’ first experience as an NFL free agent will apparently end, black and gold smoke finally emanating from Pittsburgh as reports surfaced Thursday that he will sign with the Steelers Friday and become their quarterback of the (very immediate) future.

Even at 41, Rodgers could bring a level of stability behind center the Steelers haven’t enjoyed since well before Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement in 2022 – which occurred five years after Pittsburgh’s most recent postseason victory. Yet, depending on how the circumstances unfold, Rodgers might be anything but a calming presence. Either way, the 2025 season should be a compelling one in the Steel City, which could experience a whole host of winners and losers – we think, hence the question marks? – with its latest quarterback coming to town:

WINNERS

Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin?

They’d had something of a long-distance bro-mance years before they officially team up … and before Tomlin, always one to turn a phrase, exclaimed “there’s no substitute for intimacy” following Rodgers’ visit to the Steelers’ facility in March. It remains to be seen how their transition from mutual admirers to direct collaborators goes, but what has either got to lose? Neither has appeared in a Super Bowl since the 2010 season, when Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers barely got the better of Tomlin’s Steelers – and they could certainly be mutually supporting the other’s protracted quest to secure a second ring (if we don’t count the one Tomlin won as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002). But Rodgers was about as good a veteran option as Tomlin could have hoped for following the Russell Wilson Experience in 2024, while the Steelers were probably Rodgers’ best hope all along – given the Vikings never swiped right – to allow him to conclude his career in a manner he deems fitting after getting unceremoniously dumped by the New York Jets.

Minnesota Vikings?

It had to be tempting. Right? Minnesota’s brass continues to – understandably – say glowing things about 2024 first-round QB J.J. McCarthy, whose rookie season ended before it began due to a preseason meniscus injury. But there’s no denying that McCarthy is an unknown professional commodity, and that a team coming off a 14-3 season – thanks in large part to departed Pro Bowl QB Sam Darnold – and with a loaded roster at just about every other position is taking a risk. But rather than replicating Brett Favre’s Packers-Jets-Vikings career-ending path – and how amped up would the already spicy Green Bay rivalry have been by injecting Rodgers back into it? – HC Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah are doing right by McCarthy, putting him on the field with the loaded supporting cast any young passer should have before being asked to shoulder too heavy a burden. Right? Because McCarthy couldn’t possibly be the second coming of Christian Ponder. Right?

Cam Heyward?

The Steelers’ longtime captain openly wondered earlier this spring why it was taking Rodgers so long to sign up. (Per the quarterback, there were extenuating circumstances as he subsequently revealed people close to him were suffering from cancer.) However, with Rodgers now apparently ready to make an ironclad commitment to the Steel City, Heyward − the son of Ironhead − should have at least some renewed optimism that he could somehow play in his first Super Bowl in his 15th NFL season. Low a bar as it is, Rodgers at least provides better odds than Wilson or Mason Rudolph or Skylar Thompson.

Will Howard?

After mismanaging the quarterback position for at least a half-dozen years – including the spiraling portion of Big Ben’s career – Pittsburgh at least had one (side?) eye on the future in April, drafting the Ohio State quarterback in the sixth round. And given Howard is likely shooting for the QB3 job here behind Rodgers and Mason Rudolph, he could soak up some wisdom given Rodgers’ willingness to mentor Jordan Love in Green Bay and Zach Wilson with the Jets.

Calvin Austin III and Pat Freiermuth?

Could the Steelers’ slot receiver and tight end, respectively, wind up getting the predominant target share from Rodgers, who tended to thrower shorter passes and typically between the hashes last season – often getting rid of the ball in a hurry rather than inviting more abuse onto his aging frame? Don’t be surprised if it’s the case – and it might be a coup for Austin as he enters a contract year.

LOSERS

NFL schedule makers

Not that the Steelers aren’t a national draw anyway and typically featured in prime time, but the league has to be rueing the lost opportunity to fully maximize the Rodgers factor. And look no further than the Jets’ 2024 schedule, when they played in exclusive broadcast slots in six of their first nine contests – just long enough to get a heaping helping of Rodgers before he piloted the Jets into irrelevance. The 2025 Steelers are currently scheduled to play four prime-time games, though their Week 1 opener against those very same Jets will kick off at 1 p.m. ET. Bummer.

Pat McAfee

If the erstwhile Indianapolis Colts punter turned ESPN multimedia superstar can’t get Rodgers, allegedly his buddy, to break the news of his signing on ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ then how close are they? Really?

Kirk Cousins

Now relegated to QB2 duties with the Atlanta Falcons, who are poised to pay him $27.5 million in 2025 to sit the bench, Cousins had to be hoping as 10 days turned into 20 turned into 40 turned into 80, that just maybe he’d have an opportunity to fill the QB1 job in Pittsburgh. But now that Rodgers is ready to sign? Well, Cousins can’t like that … especially given the apparent lack of other viable destinations for him to play.

DK Metcalf?

Will a wideout who typically does most of his damage as an outside deep threat defeating man-to-man coverage grow frustrated playing with Rodgers, especially given their combustible on-field personas and his growing propensity to stay inside the numbers? (And especially given Rodgers’ own combustible on-field persona and propensity to telegraph shade at teammates who don’t run routes to his specifications?) Don’t be surprised, despite Rodgers’ private workouts with Metcalf.

Arthur Smith

The playbook of Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator has generally worked best when he has an athletic quarterback who operates a run-heavy attack that’s also reliant on play action and a healthy mix of deep shots to physical receivers. But instead of re-signing Justin Fields, the Steelers wound up with Rodgers, who tends to have his own way of doing things, so …

RFK Jr.

After considering Rodgers as a running mate for his failed 2024 presidential bid, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – now the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services – will have to continue waiting to sign the quarterback who was infamously ‘immunized’ against COVID-19 but wasn’t vaccinated. Yeah, they seem like a good fit as Kennedy amplifies his anti-vax agenda. But Rodgers will have to wait to become the food dye czar.

Mason Rudolph

After returning from his one-year exile in Nashville, he was getting so close to QB1 with the Steelers, for whom he’s 8-4-1 as a spot starter over the course of his six seasons with the franchise. Heck, RFK Jr.’s boss, Donald Trump, recently opined at a Western Pennsylvania rally that Rudolph, who attended the festivities, would be the guy for the Steelers. And who knows as he’s still just one torn Achilles away.

Pittsburgh fans?

They’ve long been told by Tomlin that ‘The standard is the standard’ – but have known for five decades that that means Lombardi Trophies. Yet the organization’s Stairway to Seven has now been under construction for 16 years – since Tomlin, Roethlisberger and Co. prevailed over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl 43. But can Rodgers really add any meaningful steps at this stage? The last time Steelers fans saw him in person – this past October in Acrisure Stadium – he was picked off twice in a 37-15 loss, which almost certainly won’t make him an easy sell as a savior.

Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin?

Can you imagine their press conferences if this thing goes sideways? Tomlin has famously never had a losing season in his 18 years at the helm in Western Pennsylvania, yet he has a six-game losing streak in the playoffs going back to the 2016 campaign. As for Rodgers? He’s lost 22 of his past 36 regular-season starts, which doesn’t include three defeats in his past four postseason appearances. Given how much will be expected of this shotgun marriage, there’s certainly quite a risk that this duo’s codependency devolves into an unfortunate union that might even send both up the Three Rivers.

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Pope Leo XIV’s duties and day-to-day life may have changed since he became the successor to Pope Francis, but that isn’t stopping him from repping his V’s at the Vatican.

He proved that during a meeting with members of the National Italian American Foundation at the Vatican in Italy on June 4, when he received a baseball hat of his alma mater, Villanova University.

To no surprise, his holiness was brought to a smile when he received the gift, which he briefly took off his zucchetto to put on for a photo.

The pope putting on a Villanova cap is certainly a first, as there has never been a pope elected from the United States before. It also added some fuel to the ongoing spark of message boards within college basketball that Villanova is the pope’s school and that the Big East is the pope’s conference.

Robert Francis Prevost — as he was known before taking the papal name Pope Leo XI — attended Villanova for his undergraduate studies, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics in 1977. He additionally received an honorary doctor of humanities in 2014 according to a Villanova news release, shortly after he was elected pontiff by the College of Cardinals during the Conclave.

Pope Leo XIV, who is from Chicago, was elected as the first American pope by the papal conclave on May 8. He is part of the Augustinian Order of priests, also known as the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), the same order of priests that founded and runs Villanova.

‘We’ve had a lot of fun watching the Knicks because Jalen (Brunson) and Josh (Hart) and Donte (DiVincenzo) was there and now Mikal (Bridges) is there,’ Villanova men’s basketball chaplain Rob Hagan told The Athletic after his election. ‘I think that Pope Leo will still keep an eye on the ‘Nova Knicks. I think he’ll still keep an eye on the Wildcats, and I think he’ll be very proud of not just who they are but the way that they play with a certain spirit and unselfishness.’

Being a fan of Villanova isn’t the only known fan base that Pope Leo XIV is a part of. As previously reported by USA TODAY, Pope Leo XIV’s brother, John Prevost, confirmed that he is a Chicago White Sox fan. He was also spotted at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series donning his White Sox gear.

And so, as Pope Leo XIV continues his papacy, one pressing question now sits in front of his holiness: Will he have a March Madness bracket?

The agreement states that Reinsdorf has the option to sell controlling interest of the team to Ishbia from 2029-2033. But after the 2034 season, Ishbia will have the option to acquire controlling interest, and all partial team owners will have the option to sell their portion to Ishbia at the time. Reinsdorf will retain majority control of the franchise at least until the start of the 2029 season.

‘Having the incredible opportunity to own the Chicago White Sox and be part of Major League Baseball for nearly 50 years has been a life-changing experience,” Reinsdorf said in a statement. ‘I have always expressed my intent to operate the White Sox as long as I am able and remain committed to returning this franchise to the level of on-field success we all expect and desire.’

Reinsdorf has owned the White Sox since he purchased the franchise for $20 million in 1981. He is also the owner of the Chicago Bulls, which he gained control of in 1985 for $16 million. Since purchasing the baseball team, Reinsdorf has served as chairman for the organization.

Chicago had not been to the postseason in 23 seasons prior to Reinsdorf’s purchase of the team, and it returned the the playoffs in 1983. Under Reinsdorf’s leadership, the White Sox won the 2005 World Series and six division titles, but the team has been in a freefall since winning 93 games in 2021.

The team’s season win total has declined every year since then, including a historically bad 2024 season in which it set the record for most losses in a season with 121. The team is currently 19-43 in 2025, last in the AL Central and the second-worst record in baseball ahead of the Colorado Rockies.

Who is Justin Ishbia?

Ishbia is a billionaire investor that has partial ownership stakes in several sports teams. He is mostly known for being part of the ownership of the Phoenix Suns, as his brother Mat Ishbia is the majority owner of the team. The siblings also own the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA.

Also a minority owner of the Major League Soccer club Nashville SC, Ishbia already has partial ownership of the White Sox. Under the agreement deal with Reinsdorf ‘will make capital infusions’ for the White Sox in 2025 and 2026 ‘to pay down existing debt and support ongoing team operations.’ During the 2029-33 timeframe, Ishbia’s brother and his father Jeff Ishbia will also be significant investors into the team.

The agreement comes as the franchise explores options for a new ballpark. It had been eyeing ‘The 78’ area in Chicago’s South Loop, but those plans seem to be non-existent after MLS club Chicago Fire announced plans to build a new stadium on the grounds. The White Sox play at Rate Field, which has been their home since 1991.

Reinsdorf previously threatened to move the White Sox to St. Petersburg, Florida in the 1980s unless the team received assistance on a new ballpark, ultimately getting what he demanded with the 1991 stadium.

ESPN anchor Jay Harris announced on Good Morning America that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will be undergoing surgery on June 10, which will sideline him from SportsCenter for about a month.

Harris, who joined ESPN in 2003, shared that his doctor is optimistic because his last scan showed the condition has not spread. Harris said he is sharing his story to encourage men, especially Black men, to discuss important health matters that affect their demographic.

‘We all need to talk about these things because we all have them in our families,’ Harris said of on Good Morning America. ‘By not talking about them, we just, really, I hate to be morbid, but we sentence ourselves to death by not talking.’

Harris said his father had prostate cancer, and other family members on his side have also been diagnosed with it. He emphasized that he now shares more information with his son, who is in his twenties, to ensure he is aware of this family history.

What is prostate cancer?

According to the Mayo Clinic, prostate cancer is a growth of cells that starts in the part of the male reproductive system, the prostate, that is found below the bladder.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, and when detected early, many individuals with this disease can be successfully treated. According to the Mayo Clinic, screening for prostate cancer can be done using a blood test called the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test, which can identify traces of cancer before any symptoms appear.

Unlike some of her counterparts in the top 10, Coco Gauff didn’t have much trouble solving the riddle of Lois Boisson. 

Gauff, the No. 2 seed, dismantled the previously unknown Frenchwoman 6-1, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the French Open final for a second time. Gauff will face No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the player she defeated in 2023 to win the US Open, on Saturday.

Though her level of play has vacillated between sharp and sloppy throughout the tournament, Gauff was mostly dialed in against Boisson, who captivated the Parisian crowds in recent days by knocking off No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Mirra Andreeva to reach the semifinals in her Grand Slam singles debut. 

But Boisson, who was ranked No. 361 in the world when the French Open began, seemed to run out of gas against Gauff, who limited her errors and relentlessly targeted the shaky Boisson backhand. Though Boisson managed to get back on serve briefly in the second set and provide a glimmer of hope for the French fans, Gauff quickly ended the drama with another break and sprinted to the finish line. 

Gauff has been hunting a French Open title since arriving on tour, reaching the finals in 2022 and the semifinals last year, losing to four-time champion Iga Swiatek on both occasions. 

This time, the 21-year-old from Delray Beach, Florida, won’t have to face Swiatek – but Sabalenka stands as just as much of a challenge these days, even on clay. 

Sabalenka ran away from Swiatek in the other semifinal, 7-6, 4-6, 6-0, breaking through to her first French final. Sabalenka will be trying to win her fourth major, joining two Australian and one US title. 

Gauff and Sabalenka have split their 10 career meetings. Most recently, Sabalenka edged out a 6-3, 7-6 win in the Madrid finals on clay. Gauff beat Sabalenka 7-6, 6-3 last fall in the championship match of the WTA Finals on a hard court. 

The NFL world waited nearly three months for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision about where he would play during the 2025 season. They finally got their answer on June 5.

Rodgers is set to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 41-year-old will join Mike Tomlin’s team in the hopes of leading it to its first postseason win since 2016.

Rodgers’ deal is expected to be a one-year pact, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Rodgers ‘told teams that he’ll play for $20 million’ during the upcoming season.

How does Rodgers fit with the Steelers? Below is a breakdown of his fit with the team and a grade for Pittsburgh’s decision to sign the four-time NFL MVP.

Grading the Aaron Rodgers signing

The Steelers have been looking for a franchise quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement following the 2021 NFL season. Rodgers should be able to fill that void, even if its only on a short-term basis.

At 41 years old, Rodgers probably has just a couple of years left in his career at most. Even so, he is playing at a high enough level for the Steelers to justify him as an upgrade over the duo of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields that got them to the playoffs last season.

Rodgers posted just a 5-12 record in 17 starts for the New York Jets last season, but he tallied solid numbers across those games. He completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and looked particularly strong during the second half of the season. He posted a passer rating of 97 over his final 10 starts and looked more comfortable as he got further removed from the torn Achilles he suffered at the beginning of the 2023 NFL season.

If Rodgers can continue to get healthier and show the form he had in the second half of the 2024 campaign, that could provide the Steelers with a boost. Either way, the combination of arm talent and downfield accuracy he has demonstrated throughout his career should allow the Steelers to take advantage of DK Metcalf’s downfield playmaking abilities.

Rodgers’ presence should go a long way toward improving Pittsburgh’s offense, which ranked just 21st in expected points added (EPA) last season. The Steelers’ 10th-ranked defense helped carry them to a second consecutive playoff berth, but their offense will need to improve to win the team its first playoff game since 2016.

Helping Rodgers’ fit in Pittsburgh is the presence of Mike Tomlin. He has experience managing mercurial stars like Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, so the NFL’s longest-tenured coach should be able to create a strong enough working relationship with Rodgers to make this work.

Perhaps Rodgers won’t ever return to his four-time NFL MVP form, but the Steelers had to try something to get over the hump. As such, it’s hard to blame them for taking a shot on the future Hall of Famer.

Grade: A-

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Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan is the winner of the 2024-25 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

It’s the first time a Blue Jacket has won the award, which is presented annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. No player in the league exemplified those qualities more than Monahan, who was voted the Masterton winner by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Monahan, 30, signed with the Blue Jackets on July 1, 2024, primarily to reunite with Johnny Gaudreau. The two were close friends after playing nearly a decade together in Calgary, so Monahan jumped at a chance to rekindle that spark as a free agent — two years after Gaudreau stunned the NHL by picking the Blue Jackets.

Instead, an offseason tragedy that took the lives of Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, on Aug. 29, 2024, in Oldmans Township, New Jersey dashed those plans, leaving Monahan emotionally gutted. His Columbus debut began with a heavy heart, forcing Monahan and his new teammates to bond through shared grief and fond memories of Gaudreau.

“John’s someone who brings people together,’ Monahan said after the NHL announced him as the Masterton winner June 5. ‘So, going to a new team, everyone knew him well, and I said it plenty of times this year … I felt like that was where I was supposed to be, playing in Columbus. And I don’t take that for granted. Being a Blue Jacket, what it means to be a Blue Jacket and the guys I’m surrounded with every day in the organization and my teammates, it’s a real special place to play.’ 

Monahan became a special part of the Blue Jackets lineup while centering the top forward line and playing the critical ‘bumper’ position for the first power-play group. Together, Monahan and the Blue Jackets became the NHL’s most improved team, improving by 23 points from 2023-24, and nearly qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs under new head coach Dean Evason.

Monahan, who missed more than two months with a wrist injury, was a driving force with 19 goals, 38 assists and 57 points in just 54 games.

‘I was playing with some great players, and I was confident in my game,’ Monahan said. ‘I worked really hard to get back to where I wanted to be, and I think I’ve still got a lot to prove and a lot to prove to myself. I think we should be a playoff team every year. This year was a bit of a step forward, but we didn’t get where we wanted to, so … it’s a big summer for our group to get ready for next season.”

Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny Gaudreau’s widow, presented Monahan with the trophy in a surprise visit to his offseason home near Toronto. The NHL shared a moving video on social media of her surprising Monahan with the award, and both had tears flowing.

‘I had no idea,’ Monahan said. ‘I was kind of waiting around all dressed up for a while because I was told we were doing family photos, and my mom was here and was going to help us with the little guy (1-year old Leo) and to get set up. It definitely caught me off guard, so it was just presented in a special way, and they did a great job to surprise me.”

Runners-up to Monahan for the 2024-25 Masterton are Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who’s retiring after a distinguished career, and Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, who returned in the playoffs after a three-year absence due to a knee injury.

Monahan also went through injury difficulties prior to signing with the Blue Jackets, playing just 90 games combined for the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens between 2021 and 2023 due to multiple health challenges that included two hip surgeries, a groin surgery and a broken foot. A wrist surgery kept him out for two-plus months with the Blue Jackets, while at the same time grieving Gaudreau.

‘It’s definitely special to get the award,’ Monahan said. ‘I’ve said it before. I don’t need the recognition. Everybody’s going through different things in their life, but I worked hard to get where I am, and I went through ups and downs. And to be in Columbus and be healthy and able to play the game I love is something I don’t take for granted.”

Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached atbhedger@dispatch.com and@BrianHedger.bsky.social

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