The Champions League final on Saturday will be an especially busy one for Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, perhaps the most multi-tasked official in world soccer. As president of Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain since 2011, Al-Khelaïfi's main goal is seeing his team become champion of Europe for the first time against Inter Milan in Munich. As chairman of the influential European Club Association, he leads 700 member teams increasingly taking over from UEFA inshaping sportingandcommercial decisions for the Champions League.It also puts him on UEFA's strategy-setting executive committee. As chairman of Qatari broadcaster beIN Media Group, Al-Khelaïfi controls exclusive Champions League rights to air the final in the Middle East, North Africa and much of South-East Asia. "Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is considered a visionary leader in the media industry,"beIN says on its website, adding that in 2016 he "alsoacquired the Hollywood film studio Miramax." He also is a minister in Qatar's government, a director of its sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and chairman of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) that owns PSG. QSI and Al-Khelaïfi — a former tennis professional — also are key in the fast-emerging racket sport padel which hasambitions to be an Olympic sport, maybe in time for the2036 Summer Gamesthat Qatar and its tennis-loving Emir want to host. Among the invited VIP guests in Munich is Thomas Bach, theoutgoing though still influential presidentof the International Olympic Committee. Saturday can be a peak of Al-Khelaïfi's 14-year career in international soccer that has fueled talk — despiteongoing investigationsof his sports career by French authorities — he could be a future FIFA president. Al-Khelaïfi declined comment to The Associated Press after a recent UEFA meeting in Bilbao, Spain. In a statement, PSG said he "doesn't want to be a distraction and wants humble focus for the team." From tennis to soccer Now aged 51, Al-Khelaïfi was a tennis pro who played for Qatar in the Davis Cup, bringing him into contact with the future Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Al-Khelaïfi'sATP biographyshows his ranking peaked at No. 995 and he played two matches on tour. The first in 1996 was against world No. 2 Thomas Muster in Austria.Brief footage shows a good-natured exchangeof shots with Muster in a 6-0, 6-1 mismatch. Al-Khelaïfi's career ended in 2003 and he joined the start-up Al Jazeera Sport as "Director of Rights Acquisitions,"according to beIN. Qatar stunned soccer in 2010, when FIFA awarded it 2022 World Cup hosting rights, and PSG was bought within months. Rising in soccer The rise of ambitious clubs fueled by Middle East sovereign cash — Qatar and PSG, Abu Dhabi and Manchester City — concerned the storied elite. The ECA helped UEFA introduce financial control rules for European competitions that saw both clubsdeducted 20 million euros ($22.7 million)of Champions League prize money in 2014. Still, while Man City did not get on the ECA board, Al-Khelaïfi was elected in 2016. Three years later he got one of two seats reserved for clubs on the UEFA executive committee (ExCo) — despite in-house cautioning about conflicts of interest. Conflicted interests? On election day in 2019 in Rome, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was asked about potential conflicts of interest around Al-Khelaïfi. BeIN was, and still is, among UEFA's main clients also owning extensive European Championship rights. Ceferin's narrowly focused answer was that ExCo members are not involved in approving commercial deals. Any conflict worked in UEFA's favor in 2021 when ECA leaders launched the Super League project designed to rival and replace the Champions League, which beIN broadcasts. PSG's refusal to join rebel clubs from Spain, Italy and England helped to undermine thebreakaway that ultimately failedamid a fan backlash and British government threats of legislation. In the fallout, Al-Khelaïfi took over leading the ECA and quickly repaired relations with UEFA and Ceferin. One year later, UEFAopened a disciplinary caseinto claims the PSG president confronted the match referee after losing in the Champions League at Real Madrid. When UEFA published the verdict Al-Khelaïfi was no longer cited andblame was puton sporting director Leonardo, who PSG had fired weeks earlier. Challenges in France Al-Khelaïfi is not always popular in France where PSG has won 11 of 14 league titles during Qatari ownership. His powerful role has attracted criticism, particularly from John Textor, the American owner at Lyon, including that PSG's funding model involving Qatari money allegedly breaks European Union laws. The pair have argued about poor management of the league's TV rights. In leaked footage from a 2024 meeting of Ligue 1 club owners, Al-Khelaïfi calledTextor a cowboy. Textor described his rival as a bully with a conflict of interest given his role at beIN. Al-Khelaïfi's legal challenges in France include some not related to PSG. The recent preliminary charges about possible alleged corruption relate to his links to a French businessman. Proceedings were dropped in relation toQatari bids to host track and field's world championships, which Doha staged in 2019. In Switzerland, Al-Khelaïfistood trial twiceand was acquitted both times on charges of inciting a top FIFA official to commit aggravated criminal mismanagement from 2013-15. His lawyers said after the second acquittal in 2022 that "years of baseless allegations, fictitious charges and constant smears have been proven to be completely and wholly unsubstantiated — twice." ___ AP Sports Writer Tales Azzoni contributed from Bilbao, Spain ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Friday, May 30, 2025
Champions League final highlights Al-Khelaïfi ties to PSG, UEFA, beIN and Qatar
A mundane Monaco? Drivers debate attempt to spice up F1's classic race
MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Formula 1's hangover from anot-so-successful experimentto spice up another slow Monaco Grand Prix was still being felt in Spain this weekend. A rule change requiring two pit stops was aimed at shaking up the Monaco GP, which offers scant chance of cars overtaking on the narrow and sinuous streets of the Mediterranean principality. But the move didn't produce the desired result, with most cars locked in a slow procession going well below optimum speed. After finishing the race in fourth, defending F1 champion Max Verstappen quipped that even if they adopted some of the outlandish features of a popularvideo game, it wouldn't change the fact that F1 cars are too wide to squeeze past one another on the street circuit. "You can't race here anyway so it doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops," Verstappen said. "We were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we have to install bits on the car – maybe you can throw bananas around? I don't know, a slippery surface?" A week later the debate continued in the buildup to Sunday'sSpanish Grand Prix. Monaco is Monaco Charles Leclerc, a Monaco native and the2024 winnerof the race for Ferrari, said that he was open to thinking about ways to add some excitement to the race. "Do we need to make every possible effort to make it better on Sunday? Definitely. But Monaco has always been ... a race when on Sunday not much is happening." While race day may not be super exciting, the Monaco GP remains part of the unofficial "triple crown" of motorsports with Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Beyond the suspense of qualifying when drivers have to push their cars to the limit through extremely tight turns, there is the glamor of the principality and its harbor packed with yachts. AsSunday's race winner, Lando Norris dined with Prince Albert II following his victory. Norris said in Montmelo, Spain, that while some tweaks could perhaps be made, Monaco is just Monaco. "Monaco's never been a race that's been good on Sunday. Never has. Yet it's the race everyone wants to win. It's the one everyone looks forward to the most every single season. It's always been like that," Norris said. "If you want to make a bigger event out of it, make it a more qualifying-based event. I don't think you can really change the race, unless you make the cars half the size of what they are now." Not much you can do to the track Ideas have been batted around by F1 journalists and observers that run from tweaks to the circuit to widen some corners to even more drastic rule changes to allow for points to be awarded for qualifying. Carlos Sainz of Williams said he supported creative thinking to improve any race, but he was skeptical that Monaco could be revamped. "I think you could still position the car in the middle of the track, go 30 kmh, and still not get overtaken," Sainz said when asked about shaving off some edges of the course. And then there wasFernando Alonsowho, as the grid's senior driver at age 43, said that moping about Monaco – while also loving it – is just a part of F1 tradition. "You see one overtake every 10 years. So great, you know? I mean, this has been the Monaco nature," Alonso said. "(But) don't worry, because next year we will go to Monaco and on Wednesday we will be so excited," he said. "And then on Saturday we are all super excited, and the adrenaline that you get on those laps is probably unique in the championship. And then for whatever reason, on Sunday we will be all disappointed once again." ___ AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Priority pickups whether you need pitching or hitting help

I'm happy to pinch hit on this week's fantasy baseball waiver wire column, as recommending players for pickup is one of my favorite parts of this job. And since I rarely get a chance to recommend pickups, I'm going to make the names plentiful and the explanations brief. Hopefully there is something for everyone. Enjoy. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Weathers has looked great since returning from the IL, posting a 1.15 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP and a 15:4 K:BB ratio across three starts. Even more impressive, two of his appearances came against the high-scoring Cubs and his third outing was against a respectable Padres offense. The 25-year-old's velocity has improved on all of his frequently used offerings, and there is a real chance that he is rostered in 75% of leagues by the end of June. Birdsong struggled to keep runs off the board when he was scored on three times in 4.2 innings against the Tigers last time out. But he still had a solid 6:2 K:BB ratio in that start, and he kept the ball in the yard. Birdsong's swing-and-miss skills (career 10.6 K/9 rate) give him plenty of upside, and he should fare much better when he faces the Marlins (19th in baseball in runs scored) on Sunday. Head-to-head managers could get over the top this week by grabbing Birdsong now. Managers who look ahead to next week will find that the two-start streamers are a weak group. Horton is far from a sure thing, but he has been consistent en route to posting a 3.98 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and a 16:4 K:BB ratio across four starts. The rookie has talent, and he is backed by baseball's most productive lineup. Horton has reasonable matchups next week (Nationals, Tigers), and is worth stashing in head-to-head leagues. This is a rarity, as I'm recommending Henderson after he was sent to the Minors. The rookie is arguably Milwaukee's best starter, having produced a 1.71 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and a 29:6 K:BB ratio across four starts. The team sent him back to Triple-A due to the anticipated return of some veteran starters, but there is no way that they can leave Henderson on the farm for long. After all, the Brewers sit at 29-28 and are 3.5 games out of a wild-card spot. The guess here is that stashing Henderson now will lead to having an impactful starter in a couple weeks. Managers in shallow leagues should be scrambling to add Doval, who is more desirable than several relievers who are 70% rostered. The Giants named the right-hander as their closer on Wednesday, shuttling Ryan Walker back to the setup role where he thrived for much of his career. Doval has shown that he can handle the job (89 saves across 2022-24) and is pitching well this year (1.16 ERA, 0.73 WHIP). He could get 25 saves between now and the end of the season. Although the Tigers do not have a full-time closer, Vest continues to work high-leverage innings more often than anyone on the team. The right-hander has pitched well in his key role (28:9 K:BB ratio), which has led to four wins and seven saves. He has been the 9th most valuable reliever to this point in the season and should be rostered in twice as many leagues. Don't look now, but the Cubs may have finally found a closer. Valencia has picked up saves in each of his past four appearances, after Ryan Pressly struggled in the ninth inning and Porter Hodge was both inconsistent and injured. The 25-year-old does not have a strong MLB track record, but he has been solid this year (1.83 ERA, 0.81 WHIP) and will be valuable in any league while working the ninth inning for baseball's highest scoring team. Truthfully, I don't expect Valencia to keep this role all summer, but I would add him now and see where this goes. Baty has earned an everyday role by crushing the baseball of late, having hit .281 with five homers and 13 RBI in May. And this is a great time to target a Mets hitter, as the team is scheduled to face the Rockies (5.55 team ERA) in six of their next 10 games. Baty is the best option among the widely-available Mets, but Francisco Alvarez (20%) and Jeff McNeil (3%) are players to consider as well. Sometimes, boring can be good. O'Hearn is the definition of boring — he's 31 years old, has a career high of 15 home runs and rarely steals bases. But he is still serviceable, as he draws most of his plate appearances out of the heart of the lineup and has been the Orioles best hitter (.338 BA, .977 OPS) this season. O'Hearn has been especially hot in May (1.023 OPS) and should be active in most leagues until he cools off. This is a great time to give the left-handed hitter a chance, as the O's will face right-handers in each of their next six games, including three contests against the lowly White Sox. Sheets is emerging as one of the best platoon bats in baseball, having hit .288 with 10 homers, 31 RBI and an .885 OPS in 151 plate appearances against right-handers. And his best work has come of late, as he's collected eight homers and 22 RBI in May. Sheets is the perfect bench bat in leagues with daily transactions, as managers can stream him into the lineup on days when the Padres face a right-hander. Simpson is a rare prospect who fully delivered on expectations as soon as he arrived to the majors. The speedster was expected to be one of baseball's best base stealers, and he already sits third in the league with 19 swipes. There is a good chance that he will finish the season in the top spot, as he has played in far fewer games than the other leaders. And with a .285 batting average, the speedster has been more than a one-trick pony. Simpson should be rostered in every league that uses categories for scoring.
How Old Was Ralph Macchio in Each “Karate Kid” Movie and “Cobra Kai” Season? See the Star Throughout the 40-Year Franchise
© Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection (2) Ralph Macchio was 22 when he filmedThe Karate Kid The long-running Netflix seriesCobra Kaiended in February 2025 after six seasons The latest installment in theKarate Kiduniverse,Karate Kid: Legends, hit theaters on May 30 More than 40 years later,Ralph Macchiois still crane-kicking it as Daniel LaRusso, his character fromThe Karate KidandCobra Kai. InKarate Kid: Legends, Macchio's latest martial-arts movie, the actor reprises his role from the originalKarate Kidtrilogy andCobra Kai, the Netflix series, which concluded its six-season run in February 2025. It has been decades since Macchio first played Daniel in 1984'sThe Karate Kid.Although his character was supposed to be 17, the actor was actually 22 while filming. When asked if he had anyfavorite memories from filming the firstKarate Kidmovie, Macchio said he had "tons." "From the original every day working with [Mr. Miyagi actor] Pat Morita, it was a blessed partnership and it still resonates," he told PEOPLE at theKarate Kid: Legendspremiere in May 2025. "And the reason I'm in this movie is to pay that legacy forward. Shedding a little piece of Miyagi forward. It's never the wrong thing to do in Daniel LaRusso's eyes and in Ralph Macchio's eyes." Since he has been playing the character for over four decades, does Macchio's age match up with Daniel's? Here's how old the actor was while making each ofThe Karate Kidmovies and the six seasons ofCobra Kai. © Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection In the 1984 original that kicked off a karate craze, Macchio starred as Daniel LaRusso, who was 17 for most of the movie. In reality, the actor was not a kid but an adult since he was actually 22 during filming. "Daniel LaRusso has become such a fixture of pop cultureandThe Karate Kidfilm has continued to inspire on a human level ever since its debut in 1984," Macchio told PEOPLE in 2022, when he announced his memoir,Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me. "I sought to celebrate all that it has given to me," he added. © Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection The sequel took the action to Japan, and even thoughThe Karate Kid Part IIis set during the following summer after the events of the first film, the movie was released two years later. Filming took place in the fall of 1985, and Macchio would turn 24 while making the movie. While reflecting on the making ofThe Karate Kid Part II, Macchio looked back on the memorable tea ceremony scene he shared with costar Tamlyn Tomita. "I remember the tea ceremony scene was a special scene," he toldComic Book Resourcesin 2020. "So much detail and eloquence in that and I just I love that scene even to this day because it's pure, pure innocence." © Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection The events ofThe Karate Kid Part IIIhappen in the months followingPart II, so Daniel should be 19 by the end of the movie, but in reality, Macchio was 27 while making the third part in the trilogy. In the years since its release, Macchio has been critical of the third film, tellingThe Hollywood Reporterhow he "was not a fan of how theKarate Kid IIIcame out." "I felt the story was only repeating itself and was not character forwarding for the end of LaRusso. And production-wise, it was being written one way and then changed another way," he continued. "It was not a smooth ride. In the end, there were parts of the character that I didn't embrace as well as I did with the original and the first sequel." "I don't put it on the top of my résumé," the actor added. Courtesy of Netflix Macchio was 56 when he returned to the dojo to play Daniel in the legacy series, which originally premiered on YouTube Red before moving to Netflix. Cobra Kaifollows Macchio'sKarate Kidcharacter, as he once again becomes martial-arts rivals with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), whom he originally fought at the All Valley Karate Tournament in the first film. Courtesy of Netflix Macchio was 57 while filming season 2 ofCobra Kai. In a 2019 interview withDeadline, Macchio remarked how "it's crazy" being part ofThe Karate Kidlegacy, and how the characters still live on decades later. "It's fascinating what has happened with that film from its inception to today," he continued. "With theCobra Kaiseries having re-birthed interest in that universe, it's constantly open world and a part of my life." Tina Rowden/Netflix While making the third season ofCobra Kai, Macchio was 58. In season 3 of the series, Daniel returned to Japan, and unlikeKarate Kid Part II, which was set in Okinawa but filmed in Hawaii, Macchio actually jetted off to Japan this time. "It was a whirlwind. I'm really thankful and proud of the production and Sony for letting us go there for what was only about two days of shooting," he toldColliderin 2020. "It was like a long weekend. Most of the time was in the air. It was blessed, you know? It just felt like I was in the land of Miyagi." Courtesy of Netflix Macchio was 59 while filming season 4 ofCobra Kai, making him the same age as the character of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in the originalKarate Kid. In 2021, Macchio told PEOPLE how his age can be confusing for fans who refuse to believe that he is pushing 60. "Listen — I blame my parents," he joked. "They both look very young for their age. I have ayouthful energyabout me for some reason. A healthy lifestyle doesn't hurt. But I think I've just gotten lucky in the gene department." Courtesy of Netflix During production for the fifth season ofCobra Kai, Macchio was 60. The actor appeared onJimmy Kimmel Live!in 2022 to discuss turning 60 and the continuing impact ofThe Karate Kidmovies withCobra Kai. "I knew it was beloved. I knew the characters were beloved," he toldJimmy Kimmel. "But to see it explode like this, and multi-generation, we have like 10, 12-year-old kids and people in their 60s and 70s, they're all watching the same show. It's equal parts nostalgia and now contemporary relevance." Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix The fifteen episodes ofCobra Kaiseason 6 were released in three installments in 2024 and 2025. Macchio was 62 while filming the final season. "It's less goodbye for me and more 'See you next time,' " Macchio toldThe New York Timesin February 2025, when asked what the last day of filmingCobra Kaiwas like. "As all over the place and as big asCobra Kaigot with these brawls and the accidental deaths and all these zillions of characters, it still was born out of Daniel and Johnny's rivalry and now, in turn, friendship," he explained. © Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection The latest chapter ofThe Karate Kidstory is the movieKarate Kid: Legends, which takes place after the sixth and final season ofCobra Kai.Karate Kid: Legendswas filmed in spring 2024, making Macchio 62 during production. When asked if he would return to theKarate Kiduniverse in the future, Macchio toldThe Hollywood Reporterin May 2025, "We'll see." "As long as it's honest, genuine and truthful to the base of this character and these characters, I'll always be open to listen," he continued. "Because I like that the next generation can experience the joy of what we've been through." "In a world that's not always joyful, it's really cool to bring some of that," Macchio added. Read the original article onPeople
Braves' Chris Sale becomes fastest major league pitcher to 2,500 strikeouts

Chris Sale added another milestone to his Hall of Fame resume. The reigning National League Cy Young winner became the fastest pitcher in major-league history to reach the 2,500-strikeout milestone, breaking the record previously held by Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. On his final pitch Thursday night, Sale struck out Edmundo Sosa of thePhiladelphia Philliesto end the sixth inning for his 2,500th victim. TheAtlanta Bravesleft-hander reached the milestone in 2,026 innings, besting Johnson's record of 2,107 ⅔ innings in 1999. In doing so, Sale also became the 38th pitcher in modern history to reach the milestone. "I appreciate it for what it is, but I try not to get too caught up in stuff like that right now," Sale said after the Braves' 9-3 win in Philadelphia. "I know what our job is here. And no matter whether you have a good one or a bad one, the next one is the most important one." Chris Sale is the FASTEST pitcher to 2,500 strikeouts in MLB history! 👏pic.twitter.com/2PQhuZluG1 — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork)May 30, 2025 Said Braves manager Brian Snitker: "He's kind of doing Hall of Fame stuff. That guy is probably as big a baseball fan as anybody, just the history of the game and the competition. He's a ballplayer, and it's really cool to watch." Sale, who is one of thehighest-paid starting pitchersthis season, is 3-3 with a 3.06 ERA through 12 starts this year. Last season, he went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and led the NL with 225 strikeouts en route to his first Cy Young award. During the course of his 15-year major league career, he has struck out 200-plus batters eight times and is one of four active pitchers with 2,500-plus career strikeouts, trailing Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Chris Sale becomes fastest MLB pitcher to 2,500 strikeouts