José Mourinho is confident Real Madrid will be fine without Rodri despite admitting the club made “a very good offer” to try to sign the Spain captain.

Rodri officially signed with Madrid rival Barcelona after a transfer from Manchester City on Tuesday.

Mourinho, back with Madrid for a second stint, said he spoke twice with Rodri as Madrid considered adding the World Cup’s best player to its squad, but felt the midfielder didn’t seem certain about his future.

“The club contacted him but he had some doubts,” Mourinho said in an interview to TV show “El Chiringuito” late Tuesday. “What I think happened is that his doubts have created doubts for me. He’s an extraordinary player and was very correct with us. But I think Real Madrid is of such a stature that it can’t have players who think twice about being with the club.”

Just hours before Rodri’s signing was made official by Barcelona on Tuesday, Mourinho was officially presented by Madrid in an unusual ceremony closed to the media and fans.

Mourinho, who was hired in June and took over in July at the start of the preseason, downplayed the importance of Rodri to Madrid.

“I don’t need Rodri. We have solutions, quality players,” Mourinho said, adding that he didn’t think Barcelona got the best of Madrid by signing the midfielder. “Victories are won on the field, they are won with titles.”

After a second consecutive season without a major title, the club has bought players such as Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Yan Diomande.

Mourinho said the club does not intend to make new signings.

“I’m not saying there won’t be any more signings because the market is still open, but if you ask me directly if it’s closed (for Madrid), yes, it’s closed,” he said.

Madrid opens in La Liga on Saturday at Espanyol.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Jamal Musiala’s readiness for Bayern Munich’s start to the season is in question after collapsing in consecutive warmup games because of a neurological issue.

The 23-year-old Germany star went down shortly after entering the field in a friendly against Heidenheim on Tuesday, three days after a similar incident against Leipzig. He received brief treatment on the field before going off on both occasions.

Musiala said in an Instagram post late Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with “brief, temporary, but easily treatable absence seizures caused by a neurological dysfunction” and that they can lead to the moments that occurred against Heidenheim and Leipzig.

But he added there was “no additional health risk” and he wants to keep living his “everyday life and keep up with my passion of playing football.”

Muted Reaction From Bayern

Bayern has not issued any statements or published any updates on the player’s condition. The club has not responded to requests from the Associated Press for comment.

Bayern begins the season on Saturday at Borussia Dortmund in the German Supercup, then starts its Bundesliga title defense against Stuttgart the following weekend.

News agency DPA, citing unnamed Bayern sources, reported on Wednesday that there were no indications that Musiala won’t be able to continue his career as before, but there was no information on whether he can play against Dortmund or Stuttgart.

Comparisons To Eriksen

Facing journalists after the Heidenheim game on Tuesday, Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl initially refused to comment on Musiala’s condition, saying only that the player would issue a statement later.

“We knew and know about it, but Jamal will get in touch,” Eberl said.

“The great thing about football — something I wish we see more of from society or generally — is that when something happens in football that gets everyone’s attention, like (Christian) Eriksen’s collapse … or now the situation with Jamal, everyone understands that football is the most beautiful unimportant thing in the world and that there are far more important matters at stake,” Eberl said. “It’s a good sign. It gives you a good feeling to see society standing together showing that kind of solidarity.”

Hoeneß Shocked

Bayern honorary president and powerbroker Uli Hoeneß told Sky in an interview on Wednesday that Musiala’s collapses created a “drama” at the club, and they were a “problem, first and foremost, of course, for the person Jamal. Really, I go to bed thinking about him and I wake up thinking about him.”

Hoeneß said Bayern did not know how to react.

“We couldn’t prepare for this, and we have to learn first how to deal with this situation,” said Hoeneß, who promised Musiala would get “unconditional support in every respect.”

Musiala Staying Positive

The player said he’s going through a process but he has the best support around him.

“I am receiving excellent medical care for this and am very optimistic,” Musiala said in his social media post. “FC Bayern and my personal circle are always by my side, supporting me throughout this process.”

Musiala missed much of last season with a broken leg sustained at the Club World Cup in July last year, but he returned in January and his increasingly strong performances earned his spot in Germany’s World Cup squad.

Musiala scored three goals and set up five more in 15 Bundesliga appearances last season. He also scored two and set up another in the Champions League. Altogether he has 69 goals in 231 games for Bayern.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Crystal Palace added to its squad for another European campaign by signing United States youth international Zavier Gozo in a club record sale for Real Salt Lake.

The Conference League titleholder signed the 19-year-old winger to a five-year contract late Monday. The transfer fee was reportedly $15 million.

Real Salt Lake said in a statement it will “retain a significant percentage of any future transfer fee for Gozo,” who it said was the first Utah native to join a Premier League club.

Palace starts the Premier League at Everton on Saturday and will play in the second-tier Europa League. UEFA makes the league phase draw in Monaco next week.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Julián Alvarez is not happy at Atlético Madrid, and his squad picture shows it.

The 26-year-old was trending on social media on Wednesday after his official headshot for Atlético Madrid’s upcoming season was released, and unlike year’s past, Alvarez was not smiling — in fact, he looked miserable.

It’s no secret that Alvarez wants out of Madrid. However, the club has blocked all offers for its star striker so far, including a report $114 million bid from its LaLiga rivals FC Barcelona.

That’s not all. Alvarez was also left out of Atlético Madrid’s squad for the LaLiga opener against Malaga on Wednesday.

Coach Diego Simeone said on Tuesday that 26-year-old Álvarez was not in the squad for the match against Malaga at Estadio Metropolitano because he was not yet physically ready.

Simeone said he’s still counting on Álvarez for the season. He called him the team’s best player and expects him to be available to play in Sunday’s league game against Villarreal.

Also not included in the squad was newly signed Argentina defender Cristian “Cuti” Romero and injured striker Alexander Sorloth.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Is there a world where Robert Griffin III plays for Texas instead of Baylor? He actually confirmed there were two: in today’s college football landscape, and in 2007 — during his recruitment process. 

Appearing on the “Joel Klatt Show,” Griffin revealed how Texas messed up his recruitment, and he also divulged that if he were a modern-day quarterback, he likely would have transferred to Texas even after finding success early at Baylor. 

Griffin was a talented multi-sport athlete at Copperas Cove High School, describing himself as “world-class” in track. But the top schools recruiting him — Texas, Texas A&M, and more — were skeptical his slight frame fit for track and field could “translate over to playing quarterback at (the college) level.” 

Baylor didn’t have the same doubts. Griffin’s decision was simple. 

Then, when Baylor and Texas matched up on Nov. 8, 2008, toward the end of Griffin’s freshman season, a 3-6 Baylor team stuck close to the No. 5-ranked Longhorns during the first quarter. A touchdown run from Griffin and a 55-yard connection with Kendall Wright tied the score at 14. 

Texas eventually imposed its will and broke away for a 45-21 win. But then-Texas head coach Mack Brown was impressed. When the final whistle blew, he made a b-line to meet Griffin at midfield. 

“If you want to transfer to Texas right now, we will take you,” Griffin recalled Brown telling him. “We really messed it up in your recruiting. We shouldn’t have asked you to play safety, we should have asked you to play quarterback.”

In 2008, Griffin didn’t want to go through a transfer process that entailed sitting out a full year to be able to play at Texas. He also valued Baylor’s decision to recruit him as a quarterback. So Texas made the first mistake. But, in transparency, he continued on the “Joel Klatt Show”, “if that happened now, you’re looking at a situation where that’s probably RGIII not playing at Baylor.”

Robert Griffin III playing for Baylor in 2011. (Photo by Greg Nelson /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

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Griffin conceded, even despite Texas’ original oversight, he would have heavily considered transferring had it been 2026, where it’s widely popular, and has no consequences attached. 

Regardless, the Longhorns won the 2009 BCS National Championship and Griffin won the Heisman Trophy in 2011. Both were successful, but the fun question remains: What could Texas and RGIII have accomplished together if they had been partnered in the modern-day transfer portal era?

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Washington — There’s something about Washington that breeds bureaucracy.

Just to create a 1.7-mile racetrack, Penske Corporation needed 1,350 pages of permits. Compare that to 200 or so for a similar-sized course in Detroit.

And there in Detroit, the organizers would work with local and state police with a little bit of help from the FBI. Maybe 200 officers in total.

Washington? More than 500 National Guard will work the event, in addition to 1,300 Metro Police Department personnel, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms personnel, FBI, Capitol Police, U.S. Parks Police and the Secret Service.

Penske Corporation President Bud Denker, who has spent most of the last seven months living in Washington D.C., said he expects 140,000 people each day on Saturday and Sunday. What has been the biggest challenge since President Donald Trump signed the executive order in late January to make the event possible?

“Complexity in a compression of time,” Denker told me as he drove me around in a parade car on the nearly completed course Wednesday morning. 

Freedom 250 Grand Prix Chairman Bud Denker admits there were complexities preparing for the race.

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Such is the challenge for what INDYCAR hopes will be an epic event on Sunday — 147 laps (250 miles) on a course that includes Pennsylvania, Constitution and Independence Avenues.

“The places that we’re racing on [are] the three most important streets in our country,” Denker said.

In order to have a 40-foot-wide racetrack and a pit road (with a 17-foot-wide pit box and two 11-foot-wide driving lanes) and the walls, they need a 91-foot-wide ride. 

Pennsylvania Avenue is 92 feet wide.

They had 288,000 requests for tickets, the bulk of which were free and will either be inside the track perimeter or in the National Mall area outside the perimeter. There will be approximately 70,000 fans on each side, and their tickets likely won’t let them go both inside and outside the track perimeter. 

Denker estimates that 40 percent of the fans will come from outside the metro area, with many from the East Coast, where INDYCAR doesn’t have many races. 

While all street races disrupt local life, the fact that Congress is not in session and school is starting across America, means this is not as busy a time for hotels and restaurants, according to Denker.

The concrete barriers for the course were built in Fredericksburg, Virginia. There were 1,800 of them. The pit road walls, which were not as big, came from Chicago.

The concrete barriers for the course were built in Virginia.

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More than 200 manhole covers had to be welded and several had to be covered with a temporary surface because they were recessed into the street.

There was also one area from Independence to Maryland Avenue where they had to remove part of a median and take out a traffic light. Rarely would that be done at other tracks, Denker said. Adding to the complexity was the ownership of land that is part of the footprint, which includes various federal properties (such as the Smithsonian, federal office buildings, the National Mall) and city properties.

There are reports that Penske has spent $35 million on this race. Denker indicated it was more than that. They have massive three-story temporary suites that should rake in millions to help offset the costs, but they also spent a pretty penny on them. 

Typically, the temporary suites wouldn’t have restrooms built into them and they would be at the bottom of the structure. But these have them on each floor, at a cost of $1 million, according to Denker. 

They brought in viewing platforms from the Long Beach Grand Prix (also a Penske race) for those with general admission tickets.

The race also has attracted sponsors such as Starlink and Boeing, companies that typically aren’t active in motorsports but whose government business is precious. 

Penske Corporation only had 13 full-time staff come in from Detroit to do much of the pre-event work.

Monumental Sports — which owns the NBA Washington Wizards and the NHL Washington Capitals — handled the suite sales. Harbinger Events, another local company, is handling much of the interior fencing and logistics. 

The transit authority has been helping get the word out about the traffic disruptions as well as trying to get the word out for people coming to the track on the best way to get there and the entry points. 

“The INDYCAR Series, Penske Entertainment, they’re working on the event as a whole and making it pretty incredible for everybody that’s going to tune in and we’ll be a part of that,” two-time series champion Josef Newgarden told me on Monday.

“I more so want to focus on what the track’s going to be like and what do we need to be doing to win the race?”

The first thing he’ll have to do is manage the unique start.

Assuming Trump waves the green flag, he most likely can’t be in the flagstand. He would do it from the bulletproof-glass-encased suite in Turn 1. So drivers will take the green just after coming off a turn, which could be an adventure in and of itself. 

That probably isn’t going to be the easiest way to start a race, but it’s part of the challenge in putting on this spectacle.

As workers continued construction of that area, it was pretty easy to see that security measures were being put in place.

It is a lot for what will likely be a one-time effort. This was such a big lift, but Denker feels he could do it again.

“I could race this course again,” Denker said. “Everybody’s been that cooperative. That’s not the issue. The issue is you only have one 250th anniversary.”

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT

The inaugural Freedom 250 hits the streets of D.C., on Sunday. Here’s all the details on the one-of-a-kind INDYCAR event.

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The Freedom 250 is expected to be a one-and-done unique event. It is the first INDYCAR race (as far as we know) that needed an executive order from the President (of the United States) just to happen.

It is part of the 250th birthday celebration of the United States. The National Mall won’t get shut down for an INDYCAR race every year.

And that’s fine. 

Part of the allure of the Freedom 250 stems from the basis that it will serve as a rare spectacle. If you’re not there to see it, you won’t ever see it.

But that doesn’t mean that is the end of INDYCAR in Washington, D.C.

Crews work near the U.S. Capitol Building to prepare the street course for INDYCAR’s Freedom 250.

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The outgoing mayor loves having sports in her town. She apparently would love to find a way to have an INDYCAR race on the streets of Washington in the future.

Where? 

Maybe near the new football stadium, much like Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington (Texas). The new stadium in the D.C. area opens in 2030. As they continue building it, maybe they can keep thoughts of a course in mind (or at least the back of the head). 

INDYCAR so badly needs more races on the East Coast. 

Will it go to Richmond Raceway as some have thought? The last time INDYCAR raced on the 0.75-mile oval was in 2009, and the races on the track didn’t produce incredible action.

But the current car should race better there. Still, it’s not INDYCAR country, per se, and many feel that it would need NASCAR (not necessarily Cup but at least one of the other national series) to race on the same weekend. NASCAR’s weekend there for next year is set in September, most likely too late for the INDYCAR calendar.

INDYCAR at Watkins Glen would be cool. But it wouldn’t necessarily draw the city audience that would make going to the Northeast worth it. And don’t get me wrong, I’d love an INDYCAR race at Watkins Glen. 

Baltimore? Been there, done that and it left a sour taste (2011-13). Philadelphia? There’s been some chatter but nothing that seems to have picked up much steam.

So why not Washington? 

Not everything needs an executive order to happen. But maybe this race can spark ideas from those in the area that INDYCAR can find a spot in the Mid-Atlantic and relatively soon.

The Freedom 250 should be a cool event. It most likely will be a one-and-done. But it could ignite conversations to imagine future events.

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT

The inaugural Freedom 250 hits the streets of D.C., on Sunday. Here’s all the details on the one-of-a-kind INDYCAR event.

Source

FC Barcelona officially announced its signing of 2024 Ballon d’Or winner and 2026 World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri from Manchester City on Tuesday, and the Spanish midfielder is feeling the love from the fans — at least he would be if he had an Instagram.

Since he doesn’t, Barcelona fans have decided that the next-best thing would be to welcome Rodri in the comments section of superstar singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo’s Instagram.

Aside from the fact that Rodri’s first name, Rodrigo, is the same as three-time Grammy winner’s surname, Rodrigo has ties to Barcelona through their popular jersey collaboration last season.

Barcelona released a special edition jersey with Rodrigo’s famous “OR” logo last season through their jersey sponsorship with Spotify. Rodrigo also released a collection of scarves, t-shirts and an alternate jersey for the club that is rumored to have raised $29 million for the club.

Rodrigo also attended Barcelona’s rival match, “El Clásico,” against Real Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou in May. Barcelona won 2-0 wearing the Rodrigo jersey.

The result is an unlikely bond between the Catalan club and one of music’s brightest stars. Barcelona opens its season against Elche on Sunday, August 23.

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The Associated Press has had its say. The coaches have had their say.

Now it’s time for me to chime in on the 2026 preseason top 10. 

Last year matters no more. New players. New rosters. New season. If you’re putting Indiana at No. 1 because the Hoosiers won the title last year, you’re doing this all wrong. If you’re putting the Hoosiers at No. 1 because you think IU is the best team in the country in 2026, then that’s fine. 

There’s definitely a stratum for the upcoming season. The top seven seem pretty clear, and one could make the case for any of the top seven to be slotted in any of the seven spots. You wouldn’t get an argument from me. 

Then again, last year at this time, I said Penn State to make the CFP was the safest bet there was, and then by mid-October, James Franklin was fired. So clearly my crystal ball at this time of the season is spot on. 

Anyway, here’s how I see it going into the year. We’ll see what changes we get from one week to the next. And trust me, we’ll get them.

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10.

To Make CFP: +200
Title Odds: +3000

Obviously, coaching staff turnover is a big deal, as Charlie Weis Jr. is no longer in Oxford calling the plays. But with Trinidad Chambliss at QB and Kewan Lacy at RB, the Rebels have a chance against anyone.

9.

To Make CFP: +160
Title Odds: +1700

Could swap in a few different teams here, but the talent level at LSU appears to be top 10. I don’t know how it will all work out against this schedule, but at least to start, we’ll slot them here. 

8.

To Make CFP: +210
Title Odds: +3000

The Sooners are this year’s prime candidate as the most likely team where the power rating doesn’t align with the W-L record. The defense should be exceptional, but I still have questions about the offense. The OL and RB need to be better, especially against the ridiculously tough slate of opponents the Sooners have lined up. 

7.

To Make CFP: -240
Title Odds: +850

The run of SEC teams begins here. Georgia is the only SEC team I am confident will win 10 games. The defense should be much improved, the schedule is as favorable as it comes in SEC world and talk is the offense should have some game-breakers at WR. Are the Dawgs national champ quality? Yes. But I still think they are behind a few teams in the pecking order. 

6.

To Make CFP: -350
Title Odds: +900

OK, just hear me out for a second. The Hoosiers did a helluva job reloading in the portal while making their title run last season. They also got a boon in recent weeks with the return of Stephan Daley and Kellan Wyatt per a court ruling. They clearly have one of the top rosters in the country, but here are the questions I would ask: Can every high-leverage play go IU’s way again this year? Literally every play they needed to go their way last year did just that. Will the loss of the JMU vets have a bigger impact than maybe we are expecting? Can Josh Hoover eliminate the turnovers and make the plays Mendoza did? Cignetti has said all the right things about Hoover having a defense and a running game to fall back on, but you just never know. 

5.

To Make CFP: -280
Title Odds: +1000

Two things can be true: Miami is potentially more talented than the team that came up just short last year in the national title game and Miami also might  have trouble replacing the guts of the team in leaders like Keionte Scott, CJ Daniels, Keelan Marion, Francis Mauigoa and Rueben Bain. 

After the late-season drive and coming so close last year, will there be complacency or even more motivation? The Canes are as big of a favorite as there is to win a league. And remember, Miami has never won the ACC. If Miami’s talent and leadership come together, this is a national title contender. But if the LBs struggle or the lethal combo of Bain and Mesidor can’t be replaced or depth behind Mark Fletcher doesn’t perform to expectations, then a season which falls short of expectations could be in the cards. 

Still, I’d expect a return CFP trip. 

4.

To Make CFP: -200
Title Odds: +650

Few teams have been as overrated in the preseason poll lately as Texas. Maybe I’m falling victim to the hype again, but this roster is loaded outside of potential concerns at OL. Although it appears the Longhorns avoided serious injury with Trevor Goosby, they could really use him back for the Ohio State game. The Longhorns added elite players at LB, RB and WR in the portal, and Arch Manning’s growth throughout the 2025 season will serve him and his team well this season. I’m not trying to project a W-L record here, but the Texas schedule is no joke. And I’m curious to see how many losses (if any) the Longhorns find this season and how the CFP will rank them. But it might be fair to ask — if not now, then when for one of CFB’s highest-paid rosters?

3.

To Make CFP: -360
Title Odds: +600

The writers and coaches have the Buckeyes at No. 1, but I’m going to slot Ohio State here instead. Look, Ohio State recruits as well as anyone, but the Buckeyes’ final two games of last season have me slightly concerned. The offensive line was over-matched by two great defensive fronts and QB Julian Sayin did not look good. How will new OC Arthur Smith fit in? What about the massive losses on the defensive side of the ball? Nobody is — or should be — crying for Ohio State and its problems entering the season, but I don’t think the Buckeyes are a CFP cinch as they’ve been the last two years. 

2.

To Make CFP: -320
Title Odds: +750

The Ducks probably have as few questions as anyone entering the season, but a couple of camp injuries might cloud things just a bit early on. Those close to Oregon have been touting 2026 as the year the Ducks finally break down the door of the national title club. It’s hard to argue with that thought process, as Dante Moore returns with a dangerous WR corps and a dominant defensive front. Oregon’s season has ended in ugly fashion each of the last three years and there’s every reason to believe that will not be the case in 2026.

1.

To Make CFP: -800
Title Odds: +600

One could nitpick about replacing Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, or who will be the deep threat at WR, but this Irish team is loaded. Residing in South Bend is one of the best — if not the best — defenses in the country, along with one of the top QBs in the country in CJ Carr. The Irish missed the Playoff last year in a season where they were power rated as a playoff team. Now, the hunger, drive and motivation to get back to the national title game, as they did in 2024 (and win it), is evident. The Irish are No. 1 until they show me they aren’t. 

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United States men’s national team forward Haji Wright will reportedly miss up to 12 weeks of the Premier League season due to a quad injury. 

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard confirmed the timeline ahead of the club’s match against Arsenal.

“He won’t be available for a little while; he’s got a very serious quad injury which is disappointing for Haji and for us,” Lampard said. “It’s certainly going to be a number of weeks, could even be up to 12 weeks.”

(Photo by James Holyoak/MB Media/Getty Images)

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Wright helped Coventry City secure Premier League promotion last season as the club finished at the top of the Championship. He scored 17 league goals in over 2,500 minutes of play. This injury delays his debut in the Premier League. 

Coventry City signed forwards Taiwo Awoniyi and Sidiki Cherif during the summer transfer window.

The injury hurts Wright’s availability for the United States in the upcoming international break.

Wright will miss four international friendlies in September and October, including a match against Mexico. He may also miss the Concacaf Nations League matches in November. 

Wright appeared in the 2022 and 2026 World Cups. He played short minutes in 2026 under manager Mauricio Pochettino, appearing as a substitute against Australia and Belgium.

Pochettino should be able to call up forwards Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Brian White, and Julian Hall Zakrzewski during this window, should they all remain healthy. Patrick Agyemang is scheduled to return from injury during the winter.

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