May 6-7, 2026 — With Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announcing it will withdraw long-term financing for LIV Golf, star Bryson DeChambeau has outlined contingency plans if the breakaway circuit cannot secure new investors. Speaking at LIV Golf Virginia at Trump National, DeChambeau said his LIV contract expires after this season and he has discussed options with the PGA Tour but is prepared to pivot to his growing YouTube business rather than seek a fraught return to the Tour. He told reporters he would like to triple his channel’s reach, dub content into multiple languages and ‘‘play tournaments that want me.’’ DeChambeau — a two-time U.S. Open champion who joined LIV in 2022 and was among players who sued the PGA Tour before withdrawing the suit — has exemptions into majors for the next two years but warned of potential punitive measures if he tried to rejoin the PGA full time. LIV’s leadership is pursuing new board advisers and financiers as it seeks a path forward amid uncertainty over funding and governance.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente on May 25, 2026 named a 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup that notably includes teenage Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal despite a recent hamstring tear and excludes any Real Madrid players for the first time in the country’s World Cup history. The list is built around eight Barcelona players and several Premier League-based internationals, with recalled figures such as Arsenal’s Mikel Merino and Barcelona’s Gavi returning from injury layoffs. Real Madrid defenders Dean Huijsen and veteran Dani Carvajal were omitted. The coach said selections were based on form, fitness and team balance rather than club affiliation and stressed coordination with club medical teams over Yamal and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, both carrying hamstring concerns. Spain, European champions, head to the tournament in North America from June 11 to July 19 as one of the favourites and will face Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H.

Lionel Messi was substituted in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami’s 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Union on May 25, 2026, after clutching the back of his left thigh, raising fresh concerns about his fitness ahead of the World Cup. The 38-year-old walked off under his own power and went straight to the tunnel; no formal medical diagnosis had been released by Inter Miami as of the match end. Coach Guillermo Hoyos described the change as precautionary, blaming fatigue and a heavy, rain-affected pitch. Messi had been named in Argentina’s 55-man preliminary list; final squads must be submitted by FIFA’s deadline and Argentina open their title defence on June 16 in Kansas City. The incident follows a history of hamstring problems for Messi since joining MLS, and saw betting markets briefly lower his probability of playing in the tournament. MLS is now on a World Cup break, and Argentina are scheduled to play pre-tournament friendlies in the United States in early June as the national team finalises medical checks and selection decisions.

AC Milan on May 25, 2026 dismissed head coach Massimiliano Allegri and several senior football executives after a late-season collapse left the Serie A club fifth and out of next season’s Champions League. Owners RedBird Capital Partners described the campaign as an “unequivocal failure” and announced the immediate departures of CEO Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare and technical director Geoffrey Moncada as part of a “comprehensive reorganisation” of football operations. The decision followed a 2-1 home defeat by Cagliari that capped a run in which Milan won just once in their final four matches and slipped from title contention to miss Europe’s top competition for a second straight year. The shake-up, coming a year after Allegri’s return to San Siro and amid fan unrest, signals a board-driven reset with further appointments promised ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Stan Wawrinka, the 41-year-old Swiss and 2015 Roland Garros champion, played his final match at the French Open on May 25, 2026, losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Dutchman Jesper de Jong. The match on Court Simonne-Mathieu lasted just over three hours in sweltering conditions (around 33°C). De Jong, a lucky loser who entered the draw after Arthur Fils withdrew, sealed victory with a forehand winner and urged the crowd to applaud Wawrinka. The departing veteran received a standing ovation, video tributes and a glass case containing a slice of clay court; messages from tennis greats including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were shown. Wawrinka, who has announced he will retire at the end of the season, thanked the fans and organisers and reflected on his long association with Roland Garros — a tournament that inspired his career. The appearance closed a 21-year Paris run for the three-time major winner (2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open, 2016 US Open). De Jong advances to the second round and Wawrinka is expected to play selectively before his scheduled farewell at the Swiss Indoors in October.

UCLA was named the No. 1 overall seed in the 64-team 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on May 25 after a 51-6 regular season and a Big Ten tournament title. The tournament opens this weekend with 16 regional sites hosted by the top 16 seeds, who will play four-team, double-elimination pods to produce 16 Super Regional qualifiers. Georgia Tech is the No. 2 seed, followed by Georgia, Auburn, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama and Florida among the top eight. The SEC placed 12 teams in the field and claimed five of the top eight seeds. Super Regionals are scheduled to begin June 5 and the eight-team College World Series in Omaha begins June 12. Notable storylines include UCLA’s collection of top MLB prospects (including shortstop Roch Cholowsky), the SEC’s depth, and the absence of defending champion LSU from the field. Mid-major highlights include conference champions Illinois-Chicago and Northern Illinois earning berths.