MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The 48-team field for FIFA's biggest ever World Cup is complete after a qualifying process that spanned more than two and a half years. Iraq defeated Bolivia 2-1 in an intercontinental playoff in Monterrey, Mexico on Tuesday to secure the 48th spot. Congo took the next-to-last place after a 1-0 extra-time win over Jamaica at Guadalajara. There were six World Cup places on the line on the last day of qualifying: four in Europe and two in the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico. Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced after upsetting Italy on penalties. Sweden, Turkey, and Czechia also qualified.
One of soccer’s historic powers has reached a once-unfathomable low. Four-time champion Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup after getting beat in a penalty shootout with 10 men at 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoffs. Moise Kean scored early on for Italy but then Azzurri center back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break and Bosnia substitute Haris Tabakovic equalized in the 79th to send the game into extra time. The defeat added more misery for Italy’s once-proud national team after being eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in the playoffs for the last two World Cups.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods says he’ll step away and seek treatment after his SUV crash in Florida. Woods made his comments Tuesday, four days after the crash that led to his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Woods pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in his driving under the influence case. The plea came hours after a sheriff’s report said he had pain pills in his pocket and showed signs of impairment at the crash scene last week. I’s the second time Woods has taken a leave following a car crash. In 2009, he announced a leave after his SUV plowed into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home near Orlando.
PHOENIX (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he has no plans to end the league’s Rooney Rule despite recent objections from Florida’s attorney general, who wrote that the league’s minority hiring guidelines violate Florida state law. Goodell was speaking on Tuesday at the end of the NFL league meetings. He acknowledged the changing political landscape for diversity initiatives in the U.S., but added that he didn’t believe there should be any legal issues with the league’s policy. Also on Tuesday, the NFL’s competition committee approved a one-year rule for the upcoming season that would allow the replay center in New York to correct “clear and obvious mistakes made by on-field officials that impact the game” in case of a work stoppage involving the NFL Referees Association.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani opened his season on the mound with six scoreless innings and a win for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-way superstar allowed one hit, struck out six and walked three in a rainy 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. At the plate, Ohtani went 1 for 3 with two walks to extend his on-base streak to 36 games, tying the longest of his career. The Dodgers have waited for Ohtani to pitch a full season after elbow surgery kept him off the mound in 2024 and he had limited outings last year. He says he feels looser than last season, even with flaws to fix. His regular-season scoreless streak has reached a career-best 22 2/3 innings.
DETROIT (AP) — After nearly two decades, and stretches of futility, the Detroit Pistons have won the Central Division again. The Pistons defeated the Toronto Raptors 127-116 on Tuesday to finish a long climb back up the NBA ladder and clinch their first division title since the 2007-08 season. “You take pride in understanding how hard it is to do these things in this league,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. “You take pride in the fact that you have a group of young men who have grown and achieved certain milestones. It’s a part of the process, and we expect more.”
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jose Fernandez strode to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning during his first big-league game in a pressure-packed spot against four-time All-Star closer Kenley Jansen. The three-run homer that followed capped one of the most powerful MLB regular-season debuts in modern history. The Venezuelan became just the seventh player since 1900 to hit two homers in his debut, and it led the Diamondbacks over the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Tuesday night.
HOUSTON (AP) — Plate umpire Mark Wegner acknowledged he lost track of the count during Cam Smith’s nine-pitch walk in the fifth inning of the Houston Astros’ 9-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. In fact, Smith should have been out on strikes after the third pitch. Smith swung and missed at two cutters from Red Sox starter Brayan Bello to begin the plate appearance. After the second pitch, Joey Loperfido stole second base and Christian Walker scored on the play thanks to a throwing error by catcher Connor Wong. After about 40 seconds, Smith swung and missed at a sweeper. That should have been strike three but Wegner, a crew chief working his 29th major league season, flashed 1-2 for the count. Six pitches later, Smith worked a walk.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Umpire C.B. Bucknor’s tough start to the season continues. Bucknor was working as the first-base umpire for the Milwaukee Brewers’ 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday when he made a call that was so obviously incorrect from a reply that it had both managers smiling afterward. This call came after Bucknor had the poorest results among umpires in Major League Baseball’s new Automated Ball-Strike System last weekend.
PHOENIX (AP) — Fernando Mendoza won’t start right away for the Las Vegas Raiders if coach Klint Kubiak has his way. The Raiders are expected to select the Heisman Trophy winner with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft next month. Mendoza led Indiana to its first national championship and became the overwhelming favorite to go first. Aidan O’Connell is the only other quarterback currently on the Raiders after the team traded Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett. Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson are among the veterans who remain unsigned.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Miami 9 Chicago White Sox 2
Final Toronto 5 Colorado 1
Final Milwaukee 6 Tampa Bay 2
Final L.A. Angels 2 Chicago Cubs 0
Final Arizona 7 Detroit 5
Final L.A. Dodgers 4 Cleveland 1
Final Athletics 5 Atlanta 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Texas 8 Baltimore 5
Final Houston 9 Boston 2
Final N.Y. Yankees 5 Seattle 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 3 Washington 2
Final St. Louis 3 N.Y. Mets 0
Final San Francisco 9 San Diego 3
Final Pittsburgh 8 Cincinnati 3
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Boston 6 Dallas 3
Final Pittsburgh 5 Detroit 1
Final N-Y Rangers 4 New Jersey 1
Final Florida 6 Ottawa 3
Final Buffalo 4 N-Y Islanders 3
Final Washington 6 Philadelphia 4
Final Montreal 4 Tampa Bay 1
Final Carolina 5 Columbus 2
Final OT Winnipeg 4 Chicago 3
Final Edmonton 3 Seattle 0