It is one of the world’s most famous cities, so it seems inevitable World Cup football should come to New York City. Or rather, just outside it — over in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
For the second year in a row, MetLife Stadium will host a major FIFA final having hosted the Club World Cup showpiece back in July.
Here, for FIFA purposes, the 82,500-capacity ground will be known as New York New Jersey Stadium.
It was opened in 2010 and built with adjustable stands so the field can meet FIFA regulations for football. Although the regular surface is artificial turf, grass has been laid down in the past without issue.
While travel out to New Jersey could prove a bit of a headache for fans, there is no shortage of things to do in New York City for those based there.
PSG activated the release clause in Digne’s Villa contract Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Paris Saint-Germain have announced the signing of Lucas Digne from Aston Villa.
The 33-year-old full-back had two seasons left to run on his deal at Villa Park but he had a release clause in his contract, worth in the region of €7-8million.
A move for Digne was seen as an enticing financial opportunity by PSG, who have added an experienced France international to their side. PSG sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that negotiations were accelerated as Digne wanted a return to the French capital, having spent three seasons as a PSG player between 2013 and 2016.
The full-back was often Unai Emery’s first choice last season, making 32 Premier League appearances and starting 11 matches — including the final — in their triumphant Europa League campaign.
Digne went on to feature six times in his national team’s World Cup run, starting the semi-final loss to Spain and only missing two games in the group-stage.
His future at Villa Park was uncertain, however, with deputy left-back Ian Maatsen, 24, viewed as a long-term solution in the position. He follows Youri Tielemans in leaving the club this summer window after the Belgian moved to Manchester United, while The Athletic revealed Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement to sign Morgan Rogers on a £117million deal.
Villa have been active in securing incomings too, announcing the £35m signing of Joao Gomes from Wolverhampton Wanderers and finalising a club-record deal for Johan Manzambi from Freiburg, both midfielders.
PSG’s starting left-back last season was Portugal international Nuno Mendes. The French side won their fifth league title in a row in 2025-26, completing the double with their second successive Champions League win in penalties over Arsenal.
Don Nelson, a five-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics as a player and one of the winningest coaches in league history, died Sunday at 86, his family announced in a statement. A cause of death was not shared.
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the statement read. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
The pioneer of “Nellie Ball,” Nelson, who began his coaching career as an assistant in 1976 with the Milwaukee Bucks, is credited with using fast-paced offense and smaller, more athletic players to seek mismatches and outrun opponents on the court, which is an approach many teams adopt today. His success led to his being named to the NBA’s list of the top 10 (1996) and top 15 (2021) coaches of all time.
On April 7, 2010, with his 1,333rd victory on the sidelines, Nelson passed Lenny Wilkens to set the NBA record for most regular-season coaching wins before finishing his career with a record of 1,335-1,063 (.556 win percentage). Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2012. His 1,335 career regular-season wins trail only Gregg Popovich (1,390) for the league record.
Nelson served as head coach for four franchises during a 31-season NBA coaching career. That included 11 seasons apiece with the Milwaukee Bucks (540-344) and Golden State Warriors (422-443), as well as eight seasons with the Dallas Mavericks (339-251) and one ill-fated campaign with the New York Knicks in 1995-96 that saw him fired with a 34-25 record and replaced by Jeff Van Gundy.
Nelson spent eight years as the Mavericks coach. In 1998, he was instrumental in the franchise acquiring Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash in separate draft-night trades, moves that set the stage for Dallas to become one of the NBA’s highest-scoring and most exciting teams of the early 2000s. The Mavericks reached the Western Conference finals in 2003. Nelson left Dallas two years later with a 339-251 record as the Mavericks coach.
While none of the teams he coached won an NBA title, Nelson had 18 playoff appearances and a 75-91 career postseason record.
“‘Nellie’ left an indelible mark on our franchise with his approach to the game,” a statement from the Warriors read. “From the Run RMC era to the ‘We Believe’ team in 2007, his teams captivated Bay Area basketball fans and created some of the most memorable moments in Warriors history.”
The Golden State Warriors mourn the passing of Hall of Fame head coach Don Nelson.
“Nellie” was one of the most innovative and influential coaches in NBA history and an iconic figure in Warriors history. He was a true basketball visionary who saw the game differently and was… pic.twitter.com/1k5piSC6xX
Nelson did experience championship glory in his 14-season NBA playing career, helping the Celtics hang five banners over an 11-year stint. Nelson averaged 11.1 points on 50 percent shooting and 4.8 rebounds in 134 career playoff games for the Celtics. He’s among 26 players to win at least five NBA championships — 11 of those players did so with Boston — and Nelson’s No. 19 jersey was retired by the franchise in 1978.
By 1965, the Celtics signed Nelson as a free agent, and his game and role grew in Boston. During his first season under new coach Red Auerbach, Nelson posted averages of 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds to help the Celtics win the 1965-66 championship. He contributed as a sixth man for a roster that included Boston legends Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Satch Sanders and KC Jones. During the 1967-68 season, he was one of seven Celtics to average double-figure points, which at the time tied an NBA single-season record. The 2023-24 Hawks (eight) are the only team to have more such players. In nine seasons as a Celtic, Nelson averaged at least 10 points nine times.
In Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, Nelson had perhaps the most memorable moments of his storied basketball career. With just over a minute left in the matchup, he made a foul-line jumper that initially hit the back rim and bounced multiple feet into the air before falling to give Boston a 103-102 lead en route to a 108-106 win over the rival Los Angeles Lakers. The shot helped notch the Celtics’ 11th championship in 13 seasons as Russell’s legendary career, which included two final seasons as player-coach, drew to a close.
The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process.
Nelson was born on May 15, 1940, in Muskegon, Mich., to Arvid and Agnes Nelson, who raised him and two sisters on his grandfather’s farm close to Sherrard, Ill. That farm is where he first learned to shoot. Nelson’s early lessons came in a chicken yard by using a spokeless bicycle wheel nailed to the shed in an effort to simulate a basket.
Nelson’s family eventually lost the farm and moved to nearby Rock Island, Ill., where Nelson attended middle school and fell in love with basketball. Instead of shooting baskets at an empty wheel, he started shooting shots when walking to school from downtown’s 19th Street, sometimes visiting a YMCA after practice to log more work.
In 1958, Nelson graduated from Rock Island High School, which went 47-7 in his final two seasons on the team. As a junior, he averaged 12.6 points before increasing his scoring to 20.2 points per game as a senior. Because Nelson wasn’t heavily recruited, his father questioned his future in basketball, preferring he become a repairman, but Iowa Hawkeyes coach Sharm Scheuerman, a 1952 Rock Island graduate, recruited Nelson to Iowa.
Freshmen weren’t allowed to play varsity when Nelson arrived at Iowa, but he immediately broke out as a sophomore with averages of 15.8 points and 10 rebounds for a Hawkeyes team that finished 14-10. Nelson’s role grew even more after fellow future Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins was linked to a basketball betting scandal and left the school, with Nelson averaging a double-double in points (23.8) and rebounds (11.3) over his final two seasons. His career scoring average of 21.1 points remains the highest in school history.
Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is stepping away from the team, coach Dan Campbell told reporters Sunday afternoon. The Lions placed Bridgewater on the reserved/retired list following Campbell’s comments.
“I’ve known Teddy a long time,” Campbell said. “Man, the human being is unbelievable. Certainly the player. Everything that he’s about, the type of teammate he is, the way he prepares, always played the game up here and has a huge heart. He’s gonna be missed.”
Bridgewater, 33, was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014. He’s had stints with the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Lions in his career, and was on his third stint with Detroit.
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If this is it for Bridgewater, Campbell will always remember him for keeping the Saints afloat during the 2019 season. Drew Brees missed five games with a torn UCL in his throwing hand that year. Campbell, an assistant head coach and TEs coach for the Saints then, watched Bridgewater step in and lead the team to a 5-0 record. He earned Campbell’s trust.
The Lions signed Bridgewater ahead of the 2023 season, where he was a resource for Jared Goff and a mentor to young players like Jameson Williams. After retiring in 2024 to coach high school football in Miami, Bridgewater returned to the NFL for a late-season stint with the Lions. He briefly filled in for Goff in Detroit’s playoff loss to the Washington Commanders, leading the team to a scoring drive in his lone series.
Bridgewater signed with the team again in 2026 and was expected to help fill a leadership void. However, it appears he’s had a change of heart, and might’ve played his last NFL down barring another comeback attempt.
Bridgewater was one of three QBs in camp with the Lions. They are now down to two: Goff and rookie UDFA Luke Altmyer. Expect the Lions to add a veteran over the next few days.
