ALEX MAG

The U.S. president was presented the award at the 2026 World Cup draw in December, just one month after FIFA announced the creation of the prize.

Though he conceded there had been a "strong reaction" to Trump winning the award, Infantino insisted the prize was deserved.

"Whatever we can do to help peace in the world, we should be doing it, and for this reason, for some time we were thinking about (whether) we should do something to reward people who do something," he said in aninterview with Sky News.

The FIFA president, who has a close relationship with Trump, said that "objectively, he deserves it."

Photos show Trump and celebs gather for 2026 World Cup draw

Many speculated the FIFA Peace Prize was invented to placate Trump, who has been publicly fuming over not winning the Nobel Peace Prize since it was awarded in October.

According to The Athletic, FIFA's Council and vice presidents were not "consulted or involved" in the award's creation, as they normally would have been with such an initiative.

The prize has looked even stranger in hindsight afterU.S. troops invaded Venezuela and removed its president Nicolás Maduroand his wife, followed by the fatal shootings of two American citizens last month amid an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

Infantino, however, pointed to the actual winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, to say Trump was deserving.

"It's not just Gianni Infantino who said it ... (there's) a Nobel Peace Prize winner who said this," Infantino said.

"He was instrumental in resolving conflicts and saving lives and saving thousands of lives."

Machadopresented her Nobel Prize to Trumpduring a meeting last month as she continues to seek his endorsement to be Maduro's long-term replacement.

Trump said that Machado giving him the award was "a wonderful gesture of mutual respect," but the Nobel committeereleased a statementthat said it didn't hold any official weight.

"Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others," the statement said. "The decision is final and stands for all time."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:FIFA's Gianni Infantino defends awarding Peace Prize to Donald Trump

McVay expressed as much Monday, saying he wants Stafford back as long as "that's something that he wants to do."

McVay's comments shouldn't come as a major surprise considering Stafford's numbers in 2025. The 37-year-old led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. He's considered the favorite to take home the MVP award once its announced.

Advertisement

[Get more Rams news: Los Angeles team feed]

But there's at least some uncertainty over whether Stafford — who is signed with the Rams through the 2026 NFL season — will return for next season. WhileMcVay angrily dismissed the ideaimmediately following the Ram's loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship, the quarterback said he wouldtake some time to think things over.

McVay said Monday the team would "respect [Stafford's] timetable." McVay added there was no specific date set for Stafford to make that decision.

The Stafford-McVay pairing has been incredibly successful since the Rams traded for the former Detroit Lions quarterback. Since joining the Rams, Stafford has led the team to the playoffs in four out of five seasons. He won the Super Bowl in his first year with the team back in 2021. Stafford has made two Pro Bowls and was selected to the first-team All-Pro team once with the Rams. He'll likely add an MVP award to his list of accomplishments with the team before long.

Given his success in the NFL, there's not much else Stafford needs to accomplish before he calls it a career. He already ranks sixth all time in passing yards and seventh all time in passing touchdowns. Combine that with his Super Bowl win — and probable MVP award — and Stafford has a pretty strong case for the Hall of Fame if he never plays another down in the NFL.

But walking away from the game right now could prove difficult. Stafford just had the best season of his career and was able to take the Rams on a deep playoff run. The temptation to try and win one more ring might prove too strong, especially with Stafford showing little to no signs of decline in 2025.

Chances are if you didn't grow up in Canada (where curling is most popular), you may think of the sport as people in funny pants — we're lookin' at you, Norwegians — pushing an oversized puck across a skating rink.Au contraire.Curling requires finesse, strategy and serious athleticism — the sweeping can burn up to 500 calories per hour. And because players use their brains as much as their bodies, people call it "chess on ice."

Rules

For starters, players aim to guide heavy, granitestonesacross a sheet of textured ice toward a target area called thehousethat is split into four rings. (Consider curling a distant cousin of shuffleboard.) Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding the stones — also called "rocks" — toward the target. Each team has eight stones perend, which is curling's version of, say, a baseball inning. There are 10 ends in a tournament-style game.

This video shows the skill involved, from the movement the thrower uses to deliver the stone, to the sweepers trying to guide it where it needs to go in the target, aka the house.

Advertisement

The stone weighs 38 to 44 pounds. Players use brooms to smooth the ice and ease the stone's path toward the house. If a player breaks a rule — like nudging the stone with their shoe — they should be "the first to divulge the breach," according to the WCF. This sportsmanship expectation is part of what players call "the spirit of curling."

Scoring

The objective is simple: The team that lands the most stones closest to the bulls-eye wins.Players win a point for every stone that 1) lands in the house and 2) is closer to the "button" — or center of the house — than the closest opponent stone. (For example, if Team A has the closest stone and Team B has the second closest stone, Team A can only earn one point, even if the rest of Team B's stones somehow ended up outside of the curling arena.) Teams can knock an opponent's stone away from the house — and, through some vigorous sweeping, strategically place some stones as makeshift shields (guards) to protect others.

It is impossible, however, for both teams to score in an end, which last the amount of time it takes to throw all of the stones. Points are awarded only to the team that did better in each end. (Should a team tie, there are tie-breaker rounds.) The best possible score in an end is 8-0, which happens when one team gets all eight stones closer to the button than its opponent. This is called a "snowman" — curling slang for a perfect game.

Fun fact: Curling may be the nicest sport of all

Objectively. After each game, the winners traditionally buy the other team a round of drinks. From the WCF website: "Curlers play to win, but never to humble their opponents. A true curler never attempts to distract opponents, nor to prevent them from playing their best, and would prefer to lose rather than to win unfairly."

Quick terminology

Bonspiel:A curling tournament.Circles:The round scoring area, 12 feet in diameter, with concentric circles 1, 4 and 8 feet in diameter.Curl:The rotating movement of a stone caused by turning the handle.Delivery:The act of throwing a rock.End:Similar to an inning in baseball; in an end, each team throws eight rocks, two per player in alternating fashion. Tournament-style games run for 10 ends.Front End:The lead and second player on a curling team.Heavy:A stone that is delivered with more than the desired amount of weight or force.House:The round scoring area, 12 feet in diameter, with concentric circles 1, 4, and 8 feet in diameter.Light:A stone that is delivered with less than the desired weight or force.Rink:A curling team that consists of four players: the skip, third (vice-skip), second, and lead. Also refers to the place where curling is played.Rock:Stone.Sheet:The 146-foot-long area of the ice on which the game is played.Skip:The player who calls the ice and determines the strategy. Almost always plays the last two rocks for his team (but may throw in a different order in some games.)Sweeping:Using a brush to polish the ice in an effort to alter the action of the rock.

It was a quiet leadup to the final days before the Thursday, Feb. 5 deadline at 3 p.m. ET, with only one trade in the months of October, November, December and January. Compare that to last season, when there were five over that span.

Much of the league is watchingthe developments in MilwaukeeconcerningGiannis Antetokounmpo's future with the Bucks, though action has started to pick up in recent days.

Keep track of every single trade executed during 2025-26 season below:

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

2025-26 NBA trade tracker

Hawks move on from Vít Krejčí (Feb. 1)

Portland Trail Blazersreceive

• Vít Krejčí

Atlanta Hawksreceive

• Duop Reath

• 2027 second-round pick (via Hawks)

• 2030 second-round pick (via Knicks)

Cavaliers move on from De'Andre Hunter (Feb. 1)

Sacramento Kingsreceive

• De'Andre Hunter (from Cavaliers)

Cleveland Cavaliers receive

• Keon Ellis (from Kings)

• Dennis Schröder (from Kings)

• Emanuel Miller (from Bulls)

Chicago Bullsreceive

• Dario Šarić (from Kings)

• 2027 second-round pick (via Nuggets)

• 2029 second-round pick (via Kings)

➤Trade details

Hawks move on from Trae Young (Jan. 9)

Washington Wizardsreceive

• Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks receive

• CJ McCollum

• Corey Kispert

➤Trade details|Winners and losers

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NBA trade deadline: Tracking every deal during 2025-26 season

Cavaliers Trail Blazers Basketball

Sam Merrill added 22 points, including six 3-pointers, and the Cavs rebounded from a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night that snapped a five-game winning streak. Allen also contributed five assists and four blocks.

Caleb Love had 21 points for the Blazers, who struggled without top scorer Deni Avdija. He missed the game with a lower back strain.

Portland trailed by 24 but closed the gap in the final quarter, pulling to 106-96 with 7:32 left. The Cavaliers went up 118-104 on Merrill's 3-pointer with 4:15 remaining, and fans streamed toward the exits.

Before the game, Avdijaearned his first All-Star nodwhen he was selected as a Western Conference reserve. Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell was chosen as a reserve in the Eastern Conference.

With the trade deadline approaching, both teams made deals ahead of the game. The Cavsacquired guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroderfrom Sacramento in a three-team swap that sent forward De'Andre Hunter to the Kings. The Chicago Bulls received Dario Saric from Sacramento along with draft picks as part of the deal.

Portland acquired forward Vit Krejci from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for injured center Duop Reath and a pair of draft picks.

Advertisement

The Cavaliers jumped out to an early 11-point lead, but Love's 3-pointer pulled Portland to 43-41 with just more than five minutes left in the first half. The Cavs led 57-48 at the break.

Dean Wade hit back-to-back 3s to stretch Cleveland's lead to 66-52 in the third quarter.

Blazers guard Blake Wesley played for first time since October after recovering from foot surgery, entering the game in the opening quarter.

The Cavaliers visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

The Trail Blazers host Phoenix on Tuesday night.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

It would be a lasting memento of hiswin over Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open men's finalSunday which made him the youngest male player at 22 to complete acareer Grand Slam.

"I already know it's going to be a kangaroo. I just don't know the place," Alcaraz said. "I'm just thinking about the leg but I don't know which calf, whether it will be the right or left one."

Alcaraz posed for photographers Monday with the ornate Australian Open trophy, looking casually stylish in black, in loafers and no socks. The photo shoot took place at the Royal Exhibition Building among gardens in central Melbourne.

Thewomen's singles winner Elena Rybakinawas photographed with her trophy Saturday on the banks of the Yarra River, which runs through Melbourne.

According to Australian media reports, Alcaraz spent the night after his victory with his family in his hotel suite, ordering pizza, beer and champagne.

In a social media post to fans during the photo shoot, Alcaraz said "I still can't believe that I just made it.

"A dream come true for me, a career Grand Slam. I'm enjoying this amazing moment. I can't forget the support and the love I've received."

After completing a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 overDjokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion, Alcaraz admitted "I hate to lose."

He explained his mindset at the moment of victory.

"Before the last point ... a lot of things came to my mind, to be honest," Alcaraz said. "I was really nervous, I was shaking almost. So once I saw the ball go out, I was like 'alright, I made it.'

"It was a great feeling, thinking about my family and my team as well."

Chasing completion

He has now set his sights of winning every major prize in tennis: three Masters 1000 titles that have eluded him, a season-ending championship and a Davis Cup with Spain. He has won six of the nine Masters 1000 crowns but has yet to win the Canadian Open, Shanghai and the Paris Masters.

"I hate to lose, so that's my motivation. Trying to lose as less as I can," Alcaraz said. "Yeah, there are some tournaments that I really wanted to win at least once. A few Masters 1000 I just really wanted to complete all the Masters 1000, trying to win each one at least once.

"Obviously the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup is a goal as well. I really wanted to achieve that for my country, for Spain. I set up some other goals for the season and I will try to be ready for, or to try to get those goals."

Joining the greats

Alcaraz joined Don Budge, Fred Perry, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic as only the ninth man to win all four Grand Slams. He was younger than Budge by 91 days and considerably younger than Nadal who was 24 and three months, Federer almost 28 and Djokovic 29.

"I'm going to say tennis really beautiful but the bad part of tennis is we have tournaments week after week after week and sometimes you don't realize what you've been doing lately," he said. "Because once you finish a tournament, you've got to be prepared and your mind is about going to the next tournament.

"What I've learned this year is to appreciate and enjoy every single second of the moment you're living. Not only lifting the trophies but playing tournaments, playing tennis, getting victories, getting losses. Whatever it is, just enjoy and appreciate the life you're living."

While Alcaraz has acknowledged the 38-year-old Djokovic as an inspiration, he's not sure he will be as durable.

"You know, let's see how long I will be playing. Hopefully being in such a great shape at 38, competing and challenging the young players, and playing finals of grand slams."

AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

The Spurs were scheduled to leave Charlotte following a111-106 lossSaturday, but had to stay overnight because of thestorm that dropped nearly a foot of snow. The team then had a mechanical issue on its flight.

Devin Vassell added 16 points for San Antonio. Dylan Harper had 15 points, and De'Aaron Fox had 14 points and 10 assists.

Desmond Bane scored 25 points for Orlando, and Paolo Banchero had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Orlando had won two in a row.

The Magic had been in San Antonio since Saturday after a 130-120 home victory over Toronto. The Spurs weren't so lucky.

The game was scheduled to start at 3 p.m. but was pushed back to 6 p.m. and then 8 p.m. as the Spurs returned home nearly 24 hours later than planned.

The delayed start did not hinder the Spurs as they made their first three shots and seven of their first eight in building a double-digit lead five minutes in, Wembanyama made his first two attempts, forcing his way past Wendell Carter Jr. in the lane for a finger-roll layup and a two-handed slam.

Wembanyama was cleared to play a half hour before tipoff after being questionable due to left calf soreness.

San Antonio guard Stephon Castle missed the game with left adductor tightness.

Magic: At Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.

Spurs: Host Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA