Spain to host NFL game for first time during 2025 season

The NFL is headed to Spain in 2025 for the first regular-season game ever in that country. The NFL announced Friday that its international slate of games for the 2025 season will feature a game at Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

“We could not be more excited to bring the best of the NFL, the best of our teams and star players to the more than 13 million passionate fans in Spain and partner with one of the greatest global soccer clubs in Real Madrid in a truly world class and innovative stadium,” said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s head of international affairs.

The teams that will play in that game will be announced at a later date, but O’Reilly said the host team would likely be an AFC team because teams in that conference will have an extra home game that season.

O’Reilly said plenty of teams have already expressed interest. The NFL has been expanding its international presence in recent years with owners voting in December to authorize the league to host eight games internationally each season.

In 2024, the NFL will have three games in London — including a home game for the Jacksonville Jaguars — along with one in Germany and the first game ever in Brazil.

Former LB Hightower joins Patriots’ staff:

Former New England Patriots linebacker and three-time Super Bowl champion Dont’a Hightower is joining new coach Jerod Mayo’s staff as an assistant.

Hightower and his agency confirmed Friday he would be joining the Patriots to coach his old position.

Hightower began a decadelong run in New England when the Patriots selected him 25th overall in the 2012 draft. It included three Super Bowl rings (2014, 2016, 2018) and a pair of Pro Bowl selections (2016, 2019). He also was a second-team All-Pro in 2016. an $8.8 million. two-year contract, avoiding an arbitration hearing next week for the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year.

India gets $3.8 million this year and $5 million in 2025. Selected fifth overall by Cincinnati in the 2018 amateur draft, India has hit .255 with 48 homers, 171 RBIs and an OBP of .350 in parts of three seasons.

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers team president Daryl Morey expressed optimism on Friday that reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid would return from a knee injury in time for a possible postseason run.

“We’re hopeful,” Morey said before the 76ers hosted the Atlanta Hawks and three days after Embiid underwent surgery on his left knee. “Feedback has been more good than bad since we first heard about what led to his procedure. So, we’re hopeful and we’re building the team to make it better this year. Obviously, it’s not at 100%. But with Joel playing at an MVP level, hopefully, he could get back to that. And this is a year that we have a real shot.”

Embiid, averaging 35.3 points and 11.3 rebounds in 39 games, has missed the last five games since Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga fell on his left leg, injuring the meniscus that required surgery on Tuesday. The initial report from the 76ers said that Embiid would be “re-evaluated” in four weeks. Before that, Embiid had been held out because of left knee swelling in Philadelphia’s two previous games. Aquatics: Chang Yani topped teammate Chen Yiwen on the 3meter springboard, giving the powerhouse Chinese team its eighth diving gold medal of the World Aquatics Championships.

Chen was the two-time reigning world champion and led the semifinals, giving her the prime last spot in the final. But Chang turned in five stellar dives and led all the way to finish with 354.75 points, with Chen settling for the silver at 336.60.