The United States, Mexico, and Canada plan to announce a joint bid for the 2026 soccer World Cup on Monday in New York City, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press on Saturday. The Confederation of North and Central America and Caribbean Association Football is moving ahead with the bid that was widely expected before Donald Trump was elected president. There was concern the plan was unworkable under Trump’s anti-immigrant policies, but even if he serves a second term Trump would not be president in 2026. The region appears to be the leading contender for 2026, when the tournament expands from 32 to 48 nations . . . Host Russia has accused FIFA of overcharging for TV rights for next year’s World Cup to help cover $369 million in losses due to legal costs and sponsors fleeing because of corruption investigations. Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko said that FIFA has asked for $120 million from Russian TV channels, up from $32 million paid by Russia for the 2014 World Cup, in comments reported by state news agency Tass. There was no immediate comment from FIFA . . . In Major League Soccer, Albert Rusnak had a goal and two assists in the second half during a snowstorm as host Real Salt Lake ended a 13-match winless run with a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps, giving new coach Mike Petke a win in his first MLS game. It began snowing in the first half and the snow started sticking at halftime, prompting use of the orange ball . . . Nemanja Nikolic scored his second goal of the season and Chicago beat Eastern Conference-leading Columbus, 1-0, in Bridgeville, Ill. Dax McCarty sent a through ball up the middle to Nikolic, who got loose in the box and scored from the right side in the 22nd minute, the ball deflecting off goalkeeper Zack Steffen . . . Lloyd Sam and Luciano Acosta scored in the second half in D.C. United's 2-1 victory over NYCFC. After going scoreless in its first three matches, D.C. United has scored two goals in each of their last two . . . Fanendo Adi became Portland’s career goals leader with 46, scoring to close out the Timbers’ 3-1 victory over the winless Philadelphia Union in Chester, Pa.
Real Madrid defender Pepe broke two ribs in his left side during the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in Washington. The club says the Portugal international’s return will depend on the speed of his recovery. Real is heading to Bayern Munich for the opening leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday. It also faces a key Liga match against Barcelona April 23.
NFL
Trufant, Falcons reach $69 million deal
The Atlanta Falcons agreed to a $69 million, five-year contract extension with cornerback Desmond Trufant, locking up another key member for the team that won the NFC championship, said general manager Thomas Dimitroff. The deal was Atlanta’s top priority of the offseason and includes $42 million in guaranteed money. Last season, Trufant played nine games before going on injured reserve with a pectoral injury, missing the team’s run to the Super Bowl.
Tennis
US closes gap in Davis Cup quarterfinal
Late substitute Jack Sock and partner Steve Johnson kept the United States alive in its Davis Cup quarterfinal with host Australia, beating Sam Groth and John Peers, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, in doubles. The win reduced Australia’s advantage to 2-1 ahead of Sunday’s reverse singles . . . Host France advanced to the Davis Cup semifinals after veterans Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut won a tight doubles to clinch a tie against Britain, 3-0. Benneteau and Mahut edged Dominic Inglot and Jamie Murray, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 7-5, 7-5. France will host Serbia in September. Serbia wrapped up its 3-0 semifinal victory against Spain by winning a five-set doubles match in Belgrade. Viktor Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic beat Pablo Carreno Busta and Marc Lopez, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0, 4-6, 6-2, in three hours . . . Italy staved off losing to host Belgium in the Davis Cup quarterfinals by winning the doubles. Simone Bolelli and Andreas Seppi defeated Ruben Bemelmans and Jons De Loore, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) in nearly four hours.
Belgium won both singles Friday, and can clinch Sunday in the first reverse singles.
. . . Unseeded Daria Kasatkina of Russia andJelena Ostapenko of Latvia each moved into position for their first WTA title, winning semifinal matches in the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, S.C. Kasatkina rallied from a set down to beat Laura Siegemund, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, and Ostapenko held off the tournament’s lone remaining seed in No. 11 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Miscellany
Hurricanes forward Bickell to retire
Carolina Hurricanes forward Bryan Bickell said he’s retiring after the season as he fights multiple sclerosis. Bickell, 31, said following Saturday night’s 5-4 shootout loss to St. Louis that he and his family came to the decision ‘‘probably about 3-4 days ago.’’ His final game will be Sunday night at Philadelphia. The three-time Stanley Cup champion with Chicago was diagnosed with MS in November but returned to hockey in February when he was assigned to the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate in Charlotte . . . Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton captured his sixth pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix Formula One race in Shanghai . . . Alejandro Valverde held off Alberto Contador by 17 seconds to win cycling’s Tour of Basque Country in Eibar, Spain.
. . . Dartmouth and Princeton announced last week that the Big Green will host the Tigers in a football matchup in New York’s Yankee Stadium on Nov. 9, 2019, as part of Dartmouth College’s 250th anniversary celebration
