The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that veteran center Evgeni Malkin is returning on a one-year deal.

He will turn 40 years old before the start of next season. Malkin just finished the final year of a four-year deal with Pittsburgh that he signed ahead of the 2022-2023 season and was a free agent.

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The veteran was also mulling retirement, but he will be back with the Pens for at least the 2026-2027 season.

Malkin was the second overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft by the Penguins. He made his debut with the franchise in 2006, and this new contract will take him through his 21st season in Pittsburgh.

The veteran has played in 1,269 career games and has 533 goals with 874 assists. Malkin won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2007, the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2012 and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2009.

He has helped the Penguins to three Stanley Cup titles. Malkin was on all three championship teams with Sidney Crosby, and fans have wanted both to be lifelong members of the Pens.

This story will be updated.

Phil Foden is a “victim” of football’s “crazy” schedule after being left out of England’s World Cup squad, according to PFA chief executive Maheta Molango.

Molango also fears this summer’s tournament in North America could be determined by “survival of the fittest” due to the impact of the sport’s relentless calendar.

Manchester City midfielder Foden was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2024 but was overlooked by Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup following an underwhelming season.

The 25-year-old was among a handful of high-profile players cited during a FIFPRO meeting examining concerns about cumulative fatigue caused by excessive workloads.

Chelsea forward Cole Palmer, who was also not selected by England manager Tuchel, was another player mentioned.

“Phil was voted less than two years ago by his peers as the best player of the (Premier) League,” said Molango, who is a board member of FIFPRO, the world players’ union.

“The number of games that he’s been available has dropped and when he has been available it has not been the version of Phil Foden that we saw two years ago.

“Is it just a coincidence? We think it is not.

“Unfortunately, he is one of the victims of this crazy calendar that only makes sense for those who pursue commercial gain to the detriment of the quality of the show, and to the detriment of the protection of those who should be football heritage.

“It’s a very sad state of affairs if someone like Phil is not on the pitch, because we love people who make us dream and we love people of pure talent.”

Foden and Palmer have both had limited summer breaks in recent years after featuring at Euro 2024 and last year’s expanded Club World Cup. Palmer also represented England at the European Under-21 Championship in 2023.

According to FIFPRO, players cannot sustain “high-threshold competitive seasons” year after year and will eventually suffer injuries or declines in performance.

Data collected by the organisation suggests Declan Rice and Virgil van Dijk are among the players at risk of dips in form or injuries next season because of their recent workloads.

Both England midfielder Rice and Netherlands captain Van Dijk are set to feature at the forthcoming World Cup, which has been expanded to 48 teams and will take place in high temperatures across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Molango believes a guaranteed summer break is the best solution to player burnout.

“We fear that in the end the World Cup will just turn into the survival of the fittest,” he said.

“Will it be the best or the most talented team that prevails, or will it be the fittest?

“I really hope it won’t be just the fittest but there is a big chance this may be the case because some of the most talented (players) who play for the most prestigious teams will get to a stage where it is just too much.

“You cannot get to a competition having already played 60 or close to 60 games.”

Manchester City have confirmed that five members of the first team set-up will leave in addition to Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City have confirmed that five key members of staff will leave this summer as well as Pep Guardiola. City’s manager is saying goodbye after ten years in charge, and most of his backroom staff are going with him.

That includes his right-hand man Manel Estiarte and fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura, who have been with him for all of his time in Manchester. Goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor is also leaving, having spent even longer than that at the club after joining while Manuel Pellegrini was in charge.

Guardiola’s No.2 Pep Lijnders and assistant Kolo Toure are also off, despite only spending a year on the backroom staff. Toure had been promoted from the academy staff while Lijnders arrived after a brief stint managing RB Salzburg in 2024 and both were key parts of Guardiola’s staff this season but are moving on.

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James French, who arrived from Liverpool last summer to be the set-piece coach, is expected to stay on but otherwise there will be several key vacancies for City to fill. Enzo Maresca is expected to bring a number of his trusted backroom staff to the Etihad if and when the Italian is confirmed as the new manager.

Guardiola has called for patience from fans for the new manager as the club tries to move on from one of the most memorable decades in their history. The 55-year-old ended his final press conference as City boss by backing the succession plan.

“They are stubborn, they know exactly what they want to do and they know perfectly that the opponents are so tough here and in Europe. We don’t take trophies for granted, we won finals against Arsenal and Chelsea – I wouldn’t say they are not good teams,” he said.

“We fought against a team like Aston Villa, who won the Europa League. Top teams. I would only like to say to the fans that every single step, don’t wait to win the Premier League or Champions League to be happy. Enjoy the process. I know all the players here will do it.”

Either via free agency — the most probable route — or from trades, the Minnesota Vikings may not be finished with meaningful roster upgrades.

Minnesota has a strong roster, though a few depth-chart pressure points remain.

This tweet circulated on Twitter (X) Monday.

Three Spots Still Worth Monitoring Before Training Camp

So, here’s a look at what Minnesota has and who it could pursue for those three roster spots.

Safety

These are the Vikings’ safeties as of May 25th:

• Josh Metellus
• Jay Ward
• Theo Jackson
• Jakobe Thomas
• Tavierre Thomas
• Kahlef Hailassie
• Jacob Thomas

It’s worth noting that Harrison Smith could return, too, though there is absolutely no timetable on that decision or lack thereof. Fans must brace for the fact that Smith might’ve retired without saying a word.

Whether this group can hang tough by itself is in the eye of the beholder, hinges on injuries, and depends on Metellus. He played most of the 2025 season with a torn labrum and just wasn’t himself. The pain would also be lessened for this group if rookie Jakobe Thomas is ready to strut his stuff as a rookie. Maybe; maybe not.

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If the Vikings want a free-agent safety, these are the veteran options at the moment:

• Jamal Adams
• Ashtyn Davis
• Quandre Diggs
• Rayshawn Jenkins
• Jordan Poyer
• Jabrill Peppers
• Taylor Rapp
• Xavier Woods
• Donovan Wilson

Our Adam New wrote about the idea of a Xavier Woods reunion before the draft, “The Vikings need help at safety, and one option they could turn to is an old friend. Xavier Woods spent one year in Minnesota back in 2021 and had a solid season.”

“He never stayed for the start of Kevin O’Connell’s tenure, but remained a solid DB over three seasons in Carolina and last year in Tennessee. Now 30 years old, Woods could come in as a solid veteran presence while the Vikings turn to the draft to find their long-term solution.”

OLB

With the caveat that rookie linebacker Jake Golday could play on the EDGE as a tweener — Brian Flores loves that stuff — here’s the OLB group:

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• Andrew Van Ginkel
• Dallas Turner
• Bo Richter
• Tyler Batty
• Chaz Chambliss
• Cam’Ron Stewart
• Arden Walker

Because it’s unclear if Richter and Batty are ready for a snap-count spike, this is the most fragile EDGE group for the Vikings in years. The club traded Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles in April, transforming the OLB section of the depth chart from the team’s almighty strength to a lingering question mark.

Of course, if Golday shows up to training camp and looks like the real deal, the problem is solved. However, as of late, most Vikings rookies don’t play right away.

An easy way to think of it? If the Vikings sign another big-name free agent in the coming weeks, it’ll probably be an outside linebacker.

These are the free-agent options:

• Derek Barnett
• Joey Bosa
• Jadeveon Clowney
• Marcus Davenport
• Leonard Floyd
• Cameron Jordan
• Von Miller
• Yannick Ngakoue
• Haason Reddick
• Kyle Van Noy

Zone Coverage‘s Trevor Ripley noted on Clowney a few weeks ago, “With run defense addressed in the draft, Clowney would be the perfect player to rush the passer on third down, or even fill in for a few games if needed. While Turner came on strong last season, leading the Vikings with eight sacks, his development is still in progress.”

“Clowney is a savvy vet. Despite being a one-year import, he offers far more skill and experience than Minnesota has at rotational edge. Behind Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel, the next two men up would likely be Tyler Batty and Bo Richter, who have combined for 24 tackles and 0 sacks in their short careers.”

Center

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The centers in Minnesota as of late May:

• Blake Brandel
• Michael Jurgens
• Gavin Gerhardt
• Delby Lemieux

Most fans were totally convinced that Minnesota would leave April’s draft with a center before the end of Round 4 or so. But they swerved, waiting until Round 7, which turned out to be Gerhardt. The coaching staff said after the draft that it loved Gerhardt and that he was “their guy” all along; it’s just rare for a 7th-Rounder to start right away — or at all.

That leaves Brandel on tap for Week 1 center duty, a man who performed admirably at the position in 2025 during fill-in duty. The previous center, Ryan Kelly, retired this offseason because of multiple concussions.

The free-agent center market? Skimpy.

• James Daniels
• Ethan Pocic

The Vikings, in theory, could also explore Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer via trade, who has ties to new assistant head coach Frank Smith. A backup center, like Matt Hennessy in Dallas, might make sense as well.

If Minnesota wanted a better center than Brandel, that ship has largely sailed — unless Gerhardt is a sudden stud.

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Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that she has “no issue” with her country hosting Iran’s World Cup team after its training base was moved from the United States to Mexico for the summer soccer competition.

The team will still play its matches in the US but its base has been moved to Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego, California, according to Iran’s soccer federation.

The development comes against the backdrop of the war in Iran, which the US and Israel launched on Feb 28.

Sheinbaum said at a news conference Monday that she was told by a FIFA representative the US was reluctant to have the Iranian soccer team spend time outside the games on US territory.

“The United States doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States,” Sheinbaum told reporters. She said a FIFA representative had then asked, “Can they stay overnight in Mexico?” 
“And we said, Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that’,” she said.

Iran’s soccer team is slated to play matches in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and against Belgium six days later, before facing Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.

Before the war broke out, the team was originally planned to set up its base in Tucson, Arizona. But with tensions simmering, Iran’s team moved its base to Tijuana in Mexico, Sheinbaum said, confirming an announcement by the Iranian federation over the weekend. The federation said the Iranians had received approval from FIFA, though it has not confirmed the move.

Teams use base camps to train before and after matches. This year’s World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 and will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

The possibility of a move had simmered for months in the uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East and security concerns. US sanctions on Iran were likely to only make the team’s stay in the US more complex.

The US State Department said in a statement on Monday that President Donald Trump had made it clear the Iranian team was welcome to participate in the tournament.

The department’s statement did not address where the team might stay, or Sheinbaum’s comments.

Sheinbaum said that her government was working with FIFA to hash out all the details before the competition.

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates after winning against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain during their first round women’s singles tennis match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PARIS— Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka took advantage of the heat wave at the French Open to impose her attacking game in the first round Tuesday.

Sabalenka beat 50th-ranked Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 on Court Philippe-Chatrier with an array of approaches to the net and volley put-aways.

READ: French Open 2026 guide: How to watch on TV, and more to know

“That’s the most enjoyable part of the game right now — that I’m able to come to the net to play points there,” Sabalenka said. “I’m super proud that I was able to improve that part of the game.”

The unusually hot conditions at Roland Garros make net-rushing — usually better reserved for hard and grass courts — a viable option because the court is drying out quicker and playing faster.

For a third consecutive day, the temperature in Paris was forecast to rise to at least 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit).

“Let’s hope that this is the perfect condition for me,” Sabalenka said. “It suits my game really well.”

Sabalenka reached the final in Paris last year, losing to Coco Gauff. She has won the Australian Open and the U.S. Open on hard courts.

Gauff was opening her title defense later against fellow American Taylor Townsend.

Also advancing was 17th-seeded Iva Jovic, who beat good friend Alexandra Eala 6-4, 6-2