AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:30 p.m. EST

Live updates | France-Morocco in the World Cup semifinals

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Morocco’s history-making run at the World Cup is about to get its ultimate test. Africa’s first World Cup semifinalist will play defending champion France and striker Kylian Mbappé at Al Bayt Stadium. The match has cultural and political connotations because Morocco was under French rule from 1912-56 and the outcome is far from a foregone conclusion. Morocco has exceeded all expectations in Qatar by beating second-ranked Belgium in the group stage and then eliminating European powerhouses Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase to reach the semifinals. No African or Arab nation has ever gotten this far before.

Alex Ovechkin reaches 800 career goals with hat trick

CHICAGO (AP) — Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has become the third NHL player to score 800 career goals. He scored three times at Chicago on Tuesday night. Ovechkin scored on his first two shots, beating Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek 24 seconds into the game before stuffing one home on a power play with 11:46 left in the first period. The 37-year-old winger then completed his 29th career hat trick when he knocked Anthony Mantha’s pass over a sprawled Mrazek 6:34 into the third. The rest of the Capitals jumped off the bench to celebrate after the milestone goal, and hats rained down on the ice from the crowd of 16,181 at the United Center. Fans then chanted “Ovi! Ovi!” — drawing a wave from Ovechkin. Washington beat Chicago 7-3.

AP source: Carlos Correa, Giants reach $350M, 13-year deal

Star shortstop Carlos Correa and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $350 million, 13-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations has told The Associated Press. The 28-year-old Correa also was a free agent one year ago after leaving the Houston Astros, and he reached a $105.3 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. That agreement gave him the right to opt out after one year and $35.1 million to hit the market again. Correa batted .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs in his one season with Minnesota.

Messi, Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 to reach World Cup final

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi is back in the World Cup final with Argentina on his mission to win soccer’s biggest prize for the first time. He could hardly be playing any better. Messi converted a penalty and had a hand in the other two goals by Julián Álvarez to lead Argentina to a 3-0 win over Croatia. It set up a meeting with either France or Morocco in Sunday’s title match. It will be the 35-year-old Messi’s second World Cup final in what might be his last ever appearance at the tournament. Croatia failed in its bid to reach a second straight World Cup final.

Álvarez surges, scores, carries Argentina to World Cup final

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Julián Álvarez carried Argentina into another World Cup final with his surging runs and a striker’s instinct. Lionel Messi and the 22-year-old Álvarez were a pair of predators at Lusail Stadium. Their partnership put to rest any hopes Croatia had of reaching back-to-back finals. The younger of the pair earned the penalty kick converted by the 35-year-old Messi before scoring twice in a 3-0 victory. Álvarez is the youngest player to score twice in a World Cup semifinal since a 17-year-old Pele scored a hat trick for Brazil in 1958. No wonder Messi held Álvarez in a playful headlock and hugged him hard after his goals.

Wife: Journalist Wahl died of aortic aneurysm at World Cup

NEW YORK (AP) — Grant Wahl died of a ruptured blood vessel when he was stricken while covering a World Cup match last weekend, according to an autopsy of the well-known American soccer writer. Wahl’s wife, Dr. Céline Gounder, says an autopsy was conducted by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office. She writes “Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium,” a reference to the wall that surrounds the heart. She says “no amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him.”

Foreign college athletes chase endorsement money outside US

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — A new market is evolving for international athletes playing college sports in the United States. Traveling for international sporting events is giving some of them a chance to chase their shot at cashing in on their fame. Those athletes have largely been left out of the rush for endorsement deals. Student visa rules largely prohibit off-campus work while they’re in the U.S. A company named Influxer recently worked with roughly three dozen athletes playing in the Bahamas to prepare marketing materials for potential deals. Since those were collected offshore, they could be used to secure royalties for the athletes without violating visa rules.

Meek Mill goes deep for Philly kids caught in justice system

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Meek Mill played football inside the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice facility with 35 area children from families caught in the criminal justice system. The Philly rapper and social activist says it was important to let the kids know they’re not forgotten as their parents or guardians sort through legal issues. Meek Mill survived a rough Philadelphia upbringing and prison to become a Grammy-nominated rapper. He now seeks changes in the same type of neighborhoods he grew up in. Meek Mill is co-chairman of the Reform Alliance. It’s a non-profit organization dedicated to probation, parole and sentencing reform in the United States.

‘Break Point,’ Netflix’s ‘Drive’ for tennis, debuts Jan. 13

A new Netflix docuseries about professional tennis called “Break Point” is scheduled to debut on Jan. 13. That is three days before the start of the 2023 Grand Slam season at the Australian Open. Netflix revealed the title and launch date on Wednesday. It also released a 30-second teaser for the show, which was made by the executive producers of “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.” The first five episodes of “Break Point” focus on Melbourne Park, Indian Wells, Madrid and Roland Garros. The other five Season 1 installments arrive in June. Those will be about Wimbledon, Eastbourne, Queens Club, the U.S. Open, WTA Finals and ATP Finals.

Winter Olympics focus on climate change, rotating hosts

To hear the world’s Olympic leaders tell it, the bidding for future Winter Games has been jumbled by internal disputes at India’s Olympic committee, a newfound affinity for streamlining the bidding process and a long-overdue nod to the impact of climate change. Left unsaid might be the biggest reason of them all: It’s becoming nearly impossible to find any place, outside of Salt Lake City, that truly wants to host these events. It’s a reality that has been building for decades, and one that even the IOC said could reach a tipping point soon. At a meeting last week, Olympic leaders floated the idea of rotating future games between a handful of cities that have the ability to host games in the warming globe of the future.