AP Sports SummaryBrief at 8:53 p.m. EST

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.

Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach dies at 61

Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach has died following complications from a heart condition. The pioneering coach helped revolutionize the college football passing game with the Air Raid offense. Leach had been hospitalized over the weekend and had a bout of pneumonia late this season. He died Monday night. In 21 seasons as a head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, Leach went 158-107. Six of the 20 best passing seasons in major college football history were by quarterbacks who played for Leach, including four of the top six. Mike Leach was 61.

The Jordan Trophy: NBA rebrands, redesigns its MVP award

The NBA Most Valuable Player award has been renamed The Michael Jordan Trophy. The league made that announcement Tuesday and unveiled the redesigned award. The trophy has been named for Maurice Podoloff for about six decades. Jordan won the trophy that was named for Podoloff five times. But now the league’s best player each year will receive a trophy named for the six-time champion.

Morocco faces France in politically charged WCup semifinal

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — As Morocco faces France in the World Cup semifinal, many players and fans of both diverse teams grapple with family tales of colonial history, challenges of immigration, questions of national loyalty. The match has political and emotional resonance for both nations. It dredges up everything that’s complicated about the relationship in which France still wields considerable influence. For many in the former protectorate, the match against the defending champion is an opportunity to show that Morocco is a formidable foe — on the soccer pitch at least — even though immigration between the two countries has blurred the lines for many in France and in Morocco about who to support Wednesday in Qatar.

Moroccan World Cup ‘dream’ faces biggest test against France

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Morocco’s improbable, history-making run at the World Cup is about to get its ultimate test. Africa’s first semifinalist is playing defending champion France and striker Kylian Mbappé. It is a match that has cultural and political connotations because Morocco was under French rule from 1912-56. It is far from the foregone conclusion many would presume by looking at the names of the players and the rankings of the teams. Morocco has shocked the soccer world in Qatar by topping a group containing Belgium and then eliminated Spain and Portugal. It’s one of the biggest stories in the World Cup’s 92-year history and Morocco isn’t done yet.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray out for season with torn ACL

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury confirmed the extent of the injury during his Tuesday news conference. The news is not a surprise after the 25-year-old injured his knee on the third play of Monday night’s 27-13 loss to the New England Patriots. The fourth-year quarterback was flushed out of the pocket and running to his right when he tried to juke past a Patriots defender, but tumbled to the grass in obvious pain. Players from both teams surrounded the quarterback before he was carted off the field with a towel draped over his head.

Baker’s World Series title among best sports moments of 2022

Dusty Baker finally got his elusive championship with the Houston Astros, garnering his first World Series ring in 25 years as a manager in one of the most memorable moments of the year in sports. Baker won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a player, but missed on two chances to win the Fall Classic before the Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. His one of many memorable redemptive moments. The Los Angeles Rams proved home cooking is best by winning the Super Bowl at home and the Golden State Warriors found their old magic by winning their fourth NBA title in eight years and first since 2018. The Colorado Avalanche turned on the way-back machine to win their first Stanley Cup title since 2001.

Column: PGA Tour year in review based on shots from 14 clubs

The driver off the 18th hole cost Mito Pereira the PGA Championship. A putter from 40 yards short of the pin at St. Andrews helped Cameron Smith win the British Open. And most memorable was the 7-iron from Jordan Spieth on the edge of a cliff at Pebble Beach. AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson goes through all 14 clubs in the bag to find the most significant shots that helped shape the year on the PGA Tour. Some of those shots led to an eagle or birdie. Others led to a bogey. They all told part of the story.