AP Sports SummaryBrief at 3:39 p.m. EST

Live updates | France-Morocco in the World Cup semifinals

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Kolo Muani has scored in the 79th minute to give France a 2-0 lead over Morocco in the World Cup semifinals.

Mbappe attends to fan ahead of World Cup semifinal match

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Kylian Mbappe has attended to a fan who was apparently struck by a stray practice ball ahead of the World Cup semifinal match between France and Morocco. Mbappe was seen checking on the welfare of a France supporter who appeared to be dazed after the incident at Al Bayt Stadium. The French players had been warming up on the field before the match started. It is not clear if Mbappe was the one who hit the errant shot into the stands but he quickly went over to check on the man.

Messi evokes Maradona comparisons on road to World Cup final

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi has gone into full-on Diego Maradona mode at the World Cup. He has carried Argentina’s class of 2022 into the World Cup final in the same way Maradona led the team to the title in 1986. There have always been echoes of Maradona in Messi because of his size, his dribbling skills, his quick feet and his wand of a left foot. Add in the leadership and fighting qualities he has shown throughout the tournament and it really does feel like Messi is imbued with the spirit of Maradona as he closes in on soccer’s ultimate prize.

Inquiry finds widespread misconduct in women’s pro soccer

An investigation commissioned by the National Women’s Soccer League and its players union found “widespread misconduct” directed at players dating back to the beginnings nearly a decade ago of the top U.S. women’s professional league. A report detailing the results of the year-long investigation was published a little over two months after the release of U.S. Soccer’s own report on a separate investigation. Both investigations found instances of sexual abuse and manipulation within the league.

Former Arizona coach Miller not sanctioned in NCAA case

Former Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller escaped sanctions when a report from the Independent Accountability Resolution Process largely accepted the program’s self-imposed penalties stemming from a NCAA rules violations case that dates back to 2017. Arizona’s athletics program was put on three years of probation through 2025. The school announced a one-year postseason ban in December 2020, which took effect for the 2020-21 season. The IARP report said former assistant coach Emanuel Richardson was given a 10-year show cause penalty after he “solicited and accepted $20,000 in cash bribes and paid $40,000 for a fraudulent academic transcript.” Miller emerged largely unscathed from the report. He is now the head coach at Xavier.

NFL discussing ejections on roughing-the-passer penalties

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL is considering ejections for roughing-the-passer penalties and hits on defenseless players, although league executive Troy Vincent is expressing caution on how such rulings would be enforced. Vincent says ejections were part of a discussion at the NFL owners meetings including roughing-the-passer calls among reviewable plays. Any changes wouldn’t happen until the offseason. Vincent says such changes would have to be weighed against the length of games and other factors.

Brock Purdy, 49ers aim to clinch NFC West in Seattle

The Brock Purdy show is hitting the road in prime time. After outplaying Tom Brady and dominating the Buccaneers in his first career start, Purdy leads the San Francisco 49ers against Seattle on “Thursday Night Football.” Purdy, the last pick in this year’s draft, can follow up a spectacular performance by helping the 49ers secure the NFC West. A victory over the Seahawks would clinch the division title for San Francisco, which turned to Purdy after losing Jimmy Garoppolo to a foot injury on Dec. 4. Purdy will try to play through an oblique injury, and the Niners won’t have wide receiver Deebo Samuel because of knee and ankle injuries.

Analysis: Plans in works for USA Basketball’s World Cup team

The final roster is still months away. It might be May, June or even July before USA Basketball knows which 12 NBA players will be on the team that’s headed to compete at the World Cup in the Philippines next summer. That certainly doesn’t mean the Americans are sitting and waiting. Let the recruiting begin. The braintrust for the U.S. right now is managing director Grant Hill, national team director Sean Ford and coach Steve Kerr. And they’re already well into the process of trying to get players thinking about wearing the red, white and blue at the World Cup in 2023 as well as the Paris Olympics in 2024.

‘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.

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.