Sports News Roundup: Mick Schumacher joins Mercedes as F1 reserve driver; Ukraine's Svitolina rallies for forgotten compatriots and more

Briton Murray, a three-times Grand Slam champion, said in March he would donate all his prize money won from tournaments in the year towards aid efforts for children affected by the war, which Russia has called a "special military operation". Soccer-World Cup dreams shattered, Croatia and Morocco dust themselves off for bronze As Croatia and Morocco pick up the pieces after their World Cup semi-finals defeats, the two teams will welcome the prospect of potentially leaving Qatar on a high when they square up in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing-Mick Schumacher joins Mercedes as F1 reserve driver

Mercedes announced former Haas driver Mick Schumacher, son of seven-times world champion Michael, on Thursday as their Formula One reserve for next season. Schumacher, whose Ferrari great father also raced for Mercedes from 2010-12, will attend every grand prix as back up for seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Soccer-FIFA, UEFA win EU court adviser backing on rules contested by Super League

Soccer bodies UEFA and FIFA on Thursday won the backing of an adviser to Europe's top court on rules contested by potential rival the European Super League (ESL) as anti-competitive in a case that could affect other sports. The case centres on the dispute between European soccer's governing body UEFA and world equivalent FIFA and the ESL last year but could also impact other sports, clubs and players tempted by lucrative deals offered by rebel bodies and seeking to cash in during relatively short careers.

Soccer-Argentina near full-strength for World Cup final against France

Argentina made a statement in their 3-0 World Cup semi-final win over Croatia and will head into Sunday's showpiece with two players back from suspension and Angel Di Maria fit and ready to face France. Defenders Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna missed the semi-final as they were suspended after accumulating two yellow cards.

Olympics-IOC and Ukraine's Zelenskiy agree to disagree over Russian athletes

The International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the Games have a unifying mission when he spoke to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who called for a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, the IOC said on Thursday. Zelenskiy had said on Wednesday after the call with Bach that he had opposed the idea of Russian athletes taking part under any kind of neutral banner at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, as "all their flags are stained in blood."

Tennis-Nadal, Swiatek named ITF world champions after stellar 2022 season

Rafa Nadal was crowned the ITF world champion for the fifth time in his career while top-ranked Iga Swiatek won the women's award after a superb 2022 season, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Thursday. World number two Nadal fought back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in January's Australian Open final to capture his 21st Grand Slam trophy, before sealing a record-extending 14th French Open title in June for his 22nd major.

Soccer-Mental strength, moments of brilliance - how France reached the World Cup final

France started the World Cup with more questions than answers after being ravaged by injuries, but they quickly ended the curse of the defending champions to reach the final thanks to their ruthlessness, mental strength and moments of sheer brilliance. Kylian Mbappe scored five goals in his first three matches while Olivier Giroud, who owes his place in the starting lineup to Karim Benzema's last-minute injury, became France's all-time goal scorer as he launched the campaign with the first goal of their inaugural 4-1 win against Australia. He also netted the winner in the 2-1 victory against England in the quarter-final.

Tennis-Murray receives Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for Ukraine relief effort

Andy Murray was named as the 2022 Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award recipient in recognition of his support for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine following Russia's invasion of its neighbour, with the former world number one raising more than $630,000. Briton Murray, a three-times Grand Slam champion, said in March he would donate all his prize money won from tournaments in the year towards aid efforts for children affected by the war, which Russia has called a "special military operation".

Soccer-World Cup dreams shattered, Croatia and Morocco dust themselves off for bronze

As Croatia and Morocco pick up the pieces after their World Cup semi-finals defeats, the two teams will welcome the prospect of potentially leaving Qatar on a high when they square up in the third-place playoff on Saturday. Beating two world class teams in Argentina and France to reach the final proved to be a step too far for Croatia and Morocco, who handsomely defied pre-tournament odds to reach the semis.

Tennis-Ukraine's Svitolina rallies for forgotten compatriots

Ukraine's former world number three Elina Svitolina said she fears people are forgetting about her compatriots, almost 10 months into Russia's ongoing invasion that has reduced cities to rubble. One of Ukraine's most celebrated athletes, she has added star power to a fundraising effort to supply electricity generators for Ukrainian hospitals as the invasion continues into the bitter winter months.

Motor racing-Australia extends F1 deal, Saudi Arabia to open 2024 season

The Australian Grand Prix will remain in Melbourne until at least 2037 with a new deal to be the season-opening race on at least four occasions and Saudi Arabia to kick off the 2024 campaign, the Victoria state government said on Thursday. The deal for a further two years at Albert Park follows a 10-year extension announced in June.