Sports News Roundup: Soccer-Messi, Mbappe and Haaland among FIFA Best award nominees, Bonmati on women's list; Soccer-PSG give Lee green light to join South Korea Asian Games squad and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Messi, Mbappe and Haaland among FIFA Best award nominees, Bonmati on women's list

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are on the short-list for The Best FIFA Men's Player Award, while Spain's Aitana Bonmati is among the nominees for the Best Women's Player on the back of winning the Golden Ball at the World Cup. Half of the dozen nominees in the men's category were part of Manchester City's 2022-23 treble-winning squad, while City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola is nominated for Best Men's Coach.

Soccer-PSG give Lee green light to join South Korea Asian Games squad

Paris St Germain (PSG) have agreed to let midfielder Lee Kang-in join up with South Korea's Asian Games squad during the group stage, the country's football association (KFA) said on Friday. The KFA said they reached an agreement with the Ligue 1 side late on Thursday and that Lee would be released after PSG's Champions League opener at home to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

Golf-Aberg impresses on BMW PGA Championship debut

Ryder Cup debutant Ludvig Aberg gave a glimpse of what his Europe team can expect with five successive birdies during an eventful opening round at the BMW PGA Championship on Thursday. The 23-year-old Swede, who was one of captain Luke Donald's six picks after a stunning start to his professional career, carded a four-under 68 to sit four strokes off the lead.

Athletics-Sydney Olympic stadium grandstand named after Indigenous icon Freeman

The eastern grandstand of Sydney's Olympic stadium will be named after Cathy Freeman in tribute to the Indigenous runner who won the 400m gold medal at the venue during the 2000 Games. Freeman, who also lit the Olympic cauldron at the start of the Games, said she was honoured by the decision announced by the New South Wales state government on Friday.

Tennis-Djokovic looking forward to Paris Olympics in hectic 2024

Chasing an elusive Olympic gold medal will be one of Novak Djokovic's main goals for next season even though the 24-times Grand Slam champion knows he will have to be physically and mentally ready to cope with a crammed schedule. Djokovic won bronze in Beijing 2008 and fell short in London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo two years ago, but the Serbian who will turn 37 before the next Games begin is still fighting fit after claiming three Grand Slam titles in 2023.

Soccer-South Korea coach Klinsmann wants fans, media to help build 'positive spirit'

South Korea coach Juergen Klinsmann has called on supporters and the media to help build a "positive spirit" around the team as they ramp up preparations for next year's Asian Cup in Qatar amid criticism of the side's performances since he took charge. After a run of three draws and two defeats since his appointment in February, the German oversaw his first win on Tuesday, a 1-0 victory against Saudi Arabia in Newcastle.

NFL-Tottenham and NFL extend partnership through 2029-30 season

The home of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur will host a minimum of two National Football League games a year through the 2029-2030 season as part of an expanded partnership announced by the two sides on Thursday. The agreement extends by two seasons a partnership that was due to run until 2028. Tottenham first hosted NFL fixtures in October 2019, a year later than planned due to delays with the stadium's construction.

Spain's ex-soccer boss Rubiales due in court in sex assault investigation

Former Spanish soccer chief Luis Rubiales will appear before a High Court judge on Friday over a complaint of sexual assault stemming from his allegedly unsolicited kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso - an incident that has triggered a furore over sexism in Spanish sport and society. The events of Aug. 20 eclipsed the national women team's World Cup victory in Sydney and led to protests similar to the Me Too movement, prompting other women to come forward with reports of sexist treatment and assaults.

Tennis-Davis Cup champions Canada stay perfect, US stunned

Defending Davis Cup champions Canada made light of the absence of big names to cruise past Sweden for a second straight victory in the Finals group stage while the United States crashed to their first defeat. A weakened Canada, already missing Felix Auger-Aliassime and Milos Raonic, were dealt a blow with Denis Shapovalov still not ready for action due to a recent knee issue.

Soccer-Arsenal sign Matildas' Cooney-Cross from Hammarby

Arsenal have signed Matildas midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross from Swedish club Hammarby, the Women's Super League (WSL) side said on Friday. The 21-year-old, who has signed a two-year deal, was a standout performer at the recent Women's World Cup, starting all seven of Australia's games as the co-hosts reached the semi-finals before finishing fourth.