Reuters Sports News Summary

Top soccer stars Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe led their teams to perfect World Cup starts with impressive goal-scoring performances in Tuesday's matches.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Goal machines Messi, Haaland and Mbappe give their teams perfect starts

Superstars shone in Tuesday's World Cup matches, with soccer greats Lionel Messi of Argentina, Norway's Erling Haaland and Frenchman Kylian Mbappe scoring for fun. From Messi's hat-trick against Algeria, Haaland's double versus ​Iraq and Mbappe's brace against Senegal, Tuesday's matches offered some succour to those backing the favourites.

Cubs' Edward Cabrera exits early vs. Rockies due to hand cramp

Chicago Cubs starter Edwin Cabrera left Tuesday's ​home game against the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning with what the team called a cramp in his right hand. The ‌28-year-old right-handed pitcher ​returned to the team earlier this month after a blister on his pitching hand sidelined him, leading the Cubs to place him on the 15-day injury list, retroactive to May 21.

Soccer-Mbappe double fires France to impressive win over Senegal

Kylian Mbappe struck twice to lead France to a dominant 3-1 victory over Senegal in World Cup Group I on Tuesday and become his country's all-time record goalscorer. Although the Africans had looked the stronger team in the first half, the second period was a different matter as class ultimately proved the difference for the twice world champions.

Soccer-Messi reaffirms enduring importance with World Cup hat-trick

With a dazzling hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 ‌World Cup win over Algeria on Tuesday, the 38-year-old Lionel Messi vindicated coach Lionel Scaloni's assertion on the eve of the match that he remains fundamental to the reigning champions. Exactly 20 years after netting his first World Cup goal, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner again shaped the narrative, moving level with Miroslav Klose's 16 goals for a share of the all-time men's scoring record at the tournament.

Analysis-Apollo's sale of the largest US private golf-club operator shows upswing in M&A for luxury clubs

A post-COVID surge in U.S. golf-club memberships is leading to big deals for private-club operators that cater to the affluent, evidenced in Apollo Global Management's sale last week of the largest private country-club operator in North America.

Known for running marquee golf clubs like Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, and TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, Invited Clubs announced its sale to KSL Capital Partners, confirming a previous Reuters report ‌about the roughly $3 billion deal, including debt.

Soccer-Canada face Qatar in Vancouver with wide-open Group B in focus at World Cup

Canada and Qatar meet on Thursday with Group B finely poised, setting up a compelling clash in Vancouver where victory would allow either side to claim three vital points and break ahead in the World Cup standings. Co-hosts Canada arrive following a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto and can ‌expect strong backing once again in Vancouver, having enjoyed vocal home support in their opener in the normally ice hockey-mad nation.

Soccer-Messi equals World Cup scoring record with hat-trick

Lionel Messi equalled the men's World Cup all-time scoring record with a hat-trick in Argentina's opener against Algeria on Tuesday, matching former Germany striker Miroslav Klose's tally of 16 goals.

Soccer-US not taking Australia lightly despite pundits' barbs

The United States are refusing to buy into suggestions that Friday's World Cup Group D clash with Australia in Seattle will be straightforward, with winger Tim Weah saying the Americans are focused on preparation rather than outside noise. CBS Sports analyst and former MLS player Mike Grella described the match as a "lay-up" for the U.S. and called Australia the "weakest team in the group."

Stanley Cup Final draws highest TV ratings in 7 years

The high-scoring Stanley Cup Final turned into a ratings win for ABC, which drew the highest viewership for the NHL's championship round in seven years, the network announced Tuesday. The Carolina Hurricanes' six-game win over the Vegas Golden Knights attracted an average of 5.2 million viewers. ⁠The last time more people ​tuned in to see the Stanley Cup Final was in 2019, when 5.3 million on average watched the St. ⁠Louis Blues top the Boston Bruins in seven games.

Athletics-American Lyles sets world best in rarely run 150 metres

American Noah Lyles took a quarter of a second off the world's best time to clinch victory in the rarely-run 150 metres at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting in the Czech Republic on Tuesday. Lyles, the Olympic 100m champion and four-times 200m world champion, clocked 14.67 seconds to better Jamaican Kishane Thompson's mark of 14.92 set earlier this year.

Tennis-Serena to reignite Venus partnership after receiving Wimbledon doubles wildcard

American great Serena Williams will return ⁠to Wimbledon with her sister Venus following a four-year absence after the All England Club gave the pair a doubles wildcard on Tuesday and added a fascinating storyline to this year's tournament. Serena has 23 Grand Slam singles titles, including seven at Wimbledon, and has also captured six doubles titles at the All England Club playing alongside her older sibling.

Soccer-Messi hat-trick equals scoring record as Argentina dazzle against Algeria

Lionel Messi scored a majestic hat-trick to equal the all-time World Cup scoring record, answering ​doubts about his influence at age 38 and firing up Argentina's title defence with a 3-0 Group J win over Algeria on Tuesday. He drew level with Germany's Miroslav Klose with 16 goals in total and became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick — exactly 20 years to the day since his first goal at the global tournament.

Soccer-Merlin the duck: From Mexico City ⁠streets to World Cup stardom

A domesticated duck named Merlin, sporting a miniature Mexico shirt and custom duck socks, has waddled his way into the hearts of football fans, becoming an unlikely unofficial mascot for the country's World Cup campaign. Merlin's fame was ignited during street celebrations following the co-hosts' 2-0 victory over South Africa in last week's World Cup opening game.

Soccer-Vancouver soccer shop basks in World Cup spotlight nearly five decades on

On East Hastings Street, where Vancouver's soccer heart has quietly beaten for almost half a century, Ferruccio Susin is witnessing a lifelong dream ⁠unfold - a ​World Cup on Canadian soil - from behind the counter of the store that has grown alongside the game. Susin, an Italian-born immigrant who arrived in Canada aged 10, incorporated North America Sports in 1976 as a ski-boot business. After back-to-back snowless winters crippled sales, he pivoted to soccer gear in 1978.

Soccer-Doubts remain over Davies as Canada prepare for Qatar match

The status of Canada's Alphonso Davies remains shrouded in secrecy ahead of their World Cup Group B clash with Qatar on Thursday, with the team remaining tight-lipped about his recovery from a hamstring injury during Tuesday's training session. Davies took the field with his teammates in bright sunshine shortly after 11 a.m. local time at the National Soccer Development Centre and took a full part in the 15 minutes of the workout that were open to media, but team officials kept their cards close to their chest about his ⁠fitness.

Knicks-Spurs scores NBA Finals' highest ratings in 28 years

With an average of 20.6 million views, per Nielsen, this month's NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs was the most-watched finals since 1998. The Knicks' 94-90 title-clinching Game 5 victory on Saturday night drew an average of 24.5 million viewers on ESPN and ABC, the most in a Game 5 of the ⁠finals since 1998. That 1998 series, with Michael Jordan and the Bulls winning their sixth championship by ousting the Utah Jazz, ⁠averaged 29.04 million in six games.

Soccer-Austria triumph on World Cup return with 3-1 win over Jordan

Austria celebrated their long-awaited return to the World Cup with a 3-1 win over determined debutants Jordan on Tuesday, with substitute Marko Arnautovic the difference in a gritty, end-to-end Group J match. On a brisk night in the San Francisco Bay Area, Austria went ahead with a 21st minute thunderbolt from Romano Schmid before Jordan fought back after the break through Ali Olwan's exquisite strike in off the post.

Soccer-Austria return from long World Cup absence with nervy 3-1 win over Jordan

Austria marked their return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence with ‌a tense 3-1 win over debutants Jordan in their Group J opener on ‌Tuesday, relying on a second-half own goal and a last-gasp penalty to claim the three points. Austria took the lead on 20 minutes through a Romano Schmid thunderbolt, but were pegged back five minutes after the break ​when striker Ali Olwan found space in the area and fired a sizzling shot inside the far post.