National Sports

The World Cup has yet to kick off but Canada is down the pecking order, at least in the new ratings for the tournament update to the EA Sports FIFA 23 video game.

DOHA, Qatar — A smiling Alphonso Davies landed in Doha on Friday, a late arrival after undergoing therapy for a hamstring strain back in Germany.

TORONTO — O.G. Anunoby admits he's "wrung out" after Toronto Raptors games this season. It's easy to see why. The 25-year-old has developed into one of the Raptors' most consistent two-way players, and one of the league's finest defenders.

REGINA — It has yet to bear financial fruit but Randy Ambrosie remains bullish on the potential of his CFL 2.0 initiative.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The Doctor is back in — on the football field. Veteran guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif signed with the Jets' practice squad Friday, giving New York some depth on a unit hit hard by injuries this season.

REGINA — Brandon Banks isn't embarrassed to admit he’s desperate to win a Grey Cup championship.

LONDON (AP) — WNBA star Brittney Griner has begun serving her nine-year sentence for drug possession at a remote Russian penal colony that human rights advocates say is known for harsh conditions and violent criminals.

REGINA — John Couture is old school. The 71-year-old travels without a cellphone, yet manages to find hundreds of his friends at the Grey Cup every year.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Hip hop star Nicki Minaj has teamed up with Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares for the latest addition to the official soundtrack of the World Cup in Qatar.

Former Canada Soccer president Jim Fleming, who helped lead Canada to its first men's World Cup, has died on the eve of Canada's return to the soccer showcase. Canada Soccer said Fleming died Thursday in Edmonton. He was 87.