Sports

Don't be surprised if U.S. Soccer is a force to be reckoned with in a decade ... 'cause Landon Donovan tells TMZ Sports America hosting World Cup games will inspire MILLIONS of kids to pursue the sport -- and he's living proof of it!!

We spoke with the legendary forward and midfielder ahead of the tournament ... and asked about the impact the next few weeks will have on the country, which has historically struggled to keep up with the rest of the world when it comes to futbol.

Donovan was certain it'll be felt ... and pointed to the time he was 12 years old and fell in love with the sport that ultimately became his career.

Talk about an awkward seating chart ... Taylor Swift found herself just a few rows away from Scooter Braun during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

Two of the biggest names from one of music's most public feuds found themselves in the same building -- and surprisingly close quarters -- as eagle-eyed fans noticed Taylor was spotted uncomfortably close to crossing paths with Scooter, who sat just rows away.

Video from inside the arena showed the music mogul sitting only three rows back from the pop superstar with his gleaming girlfriend Sydney Sweeney, the couple seemingly separated from Swift by a barricade.

President Trump was at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but was he awake, or off in la la land?! James Dolan, who was sitting with the world's most powerful man in the World's Most Famous Arena, is clearing the air!

"Where do they get this from?" Dolan asked during a radio interview with Craig Carton on WFAN in New York, referencing the controversy, which blew up Monday night.

"I was with him the whole time. We were talking the whole time. Maybe he was sleep-talking. He was very much awake and very much engaged."

As you undoubtedly saw on social media, 45/47 was photographed in a luxury suite with JD, and many viewers accused POTUS of sleeping ... which Dolan says is simply not true.

Sleep-gate aside, the Knicks were riding a 13-game win streak heading into the game, and with DJT there, many fans placed blame for the 115-111 loss at Trump's feet.

Even with the L, the NYK owner doesn't seem to have any regrets about inviting his longtime buddy.

"That's the first sitting president of the United States to ever go to an NBA Finals. That is a huge honor, and he's a New Yorker. Whatever you think about him, he's a Knicks fan, and people don't want to hear this, I think he's a great guy," Dolan says.

The Knicks owner and the prez go way back -- when Trump was a real estate titan in the city, decades before he ran for the nation's highest office.

Dolan also continued his war of words with Zohran Mamdani, and while he clearly loves Trump, he has no love lost for the mayor of NYC.

Alaric Jackson's alleged domestic violence victim says she pleaded with the Rams star not to hurt her because she was pregnant, but claims he coldly responded, 'I don't give a f***' while roughing her up during an argument earlier this week.

TMZ Sports obtained the 38-year-old woman's request for the TRO, where she goes into detail about Monday night's dust-up, which she says left her with several injuries.

"Verbal threats, scratches, bruises, took my phone & keys," Jackson's accuser wrote when asked whether the 6'7", 340 lb. athlete caused "any emotional or physical harm."

The UFC has infiltrated the FBI headquarters ... with fighters like Justin Gaethje using the agency's digs to prepare for Sunday night's Freedom 250 card at the White House.

The Highlight's setup was put on display in the promotion's new "Embedded" vlog that dropped on Wednesday ... when he casually said the FBI opened its doors to him ahead of his title fight with Ilia Topuria.

Gaethje said the makeshift gym has everything he needs to train -- mats and bags -- but it's gotta be extra cool rolling around on top of the FBI seal.

Draymond Green is adding a Community Note to his own social media clapback ... claiming when he told a woman he'd "crush" her "dirty ass kids," he was still in Kevin Hart roast mode.

The Golden State Warriors star issued the wild comment after a basketball fan called him a "bitch" on X last month ... replying, "Watch your mouth before I crush those dirty ass kids in your banner."

Some folks were baffled by Green's words ... especially because the word "crush" can be interpreted as a threat.

Justin Gaethje's a big underdog against Ilia Topuria at The White House ... so, what does the MMA star have to do to pull off the big upset?? Team USA hockey legend Mike Eruzione is sharing a few words of wisdom.

It all started when TMZ Sports talked to 37-year-old Gaethje last week, and he told us he was gunning to bring "Miracle on Ice" energy to his Freedom 250 fight against Topuria, who is a substantial betting favorite.

As UFC fans will know ... Justin's from 'Merica, while Ilia lives and fights out of Spain.

Stefon Diggs is being ordered to finally explain how he knows the man accusing him of sexual assault ... because a federal judge says calling him an "acquaintance" just isn't good enough.

According to new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the judge ruled on a series of discovery disputes last week in Diggs' ongoing legal battle with Christopher Blake Griffith ... the man who has accused the NFL star of drugging and sexually assaulting him in 2023 ... allegations Diggs has repeatedly denied.

One of the biggest rulings centers on how Stefon must answer a basic question: How did Diggs and Griffith know each other before the alleged incident?

Serena Williams returned to the tennis court after nearly four years away ... and even at 44 years old, the G.O.A.T. didn't miss a beat, winning in straight sets!

In her first competitive match since the 2022 US Open -- over 1,350 days ago -- Serena, along with her doubles partner, 19-year-old Victoria Mboko, upset the number 3-seeded team of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe at the HSBC Championship at the Queen's Club in London.

Serena received a huge ovation as she walked onto the grass court. Williams and Mboko, unseeded, weren't even pushed, winning in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2.

The Knicks' 13-game playoff win streak was snapped Monday night, and many fans are blaming President Trump ... but is that fair?? Charles Barkley says hell no!

"No, s*** no. That had nothing to do with it. I thought the Spurs outplayed them," the Hall of Famer told Adam Glyn in New York City, shortly after Game 3 ended.

Of course, Trump became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game, pulling up to the Garden for the highly anticipated game, watching with his friend, Knicks owner James Dolan, as the team lost 115-111, with the Spurs pulling within one game of New York.

POTUS's presence meant hella increased security around the World's Most Famous Arena. Fans were told to arrive hours before the game, and were subjected to airport-like security. Barriers were also installed around MSG to keep fans away from the building perimeter, and watch parties were banned.

Alaric Jackson, Los Angeles Rams' starting left tackle, was arrested for felony domestic battery Monday night ... and booked into an LAPD jail, where he remains behind bars.

Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a home in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley on Monday around 11 PM after cops were called to the scene.

Police determined, according to NBC L.A., which broke the story, Jackson was initially in a verbal argument with a woman over her allegedly filming him with her phone.

Charles Barkley wasn't exactly breaking down pick-and-roll coverage during Game 3 of the NBA Finals ... because once Cardi B hit the floor for halftime, Chuck's scouting report took a very different turn ... and it was sexual.

Check out the clip ... while Cardi brought the house down at Madison Square Garden, Chuck and the "Inside the NBA" crew seemed just as entertained as the fans in the arena. And let's just say Chuck had a particular observation about Cardi's boobs that immediately sent the desk into hysterics.

As cameras showed Cardi performing, Ernie Johnson joked the crew had been "competing with Cardi B" for viewers' attention. Chuck quickly waved the white flag ... cracking that Cardi's famous nickname might need a slight alphabet upgrade.

Chuck joked ... "I don't know if those B's. They might be Cardi D's. I'm pretty sure those aren't B's. She has the wrong initials."

Josh Hokit's fighting Derrick Lewis at the White House in just a few days, but you wouldn't know it listening to the up-and-coming UFC heavyweight ... who stayed mocking Alex Pereira during a recent, albeit brief, conversation with TMZ Sports!

"Chama," the 28-year-old said when Babcock spoke to the 28-year-old fighter earlier this week ... using a faux-translator to seemingly jab Pereira.

Of course, Alex is from Brazil, and English is not his first language. Hokit, meanwhile, is from Bakersfield -- about 100 miles outside Los Angeles -- and very much does.

The NY Knicks are two games from their first NBA title in 53 years, but President Trump's presence at Madison Square Garden has dominated much of the conversation... begging the question, will it distract the hometown team?!

No, not at all ... according to former NBA star Zach Randolph, who TMZ Sports ran into at LAX on Monday.

"At this stage where these guys are playing for a championship, I don't think that's going to distract [the Knicks] because it's more important things than, you know, getting distracted by the president," the 2x NBA All-Star said.

Further proof a massive scandal can't rock the Vrabels -- Mike and Jen were a united front while celebrating their son's engagement over the weekend.

The New England Patriots head coach's son, Tyler, and Mariah Romano shared the big relationship news on Sunday ... with the new fiancée gushing over the moment.

"The most perfect engagement surrounded by the people I love most," Romano said alongside some snaps from the day.