The Washington Capitals have signed Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year extension worth $72 million, committing long-term to the defenseman they acquired last offseason.

Chychrun, who turns 27 next week, was in the last year of a six-year deal he signed in 2018 with the Arizona Coyotes and was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The $9 million average annual value of his contract makes him the highest-paid Capitals defenseman. It's also second behind Alex Ovechkin ($9.5 million) on the team next season.

The Capitals acquired Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators last summer for a 2026 third-round draft pick and defenseman Nick Jensen. The offensive defenseman is having his best NHL season, establishing a career high in points (43) in 65 games and tying his career best in goals (18).

"Jakob is a proven, dynamic defenseman in the prime of his career who has established himself as one of the premier blueliners in the NHL," GM Chris Patrick said in a statement Tuesday. "His work ethic, skill set, and ability to excel in all situations at both ends of the ice make him a valuable asset to our team. He is a perfect fit with our culture and vision for the future, and we couldn't be more thrilled that he will continue to be part of our organization for the next eight years."

Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Chychrun ranks third in the NHL in power-play goals (22) and tied for third in goals (66) among defensemen. Only Colorado's Cale Makar (100 goals, 36 power-play goals) and Nashville's Roman Josi (81 goals, 31 power-play goals) have more goals and power-play goals than Chychrun in that span.

The signing of Chychrun gives the Capitals three defensemen locked in through at least 2029, along with Matt Roy and Rasmus Sandin. It also gives the Capitals a potential successor to John Carlson, the 16-year veteran who turns 36 next season, the last year of his 8-year contract.

Acquiring Chychrun was one of several moves made by the Capitals to remain a playoff contender while Ovechkin chases down Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal-scoring record. Those moves paid off: The Capitals are first in the NHL with 102 points and were the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season.

Chychrun's contract carries the same average annual value as Josi, Makar and Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils, but the economic landscape in the NHL is about to dramatically change. In January, the NHL and NHLPA confirmed the salary cap will jump over the next three seasons. The salary cap for 2025-26 will rise to $95.5 million from $88 million this season; by 2026-27, it's projected to increase to $113.5 million.

Inter Miami signed Ecuador international forward Allen Obando from Barcelona Sporting Club on loan through the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, with an option to make the transfer permanent in December.

In exchange for Obando's discovery rights, Inter Miami traded $100,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) and $50,000 in 2026 GAM to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the club announced Tuesday.

"I'm excited to have the opportunity to continue my career with a new challenge at a great club like Inter Miami," Obando said in the club's statement. "I'm ready to get to work to continue growing as a player and help my teammates and the Club fight for our objectives this season."

The 18-year-old joins the club pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.

Obando kicked off his career with Barcelona de Guayaquil in Ecuador, making his debut in August 2022 at 16 years old. He went on to contribute four goals and three assists in two seasons before departing.

At the international level, Obando represented the Ecuadorian national team at different levels including the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament and the 2025 South American U20 Championship. Overall, he's recorded four goals and one assist in 10 appearances while boasting the Ecuadorian national team jersey.

He made his senior national team debut in Match 2024 and has won two caps.

Obando joins Gonzalo Luján, Maximiliano Falcón, Tadeo Allende, Telasco Segovia, Baltasar Rodríguez and Fafà Picault as Miami's signings in 2025.

Inter Miami remains unbeaten in the 2025 campaign, sitting in third place on the MLS Eastern Conference table with 10 points in four games and reaching the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals, where it will face LAFC.

Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup after Mehdi Taremi scored twice in a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

The Inter Milan striker scored his second goal in the 83rd minute in Tehran, giving Iran the point it needed to qualify to a fourth straight appearance at the World Cup and a seventh overall.

The 48-team tournament will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Uzbekistan, three points behind Iran in Group A, would have qualified for the first time with a victory and twice took the lead at the Azadi Stadium.

Khojimat Erkinov struck after 16 minutes but Taremi put Iran back on level terms seven minutes into the second half by firing an unstoppable volley into the roof of the net from the edge of the area.

Immediately, Abbosbek Fayzullaev restored Uzbekistan's lead but, Taremi responded, this time from close range, to send Iran to the World Cup where it will attempt to progress past the group stages for the first time.

Earlier, Australia took a big step toward securing a spot at tournament with a 2-0 win over China in Hangzhou on Tuesday that also ended the hosts' hopes of automatic qualification.

First-half goals from Jackson Irvine and Nishan Velupillay were enough for the Socceroos. With two games in Group C remaining in the third round, Australia is three points clear of third-placed Saudi Arabia, which drew 0-0 at already-qualified Japan.

The top two from each of the three groups of six in Asia are guaranteed a place, while the teams that finish third and fourth will advance to a further stage to compete for two more places.

Irvine, who scored twice in the 5-1 win over Indonesia on Thursday, needed just 16 minutes to make room inside a crowded area to curl home a shot into the corner.

To make matters worse for China, 13 minutes later goalkeeper Wang Dalei spilled a tame shot from Velupillay which then rolled over the line.

China has yet to return to the World Cup since its 2002 debut and remains bottom of the group.

Saudi Arabia is still in the hunt for a seventh appearance after a battling goalless draw in Japan. The hosts dominated at Saitama Stadium but were unable to get the breakthrough.

South Korea drops points again In Group B, South Korea stayed top but dropped two points for the second time inside a week, drawing 1-1 at home to Jordán.

South Korea needed just six minutes to take the lead when Lee Jae-sung arrived late to divert Son Heung-min's corner into the net from close range.

A win would have put the Koreans on the brink of an 11th successive appearance but Jordan was level on the half hour. Mahmoud Al-Mardi pounced on the loose ball to shoot home, though the shot was deflected off a Korean defender.

South Korea has 16 points, three more than Jordan. Iraq, in action against the Palestinian team later, is in third with 12 points.

Real Madrid star Arda Güler called Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai "a joke" on Monday after the pair clashed in the UEFA Nations League game between Turkey and Hungary.

Turkey beat Hungary 3-0 in Budapest -- Güler scored the second goal -- to claim a comfortable 6-1 aggregate win over two legs.

During the match at the Puskas arena, Güler was seen putting his finger to his lips in a "shhh" gesture aimed at Szoboszlai.

The Liverpool playmaker later commented "1088" on an Instagram post showing the incident from the Hungarian website nso.hu, a reference to the number of minutes Güler has played for Madrid this season.

Güler responded on Instragam on Monday, writing: "This guy is a joke. Isn't six goals enough to shut you up?"

The caption was accompanied by a photo of Güler's "shhh" gesture, and the 3-0 scoreline from the game, with the words "Szoboszlai, one Instagram comment" shown alongside the names of the three Turkish goalscorers.

Güler has made 31 appearances for Madrid in all competitions this season, but 21 of them have come as a substitute, often for just a few minutes each.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca, published on Tuesday, Güler insisted that he is not considering departing Madrid this summer, after the LaLiga giants beat competition from a string of top clubs to sign him in July 2023.

"Real Madrid gave me a plan, and I still believe in it," Güler said. "I'm sure I'll succeed at Madrid, I've even bought a house in Madrid. I work hard and I'm always ready to play.

"I came to Real Madrid to play and be an important part of the team. And I won't stop until I achieve that."

Madrid still have a chance of winning three major trophies this season -- they are second in LaLiga, in the Copa del Rey semifinals, and play Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals next month -- having already lifted the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Forward Trinity Rodman will return to the United States women's national team for the first time since its Olympic gold medal victory in August.

Rodman is among the 24 players whom USWNT coach Emma Hayes has called in for games against Brazil on April 5 and April 8, U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday.

The matches, which will take place just outside Los Angeles and San Jose, California, respectively, serve as a rematch of last year's Olympic final, which the Americans won 1-0.

Rodman returned to the field for the Washington Spirit on Saturday in her first competitive match since the NWSL Championship on Nov. 25.

She had played through back pains that ailed her throughout the fall and kept her out of the past four USWNT training camps.

Rodman entered Saturday's game in the 57th minute of the Spirit's 2-0 loss to the Kansas City Current.

She appeared to score an equalizer one minute later, but the potential goal was scrapped after video review.

She scored three goals at the Olympics as part of the self-proclaimed "Triple Espresso" forward line alongside Sophia Wilson (formerly Smith) and Mallory Swanson, both of whom have also been away from the USWNT since the Olympics.

Wilson recently announced she is pregnant and is on maternity leave. Swanson has been on personal leave from club and country since January.

"I have not had the chance to work with the Triple Espresso, Rose [Lavelle], Naomi [Girma] together since the Olympics, so it's a long time, but to get one of them [Rodman] back is really exciting," Hayes said.

"Of course, [I] have to urge a little bit of caution [with Rodman], because she's had an ongoing back complaint. I think she's on the right road to that, but it can be quite easy to sort of trigger it. You can go from a position of a managed return to play, to too much. So, I have to try and find the sweet spot in camp to reintegrate her back in the team, but also to manage her, because she has a long season ahead."

Hayes continues to experiment with "less experienced players continuing to try to prove themselves," as she said in a statement, in the early buildup to the 2027 World Cup.

Eleven players on the roster have 10 caps or fewer, with an average age of 25.3 years old.

"All of the players know they have to earn every roster spot, every starting spot and every minute they get as a finisher off the bench," Hayes said. "Working with players who are striving for consistency in elite performance, so they can keep getting call-ups and keep exceling at this level, is an exciting process and one that continues with these two games."

The young faces include 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes, who will return after impressing at the SheBelieves Cup despite the Americans' loss to Japan to concede the tournament title.

Midfielder Claire Hutton, 19, is the other teenager on the roster. Houston Dash full-back Avery Patterson has also received her first senior call-up.

Hayes has also recalled several players who have been absent from the USWNT since she took over as coach last year.

Center-back Alana Cook and forward Ashley Hatch return to the USWNT in a training camp with games for the first time under Hayes (Hatch trained with the team in January). Each player's last appearance for the team was in late 2023.

Forward Mia Fishel will also join the USWNT as a training player in camp, along with goalkeeper Angelina Anderson. Fishel tore an ACL in USWNT camp in February 2024 and just returned to the field for Chelsea FC's senior team on Sunday. Anderson will train alongside the three rostered goalkeepers: Jane Campbell, Mandy McGlynn and Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

Hayes has said that she will use 2025 to evaluate who could be the next starting goalkeeper following the retirement of longtime starter Alyssa Naeher.

"If you think about this, prior to when even Alyssa [Naeher] made the No. 1 her own, it takes a period of time to be able to solidify that," Hayes said. "And I think it's fair to say we've got a lot of really good quality goalkeepers. Who will emerge from that as the No. 1? I don't know, but they have to take their chances when they get them.

"This is a performance-related business, and each and every opportunity they get, they have to make the most of it, because, of course, that will impact my decision making as we progress. This camp, there will be changes in goal again."

U.S. women's national team roster by position (Club; Caps/Goals) - April matches vs. Brazil

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 10), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 2), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 0)

DEFENDERS (8): Alana Cook (Kansas City Current; 29/1), Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC; 67/3), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 157/25), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 65/1), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 3/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 0/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 3/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 105/2)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 25/1), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 31/1), Lindsey Heaps (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 163/36), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 1/0), Jaedyn Shaw (North Carolina Courage; 24/8), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 4/1)

FORWARDS (7): Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 2/1), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 22/5), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 21/9), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 46/10), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 7/0), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; 5/2), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 15/1)

Argentina will get the chance to defend its World Cup title in 2026 after becoming the first South American team to qualify for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.

Argentina, which won its third World Cup title in Qatar in 2022, secured a place at the 2026 event ahead of its clash with Brazil later on Tuesday after Bolívia failed to beat Uruguay in an earlier game.

The top six teams in South America qualify automatically for the first-ever 48-team World Cup, with the seventh-placed team entering an intercontinental playoff. Argentina, which tops the standings, was assured of one of the six spots when seventh-place Bolivia drew 0-0 with Uruguay in El Alto, Bolivia.

Backed by Lionel Messi, Argentina (28 points) has led South American qualifying from the start, with few hiccups and major away wins at Brazil and Uruguay.

It remains to be seen if Messi, who scored twice in Argentina's win over France in the 2022 final, will feature for his country at a record sixth World Cup in 2026. The 37-year-old has not ruled out the possibility but has insisted it is not his focus and hinted that the end of his career is near.

Messi, who has a contract with Inter Miami through the end of 2025, has an injury to his adductor and was not included in Argentina's squad for this round of matches.

Argentina joins Japan, New Zealand and Iran as the first qualifiers for the next World Cup, alongside the three host nations.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Stanford fired football coach Troy Taylor, the school announced Tuesday.

The decision comes a week after ESPN reported that two outside firms had found Taylor bullied and belittled female athletic staffers, sought to have an NCAA compliance officer removed after she warned him of rules violations and repeatedly made "inappropriate" comments to another woman about her appearance.

"Since beginning my role as General Manager, I have been thoroughly assessing the entire Stanford football program. It has been clear that certain aspects of the program need change," Stanford football general manager Andrew Luck said in a statement. "Additionally, in recent days, there has been significant attention to Stanford investigations in previous years related to Coach Taylor.

"After continued consideration it is evident to me that our program needs a reset. In consultation with university leadership, I no longer believe that Coach Taylor is the right coach to lead our football program. Coach Taylor has been informed today and the change is effective immediately."

It is unclear whether the university will have to pay out the remainder of Taylor's contract.

In response to ESPN's report last week, Stanford said Taylor had complied with the investigations and was committed to improving his behavior. Sources told ESPN that Luck met with the team in Taylor's presence on Thursday and doubled down on his support for the coach.

A statement from Stanford Football General Manager Andrew Luck.

https://t.co/Gb677bSF5u pic.twitter.com/Tk0YBa88t9

Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) March 25, 2025

According to documents obtained by ESPN, the investigations began after multiple employees filed complaints against Taylor for what they called hostile and aggressive behavior, as well as personal attacks, the reports said. The school hired Kate Weaver Patterson, of KWP Consulting & Mediation, to investigate in spring 2023.

After the first investigation, Taylor signed a warning letter on Feb. 14, 2024, acknowledging he could be fired if the conduct continued, according to the documents. Additional complaints were documented in a second investigation that ended last July 24, but Taylor remained on the job.

The second investigation cited evidence "that this is an ongoing pattern of concerning behavior by Coach Taylor." It was conducted last June and July by Timothy O'Brien, senior counsel for the Libby, O'Brien, Kingsley & Champion law firm in Maine. O'Brien, who has advised several Division I and Power 5 programs, said in his report that he has never encountered "this palpable level of animosity and disdain" for a university compliance office.

"Even during the interview with me, when talking about compliance issues, Coach Taylor's tone was forceful and aggressive," O'Brien wrote.

He called Taylor's treatment of the team's compliance officer "inappropriate, discriminatory on the basis of her sex," saying it had a "significant negative impact" on the staffer. O'Brien concluded that Taylor retaliated against the compliance staffer by "seeking her removal from her assigned duties" after she raised concerns about NCAA rules violations related to illegal practices and player eligibility.

O'Brien outlined possible disciplinary procedures, including termination, under NCAA bylaws if an employee retaliates, "such as intimidating, threatening, or harassing an individual who has raised a claim."

One source with direct knowledge told ESPN that Taylor has "lost the locker room." Two sources told ESPN that Taylor's behavior extended beyond athletic department and compliance office staff and onto the field.

Taylor had back-to-back 3-9 seasons before he was fired. He was previously the head coach at Sacramento State.

In a statement to ESPN last week, Taylor said he was using the investigations as a "learning opportunity."

"I willingly complied with the investigations, accepted the recommendations that came out of them, and used them as a learning opportunity to grow in leadership and how I interact with others," Taylor said. "I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively and collegially with my colleagues so that we can achieve success for our football program together."

Taylor did not immediately respond to a message from ESPN seeking comment on Tuesday's firing.

Pete Thamel contributed to this report.

The New York Giants and free agent quarterback Russell Wilson reached agreement Tuesday on a one-year deal worth up to $21 million, including $10.5 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The 10-time Pro-Bowl selection had been in discussions with the Giants, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, but is opting for New York, where he won Super Bowl XLVIII in MetLife Stadium as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Now, Wilson is returning there as the Giants' projected starting QB.

The agreement between Wilson and the Giants now eliminates New York as a potential option this season for Aaron Rodgers, sources told Schefter.

It also now leaves Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers -- Wilson's former team -- in a position to work out their own agreement, if the quarterback decides he wants to play this season.

Wilson joins a Giants team with just two other QBs on the roster: Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito. The veteran Winston agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with the team last week. DeVito is a holdover who appeared in 12 games for the team the past two seasons.

New York also currently holds the No. 3 pick in next month's NFL draft.

Wilson, 36, signed a one-year contract with the Steelers on the eve of free agency last offseason. Though he was hampered by a lingering calf injury throughout training camp and the first six weeks of the season, he ultimately replaced Justin Fields as Pittsburgh's starter in Week 7 and went 6-1 in his first seven starts.

But after that early success, Wilson and the Steelers ended the 2024 season on a five-game losing streak. He threw just six touchdown passes, turned over the ball four times and was sacked 18 times during that stretch. Wilson finished the season with a 6-5 record as the starter with 16 touchdown passes to five interceptions. He completed 63.7% of his passes and was sacked 33 times.

Before last season in Pittsburgh, Wilson spent two seasons with the Denver Broncos, who signed him to a five-year, $242.6 million deal after acquiring him in a massive trade with the Seahawks. But the Broncos went just 11-19 during Wilson's tenure and didn't make the playoffs, and he was released by the team last March despite his contract carrying more than $85 million in dead money after his exit.

Wilson landed in Denver in 2022, when the Broncos sent five draft picks, including two first-rounders, and three players to the Seahawks in exchange for the Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

Wilson spent his first 10 years with the Seahawks and threw two touchdown passes in Seattle's Super Bowl XLVIII win. He is a 10-time Pro Bowler and has 46,135 passing yards, a 64.7% completion percentage (3,882 for 6,001) and 350 touchdown passes to 111 interceptions over a 13-year career.

ESPN's Brooke Pryor contributed to this report.