Didier Deschamps' future as France head coach will be left up to him when he meets French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet next week.
France reached a second consecutive World Cup final in Qatar, but were heartbreakingly defeated 4-2 on penalties by Argentina following a 3-3 draw after extra time.
With Deschamps' contract expiring at the conclusion of the tournament, it is unclear whether the 54-year-old will decide to continue on in his role.
But with Deschamps leading France to three major tournament finals since his appointment in 2012, Le Graet is hopeful the former midfielder will choose to stay on when they talk next week.
However, if Deschamps indicates he wants to end his tenure, Le Graet will respect that decision.
"Didier has done his job well, he has priority, and I think we will agree [to carry on]," Le Graet told Ouest-France.
"We are already going to spend some time together to talk a bit about what happened in Qatar and how we are already considering the 2024 European Championship.
"If he does not want to stay, it will be a very short [meeting].
"If he wants to stay, there will be slightly longer discussions.
"It would be good if we can complete this [process around the decision] before the end of the year."
Former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has been among the names linked with the job if Deschamps opts to leave.
Former Denver Broncos running back and Super Bowl champion Ronnie Hillman has died of liver cancer at 31 years old.
Hillman led the Broncos in rushing with 863 yards and seven touchdowns in the 2015 season as the Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, in what was Peyton Manning's final game before retiring.
Having been drafted by the Broncos out of San Diego State in the 2012 draft, Hillman went on to play for the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys, racking up 1,976 career yards.
Hillman was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer in August 2022, and it was revealed he had entered hospice care this week before passing away on Wednesday.
A statement was posted to his Instagram account, saying: "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother and father, Ronnie K Hillman Jr.
"Ronnie quietly and peacefully transitioned today in the company of his family and close friends."
Hillman tragically becomes the second member of the Broncos' 2015 championship team to pass away, after receiving leader Demaryius Thomas' death from a seizure in 2021.
Argentina's World Cup triumph has moved them up to second in FIFA's world rankings, but Lionel Messi's Golden Ball-winning exploits were not enough for top spot.
La Albiceleste defeated France on penalties in a thrilling final that ended 3-3 after extra time at Qatar 2022, ending their 36-year wait for the sport's biggest prize.
But despite it proving fifth time lucky for talisman Messi, it is Argentina's closest rivals Brazil who top the world rankings at the end of the year.
The Selecao were knocked out in the quarter-finals following a penalty shoot-out loss to Croatia, but Tite's side hold on to their place at the summit.
It ends a run of four consecutive years when Belgium have ended the calendar year as the world's top-ranked nation in men's international football, with the Red Devils dropping to fourth.
Their descent allows France to move a place up the ladder, to sit third behind Argentina, while England round out the top five in an unchanged position.
A shock loss to Morocco sees Spain slip down the list to 10th, with the African nation in 11th, while Croatia enjoy a major bump to go seventh at Denmark's expense.
Indeed, Denmark suffer one of the biggest drops, down to 18th, with the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal rounding out the rest of the upper echelons.
Other countries enduring slides down the rankings after poor World Cups include Germany, Uruguay and Wales, but there are boosts for Japan, Australia and Cameroon after impressive performances.
Jacque Vaughn was unaware his Brooklyn Nets side had achieved a franchise record in their blowout of the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
The Nets routed the undermanned Warriors 143-113 at Barclays Center, putting up a whopping 91 points in the first half alone.
That tally was a record for the Nets and represented the third-best effort ever in the NBA.
Having had to come back from slow first-quarter performances in wins over the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons in their prior two games, it was a welcome change for head coach Vaughn.
"I did not [know it was a record], wow, nicely done huh?" Vaughn said.
"That's what happens when you come to work and you're ready to work from the beginning.
"I definitely consider it progress, it was definitely the message in our walk through."
Kyrie Irving was absent for the Nets due to tightness in his right calf. Vaughn was unsure if he would return on Friday to face the Milwaukee Bucks.
Vaughn said: "No update, he'll come in tomorrow [Thursday] and get assessed again, hopefully looking forward to him playing again on Friday."
Kevin Durant was in fine form against his former team, putting up 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Warriors were still without Steph Curry, while Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins did not feature, but Durant said Steve Kerr's side still had to be taken seriously.
"It's the Warriors - you always respect them whoever is on the floor," he said.
"They have a championship system, championship players. Steph, Klay, Wiggins out – they [still] have that next up mentality. You can't count them out, so we did a good job staying focused to start."
Jaydev Unadkat took two wickets in his first Test for over a decade as India made a strong start to restrict Bangladesh to 227 all out on day one in Mirpur.
In the final game of the two-match red-ball series, the tourists put themselves on course for a clean sweep with an emphatic performance with the ball, closing on 19 without loss in reply.
Four-wicket hauls for Umesh Yadav (4-25) and Ravichandran Ashwin (4-71) headlined a dominant bowling display from India at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
But the warmest reception was saved for Unadkat, in just his second Test appearance, and first since his debut in 2010 as a teenager.
The 31-year-old struck either side of lunch to dismiss Zakir Hasan (15) and Mushfiqur Rahim (26) to take his first Test wickets and was embraced by his team-mates.
Bangladesh's resistance came almost single-handedly through Mominul Haque, who carved out a patient 84 from 157 deliveries to keep the hosts ticking over.
But his dismissal by Ashwin as the penultimate wicket of the first innings effectively signalled the end of his side's modest resistance and put India in the driving seat.
KL Rahul escaped an LBW call to finish on three not out, with opening partner Shubman Gill still alongside him on 14.
Unadkat joins record books
It was at Centurion in December 2010 that the bowler made his debut against South Africa, suffering a bruising outing as the Proteas won by an innings and 25 runs.
In finally returning to the fold, he sits 11th on the list of players with the longest gap between Test appearances – well off the record of 22 years and 222 days held by John Traicos.
Mominul spares Bangladesh blushes
After a highly successful white-ball series, these two Tests have so far been a bumpy return to earth for the hosts, and it could have been worse were it not for their top-order saviour.
Arriving at the crease with his team 39-1, Mominul survived all but final two batsmen Taijul Islam and Khaled Ahmed, to ensure Bangladesh scraped past the 200 mark.
Jaydev Unadkat took two wickets in his first Test for over a decade as India made a strong start to restrict Bangladesh to 227 all out on day one in Mirpur.
In the final game of the two-match red-ball series, the tourists put themselves on course for a clean sweep with an emphatic performance with the ball, closing on 19 without loss in reply.
Four-wicket hauls for Umesh Yadav (4-25) and Ravichandran Ashwin (4-71) headlined a dominant bowling display from India at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
But the warmest reception was saved for Unadkat, in just his second Test appearance, and first since his debut in 2010 as a teenager.
The 31-year-old struck either side of lunch to dismiss Zakir Hasan (15) and Mushfiqur Rahim (26) to take his first Test wickets and was embraced by his team-mates.
Bangladesh's resistance came almost single-handedly through Mominul Haque, who carved out a patient 84 from 157 deliveries to keep the hosts ticking over.
But his dismissal by Ashwin as the penultimate wicket of the first innings effectively signalled the end of his side's modest resistance and put India in the driving seat.
KL Rahul escaped an LBW call to finish on three not out, with opening partner Shubman Gill still alongside him on 14.
Unadkat joins record books
It was at Centurion in December 2010 that the bowler made his debut against South Africa, suffering a bruising outing as the Proteas won by an innings and 25 runs.
In finally returning to the fold, he sits 11th on the list of players with the longest gap between Test appearances – well off the record of 22 years and 222 days held by John Traicos.
Mominul spares Bangladesh blushes
After a highly successful white-ball series, these two Tests have so far been a bumpy return to earth for the hosts, and it could have been worse were it not for their top-order saviour.
Arriving at the crease with his team 39-1, Mominul survived all but final two batsmen Taijul Islam and Khaled Ahmed, to ensure Bangladesh scraped past the 200 mark.
Jofra Archer is in line to make his long-awaited England return in January after he was named in a 14-man squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa.
The Sussex bowler has not played at senior level since a white-ball tour to India in March 2021, having been sidelined with a succession of injuries since then.
After missing out on T20 World Cup success in November, Archer's return to the fold will be a timely boost in the year England look to defend their 50-over crown and take on Australia in the Ashes.
Mark Wood and Joe Root, as anticipated, are both rested, but there is room for Ben Duckett, who could play his first ODI match since 2016 after impressing upon his Test comeback.
Liam Livingstone, who was injured during England's red-ball series with Pakistan, misses out while Harry Brook will look to win his first ODI cap after a superb multi-format season.
Reece Topley, who is continuing to recovery from injury himself, will hope to join Archer in marking his return to action during the three-game tour, which starts in Bloemfontein on January 27.
A second match at Mangaung Oval follows on January 29, before the final encounter takes place at Kimberley on February 1.
A subsequent Test tour to New Zealand follows.
England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (Lancashire); Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).
Arsenal will embrace the opportunity of their title charge under Mikel Arteta, but the Spaniard has warned them to be prepared for an "unprecedented" Premier League challenge.
The Gunners sit five points clear at the top of the table, having won all but two of their top-flight games this season, to emerge as unlikely contenders.
But with the campaign having been split into two halves to accommodate a mid-season World Cup, Arsenal will return to action against West Ham on Boxing Day with the pressure on to pick up where they left off.
Arteta feels his side can thrive as they look to keep their title tilt on track, but acknowledges they are taking a step into the unknown after the Premier League break.
"We have all the red lights and alarms," he told Sky Sports. "What is coming in the second part of the season is something unprecedented, and we need to be ready for it.
"[But] there is excitement. We should be excited. We should be embracing the opportunity that we have ahead of us, understanding we have to do much better.
"I want the team to play a certain way, and the more consistent we are on that, the more we are going to win. We have the confidence we are on the right path."
Arsenal's main rivals this season remain reigning champions Manchester City, who have been breathing down their necks for much of the campaign.
Arteta was Pep Guardiola's assistant before he joined the Gunners, and he acknowledges the debt he owes his countryman, while stressing he cannot be expected to deliver identical results.
"He was my idol," he added. "He was the one to try to emulate. When you have a person that is so determined, so clear, so focused and has such strong beliefs, you just die for him.
"That's the secret of it. It's great to get some things from other managers or even to copy, but you cannot copy and paste. It doesn't work, unfortunately."
Ryan Tannehill looks set to miss the rest of the season as the Tennessee Titans quarterback likely requires surgery on a right-ankle injury.
The one-time Pro Bowler saw his game curtailed during Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, after outside linebacker Khalil Mack landed on his foot.
Tannehill was carted from the field before returning with his ankle heavily strapped, though he was unable to prevent the Titans slipping to a 17-14 defeat.
Reports from ESPN now indicate the 34-year-old's campaign looks to be over, with the former Miami Dolphins man set to undergo an operation for the problem.
It was a right ankle injury that ruled Tannehill out of two games following a week six match with the Indianapolis Colts, bringing Malik Willis into the fold in his place.
The reserve quarterback started in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the Titans have also signed Joshua Dobbs to provide additional backup.
The latter was with the Detroit Lions briefly as part of their practice squad earlier this month, after he was waived following Deshaun Watson's return to the fold at the Cleveland Browns.
Tennessee are 7-7 for the year, and sit atop the AFC South, but have not won in their last four outings to leave their postseason hopes precariously balanced heading into the final few weeks.
They play the Houston Texans on Saturday, before closing games against the Dallas Cowboys and the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the latter their main rival to top the division.
Erik ten Hag provided a blunt reply when asked when Jadon Sancho will return for Manchester United but insisted Aaron Wan-Bissaka has a future at the club.
Sancho last featured for United on October 22 in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea and was omitted from England's World Cup squad.
The winger did not travel with the squad for a warm-weather training camp in Spain during the domestic break for Qatar 2022 either, having instead been placed on an individual programme to work on his fitness.
United were back in action on Wednesday in a 2-0 triumph over Burnley in the EFL Cup and manager Ten Hag was asked if he knew when Sancho would be available for selection by Sky Sports, to which he merely replied: "No."
Pressed on if there was a timeline for the former Borussia Dortmund star's return to action, Ten Hag gave the same reply.
However, he did provide a lengthier response to questions about Wan-Bissaka, who has struggled with injuries this season.
The full-back set up Christian Eriksen for United's first goal, before Marcus Rashford's fine individual effort sealed United's progression to the last eight.
Wan-Bissaka has struggled for consistency since arriving from Crystal Palace in 2019 and has been linked with a return to the Eagles.
Ten Hag, though, says the defender can cement a place at Old Trafford.
"Aaron Wan-Bissaka, it is clear he has a future," Ten Hag told reporters on Wednesday. "He's had some good years with United, but from the start of this season he had a lot of illnesses and injuries, and so was running behind.
"His fitness levels are getting better, his performance levels are getting better.
"When you get an assist, especially the way he got that assist with his movement and the right moment, the timing and then great pass of course from Bruno [Fernandes]. But this is great and so I'm happy with his performance. He did good."
The Philadelphia Eagles lead the selections for next year's revamped 2023 Pro Bowl Games, with the all-star match moving to flag football from contact action.
The NFL leaders, who sit among the favourites for the Super Bowl with a 13-1 regular season record in 2022, have seen eight players picked for the event.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts headlines a list of Eagles names that also includes wide receiver A.J. Brown, guard Landon Dickerson, and offensive tackle Lane Johnson among others.
Six NFL teams have at least five players selected for the Pro Bowl, which will take place on February 5 at the Las Vegas Raiders' Allegiant Stadium, a week out from Super Bowl LVII.
Hurts will start for the NFC selection against Patrick Mahomes, with the Kansas City Chiefs man headlining a seven-strong selection from his franchise in the AFC group.
Other teams well represented include the Dallas Cowboys with seven, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers with six and the Minnesota Vikings with five.
The league previously confirmed Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald had made his ninth consecutive Pro Bowl, despite injury struggles that have curtailed his campaign
He is joined by Travis and Jason Kelce, who become the first pair of brothers to earn simultaneous selection for a record fifth time.
The two teams will be coached by a set of siblings in former Super Bowl winners Peyton and Eli Manning too, with the duo having earned 18 Pro Bowl selections between them in their playing days.
Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla insists he is not concerned about his side's form despite slumping to their fifth loss from six games in Wednesday's 117-112 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The Celtics were blown away 71-43 in the first half against the Pacers, eventually falling to their third straight loss despite a second-half rally led by Jayson Tatum with 41 points.
"I'm really not concerned about that, in the sense that I think it's the first half that we really got outplayed from an effort standpoint," Mazzulla told reporters.
"It would be more concerning if we didn’t play a completely different style in the second half. We just have a choice to make, what team do we want to be? The team from the first half or the team from the second half?"
The result means Boston slip to a 22-10 record overall, sitting second in the Eastern Conference behind the Milwaukee Bucks (22-9), who also lost on Wednesday to the third-placed Cleveland Cavaliers (22-11).
"I don't really get concerned," Mazzulla said. "We are where we are. You have to rely on who our guys as people and the process of what we're trying to build.
"We're not playing well. Up until this point we have competed defensively and it was an offensive issue. In moments like this it's important to trust your guys. Because they've been through a lot, they've had moments like this, they've had bounce back.
"We're going through a hard stage but that's part of the NBA. It's also hard when you play the way you did at the beginning of the year and at such a high standard. We need to learn to set that standard as a habit."
The Celtics closed several times in the final quarter but Mazzulla rued their start, particularly the first quarter where the Pacers piled on 42 points.
"We just didn't play with a great sense of urgency, didn't play with awareness and didn't play with a sense of details," Mazzulla said.
New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier says they are "back on track" after ending their six-game skid with a hard-fought 4-2 win at the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.
The Devils had gone 0-5-1 since beating the Chicago Blackhawks at home to December 6 to slump to a 21-9-2 record and second spot in the Metropolitan Division coming into Wednesday's game.
But Jesper Bratt scored twice, with Yegor Sharangovich scoring the go-ahead goal midway through the third period with Tomas Tatar adding an empty-netter, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves.
"That one felt good for sure," Hischier told reporters. "We put in the work. We came in late on back-to-back and came out to play.
"It was a full team effort. That one definitely feels good and puts us back on track."
Two-goal hero Bratt had endured a four-game pointless drought prior to getting an assist against Carolina on Tuesday.
Sharangovich was another to find form, having broken a nine-game goalless drought with his ninth of the season, tipping in Jonas Siegenthaler's point shot after Florida led 2-1 going into the third period.
"That was real important. We needed a win," Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said.
"We've played several really good games inside this and couldn't find ways to get the puck in the back of the net.
"To come out and get a couple goals in the third period, a real good goal by Jesper and get some traffic in front and a re-direction by Shara, it was real important."
The Brooklyn Nets scored the third most first-half points in NBA history on their way to a 143-113 rout of the short-handed Golden State Warriors at the Barclays Center on Wednesday.
The Nets led 91-51 at half-time, which was also a franchise record first half, led by Kevin Durant who scored 21 of his 23 points before the main break as they claimed their seventh straight win.
The result compelled the Warriors to back-to-back 30-point losses for the first time since 2001 and extended their poor road record to 3-16, leaving them 15-18 overall.
Brooklyn's 46-17 quarter-time lead, which equated to a 29-point differential, was the largest in any period this NBA season.
The Nets were ruthless in the first half, capitalizing on turnovers from the Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins and playing the second game in a back-to-back after losing 132-94 to the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Brooklyn, who were without Kyrie Irving due to calf tightness, also matched a franchise record with nine players reaching double-figure scoring, including Edmond Sumner (16), Royce O'Neale (14) and Ben Simmons (10).
James Wiseman offered some positivity for Golden State, with 30 points from 28 minutes off the bench, while Jordan Poole struggled on four-of-17 shooting with seven turnovers.
The Nets, who have won 11 of their past 12 games, improved to 20-12, while the Warriors end their six-game road trip with a 1-5 record but can look forward to an eight-game home stand.
Knicks win streak over after Siakam domination
The New York Knicks' eight-game winning streak was ended by the struggling Toronto Raptors as Pascal Siakam scored a career-high 52 points in a 113-106 win.
Siakam scored 34 through the second and third quarters, shooting 17-of-25 from the field along with 16-of-18 from the free-throw line as the Raptors halted their own six-game losing run.
Fred VanVleet added 28 points for Toronto, while Julius Randle scored 30 with 13 rebounds for the Knicks, with R.J. Barrett draining four triples in his 30-point haul.
Mitchell's Cavs down Giannis' Bucks
Not even a trademark Herculean Giannis Antetokounmpo performance was enough for the Milwaukee Bucks, who went down 114-106 to Donovan Mitchell's Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Greek forward scored a season-high 45 points with 14 rebounds, four assists and two blocks as the Bucks rallied in the fourth quarter but fell short.
Mitchell was key for the Cavs with 36 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Darius Garland added 23 points and Jarrett Allen had 19 points with eight rebounds.
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