Rafael Nadal is sure he'll be returning to competition after missing nearly all of 2023 with a hip injury that required surgery. And now he says he'll be revealing his comeback plans soon.

Nadal wrote Thursday on social media: "I confirmed yesterday I'll be back" and punctuated that message with a smiling emoji.

Lionel Messi could not help Argentina extend its unbeaten streak since its World Cup title.

Uruguay beat Argentina 2-0 at La Bombonera Stadium in Buenos Aires on Thursday in a World Cup qualifying match, its biggest victory so far under new coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland might have aggravated a left ankle injury while playing for Norway in a friendly match.

Haaland came on as a halftime substitute in a 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands on Thursday and sustained a "little twist in his ankle," according to Norway team doctor Ola Sand, late in the game.

A high-tech football ball that helps with more accurate offside decisions will make its European Championship debut next year in Germany after being used at the 2022 World Cup.

European soocer governing body UEFA and manufacturer Adidas unveiled the ball for Euro 2024 in Berlin on Wednesday. It is named "Fussballliebe," the German word for "love of football," and will be used at next year's 51-game tournament from June 14-July 14.

Jannik Sinner recorded his first win over top-ranked Novak Djokovic, delighting a raucous home crowd at the ATP Finals.

Sinner triumphed 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2) in a match spanning more than three hours on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

Lionel Messi and Luiz Suárez, close friends and former teammates at Barcelona, will renew their on-the-field rivalry on Thursday in World Cup qualifying.

Messi, who appears to have recovered from a muscle injury in his leg, led Argentina to its third World Cup title last year and has his team in first place in the South American qualifying group for the 2026 tournament. The 36-year-old Suárez has just returned to Uruguay's national team as he nears the end of a high-scoring season in the Brazilian league.

When World Cup qualifying starts in Africa on Wednesday, Morocco will be a hub of football action a year after the national team's historic run to becoming the continent's first semifinalist.

Seven teams will play "home" games in Morocco over the next week, but Africa's standout team will not be among them. Morocco's first home game in qualifying for the 2026 tournament is in June.

Novak Djokovic has received his trophy after securing the year-end No. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time.

Djokovic needed only one match win at the ATP Finals to be sure of keeping the top spot and the 24-time Grand Slam champion secured it in his opener, beating Holger Rune 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 6-3 in a match spanning more than three hours on Sunday and into Monday morning.

Considering all that he's accomplished over the last two years — two Grand Slam titles and finishing last season as No. 1 — Carlos Alcaraz no doubt belongs among the world's elite.

Still, this wouldn't have been the ATP Finals debut the 20-year-old Spaniard was hoping for at the season-ending event for the year's top eight players.

Luis Suárez returned to Uruguay's national team on Monday for two South American World Cup qualifying games, including one at Argentina against Lionel Messi.

The 36-year-old Gremio striker, one of the top scorers in the Brazilian league with 14 goals in 29 matches, is in the squad that will play in Buenos Aires on Thursday and host Bolivia five days later.