Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych will be allowed to wear a black armband in competition at the Milan Cortina Games, the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday, but not the helmet he wanted to commemorate the lives of some athletes from his country who were killed in the war with Russia.

The IOC called the move a compromise.

Thousands of people gather each evening in Milan to watch the Olympic cauldron, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's intricate knot patterns, as it swells and pulsates with colored light to an original soundtrack in a spectacle that is quickly becoming a focal point of the Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

The Milan cauldron itself is dramatically suspended beneath the Arco della Pace, or Arch of Peace, erected to honor Napoleon's expulsion of the detested Austro-Hungarian rulers from Milan. The landmark Sforza Castle is perfectly framed in the background.

Pep Guardiola insisted Erling Haaland is the "best striker in the world" despite refusing to confirm if the misfiring Manchester City star will start Sunday's crucial clash with Liverpool.

Haaland has scored just twice in his last 12 appearances, and Guardiola elected to drop him to the bench for City's 3-1 win over Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday.

A record number of 5,973 international transfers were recorded in the January trading window for men's soccer, according to a FIFA report released Thursday.

That marks a 3% increase from the previous year in cross-border deals between clubs in different countries, where the transactions are processed by FIFA.

It's Manchester City vs. Arsenal in the English League Cup final.

The current top two in the Premier League will go head-to-head at Wembley Stadium next month after City beat Newcastle 3-1 on Wednesday to complete a 5-1 win on aggregate in the semifinals.

Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo scored in each half as Barcelona beat second-division Albacete 2-1 on Tuesday to reach the semifinals of the Copa del Rey.

Albacete had shocked Real Madrid in the round of 16, eliminating the Spanish powerhouse in what was the debut of new coach Álvaro Arbeloa.

Morocco has decided to appeal a ruling that resulted in fines of $415,000 and match bans because of a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final, its soccer federation said Tuesday.

CAF, African soccer's governing body, last month fined the host and Senegal over unrest at last month's final in the Moroccan capital.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola turned a soccer news conference on Tuesday into a passionate address on the "hurt" he is feeling at seeing humanitarian tragedies around the world.

Guardiola did not return to England in time for his regular pre-match media duties in the lead-up to City's Premier League game at Tottenham on Sunday, after giving a speech in support of Palestinian children at a charity event in his home city of Barcelona.

France icon Karim Benzema swapped one Saudi club for another on Monday when joining Al-Hilal from rival Al-Ittihad — a move that could be bad news for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The former Ballon d'Or winner has joined Saudi Pro League leader Al-Hilal, which is one point ahead of Ronaldo's Al-Nassr.

Manchester City went big again in the January transfer window and will hope it reaps more rewards than last year.

City was the biggest spender as Premier League clubs dominated the midseason window — splashing out a reported $115 million on Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi to boost its four-pronged trophy pursuit. Last year City spent more than $200 million in a bid to salvage its campaign but still ended up emptyhanded for the first time in eight years.