MON SIX

Brazilian superstar Neymar has admitted he is considering retirement at the end of 2026.

In an interview with Brazilian online channel Caze, Neymar discussed how he is "living year to year," considering ending his illustrious career after an "important" season for both club and country.

"I don't know what will happen from now on, I don't know about next year," the 34-year-old said.

"It may be that when December comes, I'll want to retire. I'm living year to year now.

"We will see what my heart decides. It depends on what my heart says later in the year.

"This year is a very important year, not only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it's a World Cup year, and for me too. I wanted to play this season totally 100 percent."

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Returning to his boyhood club Santos in 2025, Neymar risked his career to help the team avoid relegation from Brazil's Serie A.

Despite requiring surgery on his left knee, the Brazilian played a crucial role down the stretch, providing five goals and an assist in the final four league matches.

Neymar has played in three World Cups with Brazil, but hasn't featured for the national team since October 2023.

Often criticized for his antics on and off the pitch, Neymar established a brilliant club career, starring for the likes of Santos, FC Barcelona and PSG. Meanwhile, the 34-year-old is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, a mark previously held by legend Pelé (77).

Neymar has a contract with Santos through the end of 2026.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Brazil legend Neymar admits he may retire in 2026

Eli Manning's career speaks for itself, whether enshrined or not.

It's that last part that sparks debate and outrage, even if the formerNew York Giants'star quarterback appears unbothered. Fans, analysts, people around the league and many more have opinions that land on both sides of the issue, but it was thePro Football Hall of Fame voters who kept Manning off the list for a second year in a row.

Emotions run high when it comes to that topic, but don't expect Manning to give a passionate sales pitch anytime soon. During a Feb. 17 interview with Jon Gruden on "Gruden Goes Long," Manning was asked about the snub and his feelings about it.

"It doesn't keep me up at night," Manning said. "I'm not going to be bitter at it. I'm not bitter at the game of football. I loved my teammates. I love the relationships, the friendships, the championships, the parades. When I think about football, I think about touchdowns and my buddies and wins and plane rides home.

"I don't think about the interceptions. I don't think about the bad stuff. I think about the positive things."

The quarterback also isn't concerned about timing or how many ballots it might take for him to get into the exclusive club based in Canton, Ohio.

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"If I ever get in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I'll take it as a positive," Manning said. "And I'm not going to think about the years I had to wait to get in."

Of course, Manning wasn't the only prominent football coach, player or contributor left off the list. Former New England Patriots coach and eight-time Super Bowl champion,Bill Belichick, also fell short of being enshrined in 2026. Manning famously defeated Belichick's Patriots twice in the Super Bowl.

Despite being a two-time MVP in the big game, Manning didn't match that level of dominance in the regular season. He posted a 117-117 record in 16 seasons, making just four Pro Bowl appearances. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Manning's Hall of Fame case largely rests on those two games in Super Bowl 42 and 46.

Vote counts are not released by the Hall of Fame, meaning it's unclear how much support theGiants' legend had in the committee.

Manning will now have to hope that the third time is the charm in 2027.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Eli Manning says he isn't bitter about Hall of Fame snub in 2026

The Los Angeles Clippers have 26 games remaining on their regular-season schedule, in addition to two possible postseason games if they qualify for the NBA play-in tournament. Contrary to Kawhi Leonard's belief thatthe team is not a contenderto advance in the playoffs, head coach Tyronn Lue says the team will try to keep winning.

At 27-29 followingFriday night's lossto the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers currently hold the ninth spot inthe Western Conference standings, just a half-game ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers.

"Man, we're playing to win," Lue told reporters afterwards, includingESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I don't care if it's young, old, toddlers... Whoever's on the floor, we're trying to win. I mean, we're trying to win. There's no other reason to play."

Lue's remarks appeared to be a response to Leonard saying earlier in the day that the Clippers'status as contenders was finished.

"I think it's over now," he said. "It's, the second half, like a fourth of the season left. But every day is a day to grow. A day to learn and get better. So just got to keep looking over time and see in two weeks if we're getting better and see what happens from there."

Leonard's outlook follows the Clipperssending James Harden to the Cleveland CavaliersandIvica Zubac to the Indiana Pacersbefore the NBA trade deadline. The team received Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and two second-rounders in those deals. But those aren't the kinds of trades a playoff contender makes in hopes of boosting championship chances.

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Additionally, the Clippers benched veteran point guard Chris Paul before sending him home and eventually traded him to the Toronto Raptors. Paul, 40, was subsequently released by the Raptors andannounced his retirement. He signed a one-year deal before the season, presumably tobe a veteran leaderbut reportedly clashed with Lue.

Lue acknowledged that the Clippers team Leonard originally signed with in 2019 is much different now.

"I thought he was just saying far as contender when he first got here, you have PG [Paul George], Kawhi, you have James, you have Russ [Russell Westbrook], you have Zu,"Lue told ESPN. "And so now, having a younger team, we got to play different. We got to do things different, we got to do things better."

The Clippers being in the play-in mix with a chance to make the playoffs as the eventual No. 8 seed is the result of an impressive turnaround. The team began the season as one of the league's biggest disappointments, compiling a 6-21 record. Yet a 21-8 run in December put a .500 record and postseason berth within reach.

Up next for the Clippers is a matchup with the Orlando Magic (29-25) on Sunday, followed by a Thursday contest versus the Minnesota Timberwolves (35-22).

By Howard Goller

Feb 21 (Reuters) - What began as a spare presidential report to the U.S. Congress has hardened into a prime-time pressure chamber shaped by an era of fierce polarization, with the State of the Union speech now unfolding as a long night of choreographed tension and open confrontation - a moment for presidents to wrest narrative from turmoil and craft the defining images of their time in power.

President Donald Trump will deliver ‌his speech to Congress at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday (0200 GMT on Wednesday), a far cry from President George Washington's first address in 1790 - a brisk 1,089-word report that could be read in less time than many modern presidents ‌take to clear their throats.

In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson took a different approach by sending a written message rather than speaking in person, a practice that endured for more than a century. Only in 1913 did President Woodrow Wilson resume the tradition of delivering the message in person.

President Harry Truman in 1947 delivered the ​first televised State of the Union address, marking the beginning of a new era in presidential communication. President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 delivered the first prime-time State of the Union address to maximize television viewership.

Since then, the nighttime speeches have grown more raucous as partisan divisions have sharpened, with the president's party often rising in applause while the opposition pointedly remains seated.

This year, a group of Democrats will abandon Trump's speech for an outdoor rally against his policies. After the speech, newly elected Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, will deliver the traditional televised response.

Heightening the suspense, Trump will come face to face with justices of the Supreme Court four days after a 6–3 majority — including two Trump appointees — struck down his signature tariffs as an overreach of presidential authority.

WHEN THE SPEECHES STRETCHED TO NEW LENGTHS

Recent presidents have gone far ‌longer than George Washington did.

President Bill Clinton set a record in 2000 with a State ⁠of the Union speech lasting 1 hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds. Trump's 2025 address ran even longer at 1 hour, 39 minutes and 32 seconds, according to the American Presidency Project.

Trump's speech last year came too soon after his return to the presidency to be formally considered a State of the Union speech. As with other presidents just assuming office, his was branded merely a joint address ⁠to Congress.

President Ronald Reagan launched the tradition of inviting special guests in 1982 by introducing Lenny Skutnik, a Congressional Budget Office employee who heroically rescued a plane crash survivor from the Potomac River.

Such honors have been contentious at times, such as in 2020 when Trump, a former reality TV star, awarded the highest U.S. civilian honour - the Presidential Medal of Freedom - to polarizing radio show host Rush Limbaugh.

VIRAL CLASHES THAT REDEFINED THE STATE OF THE UNION

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In more recent years, some of the more monumental moments during presidential speeches to Congress have been confrontational and gone viral.

* In 2009: 'YOU ​LIE,' ​OBAMA IS TOLD

Republican Representative Joe Wilson shouted, "You lie!" at Democratic President Barack Obama during a healthcare speech to Congress, though it was not a State ​of the Union address. Wilson was protesting Obama's statement that healthcare plans then being considered in ‌Congress would not insure immigrants who entered the country illegally. Wilson later apologized in the face of bipartisan criticism over the rare breach of protocol in a presidential address.

* In 2010: A SUPREME COURT SCOWL HEARD NATIONWIDE

When the following year Obama sharply criticized the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling that he said would "open the floodgates" to unlimited corporate and potentially foreign money in U.S. elections, Justice Samuel Alito reacted by shaking his head and appearing to mouth "not true," a rare breach of the justices' traditionally impassive demeanor.

* In 2020: TRUMP-PELOSI FEUD IN PRIME TIME

Trump, a Republican, snubbed U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democratic elected official in Washington, declining to shake her hand as he handed her a paper copy of his State of the Union speech. Pelosi avoided citing the customary "high privilege and distinct honor" that usually accompanies the speaker's introduction of the president to Congress. At the end of his 80-minute speech, Pelosi stood and ripped apart her copy of the remarks he had handed her as millions watched on television. She later told ‌reporters it was "the courteous thing to do, considering the alternative."

* In 2023: BIDEN'S SPIRITED EXCHANGE WITH REPUBLICANS

Democratic President Joe Biden had a spirited exchange ​with Republican lawmakers after some of them interrupted and booed during his State of the Union address. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled "liar" at Biden after the ​president said, "Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset." Republican ​Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee yelled "it's your fault" at Biden over the U.S. fentanyl crisis.

* In 2024: BIDEN TAKES ON TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICANS

Biden drew sharp contrasts with Trump, accusing his Republican rival of undermining ‌democracy, accommodating Russia and blocking immigration reform, while largely focusing his speech on Trump without naming ​him. Biden needled Republicans when they booed his claim they wanted ​to cut taxes for the wealthy, taunting them with an ad-libbed line questioning their objections to another $2 trillion tax cut for the wealthy. "Oh, no? You guys don't want another $2 trillion tax cut? I kind of thought that's what your plan was," Biden said.

WHEN SPEECHES RESET U.S. POLICY

The State of the Union speeches have at times delivered policy landmarks.

In 1941, 11 months before the United States entered World War Two, President Franklin Roosevelt gave his "Four Freedoms" speech laying out freedoms people ​worldwide should have: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. ‌In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared an "unconditional War on Poverty," launching an ambitious sweep of social programs that reshaped federal spending and the government's role in economic opportunity.

In 1996, Clinton proclaimed that "the era of big government is ​over," signaling a recalibration aimed at drawing Republicans into a more bipartisan approach to governing. In 2002, President George W. Bush branded Iraq, Iran and North Korea an "axis of evil" in the wake of the September ​11, 2001, attacks, marking a turn toward a more assertive foreign policy.

(Reporting by Howard Goller in Los Angeles; Editing by Will Dunham)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian drones struck an industrial site deep inside Russia on Saturday, and a Russian news channel reported the target was a key state-owned missile factory.

The attack took place in Russia's Udmurt Republic, leaving 11 injured, three of whom were hospitalized, according to a Telegram post by Sergei Bagin, the local health minister.

"One of the republic's facilities was attacked by drones" launched by Ukraine, regional head Alexander Brechalov said in another Telegram post. He added that the strike caused injuries and damage but did not name the site or give further details.

An unofficial Russian news channel on Telegram, Astra, said Ukrainian drones struck the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, a major state defense enterprise. Astra said its claim was based on an analysis of footage from local residents.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities.

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The Votkinsk factory, more than 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from Ukraine, produces Iskander ballistic missiles, often used in strikes against the country, as well as nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Other Russian news channels posted videos and photos, which they said were from Votkinsk residents, showing black smoke rising from an industrial site and blown-out windows on buildings.

Another unofficial Russian Telegram channel, SHOT, which often quotes contacts in the security services, said residents of Votkinsk reported hearing at least three blasts during the night, as well as what they thought was the humming of drones.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Here is the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics competition schedule for Saturday, Feb. 21. The games are exclusively airing across NBC's suite of networks with many competitions airing live on its streaming service, Peacock, which you cansign up for here.

USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date with every medal win, big moment and triumphant finish. Get ourChasing Gold newsletterin your inbox every morning andjoin our WhatsApp channelto get the latest updates right in your texts.

Feb. 21 Winter Olympics events

All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, at 5:06 p.m.

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• 4 a.m. - Bobsleigh: 4-man Heat 1, Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d'Ampezzo)

• 4 a.m. - Freestyle Skiing: Men's Ski Cross Seeding, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno)

• 4:45 a.m. - Freestyle Skiing: Mixed Team Aerials Finals (Medal Event), Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park (Livigno, Valtellina)

• 5 a.m. - Cross-Country Skiing: Men's 50km Mass Start Classic (Medal Event), Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Val di Fiemme)

• 5:57 a.m. - Bobsleigh: 4-man Heat 2, Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d'Ampezzo)

• 6 a.m. - Freestyle Skiing: Men's Ski Cross 1/8 Finals, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno)

• 6:35 a.m. - Freestyle Skiing: Men's Ski Cross Quarterfinals, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno)

• 6:54 a.m. - Freestyle Skiing: Men's Ski Cross Semifinals, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno)

• 7:10 a.m. - Freestyle Skiing: Men's Ski Cross Finals (Medal Event), Livigno Snow Park (Livigno)

• 7:30 a.m. - Ski Mountaineering: Mixed Relay (Medal Event), Stelvio Ski Centre (Bormio, Valtellina)

• 8:05 a.m.. - Curling: Women's Bronze Medal Game, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d'Ampezzo)

• 8:15 a.m. - Biathlon: Women's 12.5km Mass Start, Anterselva Biathlon Arena (Antholz)

• 9 a.m. - Speed Skating: Men's Mass Start Semifinals, Milano Speed Skating Stadium (Rho, Milan)

• 9:50 a.m. - Speed Skating: Women's Mass Start Semifinals, Milano Speed Skating Stadium (Rho, Milan)

• 10:40 a.m. - Speed Skating: Men's Mass Start Final (Medal Event), Milano Speed Skating Stadium (Rho, Milan)

• 11:15 a.m. - Speed Skating: Women's Mass Start Final (Medal Event), Milano Speed Skating Stadium (Rho, Milan)

• 1 p.m. - Bobsleigh: 2-woman Heat 3, Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d'Ampezzo)

• 1:05 p.m. - Curling: Men's Gold Medal Game , Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d'Ampezzo)

• 1:30 p.m. - Freestyle Skiing: Women's Freeski Halfpipe Final (Medal Event), Livigno Snow Park (Livigno)

• 2:40 p.m. - Ice Hockey: Men's Bronze Medal Game, Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena

• 3:05 p.m. - Bobsleigh: 2-woman Heat 4 (Medal Event), Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d'Ampezzo)

Meet Team USA 2026:Get to know the athletes behind the games

More 2026 Winter Olympics

See the full Milano Cortina Games schedule

See the 2026 Medal Count Here

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Winter Olympics schedule today: Every event happening on Feb. 21

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — U.S. freeskier Nick Goepper checked out of the hospital with only a knee sprain and a bad shin bruise after a scary fall in the halfpipe finals at theWinter Olympics, team officials said Saturday.

APTOPIX Milan Cortina Olympics Freestyle Skiing

The 31-year-old Goepper, who learned to ski on baby hills near his hometown in Indiana, went flying above the halfpipe and came down on his backin Friday night's finalbefore bouncing to the bottom. He stood up and was walked gingerly to the bottom, holding his back.

The all-or-nothing trick Goepper threw down said a lot about his goals and the sport itself. He came out of retirement after the last Olympics to move from slopestyle to the halfpipe. He already has two Olympic silver medals and a bronze, and clearly wasn't in the contest for second or third again.

He was in third place when he dropped in for his final run. His final trick — an attempt to add a full extra rotation to the same jumps he had landed earlier to close his runs — was his final gambit to win the gold.

Shortly after his wreck, Canada's Brendan Mackay landed a strong run to push Goepper off the podium and into fourth place.

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"He is just absolutely unbelievable," said Goepper's teammate, gold medalist Alex Ferreira. "He is a great competitor and great teammate and friend, and for him to go for it in that moment took serious guts. He is a real man."

Goepper was not the only freeskier to go down hard in the halfpipe.

Top-ranked Finley Melville Ives of New Zealand suffered a scary crash in qualifying earlier in the day. Team officials said he briefly fell unconcious but was stable after he was taken off in a stretcher.

On Thursday, 2018 Olympic championCassie Sharpe of Canada also took a wicked spillin women's qualifying that briefly knocked her out. Coach Trennon Paynter said Sharpe was not seriously injured.

"We're really disappointed that it happened like that last night but so, so glad that she's going to be OK," he said.