Sports
Union reacquire star D Kai Wagner
Oct 4, 2025; Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Union defender Kai Wagner (27) lifts the 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield after the game against New York City FC at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Three-time MLS All-Star defender Kai Wagner returned to the Philadelphia Union on Friday, being acquired via transfer from Birmingham City FC.
Philadelphia also sent $100,000 in General Allocation Money to Sporting Kansas City to swap spots in the waiver order, landing the No. 1 position to claim Wagner in exchange for the No. 22 spot.
Wagner spent seven seasons with Philadelphia (2019-25) prior to the seven-month stint with Birmingham FC. He had three assists in 18 matches across all competitions for Birmingham.
“Coming back to Philadelphia feels incredibly meaningful for me and my family. Over the years, this city has become our home, and returning was a decision that came from the heart,” Wagner said in a news release. “My time away gave me the opportunity to experience a new challenge, but it also reinforced how much this club, this city, and our supporters mean to me.
“There’s something special about representing the Union and playing in front of our fans. I believe in what this club stands for, its culture, ambition, and commitment to competing at the highest level. I’m excited to be back, and grateful for the opportunity to help write the next chapter.”
Wagner is a two-time MLS Best XI pick and helped Philadelphia win two Supporters’ Shield awards for best regular-season record (2020, 2025). He was also a stalwart on the 2022 squad which lost to Los Angeles FC in the MLS Cup Final.
Wagner holds the franchise record of 63 assists. He has eight goals in 204 regular-season matches.
In 2025, he had two goals and 11 assists in 32 matches and anchored a defense that gave up an MLS-low 35 goals and registered 14 clean sheets.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kai back to Philadelphia. He’s been an integral part of this club’s success and has consistently established himself as one of the top left backs in Major League Soccer,” Philadelphia sporting director Jon Scheer said. “Kai understands what this club represents, what our supporters expect, and the standards we hold ourselves to every day. We’re confident he’ll make an immediate impact this season as we pursue our goals and be an important part of our club’s future.”
The Union (1-10-4, 7 points) are struggling with the fewest points in the league. They resume play after the nearly two-month international break for the World Cup on Wednesday when they host the New York Red Bulls.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Titans to induct Chris Johnson into Ring of Honor
Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) pulls away from Jacksonville Jaguars defense for a 52 yard touchdown run in the third quarter at LP Field on Nov. 1, 2009. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 30-13 for their first win of the season. The Tennessee Titans will induct former All-Pro running back Chris Johnson into the team’s Ring of Honor.
The ceremony is planned for halftime of the Titans’ 2026 season opener on Sept. 13. The Titans will host the New York Jets, for whom Johnson played one season.
The Titans selected Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. During his six-season, 95-game tenure in Nashville, Johnson gained 7,965 rushing yards and scored 58 touchdowns.
He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Pro in 2009, when he ran for 2,006 yards and set an NFL single-season record with his 2,509 yards from scrimmage. That record continues to stand despite the NFL expanding its schedule to 17 games.
“Chris Johnson holds a special place in the hearts of our organization and our fans,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “His stats speak for themselves, and he will forever remain a leader in our record books, but the man behind the yardage deserves just as much celebration. We look forward to welcoming him home on Sept. 13 and officially inducting him into the Titans Ring of Honor.”
He rushed for 9,651 yards and 55 touchdowns in 130 career games with the Titans (2008-13), Jets (2014) and Arizona Cardinals (2015-17). He rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his six seasons in a Titans uniform.
In an interview aired June 29 on “Good Morning America,” Johnson told co-anchor Michael Strahan that he was diagnosed with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2025. There is currently no cure.
“There’s no history of ALS in my family,” said Johnson, who was using a speech-generating device based on recordings of his voice to speak. “My doctors believe my case is what’s called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen.
“… That’s one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it.”
Johnson, 40, will become the 20th inductee into Tennessee’s Ring of Honor, with the late Dave McGinnis, a former assistant coach and radio analyst, to be added later in the season.
The group includes players from the Titans’ history as the Houston Oilers. Among those already in the Ring of Honor are quarterbacks George Blanda, Warren Moon and Steve McNair, as well as running backs Earl Campbell and Eddie George.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Legal inquiries into FIFA's ticket practices won't end when World Cup does
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport of New Jersey said her investigation into World Cup ticketing practices will go on. While the 2026 World Cup officially comes to a close on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., the attorney general of New Jersey won’t stop her investigation into FIFA and its ticketing methods when the final whistle sounds.
In a report published Friday, New Jersey AG Jennifer Davenport told The Athletic that her office will continue to look at concerns that she and her New York counterpart, Letitia James, raised in May about the ways FIFA conducted the ticket-buying process for the eight matches hosted at MetLife Stadium during the 39-day tournament.
Those eight matches include the Sunday final, which pits Argentina against Spain.
In a joint news release issued in May, the attorneys general said they were looking into reports that FIFA allegedly hiked prices, changed ticketing maps after selling tickets to the public and created artificial scarcity.
Davenport addressed her continuing mission to protect consumers with The Athletic.
“For the initial ticket sales, FIFA seat maps divided the stadium into four zones, categories one through four,” Davenport said. “The category one seats were the most desirable. But after fans had already bought tickets, FIFA created new zones, which included a front row in a category, made up of the most desirable seats within the categories.
“We saw the reports indicating that there were fans who bought the tickets before these new zones were introduced but were then excluded from the seats and instead assigned less desirable seats. We also saw reports that some fans didn’t receive the tickets in the category they paid for.”
New Jersey and New York aren’t the only places where FIFA’s ticketing practices have come under fire. Officials in California and Texas also have been investigating claims regarding the 2026 World Cup.
In Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday, a court called FIFA’s practices on ticket resale outlet Ticombo “manipulative” and issued an injunction designed to force FIFA to stop selling tickets there. Per Newsweek, the court threatened to fine and/or imprison FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom if they do not comply.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mauro Schmid claims first Tour de France win on hilly Stage 13
Mauro Schmid won Stage 13 of the Tour de France from Dole to Belfort on Friday. Switzerland’s Mauro Schmid conquered the longest stage of this year’s Tour de France to collect his first stage win on Friday.
Schmid, 26, outdueled Colombia’s Harold Tejada at the finish of hilly Stage 13 to complete the 205.8-kilometer race from Dole to Belfort in four hours, six minutes and 58 seconds.
Aside from Schmid, the big winner Friday was Grreat Britain’s Tom Pidcock, who climbed from 10th to fourth in the overall standings. He slashed his deficit from 11:49 to 4:15 as he finished third in the stage.
Four-time champion Tadej Pogacar remained in control of the yellow jersey. The Slovenian maintained his 3:36 lead over Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard. Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel, Pidcock and Spain’s Juan Ayuso complete the top five.
In the wake of Thursday’s crash at the finish, two riders did not compete in Stage 13. Colombia’s Francisco Gaviria and Belgium’s Jenno Berckmoes dropped out due to broken collarbones.
For Saturday’s Stage 14, the riders will stay in the mountains during a 155.3-kilometer trek from Mulhouse to Le Markstein Fettering.
–Field Level Media
