Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa has said Jude Bellingham is fit and available for the team’s derby clash with Atlético Madrid on Sunday, adding that he has no issues with the midfielder’s early call-up for England duty.

Bellingham has been named by Thomas Tuchel in England’s squad to play Uruguay and Japan, despite the fact that his last minutes for Madrid came on Feb. 1, when he suffered a hamstring injury.

The star travelled with Madrid’s squad in midweek for their Champions League round of 16 win over Manchester City but played no part in the game, and — speaking in a news conference on Saturday — Arbeloa confirmed that Bellingham is now ready to feature in LaLiga.

“He’s available, and he’ll be in the squad tomorrow,” Arbeloa said. “We’ll see if he plays. I think so. I’m looking forward to seeing him on the pitch. He’s an intelligent player, and he knows what to do in every moment. I’m happy he’ll be available and ready to help us tomorrow.”

Arbeloa said forward Kylian Mbappé was now “100%” after making his return from a knee sprain as a substitute against City, and insisted he was happy for both stars to go away with their national teams this month.

“I said that the day [Mbappé] came back he’d be at 100%,” Arbeloa said. “We saw that in Manchester, with the runs he made. He showed that he’s fine. I have absolute confidence… He’s at 100%.”

Mbappé is among France coach Didier Deschamps’ players to play Brazil and Colombia during the international break.

“I think it’s great,” Arbeloa said, when asked if he thought that might be premature. “He’s available, and he’s played minutes for us. So there’s no problem with him going away with his country… With players like Bellingham and Mbappé, you can’t expect them not to be called up by their national teams. The World Cup is in a few months. I understand the situation perfectly.”

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Madrid suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat to Atlético when the sides met earlier in the LaLiga season, but the team’s form has improved in recent weeks under Arbeloa — although the coach admitted he’d need to tweak his tactics to accommodate Mbappé and Bellingham.

“We’ll make some adjustments,” the coach said. “Of course it’s not the same playing with Brahim [Diaz] as with Mbappé, or with Jude or Thiago [Pitarch]… But they’ve been elite players for a long time, and they know what it means to work for the team.”

Arbeloa said there was “no timeline” for a return for Thibaut Courtois, who suffered a muscular injury against City, and praised defender Antonio Rüdiger, whose contract is due to expire this summer.

“I don’t like to get into those things,” Arbeloa said, when asked about a new deal for the veteran defender. “I respect the club and the player, and they have to reach an understanding. But I would make a statue of Rudiger and put it in my garden… I have only great things to say about him.”

BUFFALO, N.Y. — When 1-seed Michigan continues its men’s NCAA tournament run, the round of 32 matchup will bring Wolverines coach Dusty May up against a close friend.

May and ninth-seeded Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz, who first connected while coaching at different levels, are close enough to share practice film and playbooks, an uncommon level of trust built through years of exchanging ideas and learning from each other.

“It’s probably very unusual [to share practice footage],” May admitted during his news conference Friday. “There’s a group of us that share — and actually, he and I — we’re close enough where I don’t even call him. I’ll shoot his video guy, or he’ll shoot my video guy a text and say, ‘Can you send me last week’s workouts?’ We’re toying with this, we’re thinking about this concept. It might just spur an idea.”

A Sweet 16 appearance will be on the line when their teams meet Saturday (12:10 p.m. ET, CBS). Both teams topped 100 points in their first-round wins. Saint Louis beat Georgia 102-77, and Michigan rolled past Howard 101-80.

Because of how similarly the coaches think and prepare, May expects the game to feel like “a great chess match.”

May, in his second year with the Wolverines, returned to the court after Michigan’s win Thursday to scout his upcoming opponent and even joked with Schertz about not being up by more points at halftime. The Billikens held a 17-point lead.

“It’s always nice when you have somebody who’s in the same chair as you,” said Schertz, who is also in his second season with his program but is making his first NCAA Division I tournament appearance. “It’s hard. Sometimes being a head coach can be lonely. … [May has] been an incredible resource for me.”

Their connection dates to when Schertz coached at Division II Lincoln Memorial and May was at Florida Atlantic. May was scouting a player leaving Lincoln Memorial and noted how well-coached the team was. The relationship grew from there and includes one stretch where the two spent nearly 10 straight hours in May’s office just talking.

“I loved it when he was at a Division II, we were different levels, and I was down in Boca Raton, because this would never happen where we had to compete against each other,” May said.

But he also added that he’s not wary of going up against someone he’s so close to either.

“If we’re going to lose, I want to lose to a guy that does it at the level that he and they do it. And hopefully we don’t, but if we do, then you want to do it to somebody who you’re going to be better for it.”

Many football watchers will tell you the home viewing experience is ideal for them, but there are still those that love to watch NFL games from the seats at the stadium – truly taking it the experience with their own eyes. 

However, as demand for the sport continues to grow, so have ticket prices just to enter a stadium on gameday. As a result, some fans are simply getting priced out from watching their favorite teams. 

But legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, who has represented over 300 professional athletes, especially in football with a record eight No. 1 overall picks and 64 first-rounders under his belt, believes teams and owners should be more “forward-thinking” with their tickets. 

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He has an idea. 

“I think that it would be prudent and forward-looking for them to reserve, like, 10,000 seats for every game for them to distribute to working families and younger people,” Steinberg told Fox News Digital on a recent phone call. “So, at least at the end of the year, you have a team planting the seeds for the future.”

Steinberg believes to “truly enjoy football” you either have played the game, or have seen it live. That, in his eyes, “totally sustains that interest level.”

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Yes, technological advancements have made it easier for fans of all demographics to catch their favorite teams, as well as the rest of the NFL schedule, from their living room. In fact, some may even tell you spending for the highest NFL package is better than going to games live at this rate. 

That’s because tickets are not the only thing to worry about when going to a game live. 

The Action Network did an analysis of the cost of a family of four to attend an NFL game in every stadium across the country. The study included ticket prices, which were primary and resale from Ticketmaster, food and drinks, and parking for said family. They even looked at the child admission policy to see what ages may be free to find out which stadiums were, somewhat, family friendly. 

Fans of the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos support their teams during the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High on Dec. 14, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

At the highest was Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles, who were the reigning Super Bowl champions when the season began in 2025. At $2,133.44, with $2,058.44 of that the price of four tickets, the family could enjoy the Eagles. Ford Field (Detroit Lions), Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas Raiders), Soldier Field (Chicago Bears) and Highmark Stadium (Buffalo Bills) round out the top five most expensive stadiums for families. 

The New York Jets and MetLife Stadium were the lowest at $555.94, though the league-wide average was $1,339 for four tickets. 

At the same time, though, Steinberg understands supply and demand, and the latter is through the roof for the NFL. In turn, those with means to pay the expensive ticket prices do so, while others are priced out. 

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“Right now, you have so much excess demand that they can price those tickets [high],” Steinberg added. “I used to say, ‘Look, we need to think about the future. I’m telling you that players could take a little less money if it meant sustaining the sport long-term. That means ticket prices.’ An owner once put his arm around me and said, ‘Son, that’ll never happen.’”

Could it happen one day? Steinberg sure hopes so, but as long as the insatiable appetite for football diminishes, it’ll likely be harder for some to acquire tickets at the current price tag, let alone secondary market upcharges. 

‘Again, my suggestion would be teams plan and build for the future by having a section each week – they wouldn’t be the best tickets, but who cares if you’re a young kid? I used to go to Rams games in the Coliseum back in the ‘50s and you would’ve needed a telescope. But you still create an interest in football. That’s what I would do if I owned a team,” Steinberg said. 

STEINBERG’S COMEBACK

While talking all things football, Steinberg also discussed life and how his fight through adversity led to him writing “The Comeback: A Playbook for Turning Life’s Setbacks into Victories.”

Leigh Steinberg speaks onstage during the 39th Annual Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party at Storek on Feb. 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California.  (Jesse Grant/Getty Images)

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Steinberg had built an empire by representing the best athletes in the world, but he also dealt with alcoholism and financial struggles, ultimately bringing him to rock bottom. But he rebuilt himself through those hard times, and with this book, he’s hoping to help others do the same. 

Also, sharing stories of athletes dealing with similar adversities, Steinberg believes all readers should come away with this lesson learned. 

“Internal introspection,” he said. “A realistic understanding of your own values and priorities, whether it’s short-term economic gain, long-term economic security, spiritual values, family. It’s to have clarity internally in terms of what really constitutes a fulfilling life. Then, coming up with a plan to get back to that.”

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