Former Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Ander Herrera has joined Argentinian giants Boca Juniors, the club announced on Friday.

Herrera, 35, left Athletic Club as a free agent and signed a contract with Boca through the end of 2026.

"As a fan, I've already enjoyed the passion of this club. Soon, I'll have the honor of playing on this very pitch," Herrera said in a video posted on Boca's social media accounts.

Herrera will reunite with several former teammates in Buenos Aires. He played with Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero at United and with Edinson Cavani in Paris.

Hincha Jugador pic.twitter.com/jKLTLngxv9

Boca Juniors (@BocaJrsOficial) January 17, 2025

The Torneo Apertura begins on Jan. 26, with Boca hosting Argentinos Juniors.

The Spaniard described Boca as "giant, special, with a unique history and passion."

"My father worked here [in Argentina] for a long time, he told me a lot about Boca and I have maintained that passion since I was a child," Herrera said.

The footballer's father, Pedro Herrera Sancristóbal, was a former player and sports director who frequently traveled to Argentina for scouting.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Erling Haaland has signed a record-breaking 9-year contract at Manchester City, the club announced on Friday.

The striker was under contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2027, but has extended his deal until 2034.

The exact numbers involved have not been made public by City, but sources have told ESPN that it is among the most lucrative contracts in sports history.

The 24-year-old's new deal has also removed buyout clauses that were included in his contract when he arrived from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

The 9 year contract is the longest signed by a player in Premier League history, eclipsing the nine-year deal Cole Palmer penned with Chelsea in August 2024.

Haaland has been heavily linked with a move to Spain in the future, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona expressing interest in the past.

However, the Norwegian's new deal is now set to keep him at City beyond his 33rd birthday.

"I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great club," Haaland said.

"Manchester City is a special club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it's the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.

"I also want to thank Pep [Guardiola], his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years.

"They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what. Now I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward."

Haaland is 61st in the all-time Premier League scoring list with 79 goals in 87 matches. The Premier League record stands at 260, held by Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer. At his current pace, Haaland would break that record in 2029-30.

Shearer poked fun at the length of Haaland's new deal and his efforts to overhaul his goal-scoring record in a post on X.

"Congratulations @ErlingHaaland ... Nine and a half years? It surely shouldn't take you that long?" Shearer said.

News of Haaland's deal is another boost for City after Guardiola agreed terms on a new contract in November. His contract is set to keep him at the Etihad until 2027.

Haaland has enjoyed phenomenal success since joining City 2 years ago. He has scored 111 goals in 126 games for the club and won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Champions League.

Information provided by ESPN's Global Research Group contributed to this report

United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino insists American players can compete with the likes of Spain and Argentina in terms of talent, but must be "a little more arrogant" with their mentality when approaching the game.

"There is still a gap between Argentina and Spain, but we are reducing it every day. I think there is a question of belief and I think that being a little more arrogant in our ability to believe that we can do it well and that we have the quality enough to compete at the same level," Pochettino said.

"I think that's where we are and I think we're going to get to 2026 at that level."

Since joining US Soccer in September 2024, Pochettino has emphasized the group's need for a stronger mentality when approaching the road to the 2026 World Cup. Though the United States will not participate in any qualifiers as a host nation of the 2026 tournament, Pochettino demands his players to treat every game with a level of aggressiveness.

"Our principal objective is to have the ball in position and then evolve and develop all the ways to keep the ball in position and to, of course, be aggressive and to score a goal because, in the end, the sport is about scoring and not conceding," Pochettino said.

"In this moment, we need to react and we need to be explosive, we need to have power, we need to have, you know, the capacity, the focus and the concentration and the aggressivity to go and the organization to go and recover as soon as possible. Why are we very demanding?

"I think it's a combination of all the things that I think if you want to have a very balanced team in possession and out of possession you need to be very demanding on both sides and of course we are very demanding ... yes, we are coaching the staff that we try to push the player to deliver the best show as possible."

The new manager later emphasized that his players could emulate the way Argentines live the game of soccer in order to improve. He insisted the talent is not lacking, but a different approach could bridge the gap with some of the world's best teams.

"It's the way that the Argentine players compete, the mentality. When you lose a ball, you cry. When you lose a game, you cry, spend maybe one week in your room. It's how to defend your badge, your flag, how to defend your identity, your culture. I think that is what we want to translate," he said.

"Because when you play for your national team and you've listened to your anthem, you need to feel something in your skin, inside yourself ... If we are capable of feeling that, we have the quality and the capacity, we are professional, so professional discipline we have, I think we can find or we can build a very competitive team."

Players participating in the USMNT January camp have begun to feel the effects of Pochettino's coaching style after just 10 days, with Zack Steffen defining the coach as "demanding" and "intense."

"Pochettino, he's very demanding, very intense on the field. He's somebody you can go and ask questions and talk to. And he manages the guys well," Steffen said in a mixed zone.

"It's been intense, but it's really good. It's been really good. You've got to be laser focused. It's going to be tough work. And then when training is done, just do whatever you want to do and enjoy."

The USMNT prepares to face Venezuela on Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the first of two friendlies during the January window. The team will then travel to Orlando to confront Miguel Herrera's Costa Rica to allow Pochettino the opportunity to judge all players on the roster.

The Sun Belt Conference announced Friday it fined Marshall $100,000 for opting out of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl last month even though the Thundering Herd's roster had been depleted to 41 players after coach Charles Huff's exit to Southern Miss and as many as 36 players entering the transfer portal.

Marshall athletic director Christian Spears told reporters Friday that the university accepted the fine and will move forward, but he made it clear that the well-being of the players was paramount in the decision not to play in the bowl game against American Athletic Conference champion Army on Dec. 28.

Louisiana Tech filled in as a replacement, and Army won 27-6.

"We are excited about the dialogue that's happening nationally right now around some rules changes [specifically, a single portal window that would move to January] to make sure that no other institution, ever, has this happen, but in good conscience, we could not put 41 student-athletes out onto that field, and again, we are always going to prioritize the health and safety of our student-athletes," Spears said. "But that doesn't take away the fact that a sincere and formal apology is due, and we are very appreciative of being a part of the Sun Belt Conference and the leadership of Commissioner [Keith] Gill and accept the fine that has been imposed."

The Sun Belt, in a statement, said that "while it acknowledges the medical model and best practice guidance adhered to by Marshall as well as their fundamental concern for the health and safety of the remaining eligible student-athletes to compete in a safe and viable manner, the nature and timing of this decision was detrimental to the Sun Belt Conference and its membership, to Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and (broadcast partner) ESPN."

In its statement, the conference added that it "considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment."

Louisiana Tech was announced as a replacement for Marshall on Dec. 14 after Marshall notified bowl officials that it could safely participate in the game. Marshall president Brad Smith told WSAZ-TV last month that of the 41 players available, some were scout-team players and freshmen who had not played. In addition, all three of Marshall's quarterbacks who played during the 2024 season were in the portal, and 17 of the 22 players on the two-deep chart from the Sun Belt championship game were in the portal.

Marshall finished 10-3 and defeated Louisiana 31-3 in the Sun Belt championship game Dec. 7. Huff was named the Southern Miss coach the next day, although there had been reports linking him to the Southern Miss job for at least a week. Marshall and Huff were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension prior to the 2024 season, and Spears said the two had agreed not to have discussions about a new deal during the 2024 season as long as Huff didn't pursue other job openings.

"We had made an agreement that we would wait until the end of the season and we would focus on winning a championship and that's where we remained," Spears told Metro News last month. "Coach [Huff] had a chance to get an opportunity that he felt really good about, and we had an opportunity to go get someone who truly wants to be at Marshall [new coach Tony Gibson]."

The transfer portal opened a day after Huff left for Southern Miss, and in the next two-plus weeks, 17 Marshall players announced their transfers to Southern Miss, including quarterback Braylon Braxton, who was the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year in 2024.

"There was a process put in place by the [Marshall] administration, and they went through that process thoroughly," Huff said at his Southern Miss introductory news conference. "At the end of it, they felt going in another direction was the right decision. That decision was probably made before we won the championship, if that makes sense. It was a mutual decision. It wasn't a knockdown, drag-out."

The lawyer for Xavier Lucas says the ex-Wisconsin player is transferring to Miami, even though the cornerback's former school never entered his name into the portal.

Darren Heitner has been representing Lucas, who indicated on social media last month that Wisconsin was refusing to put his name in the portal and that it was hindering his ability to talk to other schools. Lucas had announced earlier in December that he planned to enter the portal.

The NCAA issued a statement Friday saying that "NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately."

Yahoo Sports first reported Lucas' plans to transfer to Miami, as well as the NCAA statement.

Wisconsin officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Yahoo and the Wisconsin State Journal have reported that Lucas had entered into an agreement to continue playing for Wisconsin before requesting the transfer.

Heitner said in an X post that Lucas had agreed to a memorandum of understanding that was conditioned on the approval of the House settlement -- which calls for schools to pay players directly for use of their name, image and likeness -- and Lucas attending classes no later than this spring. Heitner added that Lucas has since unenrolled from Wisconsin.

Heitner also said that Lucas hasn't received any money from Wisconsin and therefore owes no money to the school.

Lucas, who is from Pompano Beach, Florida, had 12 tackles, an interception and a sack as a freshman for Wisconsin this season.