BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — DeVonta Smith enjoyed his first international game experience last September, when the Philadelphia Eagles opened what became a Super Bowl championship season by beating the Green Bay Packers in Brazil in the NFL's first game in South America.
The fifth-year wide receiver is looking forward to the next one. With the NFL now able to schedule up to eight out-of-country games each season, there's a good chance that Smith will get another opportunity during his career.
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Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith holds the ball as he poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith holds the ball as he poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
The league's regular-season venue list includes Spain for the first time this year, with the Miami Dolphins giving up a home game to play in Madrid against an opponent to be announced on Tuesday.
Smith was doing some football ambassador work on a recent visit to Barcelona, where he watched his first soccer match — the latest edition of the famed El Clasico rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. He said he's confident the NFL game will catch on in Spain as it has elsewhere.
“It's just a different culture over here, so a lot of people may not exactly know what's going on," Smith said. “Just getting over here to showcase the talent so they can know more about the sport.”
The Eagles, who will host the Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 kickoff game on Sept. 4, will likely not be among the international participants this season for the seven games played out of the U.S. Their only 2025 opponent slated as the home team for an international game is the Los Angeles Chargers, who will play in Sao Paolo, Brazil, where the league is unlikely to send the Eagles for a second straight year.
The Dolphins are the home team for the game in Madrid. Others on the docket this season are Berlin (Indianapolis Colts), Dublin (Pittsburgh Steelers) and three games in London (Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets).
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith holds the ball as he poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith holds the ball as he poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
NEW YORK (AP) — Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn't sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again.
“I didn't know at first,” he said. “For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.”
Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won fifth straight games following a a six-game losing streak.
Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP.
He spent 2023 and ’24 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million.
He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multi-homer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall.
“I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,” Bellinger said. “But it was a good catch.”
“Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,” Bellinger added.
A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder's glove.
“I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they’d probably look at it and get it overturned," Tucker said. "I’ve probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone’s hand or whatever but I don’t know if anyone’s ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.”
Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row.
“The fan just beat to the spot," Crow-Armstrong said. "He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.”
Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3.
“Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,” said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. “I’ve seen PCA rob so many homers. He’s a freak athlete out there.”
Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.
He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice.
“No, no, no revenge,” he said. “Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn’t seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call.
“He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger” over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it," Boone said. “Belly’s loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood."
Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse.
He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger's teammates could sense the significance.
“It’s always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,” Boone said. “To perform right away against them I’m sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger (35) hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger reacts after lining out during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, July 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
