MEXICO CITY (AP) — Marcelo Flores is set to miss the World Cup for Canada after injuring his right knee in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, his club UANL Tigres announced Sunday.
Flores, 22, sustained the ACL injury in a non-contact play in the 77th minute on Saturday during Tigres' loss to Toluca.
The UANL Tigres said Flores “will undergo surgery in the coming days.”
“These are difficult times, I just wanted to thank everyone for their messages," Flores posted on Instagram. "I haven’t been using my phone or checking my messages, but I promise to reply to everyone and I really appreciate your concern. I’ll come back stronger.”
Flores' switch of national eligibility from Mexico to Canada was confirmed in February, and he was included in the World Cup squad. Born in Georgetown, Ontario, to a Mexican father, Flores played three matches with Mexico's senior team and needed FIFA approval to play for the Canadians.
An attacking midfielder who was part of Arsenal’s academy system, Flores played one season for Real Oviedo in Spain’s second division, before signing with Tigres of Mexico’s top flight in 2023.
Canada, which is co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and the United States, opens June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto, then moves to Vancouver for Group B games against Qatar and Switzerland.
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Tigres' Marcelo Flores gets injured trying to reach the ball during the CONCACAF Champions Cup final soccer match against Toluca in Toluca, Mexico, Saturday, May 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Tigres' Marcelo Flores, right, grimaces in pain past Toluca's Santiago Simon during the CONCACAF Champions Cup final soccer match in Toluca, Mexico, Saturday, May 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) — Denny Hamlin outraced Christopher Bell over the last four laps after a final restart Sunday night to win the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Hamlin won for the second time this year and 62nd of his career on a night where he jumped the start off the pole. That penalty put him at the back of the field.
“Man, what an unbelievable day,” Hamlin said. “Starting first, going to last and back to first.”
The 45-year-old Hamlin raced his way to the front for the thrilling win that had his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Bell and Chase Briscoe making it three-wide before Hamlin took the lead down the backstretch to win by 0.115 seconds in his No. 11 Toyota.
Hamlin, who won at Las Vegas and also the All-Star race at Dover, pulled within 97 points of Tyler Reddick in the season standings. Reddick finished sixth.
The race started 80 minutes late after rain delayed NASCAR’s Cup Series for a second straight week. The wait was worth it with a record 31 lead changes among a record 15 leaders. The race also featured 12 cautions at the 1.33-mile, D-shaped oval that is NASCAR’s largest concrete track.
Bell finished second for a second straight race ahead of Briscoe. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fourth, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.
“I had the best car on the race track ... and we had the lead on the restart,” Bell said. “I got a great push from Denny on the restart, and I didn’t win the race.”
Ryan Blaney, trying to repeat as champ at this track, led the restart trying to hold off AJ Allmendinger on a one-lap shootout for the first stage. Allmendinger took the lead on the backstretch, then held off Kyle Larson to take stage one for his first stage victory since 2024.
Suarez took the second stage after staying out during a caution and took the lead on the restart on lap 182. Then Corey Heim drove his No. 67 Toyota into the back of Todd Gilliland’s No. 34 Ford, sending him backward into the Turn 1 wall. That brought out the seventh caution with Cole Custer spinning out in the crash.
Rookie Connor Zilisch had the right rotor explode on his No. 88 Chevrolet sending him into the wall and smashing the right side on Turn 1 of lap 72. Zilisch got the Trackhouse Racing car into the garage with some flames coming out from under the right tire, which was stuck and nearly sideway.
He had been running 24th after starting 38th on the last row.
Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain had his own rotor issue on lap 82 sending him into the wall between Turns 1 and 2. Michael McDowell spun trying to avoid Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet. Zilisch called the rotor problems a surprise when both he and Chastain had been moving up.
“Just unfortunate circumstances,” Zilisch said. “Yeah, we’ll learn from it.”
Van Gisbergen is the third member of Trackhouse Racing. His crew told him not to worry with his No. 97 Chevrolet running a completely different brake package. Ryan Preece went to the garage with no water in his No. 60 Ford, and his crew found a piece of rotor broken off into the radiator before he got back on the track.
Then Allmendinger, who was third, had the rotor spark and flame before his No. 16 Chevrolet hit the Turn 1 wall on lap 173 — with 12 laps left in Stage 2.
Chris Buescher was running 17th with 12 laps left when his right rotor went as he entered Turn 3.
The series will be at Michigan International Speedway next week where Hamlin will be trying to win for a second straight year.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Austin Dillon (3) spins out during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
Denny Hamlin celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
Crew members work on Connor Zilisch's car after a wreck during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
A member of Cody Ware's pit crew works on a tire during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
Denny Hamlin speeds around the track during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
Denny Hamlin celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
Denny Hamlin celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
Ross Chastain, left, talks with Ryan Blaney, right, before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
Crews wait out the rain before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
Josh Berry waits out the rain before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Camden Hall)
