Flamengo will play their first match in the semi-finals on 7 February and Real Madrid a day later. The tournament will see further experimentation in the Video Assistant Referee system as referees will explain the reasons for VAR decisions to stadium crowds and television viewers for the first time. During the test, the referees will […]
Two-time Asian champions Guangzhou FC, once the dominant force in Chinese football, went into decline after its owners, developers China Evergrande, were forced to limit funding after the government banned borrowing. China’s draconian zero-COVID policy only increased the challenges for Chinese clubs. The talent has moved from the CSL to the Saudi Pro League, with […]
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr were knocked out of the Saudi Super Cup on Thursday after a 3-1 semi-final defeat to Al Ittihad in Riyadh. The 37-year-old Portugal international, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, had a few chances to score but was well stopped by the Al Ittihad defense for most of the match. Anderson Talisca’s […]
The Portugal international had a shot blocked in the first half from the edge of the penalty area, before being denied a penalty shout in the 19th minute after being tackled by an Attifaq defender. Brazilian forward Talisca put Al Nassr ahead in the 31st minute when he rose to meet Abdulmejid Al-Sulayhim’s cross and […]
Gerson, who won the 1970 World Cup with Brazil alongside Pelé, told Reuters in an interview from his home in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, that playing with him was “knowing victory would come. The 81-year-old Gerson said, “He was the best, the king of football. Edson Arantes do Nascimento passed away, but Pele is eternal.” […]
“I was always just another person fighting for everyone’s goal and I will never turn my back on my teammates and my country.” Before the World Cup, he refused to say whether the tournament in Qatar would be his last, saying he was already looking forward to the 2024 European Championship. However, his Facebook post […]
Ironically, in a Portugal team full of exceptional players, Ronaldo fell victim to coach Fernando Santos’ too many options. Ronaldo, Portugal’s all-time leading scorer with 118 goals in 195 appearances, was benched for a 6-1 win over Switzerland on Tuesday and 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick in only his fourth game for his country. […]
“I don’t regret (leaving Ronaldo on the bench),” coach Santos told a press conference on Saturday. “It won’t change anything, I can’t think from my heart in terms of the team. I used the team that played really well against Switzerland and there was no reason to change it (against Morocco). “The strategic decision I […]
Youssef En-Nesri’s header late in the first half gave Morocco, who reached the quarter-finals for the first time, a 1-0 lead over Portugal at halftime on Saturday. En-Nesri, who had earlier hit the crossbar twice, lofted past both Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender Ruben Dias to put Morocco ahead in the 42nd minute. Portugal […]
Ten Haag told British media on Friday: “He wanted to go, that was quite clear. And when a player definitely doesn’t want to be at this club, he has to go.” “The interview was the first time he said he wanted to leave. I think as a club you can’t accept that. There will be […]
Fellow England supporter and Arsenal fan TV host Robbie Lyall disagreed. “Now it has to be Messi – I’ve been to all the games here and in the last game (against Australia) Messi ran the show,” he said. rivals Messi, 35, and Ronaldo, who is two years his senior, have dominated football’s most polarizing debates […]
Speculation about the future of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and his anger following his substitution against South Korea focused on Monday ahead of their World Cup last-16 match against Switzerland. The forward, who left Manchester United by mutual consent after a controversial interview last month, has been linked with a possible move to Saudi Arabia, but […]
