In response to his intriguing assertion that a list of Cristiano Ronaldo’s greatest goals exists, Sergio Aguero has sparked a wave of responses online.
Fans are convinced that Aguero has a problem with the Portuguese phenomenon after hearing him critique Ronaldo’s incredible goals.
Given a showcase of some of the Portuguese star’s best goals, Aguero, who is close friends with Ronaldo’s rival Lionel Messi, appeared less than enthused, according to Givemesport.
The retired Argentina international, who turned out for Manchester City and Barcelona, went a notch higher to claim the outstanding goals scored by the Al-Nassr skipper were a stroke of luck.
Was lucky,” Aguero said, as translated by Sportskeeda. He even added that Ronaldo’s 40-yard strike against FC Porto in the Champions League in 2008 was the goalkeeper’s fault.
Aguero’s comment has since convinced social media users that he was ‘hating’ on the Portuguese veteran.
Es increíble lo cuñado que es Agüero. Dice que estos goles de falta que salen en el vídeo son suerte y que el gol al Oporto es culpa del portero jajajaja
Ni el mas fan de Messi te diría eso aunque me lo esperaría tampoco voy a mentir. pic.twitter.com/gD0BIj3cNg
@ProudFede took a swipe at Aguero for his take on Ronaldo’s goal compilation: “Sergio Aguero’s biggest achievement was reaching the Quarterfinals with Man City 4 times.
He couldn’t even lace his boots.” @MrFilipeOrlando quizzed how Aguero did not seem to appreciate Ronaldo’s goals: “Even 99% of Ronaldo/Messi FC can appreciate each player’s greatest goals.
Aguero hating on CR7 nonstop is so weird, man.” Aguero’s reaction dumbfounded @perrryyyy: “Aguero said Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kicks are lucky goals and goalkeeper mistakes. 60 free-kick goals? Why is everyone obsessed with Ronaldo?”
@totalzizou slammed Aguero: “No professionalism at all. Some like Messi and others like CR7, but not recognising their greatness is foolish.
You could still be a fan of one and still appreciate the other.”
Aguero highlights Ronaldo, Messi difference
It was also reported that, Aguero explaining the major difference between his ex-teammate in the Argentina national team,Messi and Portuguese star, Ronaldo.
For more than 10 years now, the respective veterans and their fanbases have been in serious rivalries, with these two players having 11 Ballon d’Or awards between them.
Aguero, a Manchester City and Barcelona legend, has now offered his two pence on the differences between his compatriot and his storied greatest rival.
Since joining Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained fantastic fitness.
The former Manchester United forward has been on fire, and Al-Nassr is in a strong position to compete with Al-Ittihad for the Saudi Pro League championship as a result of his outstanding play.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner continued his incredible run in front of goal against Al-Adalah on Tuesday night at Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Stadium.
Manchester Evening News reports that the Portuguese star added to an impressive goal tally during the clash as he netted a brace to inspire Al-Nassr to a 5-0 epic win over the hosts.
Ronaldo netted his first from the penalty spot moments before the break and added the second in the second half.
Ronaldo destroys opponent
Apart from Ronaldo’s two goals, one other outstanding thing from his performance against Al-Adalah was his insane skill that left his opponent in the dust.
GiveMeSports reports that the 38-year-old showed an impressive turn of pace to leave an opponent in the dust before he fired a fierce left-footed shot at goal.
The forward’s incredible skill in the run-up to the sent fans into a meltdown, with some taking to social media in praise of the Portugal international.
One posted: “Fair play, good goal.” A second noted: “With his weak foot…. Goat forever.” Another added: “I love this.I cant remember how many of this kinda goals have seen. Happy for my man. A Goated G.O.A.T.”
Ronaldo quit Manchester United in January to join Al-Nassr after a contentious interview with Piers Morgan in which he disparaged various aspects of Manchester United.
The 38-year-old was thinking about returning to the Santiago Bernabeu, where he amassed 450 goals in 438 games to break the club goal scoring record.
Ronaldo’s desired return to Spain, however, did not occur because Ancelotti preferred to stick with Karim Benzema as his lone striker, according to Spanish newspaper El Nacional.
Considering the strong relationship the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had with the Italian manager between 2013 and 2015, the Portuguese considered it a betrayal, according to the report.
Ronaldo went on to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr as a free agent and has since scored nine goals and provided two assists in 10 matches for the club.
Perez says no to Ronaldo
Meanwhile, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez also ruled out a move to sign Ronaldo.
When asked by fans if he plans to make a bid for the legendary forward, whose contract was ripped apart at Old Trafford, Perez replied: “Sign Cristiano? Again? He’s 38 years old”, getting the age of the striker wrong.
Ronaldo’s sister slams Perez
Sports Brief also reported that Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister has slammed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez for laughing at the possibility of bringing him back to the Santiago Bernabeu.
After theUEFA Super Cup game between Real Madrid and Frankfurt in Helsinki, Perez was asked by a fan about a potential return for the 37-year-old.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, were spotted leaving a restaurant in Madrid in their brand-new Bugatti Centodiecci on Tuesday night.
The Al-Nassr superstar had a fruitful international break with Portugal, notching four goals across two Euro 2024 qualification matches coupled with a unique celebration style.
Aside from his goal-scoring heroics for the Selecao, the veteran forward also became the most-capped men’s player in international football, surpassing Bader Al-Mutawa’s previous world record of 196 outings for Kuwait.
He will be expected to resume training with Al-Nassr as they prepare to face Al-Adalah in the Saudi Pro League on April 4.
Before he touched down in the gulf region, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner enjoyed some downtime with Georgina at a restaurant in Madrid, Spain.
In a video making the rounds on the internet, Cristiano was seen trying to make his way from a crowd of enthusiastic fans into his supercar, which he carefully drove away from the teeming group before stepping on the accelerator to steer clear of sight.
What is Bugatti Centodieci?
To celebrate its 110th anniversary, the French carmaker, Bugatti, unveiled Centodiecci, a limited edition vehicle.
According to reports, the company only produced ten units, each costing over $8.5 million, per Firstsportz.
What does Ronaldo’s Centodieci look like?
According to TSB, Ronaldo chose a supercar with standard specifications, a white exterior, and Centodieci-specific wheels.
Instead of the blue theme found on the launch standard, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward chose red leather for the interior.
Ronaldo debuts new celebration
As earlier reported, Cristiano Ronaldo debuted a new goal celebration after scoring for Portugal against Luxembourg on Sunday night.
The 38-year-old was in a good mood after scoring the game’s first goal for Robert Martinez’s team within nine minutes of action against the European minnows.
The first goal scored by the Al-Nassr superstar drew the attention of spectators at Stade de Luxembourg.
Lionel Messi hopes the “craziness never ends” after scoring his 100th goal and ninth hat-trick for his country amid Argentina’s homecoming World Cup celebrations on Tuesday.
La Albiceleste routed Curacao 7-0 in Santiago del Estero, with Messi’s 20th-minute opener bringing up his 100th international goal, joining only Cristiano Ronaldo (122) and Ali Daei (109) in achieving that feat.
Messi became the first world champion to score 100 international goals, and he showed no signs of stopping there with further first-half strikes for a treble, taking him to 102.
The milestone came as Argentina rounded out their first two games back in their homeland since December’s World Cup triumph with wild celebrations, initially in Buenos Aires for Thursday’s 2-0 win over Panama.
The players emulated their celebrations from Qatar after the Curacao game, hoisting the World Cup trophy again after it came down from the stadium roof and doing a lap of honour to greet the supporters.
Messi was also presented with a plaque by Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia to acknowledge his 100th goal.
“What a nice way to close these dates, impressive today all the people in Santiago del Estero,” Messi wrote on Instagram.
“I wish we can continue to share together many moments like these and that this craziness never ends!!!”
Messi’s achievement comes after netting 21 goals in his 14 games for Argentina, along with seven assists. That has taken him to 156 goal contributions, which is the most in international football.
— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) March 29, 2023
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni added: “As for Lionel Messi, what I want is for him to be on the pitch and be happy.”
He added: “These days were different to the previous friendlies because the players were allowed to be with their people.
“We felt that they had that desire to go out to contact the outside, although that meant that it was difficult to prepare these two games. But in the end we got them through by playing with intensity.”
Cristiano Ronaldo was looking forward to Portugal receiving the “breath of fresh air” under Roberto Martinez, but Bruno Fernandes disagrees.
Martinez has taken charge of Portugal for the first time in this international break, having succeeded Fernando Santos following the World Cup.
In the first round of Euro 2024 qualifying, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg were defeated 4-0 and 6-0, respectively, by the former Belgium coach’s teams.
Captain Ronaldo scored twice in each match, having earlier spoken of “fresh air now, different ideas and mentality” with Martinez at the helm.
Despite the positive start, that is not an assessment team-mate Fernandes agrees with.
“No, it’s just a new coach with new ideas,” the Manchester United midfielder told RTP3 after Sunday’s win against Luxembourg.
“There is no breath of fresh air at all. It’s just a transition period.
2 jogos, 2 vitórias! Objetivo cumprido. Feliz por ter contribuído para este início muito positivo da nossa seleção. Vamos!💪🏼🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/mLmlAVGFiU
“The atmosphere in the national team has always been good. There’s never been anything that wasn’t fresh of the air, so I think it’s just new dynamics, new coach, and you have to assimilate his ideas.”
Fernandes was handed his Portugal debut by Santos, who had guided the Selecao to their first major honour at Euro 2016.
Portugal failed to build on that strong start to the coach’s tenure, however, exiting the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020 at the last-16 stage.
Santos then departed after a shock quarter-final exit at the hands of Morocco at Qatar 2022, with Ronaldo dropped for the knockout rounds.
Cristiano Ronaldo has unveiled a new goal celebration after finding the back of the net for Portugal against Luxembourg on Sunday night.
The 38-year-old was in a mood after opening the scoring nine minutes into the game for Robert Martinez’s side.
The Real Madrid and Manchester United legend raced away towards the left corner as he often does before producing his trademark ‘siuuu’ celebration.
Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva were also on the scoresheet to make it 3-0 for the 2016 European champions before Ronaldo notched his second and Portugal’s fourth early in the second half.
As the five-time Ballon d’Or winner landed from his spin, he mixed it up with his other celebration, crossing his hands across his chest, a slight variation on the interlocking fingers.
A new era started in the Portuguese national team yesterday as new boss Roberto Martinez managed his first game, a 4-0 win over Lichtenstein inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace.
As reported earlier, the former Wigan manager quickly spotted a standout attribute in Ronaldo and praised the 38-year-old’s commitment which he said would be a vital experience for the team.
Winning Euro 2024 is the goal for Martinez, andhe has made it clear to Ronaldo that he would demand a lot from him to win the tournament in Germany next year.
Ronaldo proud to set record Cristiano Ronaldo is feeling the joy of playing football again after a turbulent 2022 in his professional and personal life, Sports Brief earlier reported.
The 38-year-old had a difficult time off the field, which was not well-acknowledged at Manchester United. This led him to doing an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan and subsequently led to his contract termination.
Ronaldo’s 197 international appearances and 120 international goals for his country are world records, according to Sportskeeda, and he could not have been prouder at holding both.
He took to his Instagram page, which is the most followed in the world and expressed his joy at attaining a new milestone on the international stage.
Yesterday marked the start of a new era for Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo as new manager Roberto Martinez took charge of his first game.
After former boss Fernando Santos, who led the team to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, was relieved of his duties, the former Belgium coach took over the reins of the one-time European champion.
Ronaldo led his team to a 4-0 victory over Liechtenstein, scoring twice, including a delightful free kick in the 78th minute, before making way for young Goncalo Ramos, who shone at the World Cup.
It didn’t take long for Martinez to ‘fall in love’ with Ronaldo and identify a trait that has distinguished the veteran among the best during his illustrious career.
Martinez praises Ronaldo’s commitment
As reported by Sky Sports, Ronaldo set a new world record as the most capped international with his 197th cap for Portugal, surpassing Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa.
Speaking to reporters after the game, a delighted Martinez praised the superstar and stated the team would need his veterancy going forward, as reported by Sportskeeda.
“To be in the national team, you have to be committed. It’s a new cycle. It’s very important that he shows commitment so that we can use his experience, and he shows that commitment,” he said.
Ronaldo increased his world record for most international goals to 120 with the goals and has now scored every year for Portugal since 2004.
The Selecao face Luxembourg next on Sunday as the Euro 2024 qualifying series continues.
Martinez makes demands from Ronaldo Sports Brief previously reported on Portugal’s new coach making his first assignment to meet with the Al-Nassr captain in Saudi Arabia.
The 49-year-old reported shared his plans with Ronaldo and urged him to help Portugal win Euro 2024 in Germany next year.
The 38-year-old led his country to their first major victory in 2016 when they defeated France 1-0 in the final to win the title in Paris.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the star of Al-Nassr, is currently living it up in Saudi Arabia following his comeback to form, but less than a year ago, he and his partner Georgina Rodriguez were forced to deal with the tragic loss of their son, Angel, during childbirth.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez began dating in 2016 after they crossed paths at the Gucci store in Madrid where she had previously worked as a sales assistant.
With Ronaldo, the Spanish model has three biological children and three stepchildren. The sons Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. and Mateo, as well as the daughter Eva Maria, are Rodriguez’s stepchildren.
She had twins in April 2022 after giving birth to her biological daughter Alana Martina in 2017.
“Every time I went to the gynecologist’s at night I had nightmares because I was worried about what position they would be in, what the delivery would be like, if it would be a Caesarean section. I was very afraid at each ultrasound. I felt very tense because I’d had three previous miscarriages and I came home in pieces.”
She also revealed that she didn’t immediately tell her children that Angel had passed away, instead saying he would be born a little later than his sister. She explained how she dealt with their loss:
“They were born on Easter Monday. The most-awaited moment arrives and your heart stops. Bella was born strong and healthy but a piece of my heart shattered.
She admitted that the formerReal Madrid player told their children the truth:
“You ask yourself how you’re going to carry on. I wasn’t prepared to accept or recognise what had happened to me and I wasn’t ready to tell my children about it. As I still had a belly, I told them that Angel was still going to wait a bit to be born, until Cris told them that Angel was in Heaven. That was a dose of reality.”
Since their tragic loss, Ronaldo and Rodriguez have started to find happiness with the rest of their children in Saudi Arabia following the Portuguese’s move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in January.
Georgina Rodriguez,the partner of Cristiano Ronaldo, broke down when she retold the story of how her infant son passed on last year.
The couple agonisingly lost a child last year in one of the lowest moments of their lives.
She was due to give birth to twins, but only one – the girl – survived.
Appearing in the second season of her Netflix documentary, I am Georgina, Rodriguez is expected to shed more light on the incident when the series officially debuts on March 24.
In the trailer, a picture of her holding the surviving baby, Bella Esmeralda sends her into a whirlwind of emotions. She admits that her adorable baby girl gives her the strength to carry on.
“Life is hard. Life continues. I have reason to carry on and be strong,” Rodriguez said, as quoted by the Sun.
The 29-year-old model also thanks Ronaldo for his immense contribution during their trying times. “Cris encouraged me massively to carry on with all my commitments. He said: ‘Carry on with your life. It’s going to do you good’.
” The first season of the TV series had six episodes. Rodriguez relocated to Saudi Arabia after Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr, following the termination of his contract at Manchester United.
Inside Ronaldo’s chapel
Sports Brief also reported onRonaldo revealing how his ritual of speaking to his late father and son inspires him to become a better human being. The Al-Nassr captain is widely considered one of the greatest footballers to have graced the sport thanks to his impressive achievements.
Despite being on the wrong side of 38, Ronaldo has not lost his passion and continues to aspire for greatness even in the twilight of his career.
He was recently adjudged the Saudi Professional League’s Player of the Month for February after notching eight goals in only four games.
The Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s criticism of the team’s failure to upgrade its facilities has been vindicated by a viral video of Old Trafford restrooms that are overflowed.
Twelve years after his return to the Reds, Ronaldo criticised the club in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in 2022, saying that “nothing has changed” and that the facilities still needed to be updated.
Prior to Man United’s game against Southampton on Sunday, March 12, 2023, the handle @ste conlon posted a video to Twitter that showed the bathroom area being flooded while the fans detestably walked through to relieve themselves.
“Just arrived at Old Trafford and not for the first time the toilets are overflooded with an inch of urine all over the floor. Disgusting to see. This is what the Glazers don’t want you to see. It’s that bad and has happened so many times I had to video it,” he captioned the video.
The tweet which has gained over 3 million views has seen wild reactions from united fans applauding Ronaldo for calling out the club.
Ronaldo in his interview said: “Nothing changed since I left.”
“The pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym, even some technology. Even the chefs who I appreciate, lovely people. I thought I would see new technology, infrastructure. I saw things I saw when I was 20!”.
The interview which saw Ronaldo criticise the club in plain words fuelled his exit from the club two seasons after his return.
Former player, Jesse Lingard echoed Ronaldo’s concerns during an interview in the Diary of a CEO podcast. “They’re so behind on everything,” he told the Diary of a CEO podcast.
Due to the incredible achievements they have made in their careers,Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are regarded as the best players of the twenty-first century and among the greatest players of all time.
They have been in a head-to-head competition to see who is the better, and this has led to a worldwide cult among football fans and celebrities.
Rival fans often make fun of each other’s players during bad games to annoy them. Ronaldo experienced this during Al- Nassr’s 1-0 loss to rivals Al-Ittihad on March 9, 2023.
In a video, Ronaldo was seen upset as he left the pitch angry after Al-Ittihad fans chanted Messi’s name.
Ittihad fans, while their team lead the game, chanted Messi’s name and got the Portuguese irritated as he responded with a keep-talking hand gesture.
After Nassr lost the game 1-0, the fans continued to chant while Ronaldo walked off the pitch as he furiously kicked a bottle on the pitch side.
The Real Madrid legend and five-time Ballon d’Or winner expressed his disappointment after the defeat but acknowledged the Nassr fans for their support.
“Disappointed with the result, but we stay focused on our season and the games ahead.
Thank you Al Nassr fans for your support, we know we can count on you!”
Cristiano Ronaldo has talked openly about how his ritual of talking to his late father and son motivates him to improve himself as a person. Due to his outstanding accomplishments, the Al-Nassr captain is regarded as one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game.
Despite being on the wrong side of 40, the 38-year-old has not lost his enthusiasm for his work and still strives for greatness in the latter stages of his professional life. After scoring eight goals in four games during the reviewed month, he was recently named the Saudi Pro League’s Player of the Month for February.
Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a plane load of care items to the victims of recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.
He has paid for tents, medical supplies, warm clothes, bedding, food and baby supplies to boost the aid effort 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ne4wK4n8tq
Aside from his prowess on the field, Ronaldo is also admired for his humanitarian works, which was evidenced as he sent relief items to victims of the Turkey and Syria earthquake. Ronaldo takes inspiration from dad and son Throwing light on where he derives his passion for striving to be the best version of himself, Ronaldo said, as quoted by Frank Khalid.
Ronaldo and his late dad
Although Ronaldo admits he never really shared a father-son moment with his late dad Jose Dinis Aveiro, the former Manchester United ace holds him in high esteem.
As a result of his father’s struggles with alcohol, the five-timeBallon d’Or completely abstains from alcohol. Ronaldo was just 20 when his father died in 2005, per the Sun. Cristiano loses baby son Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez were expecting twins in April last year; however, one of the twins, his son, died during childbirth. He admitted the death of his son was the worst moment of his life.
“[It was] probably the worst moment that I passed through in my life since my father died,” the ex-Real Madrid forward said, as quoted by Eurosport. “When you have a kid, you expect that everything will be normal, and you have that problem, it’s hard…we had quite difficult moments because we don’t understand why it happened to us.
Kaka picks Ronaldo as GOAT Sports Brief previously reported that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been compared as the greatest players in football history throughout their careers – but which one is the true GOAT?
Ronaldo and Messi have broken, rewritten, and set enough records to practically last a lifetime in their illustrious careers, some of which may never be matched. Kaka, who won the 2007 Ballon d’Or prize ahead of the GOAT duo, once described Messi as a genius while commending Ronaldo for his mentality.
The playmaker from Argentina and Paris St. Germain won the coveted award for a record-extending seventh time. He defeated Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema in the final.
The award, which recognises the top male performer, was chosen by national team coaches, captains, eminent journalists, and fans from all over the world. FIFA reports that Messi received 52 points, Mbappe came in second with 44 points, and Karim Benzema of France and Real Madrid received 34 points.
Considering the long-standing sporting rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the Iberian country was least expected to throw their weight behind the Argentine genius. How did Portugal vote? Sports Brief takes a look at how Portugal voted, especially with Cristiano Ronaldo failing to make the final shortlist.
Martínez, stepped down from his role as Belgium manager after their World Cup group stage exit, but received appointment as Portugal’s new boss after the Mundial. Hence the onus fell on him to vote for the Best Men’s footballer for 2022 at the gala held in Paris, France.
The 49-year-old interestingly threw away the rivalry between Ronaldo, perhaps Portugal’s greatest footballer in history and Leo Messi away to vote for the PSG playmaker.
Pepe – Portugal captain Kepler Laveran de Lima Ferreira, simply known as Pepe, was the players’ delegate to choose for Portugal.
Acting as Ronaldo’s deputy, Pepe naturally omitted Leo Messi from his preferred choice of winners. Instead, selecting Messi’s clubmate Kylian Mbappe, former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric and current Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema in that order.
Pepe, aged 40, is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation and is still performing at FC Porto.
Kylian Mbappe previously stated his opinions on the Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi debate for the title of greatest player of all time, but the Paris Saint-Germain star now seems to have changed his mind.
The star of Paris Saint-Germain Kylian Mbappe appears to have made a sharp about-face regarding who he thinks is superior to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two forwards have developed a spirited rivalry over the course of their individual careers, which peaked during their time with Real Madrid and Barcelona. After finally winning a World Cup championship medal in Qatar last year, it seemed that Messi had put the discussion to rest.
Messi’s glorious campaign has also seems to have definitively changed the mind of his PSG teammate Mbappe. The Frenchman was previously a huge admirer of Portuguese icon Ronaldo.
The striker’s father admitted that the veteran was among Mbappe’s heroes within the game. Speaking in 2016, he said: “He [Mbappe] is a Real Madrid fan and his idol is Cristiano Ronaldo. He used to spend hours watching videos [of Ronaldo] on the internet.”
That was a claim that was backed up by Mbappe’s former teammate Abdou Diallo. He previously suggested that the striker was under no illusions over who was better.
Speaking in December, the defender said: “Cristiano Ronaldo is literally everything to Kylian Mbappe. If you mention Lionel Messi against Cristiano, Mbappe will debate with you for at least an hour. For him, Cristiano is untouchable.”
Mbappe performed his change of opinion on social media in the aftermathof The Best FIFA Awards. A glitzy ceremony was held in Paris on Monday evening to celebrate the best players in both the men’s and the women’s game in 2022.
Messi was named as the Best Men’s Player of the Year following his outstanding performances as Argentina lifted the World Cup, whilst he has also managed to find electric form. The veteran was also named in the FIFPRO Men’s World XI alongside his club teammate Mbappe.
The latter issued his response to the pair’s evening, whilst sending his congratulations to Messi with a telling message. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: “Another trophy at home. Big congratulations to @leomessi you are #TheBest.”
After dominating European football for nearly two decades, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have both been referred to as the greatest players of their generation by their supporters.
The two have amassed numerous team and individual championships throughout their careers, making them the most Ballon d’Or winners with five and seven, respectively.
The argument over which of the two is superior has been raging for more than ten years.
Beckham is the most recent player to weigh in on which of the two superstars is superior.
In an earlier interview with ESPN Argentine, via Tribuna, the Manchester United legend admitted that the Argentine was in a class of his own: “It has to be Messi,” Beckham said. I love Leo for many different reasons. I love him because he’s a great father. I love him because he’s a great personality, a character. He’s a great person. “But I think what everybody loves about him is the way he plays the game.
He plays the game with passion. He plays the game just free the way he plays. “And I think this past World Cup again. I think the way he played for his team, for his country, and to win that World Cup was an incredible moment for him. And I love watching players like him.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea legend, Joe Cole has picked Lionel Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest player in the history of football, Daily Post reports.
Joe Cole insists that neither Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo nor the late Diego Maradona can be compared to the Argentine World Cup star.
Messi’s victory with Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, according to the former England international, has put the debate between the Paris Saint-Germain superstar and Ronaldo to rest. Fernando Torres settles GOAT debate Earlier, Sports Brief reported the football world continues to be divided on who’s the greatest of all time between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The decades-long debate continues to rage on, with former and current footballers weighing in with thoughts on who’s better between both superstars. Former Liverpool and Chelsea forward Fernando Torres picked Messi ahead of Ronaldo, thereby staking his claim on the debate on which of the superstars is superior.
The 38-year-old now has 61 hat-tricks, 30 before he was 30, and 31 hat-tricks since he turned 30. He has now scored 503 league goals for five different clubs in five different leagues.
The GOAT debate was partly thought to have been settled after Messi won the most precious trophy, [World Cup] in his football career for Argentina during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
It was deemed by many as a befitting crowing of Messi, whose greatness has long been questioned because of the absence of the most coveted trophy in world football, the World Cup trophy, in his cabinet.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored four times to move past the 500 career league goal mark as Al Nassr beat Al Wehda 4-0 in the Saudi Pro League.
The Portugal forward, who turned 38 on Sunday, struck in a 40-minute period either side of the break.
He has now scored 503 league goals for five different clubs in five different leagues.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner joined Al Nassr in December, reportedly on a salary of £177m per year.
However, he did not enjoy the most prolific of starts with his new employers, managing one goal from the penalty spot in his first three competitive appearances for the club.
Ronaldo left Manchester United in November, having scored 103 league goals across two spells at the club.
He scored 311 times in La Liga for Real Madrid, registered 81 goals in Serie A for Juventus and managed three in the Portuguese top flight for his first professional club, Sporting Lisbon.
Ronaldo’s four goals ensured Al Nassr returned to the top of the table on goal difference and with a game in hand on second-placed Al Shabab.
Al-Nassr footballer Cristiano Ronaldo signed the match ball for referee Sultan-Al Kharbi after he awarded Ronaldo a penalty to complete his 61st career hatrick.
Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is having a quite nice time at Saudi football club Al-Nassr and his career also seems to be growing empathetically after he left English club Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo while playing the Saudi Pro League match against Al-Wehda scored 4 goals in the match.
During the match we saw an interesting moment where match match referee Sultan Al-Harbi asked Ronaldo to sign the match ball for him after Ronaldo’s 4 goal haul in the match. Al-Harbi had rewarded Ronaldo with a penalty and given him a chance to complete his 61st hatrick of his career. The referee was also asked to consult VAR as the penalty he awarded to Ronaldo came off a handball incident.
Referee Sultan Al-Harbi asks Ronaldo to sign the match ball- Watch
Ronaldo’s first two goals in the match came easily after he was able to beat Al-Wehda’s offside trap. Ronaldo then had a chance to complete his hat trick after he was awarded a penalty by the referee due to the handball incident. Ronaldo didn’t miss the penalty and scored the 61st hatrick of his career.
Till now Cristiano Ronaldo has not been in his top form in the Saudi Arabian Pro League after he arrived at Al-Nassr in December last year. The club has just won one game since his arrival. Cristiano Ronaldo was signed by Al-Nassrat a huge contract of 173 million per year.
Ronaldo has had a legendary career where he has seen a lot of quality footballers and has also faced tough competition from them. It seems that Ronaldo will dominate here at Al-Nassr as the competition here at Al-Nassr is slightly weaker than Ronaldo is used to. However this can prove wrong as his teammate Anderson Talisca is taking all the praise with his competition.
Ronaldo also captained an all star Riyadh XI against Paris Saint Germain who had come to Saudi to play a friendly match earlier this year. Though Paris Saint Germain had won the match that time by a score of 5-4.
The match also saw a dream faceoff between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when they took on each other in the friendly match.
A Cristiano Ronaldo autographed shirt from Merih Demiral’s personal collection will be auctioned, with proceedings going to disaster relief.
WHAT HAPPENED? A 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Monday collapsed buildings and killed thousands of people, including at least one professional football player, and Demiral said he will do what he can to assist those devastated by the natural disaster. His personal kit collection includes a signed Ronaldo shirt from when the Portuguese star played at Juventus, and he will auction the item after speaking with the Al-Nassr forward.
“I just spoke with Cristiano,” Demiral wrote on Twitter. “He said that he was very sad about what happened in Turkey. We are auctioning Ronaldo’s signed jersey in my collection. All proceeds from the auction will be used in the earthquake zone.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Demiral’s post immediately received tens of thousands of likes, and other football players are now offering up their own memorabilia. In a follow-up tweet, he wrote: “And now I talked to Leonardo Bonucci. He expressed his sadness and said that Turkey stands by our people. He also said he donated a signed Juventus jersey.”
AND WHAT’S MORE: Demiral played alongside Ronaldo at Juventus and now turns out for Atalanta. At international level, the 24-year-old has 35 senior caps with Turkey.
WHAT NEXT FOR FUNDRAISING? Demiral chose Turkish charity Ahbap as his preferred place to donate, but international organisations such as Turkish Red Crescent and Save The Children are among the other organisations currently accepting donations as they aid people on the ground in Turkey and Syria.
Saudi Arabia has won a bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Wednesday.
The announcement was made at the AFC Congress in the Bahraini capital of Manama. Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder after India withdrew in December.
“We are excited to deliver the greatest tournament in the competition’s history. The kingdom is transforming before our eyes and we are filled with excitement for what it will look like in 2027,” the kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said after the announcement.
The world’s biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia has thrown hundreds of millions at sports deals including the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo, Formula One in Jeddah and the lucrative LIV Golf tour. In the coming years the Saudis, who watched as neighbours Qatar hosted the World Cup in November and December, will hold the women’s Asian Cup, the Olympic-sized Asian Games and even the Asian Winter Games on artificial snow.
The desert kingdom is also eyeing a World Cup and Summer Olympics, perhaps even a Winter Olympics, together with a swathe of other major events. It is all part of grand plans by the de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to modernise the Saudi economy and end its reliance on oil before the world moves on to other fuels.
“I’m sure Saudi Arabia will host a fantastic Asian Cup,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the Manama congress.
The 2023 Asian Cup will be hosted by Qatar. It was previously set to be held in China but the country withdrew because of Covid. The Asian Cup is staged every four years. Qatar won the tournament’s last edition, in 2019, which was hosted by the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has won three AFC Asian Cup titles.
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly invited four Manchester United stars to Al Nassr game to say a proper goodbye to them.
The Portugal international is arranging a reunion with some of his closest friends at Man United.
The veteran striker completed a stunning move to Saudi Arabia in January after his abrupt Manchester United exit.
Ronaldo quit Old Trafford prematurely back in November after the Red Devils terminated his contract.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner parted ways with the Premier League giants with a few months left on his contract.
According to The Sun, the forward’s unanticipated departure from the Theatre of Dreams happened when he was on international duty with Portugal at the 2022 World Cup. That means that the 37-year-old never got the opportunity to say a proper farewell to his teammates at Man United.
La Liga club, Celta Vigo are in dire need of the best strikers in the world at the moment as the club is in a relegation dogfight in Spain’s top-tier league. The former league giants are presently in the 16th spot on the La Liga table, having garnered just 20 points from their 19 games this season.
Celta Vigo striker and club captain, Iago Aspas has now revealed the drastic and costly measures he would take to help the club turn its fortunes around, Sportskeeda reports. “If it were up to me, then [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, we sign before the deadline closes. But I know that the club are trying to bring in another teammate to help us, and if someone comes in, then it will be very welcome.”
Celta Vigo are looking to reinforce their attack before the January window closes, with the club having scored just 18 times in the league the entire season.
Celta Vigo deserved their victory Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao coach, Ernesto Valverde admits their performance wasn’t good enough in the defeat to Celta Vigo and admitted his opponents were superior on Sunday, Tribal Football reports.
Aspas’s strike in the 70th minute proved decisive for Celta Vigo, who claimed maximum points to boost their chances of escaping relegation. Athletic Bilbao had chances to score, including an Alex Berenguer volley that hit the post, but there was no way back for Valverde’s team in the contest.
Touted as possibly the last time the stars would share the same field, the game was eventually won by PSG in what was a nine-goal thriller. Since Messi and Ronaldo shared a hug in Saudi Arabia however, keen-eyed fans noted the 2022 World Cup winner has dipped in form.
Al Nassr were beaten 3-1 by Al Ittihad and knocked out of the Saudi Arabian Super Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the pitch and was jeered by rival fans at the end of the match.
Al Nassrwere beaten 3-1 by Al Ittihad and knocked out of the Saudi Arabian Super Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo started and put in some very good performances but it was not enough to win the match.
Romarinho and Abderrazak Hamdallah gave the home side the lead in the first half, while Anderson Talisca pulled one back in the second half to restore Al Nassr’s hopes. However, hopes were dashed when Muhannad Shanqeeti made it 3-1 to Al Ittihad.
Cristiano Ronaldoand his teammates walked off the pitch when the match was over and received a lot of jeers.
The Al Ittihad fans taunted the former Real Madrid player and started shouting Lionel Messi’s name. Ronaldo glared at them, but said nothing.
Cristiano Ronaldo paid old friends a visit on Friday, dropping in on Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid ahead of the Supercopa de Espana final in Riyadh.
It may have been rude of Madrid’s record goalscorer not to show his face, given Los Blancos were training at the facilities of his new team, Al Nassr.
The 37-year-old was nevertheless warmly received as his former team were put through their paces, training in the build-up to Sunday’s trophy game against Barcelona.
Ronaldo watched the session and met with Madrid’s players, the club said, with the Portuguese perhaps hankering for a slice of the action.
He also chatted with fellow former Madrid star Roberto Carlos, with the Brazilian making an appearance at the session as well.
Ronaldo last featured in a Supercopa for Madrid in August 2017, scoring in a 3-1 first-leg win against Barcelona at Camp Nou before Madrid won the second game 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu to seal a 5-1 aggregate rout over their fiercest rivals.
Ronaldo has yet to make his competitive debut for Al Nassr, who face Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
He is expected to miss that game, having also sat out a fixture against Al Tai last week, due to a two-match ban handed down by the English Football Association after Ronaldo slapped a mobile phone out of a young Everton fan’s hand at the end of Manchester United’s defeat at Goodison Park last April.
Ronaldo has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al Nassr, the deal seemingly ending his long and successful career in European club football.
He scored 451 goals in 438 games for Madrid in a staggering nine-year stint with Los Blancos, before moving on to Juventus in July 2018.
Ghana defender, Tariq Lamptey has settled on both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are at par when it comes to the greatest footballer of all time debate.
Having led Argentina to win the Mundial in Qatar, many football fandom have rated the former Barcelona as the greatest player of all time.
However, Lamptey has described five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi as generational players.
“We are blessed to see two generational players in Messi and Ronaldo and we really have to enjoy what they do,” the Brighton defender who featured at the global showpiece told Citi Sports.
“Both have different qualities and have worked hard to get what they have.
“I enjoy both and I love watching them play.
“I try to take as many lessons as I can to try and become a better player myself.
“I will take both of them in my team if I can,” he added.
Portugal however, exited the tournament at the quarterfinals after losing to Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi look as though they will have one final dance together on a football field next week – although it won’t be in the circumstances that they have both been used to in their glittering careers.
Many El Clasicos, a Champions League final, international battles and head-to-heads when Ronaldo played for Juventus all occured, though his time at Manchester United and their subsequent failure to qualify for the Champions League put an end to any of that for the near future.
A move to Al-Nassr just before the new year seemed to be the nail in the coffin for any rendezvous between the highly-heralded pair, with Messi still strutting his stuff at Paris Saint-Germain and rumours of a move to Inter Miami meaning they would not be able to play against. one another in club competitions.
Ronaldo further said during his oddly-timed interview with Piers Morgan that a dream of his would be to beat Messi in the World Cup final to lift the famous trophy. He remarked that it would be “too good”, though that did not come to pass.
The striker was caught crying in the tunnel after being knocked out in stunning circumstances by Morocco, who became the first African team to ever make a World Cup semi-final. Knowing that he will be 41 at his next World Cup, Ronaldo perhaps knew that his time to win the famed accolade was up – and that will have been salt in the wound once Messi took home the trophy in his swansong.
Regardless, Ronaldo’s new club were meant to to face PSG last season, but COVID-19 woes saw the fixture postponed. Instead, the French giants added the fixture into their mid-season tour of Saudi Arabia that gets underway this January with the game against Al-Nassr set for the 19th.
In terms of the game, Al-Nassr won’t be pushovers. The likes of former Arsenal keeper David Ospina, former Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo and Cameroon’s World Cup hero Vincent Aboubakar all ply their trade at the league leaders, and with Rudi Garcia as their boss, predicting the score will be difficult – though the 58-year-old has shared his annoyance at the timing of the friendly.
Cristiano Ronaldo will still have the chance to represent Portugal after new head coach Roberto Martinez left the door open for him to compete for the national side.
A move to Al Nassr for Ronaldo after the World Cup came after a turbulent period for the 37-year-old saw him released by Manchester United and then dropped by Fernando Santos during Portugal’s campaign in Qatar.
Now in Saudi Arabia, it has not been clear whether the 196-cap forward’s time on the international stage would end at the start of a new era under Martinez.
However, speaking at his unveiling on Monday, the former Belgium boss confirmed he will talk to Ronaldo, and other players, before making decisions on the squad.
“Decisions have to be made on the pitch. I won’t rush into decisions. I want to meet everyone, and from today I want to talk and meet all the players,” he said at a press conference.
Cristiano Ronaldo will still have the chance to represent Portugal after new head coach Roberto Martinez left the door open for him to compete for the national side.
A move to Al Nassr for Ronaldo after the World Cup came after a turbulent period for the 37-year-old saw him released by Manchester United and then dropped by Fernando Santos during Portugal’s campaign in Qatar.
Now in Saudi Arabia, it has not been clear whether the 196-cap forward’s time on the international stage would end at the start of a new era under Martinez.
However, speaking at his unveiling on Monday, the former Belgium boss confirmed he will talk to Ronaldo, and other players, before making decisions on the squad.
“Decisions have to be made on the pitch. I won’t rush into decisions. I want to meet everyone, and from today I want to talk and meet all the players,” he said at a press conference.
“Cristiano is part of that list. He’s had 19 years in the national team and deserves respect, let’s talk. From there, it’s up to me to make the best list for the European Championships.
“Tomorrow we will start working to meet all the players, and Cristiano is one of them.
“We will start a football process to try to get to know all the players who will be able to join this team. We will give a chance to all players and respect all who are already in the team.
“I’m delighted to have them by my side. It’s a process that we have to face naturally, responsibly, and we’re going to make important decisions for the team.”
Portugal begin their qualification campaign for Euro 2024 in March against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.
“Cristiano is part of that list. He’s had 19 years in the national team and deserves respect, let’s talk. From there, it’s up to me to make the best list for the European Championships.
“Tomorrow we will start working to meet all the players, and Cristiano is one of them.
“We will start a football process to try to get to know all the players who will be able to join this team. We will give a chance to all players and respect all who are already in the team.
“I’m delighted to have them by my side. It’s a process that we have to face naturally, responsibly, and we’re going to make important decisions for the team.”
Portugal begin their qualification campaign for Euro 2024 in March against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.
Cristiano Ronaldo joining Al Nassr will have a similar impact as Pele’s move to New York Cosmos nearly 50 years ago, according to the Saudi club’s head coach Rudi Garcia.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, thought to be one of the most lucrative in football history, following his Manchester United exit.
The Portugal international has yet to make his debut due to a domestic suspension carried over from his time at United, but his impact is already being felt off the pitch.
And in the view of Garcia, the transfer is comparable to the late Pele’s move to American club Cosmos in 1975 following a legendary spell with Santos.
“It’s a bit like Pele’s arrival, especially for the development of football, sport and culture in Saudi Arabia,” Garcia was quoted as saying by L’Equipe.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is more than a player. He is one of the best players in the world.
“It’s amazing how much it’s put a spotlight on our club. Now everyone knows where our club is around the world.
“We must have gone from 800,000 [Twitter followers] to 10 million in a few hours, or a few days, because of Cristiano’s arrival.”
Ronaldo missed Friday’s 2-0 win over Al Tai and will also sit out Saturday’s trip to Al Shabab due to a ban imposed for knocking a phone out of an Everton fan’s hand last April.
He is eligible to make his Al Nassr debut against Al Ettifaq on January 22, but Garcia has confirmed Ronaldo may first feature in a prestige friendly against Paris Saint-Germain.
That could mean a clash between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as PSG take on a Saudi All-Star XI made up of players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal, but Garcia is not entirely happy.
“His debut won’t be with the Al Nassr jersey. It will be a mix between Al Hilal and Al Nassr,” Garcia said.
“As the coach of Al Nassr, I cannot be pleased with this match. For development, to see PSG, to see the great Parisian players, indeed it is a good thing.
“But we have a championship game three days later. In terms of scheduling, it could have been better thought out. But it’s not a big deal.
“We are in the lead, we are happy. It is a difficult championship to win, but we intend to do it.”
Ronaldo struggled for playing time prior to his United exit and then lost his place in Portugal’s starting line-up in their disappointing World Cup campaign.
Asked what he hopes to see from the 37-year-old when he belatedly makes his debut, Garcia said: “If he finds the pleasure of playing again, that will already be a goal achieved.”
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a slip of tongue on his first day at work as an Al Nassr player.
Speaking at the first press conference preceding his official unveiling last Tuesday, he referred to Saudi Arabia, his new host country, as South Africa.
“The football is different, so for me it’s not the end of my career to come to South Africa. This is why I want to change, and to be honest I’m really not worried about what people say,” Ronaldo told the media in Riyadh, where the club is based.
He added: “I won everything, I played for the most important clubs in Europe and now it is a new challenge in Asia.”
Ronaldo later turned up at the club’s stadium in his traditional number 7 jersey and had a kick about on the pitch. He also formally met with his colleagues in the dressing room.
The Portuguese skipper, who had a poor outing at the 2022 World Cup was without a club at the time the tournament ended after Manchester United ended his contract following an interview he granted criticizing the past and present of the club.
He signed a world record two-and-half year contract with the Saudi club with a clause in the deal being that he will also support Saudi’s 2030 bid to co-host the World Cup along with Egypt and Greece.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a slip of tongue while speaking on his decision to join the Saudi team during his official unveiling with Al Nassr on Tuesday.
Instead of mentioning he is playing for Saudi Arabia, he rather said, “South Africa.”
He left Manchester United on Friday and signed with Al Nassr as a free agent.
“The football is different, so for me it’s not the end of my career to come to South Africa. This is why I want to change, and to be honest I’m really not worried about what people say,” Ronaldo told the media as he was presented at the Riyadh club.
Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a deal that runs until 2025.
The Portugal captain is a free agent after leaving Manchester United following a controversial interview in which he criticised the club.
Ronaldo is for the first time in decades going to ply his club football outside Europe, specifically for Saudi Arabia topflight side.
The club posted the news of his signing on their social handles late Saturday, Decmeber 30, 2022.
It was accompanied by two photos of Ronaldo and a club official with his number 7 shirt.
The caption read: “History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome @Cristiano to your new home.”
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome <a href=”https://twitter.com/Cristiano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Cristiano</a> to your new home <a href=”https://twitter.com/AlNassrFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@AlNassrFC</a> <a href=”https://t.co/oan7nu8NWC”>pic.twitter.com/oan7nu8NWC</a></p>— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) <a href=”https://twitter.com/AlNassrFC_EN/status/1608935670520909825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>December 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
The 16-year-old forward has agreed to join LaLiga and European champions Madrid from Palmeiras in July 2024.
Endrick had been linked with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea before opting to make the move to the Spanish capital in a deal that could reportedly be worth €70million.
Fellow Brazilian Vinicius and Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer Ronaldo influenced the teenager’s decision to make the switch to Los Blancos.
He told Marca: “Real Madrid is a very big team, and Vini had sent me messages and gave me more hope.
“Cristiano, who is my idol, also played for Real Madrid. That’s why I chose Real Madrid and I think it’s the right choice. God has always been with me and he has told me that it is the best way.”
Carlo Ancelotti also convinced Endrick that joining Madrid was his best option.
“Yes, I spoke with Ancelotti, with Rodrygo, with Eder [Militao], with the Brazilians,” he said.
“I thank God very much for everything that happens in my life and I hope that many good things still come, but you have to keep your feet on the ground, have humility and persevere.”
Following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Erik ten Hag is eager to recruit a forward to Manchester United in the upcoming months.
Under the Dutch coach, the Red Devils have experienced a stronger start to the Premier League campaign than in previous years, but they still lack talent in the final third.
Despite the fact that there may be more inexpensive options in a notoriously difficult winter window, Cody Gakpo has been on the club’s radar for a number of months.
The United attack might be strengthened in January by five different strategies.
Cody Gakpo (PSV Eindhoven)
Much has been said of PSV Eindhoven forward Gakpofollowing his impressive World Cup campaign with the Netherlands in Qatar.
Gakpo was subject to interest from the 13-time Premier League winners last summer and the club could return in an effort to secure his services in January.
The 23-year-old scored three times for his country at the global showpiece and has been a star for his club in the Eredivisie, tallying 21 goal contributions in just 14 matches.
His impressive form has had consequences for clubs aiming to sign the 14-cap international with his price tag skyrocketing in recent months.
PSV’s director of football Marcel Brands said: “Only 10-12 clubs can afford Gakpo in January. Let’s see if it will happen — it has to be a record PSV sale and also the right bid for Cody’s plans.”
Goncalo Ramos (Benfica)
Goncalo Ramos has made a name for himself on the international stage
Another impressive youngster who has emerged at the World Cup is Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos.
Ramos, 21, played in four of Portugal’s five matches at the tournament in Qatar and netted a hat-trick in the win over Switzerland that earned his country a quarter-final berth.
He has also been thriving in domestic football — scoring nine times in 11 league matches for the Eagles, who sit top of the Primeira Liga.
The striker came through Benfica’s youth system and has since gone on to net 28 times in 80 first-team appearances.
United are sure to have their eye on Ramos and may rely on compatriots Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot to convince him to join.
Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach)
A name that has gone under the radar this season is Marcus Thuram, who has enjoyed a cameo role for France at the World Cup.
The Borussia Monchengladbach finisher has been prolific in the Bundesliga however, netting 10 times in 15 appearances for the German side.
His current contract is set to expire next summer, which is likely to draw interest from the Red Devils who could look to finalise a cheap deal to appease the Bundesliga outfit.
However, Ten Hag would likely face stiff competition from his rivals as clubs look to bag a January bargain.
At 6ft 2in, Thuram would be an excellent option to provide an aerial threat as United look to continue their progress in the Premier League and Europa League.
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)
Christian Pulisic was the United States’ talisman at the World Cup
Christian Pulisic is yet to find favour under Graham Potter at Chelsea but his performances at the World Cup proved he has exceptional quality.
With a goal and two assists, the Pennsylvania-born attacker helped drag the United States to the last 16 in Qatar before they bowed out at the hands of the Netherlands.
His club form has not been as impressive — just two goal contributions in 13 Premier League appearances this term — but he has mostly been limited to action from the bench.
United were reportedly exploring a loan deal for the American last summer but the West London club were playing hardball at the time.
Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Like Gakpo, Victor Osimhen would be an expensive option for the Red Devils with the Nigerian centre forward valued at over £80million.
The 23-year-old could well be worth the money however, as shown by his superb form this season for Napoli.
Luciano Spalletti’s men sit eight points clear at the summit of Serie A and Osimhen tops the goalscoring charts with nine strikes to his name.
Impressive performances in the Partenopei’s Champions League group-stage campaign have put him on the radar of many European clubs, including United.
Cristiano Ronaldo has responded to claims that he threatened to walk out on Portugal after being left out of the starting line up for the first time at the World Cup.
“I would never turn my back on my colleagues and my country,” he said in a statement following the team’s shock quarter-final defeat to Morocco.
The exit on Saturday had been the second time in succession that the 37-year-old had been dropped to the bench.
There had been suggestions following the last-16 clash with Switzerland that he had implored head coach Fernando Santos to let him go home.
But Ronaldo has now said in response that it was “not worth reacting to heat”.
“I was always one fighting for the objective of all and I would never turn my back on my colleagues and my country,” he said in a translated social media post. “Not much more to say for now.”
Ronaldo’s Portugal career appears to now be hanging in the balance. His club prospects are also uncertain after Manchester United tore up his contract over comments he made in an interview with Piers Morgan.
Against Morocco, he had exited the field in tears on Saturday, taking a final stoic glance at the crowd before cupping his hand and heading down the tunnel in tears.
“Winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career,” he wrote.
“I fought hard for this dream. In the five appearances, I scored in World Cups over 16 years, always by the side of great players and supported by millions of Portuguese. I gave my all. Leave it all out on the field. I never turned my face to the fight and I never gave up on that dream. Sadly yesterday the dream ended.”
In a hint that this international career may be drawing to a close, he added: “The dream was nice while it lasted…”.
Ronaldo holds the world record as the all-time overall leading scorer in international play with 118 international goals in 196 matches. He is also a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, the recipient of four European Golden Shoes and has seven league titles under his belt.
Ronaldo is still deciding on his future, with a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia to weigh up in the coming days. He did not return to Lisbon on Sunday, with the Portuguese FA announcing only 14 players would be returning to the nation’s capital following the defeat.
Alongside the former Manchester United forward, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot, Ruben Neves, Rui Patricio, Raphael Guerreiro, Rafael Leao, Joao Cancelo and Maheus Nunes, were also planning to travel home independently.
Of the initial 26-man World Cup squad, Danilo Pereira and Nuno Mendes had already withdrawn through injuries.
Following criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo’s underwhelming performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Italian forward Mario Balotelli Barwuah, who is of Ghanaian heritage, defended the Portuguese star.
Ronaldo has been heavily criticized for his performance in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the subsequent elimination of Portugal in the quarter-finals by the Atlas Lions of Morocco.
Amidst the media crusade, Balotelli, who is not a fan of Ronaldo and has not been shy to make it public, has said that Ronaldo should rather be celebrated and not crucified because of what he has done for football.
“I’m not a big fan of Ronaldo, and you know it. But for what he has done for football, he deserves more respect,” Mario Balotelli said, as quoted by popular football enthusiast Frank Khalid on Twitter.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty goal against the Black Stars was his only goal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after featuring in five games against Ghana, South Korea, Uruguay, Switzerland, and Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Euros and the UEFA Nations League for Portugal, but it is very likely that he will end his career without the World Cup.
When it comes to the man known around the world as “CR7”, the numbers speak for themselves. He has played more than 1,000 professional football matches and scored more than 800 goals. He guided Portugal to their first major international trophy, lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy five times and is a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or.
He has scored 115 international goals, more than any other male player.
Which begs the question: is Cristiano Ronaldo the greatest footballer of all time?
The beginning of the legend…
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on 5 February 1985 in Madeira, a Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.
He was the youngest of four children, the son of a cook and a gardener.
His father was kitman at local side Andorinha; when Ronaldo started training with the youth team, his speed and diminutive stature earned him the nickname Abelhinha (“Little Bee”).
He moved to Nacional and was soon scouted by Sporting Lisbon.
At the age of 12, Ronaldo had to leave Madeira for the Portuguese mainland.
At Sporting, Ronaldo impressed his coaches not only with his natural talent, but also his work-ethic and determination to succeed.
He made his professional debut in 2002, at the age of 17, and word of his ability began to spread around European clubs.
In August 2003, Ronaldo put on a dazzling display in a pre-season friendly against Manchester United, and the English club immediately signed the young winger with the lightning-fast feet for £12.24 million.
During the 2009 close season, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a then-world-record fee of £80 m ($130 m).
In Spain, he showed that he had become the complete centre-forward: fast and strong, superb in the air, and a deadly finisher with either foot.
He developed a fierce rivalry with Barcelona’s Argentinian maestro Lionel Messi, with both players striving to outdo the other in a quest to be recognized as the world’s best player.
Between 2008 and 2021, between them the pair were awarded the Ballon d’Or a staggering 12 times in 13 years.
Ronaldo’s presentation as a new Real Madrid C.F. player in 2009
Ronaldo’s remorselessness in front of goal saw him become Real Madrid’s highest-ever scorer, racking up an incredible 450 goals in just 438 appearances.
He won two La Liga titles, two Copas del Rey and three Club World Cups.
In the UEFA Champions League, Ronaldo continued to set the standard, adding four more titles to his collection and scoring the most goals in a Champions League season in 2013/14, when he hit the net 17 times in just 11 matches.
To date, he remains the only player to have scored in three finals in the competition.
Following his departure from Madrid in 2018, Ronaldo spent three years in Italy playing for Turin giants Juventus, where he reached a century of goals and claimed the Serie A league title two seasons in a row.
In 2021, Ronaldo made an emotional return to Old Trafford, where he finished the season as top scorer and extended his Champions League records for most goals (140) and most appearances (183).
Type of Goal
Number
Left foot
26
Right foot
61
Head
28
Open play
89
Direct free kicks
10
Penalties
16
International Icon
Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal in a friendly against Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003, and the following year he scored his first international goal, against Greece during a group-stage match at UEFA EURO 2004.
Despite making an impact on the competition, Ronaldo’s tournament ended in tears as Portugal lost out in the final – once more to Greece, the hosts and surprise winners.
Few could have predicted at that moment that Ronaldo would go on to become to the first player to play in five EURO finals, and grab the tournament records for both appearances (25) and goals (14).
At EURO 2016, Ronaldo led his team on a battling run through the tournament to the final.
In the showpiece match against France, Ronaldo was left in tears once again, as an early injury forced him from the field – but Portugal held on to win 1–0, allowing their talisman to lift the trophy.
It was his country’s first major international title.
Success in the FIFA World Cup was harder to come by, although in 2018 Ronaldo equalled the record for most World Cup tournaments to score in – four, previously achieved by West Germany’s Uwe Seller, the Brazilian legend Pelé and Seller’s compatriot Miroslav Klose.
As Ronaldo continued to find the net, one further landmark record came steadily closer in view: the most goals in men’s internationals.
It had previously been held by Iran’s Ali Daei, who struck 109 times between 1993 and 2006.
Ronaldo equalled Daei’s mark at the delayed UEFA EURO 2020 tournament, where he scored five times.
On 1 Sep 2021, during a World Cup qualifying game against the Republic of Ireland at the Estádio Algarve, Ronaldo scored two late headers to claim the record for his own. By the end of the qualification process, he had increased his tally to 115.
As of the same date, he had made 186 international appearances, placing him third on the all-time list, just nine behind Malaysia’s Soh Chin Ann.
Ronaldo may now be in his late ‘30s, but few would bet against him going to break even more records.
It is clear that, whenever he does decide to hang up his boots, CR7 will leave a legacy behind that will take some matching.
“When you play with Ronaldo on your team, you are already 1-0 up.”
– Zinedine Zidane
Favorite opponents
Number of goals
Luxemburg
9
Lithuania, Sweden
7
Andorra, Hungary
6
Armenia, Latvia
5
Estonia, Faroe Islands, Netherlands
4
Ronaldo is also breaking records outside of the football field, and especially on social media.
He holds the record for most followers for an athlete on Twitter, as well as most followers on Instagram for an athlete.
His Instagram account has been the overall most followed account on Instagram since 2017. His official account currently counts 478M followers, but the remarkable number keeps increasing.
As of April 2021, he received the most likes for an athlete on Facebook, racking up a record-breaking 124,726,150 thumbs up.
As a legend of international football, Ronaldo’s Wikipedia page is also the most viewed Wikipedia page for an athlete (male).
In 2003, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said of Ronaldo: “He is one of the most exciting young players I’d ever seen”.
Today, he’s the top-scorer player in the world, a pluri-record holder and one of the most famous names ever in the football industry.
The crowds chant his name and his kick strikes true to score goal after goal, but that may not be enough for Cristiano Ronaldo, who has an ambitious heart and the skills and tenacity to reach unimaginable heights.
“Let’s keep trying to set the numbers even higher!” the football champion writes on his social media, and we certainly can’t wait to see.
Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s emotional outburst following Portugal’s shocking World Cup quarterfinal loss to Morocco on Saturday, Pepe says his colleague is “fine.”
After Ronaldo’s irate response to being substituted against South Korea in the final group game, Fernando Santos, the head coach, decided to leave him out of the starting lineup for the second straight game.
After a towering header from Youssef En-Nesyri gave Morocco the lead, Portugal was eliminated from the tournament despite Ronaldo’s introduction shortly after the break.
Ronaldo experienced a difficult reaction to the defeat, crying as he left the field. On Sunday, he posted on social media that he had given up on Portugal’s “most ambitious dream” of winning the World Cup.
Although Ronaldo postponed making a decision regarding his future with the national team, Pepe believes the striker deserves recognition for his accomplishments while wearing the Portugal jersey.
“Ronaldo is fine,” Pepe told reporters after arriving back in Lisbon. “He’s our Portuguese flag. He reaches all parts of the world.
“He gave us his contribution when he was called. We have to thank him and all his team-mates who did their best to be available for the coach.”
Despite Portugal head coach Fernando Santos’ contract running until 2024, it is rumoured he may step down after this World Cup disappointment.
Asked about Santos’ future, Pepe explained: “I’m a player, I don’t have to talk about it. I’m not going to go down that path.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t achieve the goal we wanted. We tried to give everything to honour our country.
“It’s football. There are these things. We have to learn from what happened so that the future is better for us.”
Portugal’s next match is against Liechtenstein in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier on March 23.
Despite Portugal losing to Morocco in the World Cup semifinals, head coach Fernando Santos admitted he has no remorse about benching Cristiano Ronaldo.
At Al Thumama Stadium, striker Youssef En-Nesyri scored the game-winning goal in the first half by leaping highest and outjumping goalkeeper Diogo Costa to the ball.
Cristiano Ronaldo climbed off the bench in the 50th minute to equal the men’s all-time appearance record of 196 in international matches, but he could not find the equaliser as their last-four hopes were dashed.
“I don’t think so, no regrets,” Santos said. “I think this was a team which played very well against Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary, so no regrets.
“If we take two persons that were the most upset it is Cristiano Ronaldo and myself. Of course we are upset, but that is part of the job of the coach and the player.”
Walid Regragui’s men will face holders France in the semifinals at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.
The Portuguese national team was surprised by its quarterfinal departure at the hands of Morocco, which scored a clear goal, but the newspapers in the European nation focused mostly on an offensive attack on the referee.
The match was moderated by Argentine referee Facundo Tello, amid fears before the match that a referee from the country of Lionel Messi would manage a match that would determine the fate of Portugal and its star, Cristiano Ronaldo, in light of the recent competition between the two legends in the World Cup in order to win the title.
Portugal was one of the strongest candidates to win the title, as well as Argentina, so the Portuguese media believes that the referee had a role in banishing one of the most important candidates to compete with his country to win the cup.
Argentina is the world champion
The newspaper “Record” published a report entitled “Argentina is the World Cup Champion”, due to the assignment of the task of refereeing the match to Argentine referee Facundo Tello, who has become the number one enemy now in Portugal.
The newspaper highlighted the statements of the team’s stars, led by “Bibi”, who said that managing the match with an Argentine referee is totally unacceptable.
Santos does not regret
The Portuguese newspaper “Ojogo” published a report on the most prominent news in the selection of coach Fernando Santos, by removing Cristiano Ronaldo from the starting line-up for the second consecutive match.
Santos said after the match that he did not regret his decision to put Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, indicating that the impact on the result was ‘zer0’.
Ronaldo’s tears
The newspaper “Ojogo” showed a snapshot of Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit, drowning in a bout of tears, on its front page, describing it as the end after the exit of the Portuguese national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo will celebrate his 38th birthday in a few weeks, and him playing in the 2026 World Cup close to his 42nd birthday will be unlikely, so it is not believed that Ronaldo will play again at a World Cup.
The dream is over
The Portuguese newspaper “A Bola” wrote on its headline after the Santos’ team fell to Walid Regragui’s men : “The dream is over,” as the Portuguese people would not sleep tonight to dream of Cristiano Ronaldo lifting the World Cup.
The newspaper focused on the end of the dream of the first World Cup in history for star Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest football players in history.
Morocco became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final and ended the hopes of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
Striker Youssef En-Nesyri scored the winning goal in the first half, leaping highest to beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa to the ball and heading in to spark pandemonium at Al Thumama Stadium.
The north African side’s supporters populated most of the venue and joyously celebrated their breakthrough moment on the global stage.
Ronaldo came off the bench in the 50th minute to equal the men’s all-time appearance record of 196 in international matches, but he could not drag his side back into the contest.
Morocco, who will face England or France in the last four, were happy to play on the counter and grabbed the opener just before the break when En-Nesyri headed in from Yahya Attiyat-Allah’s cross.
Portugal skipper Bruno Fernandes came agonisingly close to levelling just minutes later but a brilliant individual effort struck the crossbar.
Decimated by injuries, Morocco sat back for the majority of the second half and Yassine Bounou brilliantly tipped over Joao Felix’s drive – the closest they came to an equaliser.
Morocco striker Walid Cheddira was sent off for a second yellow card in eight minutes of additional time but Portugal could not find the equaliser as their last-four hopes were dashed.
Magnificent Moroccans make history
Three African sides had previously reached this stage of the World Cup but none had progressed any further. Until now.
The marvellous Moroccan players and fans rejoiced as En-Nesyri’s header on 42 minutes proved to be the pivotal moment.
Fans whistled and jeered every pass the Portuguese players made and then the rowdiest section behind the goal seemed to suck the ball into the net.
Walid Regragui’s side were missing West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd, Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui and lost captain Romain Saiss to injury early in the second period.
But they defended resolutely and frustrated Portugal to keep their seventh clean sheet in eight games under their boss and have conceded just once in this tournament.
Morocco are a tough proposition and buoyed on by a partisan crowd in Doha, they will present a difficult challenge to whoever they face in the last four on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Bounou, earning his 50th cap, pushed away a header from Felix early on and a deflected strike flew narrowly over.
Morocco had carved out the better opportunities on the break but En-Nesyri sent two free headers off target and Sofiane Boufal’s curler was straight at Costa.
In his desperation for an equaliser, Fernando Santos sent on Ronaldo early in the second half but the 37-year-old – who equaled Kuwait striker Bader Al-Mutawa’s international caps record – found it difficult to make any impact.
Having seen rival Lionel Messi reach the semi-finals on Friday, Ronaldo could not do the same with his side on what is likely to be his final World Cup appearance, trudging down the tunnel in tears at full-time as his dream was over.
After getting into a heated dispute with Portugal’s head coach during their final World Cup group match against South Korea, Ronaldo was benched by Fernando Santos.
The 37-year-old’s absence was not felt against Switzerland, however, as Portugal won 6-1, with Goncalo Ramos replacing Ronaldo and scoring a stunning hat-trick.
Santos will surely stick with the same team again when his side take on Morocco in the quarter-finals, but Regragui would prefer that to be the case.
“I don’t know if Ronaldo will start. I hope he won’t,” Regragui said. “As a coach, I know he’s one of the best players in history. I’d be delighted if he didn’t play.
“But we’re not going to focus on Portugal. They’re hungry, they also want to get into the history books.
“We’re going to have more supporters in the stadium, and we can do it.”
Throughout his pre-match news conference on Friday, Regragui outlined his ambition to make history, with Morocco already enjoying their best run at a World Cup.
Discussing pre-tournament predictions that had Morocco failing in the group stage, he said: “They all thought they knew who was going to win the World Cup. We are here, too.
“Our players are hungry. We’re not satisfied with what we’ve done so far.”
Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has refuted claims that Cristiano Ronaldo has threatened to skip the World Cup.
According to Portuguese media outlet Record, the 37-year-old attacker threatened to leave the team after learning he wouldn’t start their last-16 match against Switzerland.
The captain of Portugal reacted violently when he was replaced in the last match against South Korea.
The FPF said: “At no time did Cristiano Ronaldo threaten to leave the national team during the stay in Qatar.”
Before Portugal’s World Cup opening, Ronaldo departed Manchester United amicably following a contentious interview in which the five-time Ballon d’Or winner criticized the team.
In both of Portugal’s early matches, Ronaldo was taken off the field and coach Fernando Santos stated he “didn’t appreciate” Ronaldo’s response when he was taken off again during the 2-1 group loss to South Korea.
In place of Ronaldo, Goncalo Ramos started the match against Switzerland, and the 21-year-old scored three goals in the 6-1 victory.
“Cristiano Ronaldo builds up a unique track record every day at the service of the national team and the country, which must be respected,” added the FPF.
“The degree of dedication of the player most capped by Portugal was again demonstrated – if necessary – in the victory against Switzerland, in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup.”
Portugal face Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
Ronaldo did not train with the other substitutes after Wednesday’s game, instead taking part in a gym session alongside those that started against Switzerland.
Portugal followed Manchester United’s lead and decided they could be better off without Cristiano Ronaldo, reducing him to the status of the superstar no one wants.
And they were better off for it, as Portugal’s coach Fernando Santos was rewarded for his bravery in letting go of his nation’s sporting icon with a comprehensive attacking performance and a 6-1 victory over Switzerland, setting up a World Cup quarterfinal matchup against Morocco.
Santos was not only vindicated for his decision to axe Ronaldo after publicly criticising his gestures when he was substituted in the last group game against South Korea, he hit the jackpot as his young replacement Goncalo Ramos looked the real deal in hitting a superb hat-trick.
It has been a bruising time for 37-year-old Ronaldo’s considerable pride and ego as first his Manchester United career ended in acrimony following public criticism of the club and now Portugal did what was previously unthinkable – at least going as far back as 31 games and before Euro 2008 – and ditched him from their starting line-up at a major tournament.
This was certainly the bravest selectorial call of this World Cup and the biggest of Santos’ eight-year time in charge of Portugal.
Santos, despite having a Euro 2016 win on his CV, will have known what was at stake by making this seismic change. If Portugal had lost, he would have known who would carry the can for their World Cup exit and it would not have been Cristiano Ronaldo.
Instead, Santos watched with his usual stern expression as Portugal looked a more vibrant, fluid and threatening side without all their focus trained on the often overpowering presence of Ronaldo.
Portugal moved smoothly through midfield with Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes at the controls, and up front Benfica’s 21-year-old striker Ramos, previously unknown on this sort of goal-scoring stage, carried any burden he may have been feeling as Ronaldo’s replacement lightly.
The previously subdued but richly talented Joao Felix looked liberated, rather like the rest of the Portugal team.
Ramos’s hat-trick came in various very well-taken shapes via a near-post finish thrashed high past Switzerland keeper Jan Sommer, then a poacher’s near-post strike from a cross, before a clever dink for his hat-trick. Some first full Portugal start.
Ronaldo, prior to this game, had played 514 minutes of World Cup knockout football without a goal. Ramos had three in 67 minutes.
Pepe, the 39-year-old defensive warhorse, showed age was not a factor in Santos’s thoughts as he headed the second while Ramos showed he could make them as well as score them when he set up Raphael Guerriero to make it 4-0.
And through it all sat Ronaldo, cameras trained on every facial expression as the Portuguese national hero saw the first signs of his international career following his Manchester United career into the past.
He was swarmed by hundreds of cameramen once the national anthems had finished playing and there was an almost testimonial feel to what happened once Portugal proved they were superior for his absence by routing a bitterly disappointing Switzerland.
Ramos had made it 5-1, Portugal were cruising, when a huge roar of “Ronaldo” started to sweep around the vast Lusail Stadium, followed by chants of his celebratory trademark “Siu”.
It appeared to be a large number of locals who had paid their money to see Ronaldo in the flesh who were leading the demands. It may even have been the suffering Switzerland fans hoping Santos would remove their tormentor Ramos.
Santos relented with 16 minutes left, sending Ronaldo on for Joao Felix to a pop star’s reception.
It was all vaguely awkward – even a touch embarrassing – as the fading talisman trotted on to make what felt like a personal appearance rather than a meaningful contribution in a World Cup knockout game.
There was an air of anticipation every time Ronaldo received the ball, those inside the arena desperate to see some of the old magic. They almost saw it when he rammed in a shot but the boos rang out as the offside flag went up.
Even Ronaldo’s brief spell in the limelight was stolen away from him when another bright young Portugal striker, Rafael Leao, came on and rounded of this thumping win with the sort of finish, curled into the top corner, that already has the 23-year-old marked down as a future star at AC Milan.
Cristiano Ronaldo was cheered loudly by the Portugal fans and had his name chanted several times throughout the match
At the final whistle, Ronaldo applauded the crowd then was first down the tunnel, leaving the real celebrations to those who deserved it, namely his Portugal team-mates who had delivered their finest performance of this World Cup and who will threaten anyone performing like this.
Ronaldo may yet make a decisive contribution at this tournament – he is trying to attract a new club after all – but it is hard to see him making it as a starter against Morocco.
After being shown the door at Manchester United for his petulance and outspoken views on the club’s hierarchy, he now finds himself marginalised on territory where he must have thought he was even more untouchable with Portugal.
As the old saying goes, Ronaldo was the future once. He increasingly looks like the past and the future belongs to emerging stars such as Ramos and Leao.
So what now for the fallen idol of club and country? Surely the bench at best against Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo praised Portugal’s “historic” World Cup victory over Switzerland on social media.
Ronaldo, 37, came off the bench last night as the Selecao defeated the Swiss 6-1 to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal matchup with Morocco.
After leaving Manchester United, the Portuguese superstar became a free agent, and he was the center of attention before the game.
But Goncalo Ramos, who took his spot in the starting lineup, made headlines with a hat-trick and an assist in the round-of-16 match.
Ronaldo, who had a goal disallowed for offside, said on Instagram: “Amazing day for Portugal, with a historic result in the biggest contest in world soccer.
“Luxury display by a team full of talent and youth.
“Congratulations to our national team. The dream is alive! To the very end! Come on, Portugal!”
The top male scorer in men’s international soccer, Cristiano Ronaldo has made a colossal impact on Portugal over the past 20 years.
The veteran forward has scored some spectacular goals and has come up clutch on several occasions — helping his nation win their first major honour in 2016.
Ahead of the last-16 tie with Switzerland, we take a look at five of Ronaldo’s best international strikes.
Portugal 3-3 Spain (2018)
The 2018 World Cup did not end in glory for Ronaldo but he did play his part in helping Portugal progress past the group stages.
Drawn into Group B with Morocco, Spain and Iran, the No7 knew he had to be at the peak of his powers to carry his country through in Russia.
The match against Spain was a thriller for the neutral — Ronaldo had already bagged a brace but found himself 3-2 down in the 90th minute.
Drawing a foul on the edge of the box, he stepped up and curled past David de Gea, who could only watch the ball sail past him.
The point ended up earning Portugal a place in the latter stages of the tournament but they fell to Uruguay in the last 16.
Hungary 3-3 Portugal (2016)
Cristiano Ronaldo scored with an audacious flick against Hungary in 2016
Ronaldo’s brace against Hungary back in Euro 2016 was crucial in Portugal’s run to the final and eventual triumph over France.
The European giants found themselves behind on three occasions in the game and Ronaldo brought them back from the depths twice.
His first, at 1-0 down, was a special flick from a cross — the former Manchester United man wrong-footed the keeper to become the first player to score at four European Championships.
At 3-2 down, Ronaldo struck again. This time with a deft header that soared past Gabor Kiraly to tie the game.
Portugal did not win the match but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s contributions sealed passage to the knockout stages.
Armenia 2-3 Portugal (2015)
Ronaldo provided another masterclass in a Euros qualifier against Armenia in 2016, netting a hat-trick to seal victory for Fernando Santos’ side.
Portugal went 1-0 down early on before the phenom equalised from the penalty spot.
He then scored twice in three minutes — including a stunning long-range effort — to prevent an Armenian comeback.
The Real Madrid legend was given acres of space in the final third and he thundered an effort into the top right corner, leaving goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky with no chance.
It may have only been a qualifier but Ronaldo‘s strike will mean that the match lives on in the memory of most football fans.
Portugal 2-3 Ecuador (2013)
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a famous volley against Ecuador in 2013
The only game to make it onto our list where Ronaldo was on the losing side but his goal against Ecuador deserves a mention.
In a match of no significance, the ex-Juventus striker pulled off an outrageous piece of skill and topped it with an incredible finish to draw his team level at the time.
Reaching an overhit cross, Ronaldo flicked the ball over the head of an Ecuadorian defender and smashed home a half-volley.
It was a goal of the highest standard — even for one of the greatest of all time — and it has been earmarked as one of his most memorable strikes.
There is still time for him to add another worldie to his collection, but he will do well to beat his goal in Guimaraes.
Portugal 2-1 Netherlands (2012)
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace in the last-16 tie against the Netherlands at Euro 2012
The Netherlands were a hot favourite to win Euro 2012 having made the final of the World Cup two years earlier.
In this last-16 clash, Ronaldo came up with the goods once again to secure Portugal’s passage to the quarter-finals by scoring a brace in Kharkiv.
Rafael van der Vaart gave the Dutch the lead but the Madeira-born talisman was deadly on the counter-attack and equalised soon after.
Ronaldo struck again in the second half, showing calmness and composure to cut back onto his right before wrong-footing the keeper and slotting home.
The victory saw Portugal continue their charge but they fell short once again, losing to Spain on penalties in the semi-finals.
Usain Bolt is disappointed at Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Manchester United, praising the forward for helping the team finish last season in the Premier League.
The Portugal captain left Old Trafford last month by mutual consent after harshly criticizing the team, manager Erik ten Hag, and owners, the Glazer family, in an interview.
Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medalist and United supporter, expresses disappointment over the star’s decision but emphasizes that he understands it.
“It’s sad to see him go,” said Bolt of Ronaldo. “He played such an important role for us last season. He kept us in the Premier League last season. Because many games he was the one he scored, kept giving us points.
“So it is sad to see him go, but I understand by listening to his interview there is a lot going on that a lot of us don’t know.
“I wish him all the best on his journey because I am a massive Cristiano Ronaldofan. So it is sad to see him gone.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.
The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford.#MUFC
The sale by the Glazer family, who have long drawn criticism from the club’s supporters, has been anticipated by Ronaldo’s departure, and Bolt adds that it is something that fans have been eager to see for a time.
“For me, it has been [a] long time [coming] for the fans,” he added. “[They] have spoken about this for years. Since Alex Ferguson [left], the club has been up and down,
“It surprised me as a supporter to know that the club hasn’t really moved on technology-wise to try to improve and to help the players to move forward.
“So, to get new owners, hopefully they’ll come in and develop the club in a way that is necessary.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed terms on a new deal with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, for a deal that will see him overtake Kylian Mbappe on the pay scale as the word’s highest paid player.
Marca say that a deal between the two is close and with terms agreed, it appears it only remains for Ronaldo to pull the trigger.
Ronaldo departed Manchester United shortly before the World Cup began. Seemingly none of the approaches from either Europe or Major League Soccer have come close to reaching the deal that Al-Nassr are proposing.
He would be paid €200m per year, and sign a deal for the next two-and-a-half seasons. That deal would even out as €500m in total, it is not yet clear whether there will be added signing bonuses. The 37-year-old would be 40 by the time that contract expires.
It would mark the end of an era and a stepping down from the pedestal of top level football for Cristiano Ronaldo. In a career so far spanning two decades, Ronaldo has played 949 games, scored 702 goals and given 223 assists in European football. Perhaps one of the most divisive characters in football history, there is no doubt European football will not be the same without him.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a once-in-a-lifetime contract to play for a Saudi Arabian club following his departure from Manchester United.
At the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the forward, who is now 37 years old, is now playing for Portugal.
As Ronaldo prepares to make history by becoming the first male footballer to score in five straight World Cups, CBS Sports reports that Al Nassr FC of Saudi Arabia has made him a whopping $225 million three-year offer. The agreement is said to go into effect following the World Cup.
Ronaldo has shown a strong desire to play solely at the top level available in Europe. Ronaldo was given a contract that will essentially pay him $75 million a year. According to reports, discussions started in the summer, and the team is now waiting for Ronaldo to make up his mind.
One of the most prosperous clubs in Asia and Saudi Arabia is Al Nassr FC.
The club has a total of nine league championships. According to reports, Ronaldo has also being pursued by their rival Al Hilal.
The football player’s post-World Cup plans are still unknown. Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet offered any commentary.
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