Category: Football

Spanish giants Real Madrid beat Juventus 1-0 to set up a Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Borussia Dortmund, who edged Mexican side Monterrey.

Serhou Guirassy struck twice for the German outfit as they scraped past Sergio Ramos’s side 2-1 in a tight last-16 clash in Atlanta and denied the former Real Madrid skipper a match-up against his former team.

Youngster Gonzalo Garcia headed home his third goal of the tournament to help Madrid edge Italian side Juventus at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami earlier.

It was an impressive display from Xabi Alonso’s Madrid side, unbeaten under the new coach, and they were further boosted by Kylian Mbappe’s return from illness as a substitute.

“We had a lot of chances in the second half, but their goalkeeper was really good,” said Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois.

The first half was a finely-balanced contest with Igor Tudor’s Juventus starting brightly before Real ended it on top.

Los Blancos kept turning the screw and found their goal when Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed for Gonzalo to head home after 54 minutes.

Alonso decided to introduce Mbappe to the delight of the 62,149 crowd but the striker did not find any clear openings as Juve pushed for an equaliser.

Madrid’s coach was pleased with his team’s performance, including that of Gonzalo — who he had compared to former Real great Raul — but also suggested that Mbappe might be ready for a bigger contribution in the next game.

“We will keep watching him… I think he will be much better for the quarters,” Alonso said.

Alonso added that he was satisfied to see Real produce the necessary grit to grind out the result in the second half.

“We had to be patient, we had to mature into the game,” said the coach.

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“With the players and myself, you know you have to grit your teeth and do what you have to do. And in the end, we had to hold on a bit, and I’m happy about that too.”

Juve boss Tudor said his team became exhausted as the game developed.

“In the end there were 10 of them asking to be substituted. Obviously you can’t do that but there was an incredible tiredness,” he said, offering his reasons.

“There is the tension of the game which burns energy but then there is the heat and humidity,” explained Tudor, also noting they were at the end of a long season.

In Atlanta, Guirassy’s brace was enough to help Dortmund past Monterrey in a hard-fought clash in the Club World Cup, setting them up to play a Madrid side who beat them in the 2024 Champions League final.

Guirassy netted a first-half double but German Berterame pulled one back for the Mexican side who came close to an equaliser when a late Ramos header span just wide.

After grinding through several games in the blazing afternoon sun during the group stage, Dortmund were grateful to be at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium and played at a faster pace in Atlanta.

Karim Adeyemi set up both of Guirassy’s goals as the Guinea international reached 37 for the season across all competitions.

A booking for Jobe Bellingham means he will be suspended for the clash against his brother Jude’s Real Madrid side.

However Dortmund almost missed out entirely as Monterrey hit back in the second half, but after Berterame headed home to reduce the gap, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made several good saves to keep them at bay.

Ramos, sent up front for the final stages, put a header agonisingly wide in stoppage time as he tried to deliver on his penchant for late, decisive moments, like in Madrid’s 2014 Champions League final triumph.

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola couldn’t hide his disappointment after his side suffered a stunning 4-3 defeat in extra time against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, crashing out of the FIFA Club World Cup in Orlando on Monday.

Coming into the knockout stage on the back of a commanding group phase, capped by a 5-2 win over Juventus, City were firm favourites to lift the trophy.

But their campaign came to a halt in dramatic fashion as Al Hilal capitalised on defensive lapses and blistering counter-attacks to produce one of the most unexpected results of the tournament.

“It is a pity. We’ve been on an incredible journey together, and in a good place,” Guardiola said post-match.

“The vibe in the camp was great, the players have trained and played with the right intent. I just want to thank them for that.”

“We would have loved to have continued, you can only be here once every four years, we had a feeling that the team is doing well, but we go home, and now it is time to rest and rest our minds for the new season.”

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Pep Guardiola admitted City were far too open at the back and paid the price for it.

“We were so open. They hurt us on the transitions,” he stated. “When the crosses came in, they had the pace and presence to punish us.”

“We created a lot of chances, but they defended deep and took theirs when it mattered.”

Al Hilal, managed by newly appointed Italian coach Simone Inzaghi, put on a spirited performance despite having just a few weeks together under the new regime.

“It’s barely been three weeks since I took over,” Inzaghi said.

“But the players gave everything. This was extraordinary. To beat Manchester City, you have to do something special, and tonight, the boys delivered.”

Describing the win as “climbing Everest without oxygen,” Inzaghi hailed his squad’s hunger and composure under pressure.

“We knew what we were up against. City is arguably the best in the world. But we believed, and that belief carried us,” he said.

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Fluminense sent Inter Milan packing from the Club World Cup on Monday with a 2-0 win in Charlotte that took the Brazilian side through to the quarter-finals.

German Cano’s header from close range gave Fluminense an early lead in their last-16 tie, and they then withstood an onslaught from the Italian side in the second half before substitute Hercules sealed their victory late on.

The Rio de Janeiro outfit, who qualified for the Club World Cup thanks to their Copa Libertadores triumph in 2023, became the second Brazilian side to make the last eight after Palmeiras had already sealed their quarter-final spot.

Captained by 40-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva, ‘Flu’ will now go to Orlando for a tie on Friday against either Manchester City or Al-Hilal.

“We knew they were not going to be easy opponents. Less than a month ago, they were playing the Champions League final, but we played really well,” Silva told broadcaster DAZN.

It is the latest victory for a Brazilian team against prestigious European opposition at the tournament in the United States, after Botafogo defeated PSG and Flamengo got the better of Chelsea in the group stage.

“This is a very important victory for our fans, for all of Brazil, for my country, for South America,” said Jhon Arias, the lively Colombian winger who was named man of the match.

“We are not only representing Fluminense but a whole continent, and we are really pleased with what we are doing in this World Cup.”

Inter Milan came to the US off the back of their 5-0 defeat by PSG in the UEFA Champions League final at the end of May and with a new coach in Cristian Chivu.

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They did not fully convince during the group stage despite topping their section, and they found themselves trailing inside three minutes before only just over 20,000 fans at the Bank of America Stadium on another hot afternoon.

A cross from the Fluminense right by Arias took a deflection off Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni, and the ball then bounced awkwardly before veteran Argentine striker Cano arrived to head in through the legs of goalkeeper Yann Sommer from close range.

Ignacio thought he had made it 2-0 before the interval, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.

Sommer then tipped a fine curling strike by Arias around the post just after the hour mark, before Inter began to turn up the pressure in an attempt to avoid exiting the competition.

Stefan de Vrij prodded wide from close range after captain Lautaro Martinez had headed down a cross, and the latter then saw a fine shot on the turn from the edge of the box come back off an upright.

Martinez had also been denied by Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio moments earlier, and confirmation that it would not be Inter’s day arrived in stoppage time.

As a substitute, Hercules pounced on a falling ball and drove into the box before firing low into the corner.

Federico Dimarco then hit the woodwork at the other end as Fluminense held out for the victory to keep South American hopes of glory at the tournament firmly alive.

“We never gave in. We kept going until the end, but it was not our day,” Chivu told DAZN.

READ: Al Hilal knock Manchester City out of the Club World Cup in a huge shock

Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal sent English giants Manchester City crashing out of the Club World Cup on Monday, snatching a shock 4-3 victory in extra time in the biggest upset of the tournament so far.

The match finished 2-2 at full-time, but at the end of an eventful extra-time, Marcos Leonardo grabbed the winner and pulled off one of the greatest wins in Middle Eastern football history.

The Saudi club advances to the quarter-final, where they will face Brazilian club Fluminense, ensuring a non-European team will reach the last four.

City had taken the lead in the ninth minute in controversial fashion, Bernardo Silva finishing after Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross.

Al Hilal players protested that Ait-Nouri had controlled with his arm in the build-up, but the goal stood.

City had plenty of opportunities to extend their lead before the break, but a combination of poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping from Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept the lead at a single goal.

Al Hilal offered several reminders of their threat on the break, but City had even more chances with Jeremy Doku volleying straight at Bounou, who moments later reacted superbly again to keep out a Bernardo effort.

The question as to whether Manchester City would live to regret not converting those chances was answered within a minute of the resumption.

Former City full-back Joao Cancelo’s low cross was parried out by Ederson, Malcolm pounced but saw his shot blocked by Ruben Dias, only for the ball to loop to Marcos Leonardo to head home the equaliser.

Six minutes later and the City’s high defensive line was exposed by a long ball from Cancelo, which Brazilian Malcolm raced on to, and he showed power and pace as he broke away before coolly slotting past Ederson.

The Saudi fans in the crowd went wild while Pep Guardiola responded immediately with a triple substitution, with midfielder Rodri and defenders Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji introduced.

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That brought some much-needed stability to a shaky back line, but City needed improvement at the other end too, and it came, albeit in its scruffy circumstances.

The Al Hilal defence were unable to deal with a Bernardo corner, and Erling Haaland pounced to steer home the loose ball and make it 2-2.

City piled on the pressure as they looked for the winner, but yet again Bounou proved their nemesis as he denied Akanji and Ruben Dias and even when he was beaten by Haaland, substitute Ali Lajami produced a magnificent goal-line clearance.

Guardiola took off Haaland and introduced Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush as the game went into extra time.

But for all City’s depth, Al Hilal had a deep well of spirit to draw upon and just four minutes into the opening period, Al Hilal regained the lead when Kalidou Koulibaly rose superbly to meet a Ruben Neves corner with a brilliantly angled header.

City responded with a goal of real quality when Rayan Cherki’s brilliantly floated ball towards the back post was poked home masterfully by Phil Foden, at full stretch and from the tightest of angles.

But incredibly, Al Hilal responded again to restore their lead — Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s header was saved by Ederso,n but Marcos Leonardo followed in to bundle the ball over the line.

As the celebrating Al Hilal fans poured out of the stadium, the Brazilian striker let his emotions pour out.

Manchester City skipper Bernardo Silva said his team had paid the price for being unable to deal with Al Hilal’s counter-attacking.

“We scored three and could’ve scored five, six. It was all about controlling when we lost the ball, controlling the transitions, don’t let them run, and they ran way too many times,” he said.

“With one, two passes, there was always a feeling of danger coming from them. When we allow teams to run like this, we always suffer a lot, and today was the case,” he said.

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TANGERANG REGENCY: Chinese Taipei thumped Pakistan to record 8-0 defeat in their opening game of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia Qualifiers here on Sunday.

The 2022 quarterfinalists and three-time Asian Cup champions, Chinese Taipei, mounted pressure on Pakistan from the start, scoring their first goal in the 13th minute of the match.

The East Asian side kept their dominance over Pakistan with another goal in the 15th minute. Pu Hsin-Hui’s slight deflection of Pakistan’s defender Maria Khan sent the ball into the nets.

Chinese Taipei extended their lead in the 17th minute when Chen Jin-Wen was given the opportunity inside the penalty area to lob the ball over Zeeyana.

Meanwhile, Pakistan only demonstrated resistance for a short time after the interval, until the opposing team scored another goal.

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The match ended disappointingly for Pakistan as the Green Shirts conceded four goals in the final five minutes, allowing Chinese Taipei to secure a convincing victory.

Pakistan will now face the hosts, Indonesia, while Chinese Taipei, in search of their second win, will face the Kyrgyz Republic on Wednesday.

For the unversed, Pakistan is placed in Group D alongside Chinese Taipei, host nation Indonesia, and Kyrgyzstan. All the matches of the tournament will be played at the Sport Center Kelapa Dua Tangerang.

Pakistan Football Team Squad For Asian Cup Qualifiers

Jennah Farooki, Nisha Ashraf, Zeeyana Jivraj; Defenders: Aliya Sadiq, Layla Banaras, Maria Khan (captain), Nizalia Siddiqui, Sophia Qureshi, Amina Hanif, Azwa Chaudhry, Marsha Malik, Rameen Fareed, Sanah Mehdi, Suha Hirani,  Anmol Hira, Aqsa Mushtaq, Isra Khan, Mariam Mahmood, Nadia Khan, Zehmena Malik, Zulfia Nazir.

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Chelsea defeated Benfica 4-1 in extra time in a chaotic weather-disrupted last-16 clash to book their place in the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.

Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored in extra time to send Premier League side Chelsea into a quarter-final clash against Brazil’s Palmeiras.

Chelsea’s late burst of scoring settled a game that took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left satisfied with his team’s victory but slammed the delay that turned the tie into a near five-hour marathon.

“I think it’s a joke, it’s not football,” Maresca said.

“For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed — for me personally, it’s not football.”

Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James’ opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining.

But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarter-final assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted.

The Benfica vs Chelsea clash marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning.

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“If you are already suspending, six, seven, eight games it probably means there is something that is not working well,” Maresca said. “Because in a football game, it’s not normal to suspend the game.”

When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an injury-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee.

Benfica’s Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time.

An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni’s second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory.

But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo’s low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin.

As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced.

Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a staggering new two-year deal with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, with details emerging that make it the most lucrative contract in sporting history.

According to a report by The Sun, the fresh terms are worth a basic £492 million over two years, which breaks down to a jaw-dropping £488,000 per day in base salary alone.

The renewed deal will see the five-time Ballon d’Or winner continue with Al Nassr past his 42nd birthday.

The Portuguese superstar is also set to receive a £24.5 million signing bonus, which increases to £38 million if he activates the second year of the deal.

On top of that, Ronaldo has been handed a 15% ownership stake in Al Nassr, reportedly valued at £33 million.

Ronaldo’s new role will also include serving as a “dream ambassador” for the Kingdom, a position that could push his overall earnings well beyond £500 million over the course of the contract.

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If he bags further bonuses for achievements such as winning the Saudi Pro League and finishing as the top scorer, he’s set to comfortably eclipse the half-a-billion-pound mark.

Beyond the astronomical salary, Ronaldo’s lifestyle will continue to be supported by Al Nassr.

The club is reportedly covering the wages of a 16-person entourage, including three drivers, four housekeepers, two chefs, three gardeners, and four security personnel, costing around £1.4 million.

There’s also a £4 million allowance for private jet usage, along with commercial deals with Saudi companies projected to bring in an additional £60 million.

It’s worth mentioning that Cristiano Ronaldo scored 35 goals in 41 appearances for Al Nassr last season and was the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer for the second year running.

He now has 99 goals in 111 games for the club and remains in pursuit of a historic 1,000 career goals, currently sitting on 938.

READ: Manchester City thrash Juventus to stay perfect at Club World Cup

Manchester City turned on the style to seal top spot in Group G at the Club World Cup with an emphatic 5-2 win over Juventus on Thursday.

The third straight victory for Pep Guardiola’s side increases the chances of City avoiding a meeting with Real Madrid in the last 16 — a fate that may now await Juventus.

City and Juve will not know their opponent until the final pair of games in Group H conclude later on Friday.

A positive day for City saw 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri make his first start since rupturing his ACL in September, and Guardiola’s side, featuring several new faces, look significantly improved on the team which struggled to finish 13 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool last season.

Manchester City were on top from the outset, with a Bernardo Silva header forcing Juve keeper Michele Di Gregorio to save with his feet in the fifth minute.

Four minutes later, Guardiola’s new-look side had the lead when, after a characteristic, patient build-up, Rayan Ait-Nouri split the Juve defence with a superb pass which Jeremy Doku collected and dispatched into the far corner.

Juve were gifted an equaliser when City’s Brazilian keeper Ederson’s pass out was intercepted by Teun Koopmeiners, who marched into the box and confidently fired home.

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Juve returned the gift, though in the 26th minute, when French defender Pierre Kalulu, under no pressure, turned a low cross from Matheus Nunes into his own net.

A short but intense downpour just before half-time cooled the stadium down, and Guardiola introduced his prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland at the break. It took just seven minutes for him to find the scoresheet.

Tijjani Reijnders fed Matheus Nunes, whose low cross found an unmarked Haaland in the middle, and while it wasn’t the cleanest of finishes from close range, the striker celebrated his 300th career goal.

Rodri left the field in the 66th minute to applause as Ilkay Gundogan took over his role in the centre of midfield, but Manchester City continued to overrun the Turin side.

Haaland latched on to a long ball from Ederson and looked for fellow sub Phil Foden in the middle, but put his cross beyond the England man only for Savinho to recover it and set up Foden for a simple conversion.

Savinho then made it 5-1 when, after a Haaland shot was saved by De Gregorio’s feet, the Brazilian met the loose ball with a thundering drive which flew in off the underside of the bar.

Juventus had created little but restored a little pride when Kenan Yildiz produced a lovely touch and clever pass to set Dusan Vlahovic free, and the Serbian beat Ederson from the edge of the box.

READ: Vinicius stars as Real Madrid ease into the Club World Cup last 16

Vinicius Junior scored one goal and made another with a touch of class as Real Madrid sealed their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a 3-0 win over Salzburg on Thursday.

The Brazil star opened the scoring after a superb defence-splitting pass by Jude Bellingham on 40 minutes and then set up Federico Valverde for the all-important second goal in first-half stoppage time.

Gonzalo Garcia wrapped up the win late on with his second goal of the tournament, and the result means Xabi Alonso’s team end the first round of FIFA’s new tournament unbeaten.

They go through to the knockout stage as Group H winners on seven points, setting up a last-16 tie against Juventus in Miami on Tuesday.

Salzburg go out as Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia progress in second place behind Real after defeating already eliminated Pachuca of Mexico 2-0 in Nashville.

They will face Manchester City in the last 16.

Real Madrid are adjusting in the United States to life under new coach Alonso and were again without top scorer Kylian Mbappe, with the Frenchman thus far not having played at the Club World Cup as he recovers from illness.

But there was still plenty of star appeal for the 64,811 fans who filled Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia almost to capacity; they reserved their loudest cheers for Bellingham, and spirits were not dampened by wet, fresh conditions as the blistering heatwave of recent days suddenly lifted.

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Alonso opted, as during his time in charge of Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, for a back three with Aurelien Tchouameni in between Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huijsen. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fran Garcia played as wing-backs.

Real Madrid won 5-1 when the teams met in the Champions League in January, with Vinicius scoring twice, and the Brazilian was again heavily involved in putting the Austrian team to the sword here.

He was denied by goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky when clean through on 20 minutes, but made up for that by getting the breakthrough as the interval approached.

The goal owed much to a fantastic pass by Bellingham, which found Vinicius in between the two Salzburg centre-backs. He held off two chasing defenders and scored with an early left-foot shot low into the corner.

It was the 22nd goal of the season in all competitions and one that delighted those backing Real in the crowd.

Petar Ratkov had a chance for Salzburg after Arda Guler was dispossessed just outside his own area, but Real scored again to make it 2-0 almost on the half-time whistle.

When a rather aimless pass forward by Guler was deflected by Salzburg’s Mamady Diambou, Vinicius pounced on the loose ball and continued into the area before producing a clever back-heel to set up Valverde for the goal.

Salzburg now needed a favour from Al Hilal to stay in the competition, although they did continue to make a fight of it and had chances to reduce the deficit in the second half.

Nevertheless, they were picked off on the counter as Madrid got their third with six minutes of the 90 remaining.

A ball forward by Alexander-Arnold should have been cut out by Joane Gadou, but the young defender’s touch was intercepted by Gonzalo Garcia, and the young forward ran through before clipping a shot beyond the goalkeeper.

READ: Al Nassr provides major update on Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract

Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, the club announced Thursday, following months of speculation over which team he would sign for next season.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027,” the club wrote in a post on X.

Minutes before the official confirmation, the team posted a teaser video, with the 40-year-old Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and saying: “Al Nassr forever”.

Ronaldo later posted a message on his Instagram, confirming the extension.

“A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together,” read the post.

The Portuguese superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the oil-rich country.

Last month, Ronaldo posted “This chapter is over” hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again.

“Ronaldo’s presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half. He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia,” a source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi football, told AFP last month.

The oil-funded PIF, the sovereign wealth fund behind a number of big-ticket Saudi investments, controls a group of Pro League clubs including Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ahli.

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Ronaldo’s announcement in May came just months after Brazilian star Neymar ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in January, after playing just seven times for Al Hilal — on a reported salary of around $104 million a year.

Although Ronaldo was the Pro League’s top scorer with 25 goals, he has been unable to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al Nassr, who lost in the Asian Champions League semi-finals last month.

Last year, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said he could end his career with Al Nassr, the Riyadh team favoured by a number of Saudi royals.

Saudi Arabia has shaken up football by spending heavily on stars from Europe, starting with Ronaldo’s move in late 2022, and the desert nation will host the World Cup in 2034.

For the past two years, Saudi football fans could watch the likes of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, with six Ballons d’Or between them, on any given weekend during the football season in the kingdom.

However, the oil-fuelled Saudi football project has drawn comparisons with the Chinese Super League, which imported players on exorbitant salaries until team owners went bust as the Chinese economy fizzled.

But with Saudi Arabia set to host the 2034 World Cup, and desperate to re-model itself as a tourism and business magnet before global oil demand falls for good, there is probably more to come from the Pro League.

Ronaldo appeared to trade an end-of-career payday for football obscurity when he first moved to Riyadh’s Al Nassr two years ago in a deal said to be worth $250 million at the time

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