Tag: Ronaldo

Roberto Martinez’s Portugal dismantled Sweden 5-2 in a friendly ahead of this summer’s European Championships without talisman striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

39-year-old Ronaldo was rested by Martinez but his team strolled to an easy victory regardless in Guimaraes.

Rafael Leao, Matheus Nunes and Bruno Fernandes all struck for the rampant hosts in the first half.

Bruma and Goncalo Ramos added to Portugal’s tally after the break, while Sweden attackers Viktor Gyokeres and Gustaf Nilsson netted at the other end.

“I really liked the commitment and very good spirit,” said Martinez, who has 11 wins from 11 matches at the helm.

However, the Spanish coach was not impressed with conceding twice.

“It’s a friendly, but I didn’t like giving two goals away in the way we did,” he added.

Sweden, who failed to reach Euro 2024, were largely woeful in new coach Jon Dahl Tomasson’s first match in charge — the former Denmark international became the country’s first foreign-born coach when he was appointed in February.

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Euro 2016 champions Portugal showed why they are among the favourites again this year.

AC Milan winger Leao smashed home the opener into the top corner after Bernardo Silva hit the post after 24 minutes.

Manchester City midfielder Nunes netted an excellent second soon after, slicing open the defence and tucking home at the near post.

Nelson Semedo set up the third goal, putting the ball on a plate for Bruno Fernandes to finish from close range for his 20th international goal.

The Manchester United playmaker turned provider for the fourth goal, teeing up Bruma to roll home.

Gyokeres, the top scorer in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon, pulled one back for Sweden soon afterwards, but Goncalo Ramos quickly pounced at the other end, with Portugal razor sharp on the counter-attack.

Debutant Jota Silva should have added a sixth in his home stadium but Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen denied him from point-blank range.

Sweden pulled one back in stoppage time with towering striker Nilsson heading home Dejan Kulusevski’s cross.

Portugal, who won all 10 of their qualifying matches for Euro 2024, face Slovenia in another friendly on Tuesday.

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Cristiano Ronaldo convinced the referee to change his mind after awarding him a penalty in Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League 0-0 draw with Iran’s Persepolis.

The 38-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid great appeared to have been brought down by Soroush Rafiei inside the box and Chinese referee Ma Ning pointed to the spot.

Ronaldo leapt to his feet and approached the referee, wagging his finger, shaking his head and telling him there had been no foul.

After consulting VAR, the referee was sent to the pitch-side monitor and reversed his decision in the Group E clash in Riyadh.

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The Saudi Pro League side had to play most of the match with 10 men after Ali Lajami was given a straight red card for a shin-raking challenge in the 17th minute.

They also lost Ronaldo to a neck injury with 13 minutes remaining, caused by Persepolis goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand landing on the Portuguese star when claiming a high ball.

But the 2018 and 2020 Champions League runners-up from Iran were unable to capitalise, the point proving enough for Al Nassr to seal their place in the knockout stages as group winners.

Ronaldo has little time to recover with Al Nassr facing Al Hilal on Friday in a top-of-the-table league clash.

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Cristiano Ronaldo rolled back the years to score two stunning goals and propel his Al Nassr side to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Al Duhail of Qatar in the AFC Champions League.

Former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane and Anderson Talisca also scored for the Saudi side late Tuesday as they made it three wins from three in the group stages of the premier Asian club competition.

Talisca opened the scoring in Riyadh from the edge of the box in the 25th minute after being teed up by the 38-year-old Ronaldo’s clever back-heeled flick as the Portuguese talisman went through his full repertoire of tricks.

Mane turned and drilled home to add a second 11 minutes after the break and Al Nassr appeared to be cruising when Ronaldo curled home a sumptuous third from outside the box to make it 3-0 five minutes later.

But the Qatari side, inspired by former Barcelona and Liverpool winger Philippe Coutinho, scored twice in the next six minutes through Ismail Mohamad and Almoez Ali to leave the game on a knife-edge.

With nine minutes remaining, Ronaldo appeared to have had the final say as he sprinted onto a long ball from Sultan Al Ghannam and lashed home a superb left-foot volley without breaking stride.

There was still time for another twist as Michael Olunga pulled it back to 4-3 in the 85th minute to ensure a nervous final few minutes.

“When you face Ronaldo, there isn’t much you can do,” said Al Duhail manager Christophe Galtier, who was in charge of French giants Paris Saint-Germain last season.

“He scored two beautiful goals. I’m at a loss for words to describe him. What he did today is extraordinary for a 38-year-old. He’s still the best player in the world.”

Another Riyadh-based side, Al Hilal, made light of being without their injured superstar Neymar as they thrashed India’s Mumbai City 6-0 with two goals from former Fulham frontman Aleksandar Mitrovic.

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Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice as Roberto Martinez’s relentless Portugal thrashed Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-0 on Monday in Euro 2024 qualifying.

Portugal, who booked their place at the tournament in Germany next summer with a win over Slovakia last Friday, continued their superb form under the Spanish coach with their eighth victory in eight games since he arrived.

Ronaldo netted his 126th and 127th Portugal goals, further extending his record as the top all-time men’s international goalscorer.

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes added the third before Barcelona duo Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix joined in the fun, all before half-time.

Bosnia, led by veteran target-man Edin Dzeko, languish fifth and can no longer progress from the group, after Slovakia beat Luxembourg 1-0.

Bosnia have two games remaining and are seven points behind second-placed Slovakia in Group J, with Portugal the runaway leaders.

Martinez’s side have scored 32 goals and only conceded twice, racking up all 24 points possible so far.

Al-Nassr striker Ronaldo, 38, opened the scoring from the penalty spot and dinked home his second with a neat finish, but was replaced by Martinez after 65 minutes, while still in search of his hat-trick.

The former Real Madrid forward was also confronted by a pitch invader shortly before half-time, but stewards swiftly intervened.

Fernandes and Cancelo finished with sublime accuracy and power as the hosts’ defence crumbled miserably, while Felix stroked in the fifth.

Bosnia tightened up in the second half but it was far too little, far too late.

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Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal edged a 3-2 thriller against Slovakia in Porto on Friday to book their place at Euro 2024. 

Ronaldo scored a first-half penalty and a second-half tap-in as the Portuguese made it seven wins from seven matches in Group J. They have 21 points which ensures them a top-two finish.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is having a great time, playing a lot of minutes and scoring a lot of goals for his club,” said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez.

“He has a lot of experience with the national team and he’s a reference point for young players.”

Slovakia are eight points back in second, two ahead of Luxembourg who they play on Monday.

Portugal got off to a flying start when Ramos rose highest to meet Bruno Fernandes’ cross in the eighth minute, heading the ball down and past Martin Dubravka in the Slovakia goal.

It marked a seventh goal in just nine matches for Ramos and a sixth assist of the campaign for Fernandes who almost doubled the score in the 26th minute only to be denied by a brilliant one-handed save by Dubravka.

Three minutes later Denis Vavro was adjudged to have handled the ball, a decision confirmed by VAR.

Ronaldo stepped up to slot home his 124th goal for Portugal in the venue where he scored his first international goal, against Greece in the opening game of Euro 2004.

Slovakia came back into the game in the 69th minute when David Hancko’s shot from outside the area deflected off Antonio Silva’s heel and into the bottom corner – the first goal Portugal had conceded in qualifying.

Three minutes later, Ronaldo restored the two-goal advantage tapping in another lovely cross from Fernandes for goal number 125.

Ten minutes from time, however, the game was back on as Stanislav Lobotka let fly from outside the area and buried the ball in the top corner.

Portugal should have sealed it late on but Diogo Jota was denied by the outstanding Dubravka but the hosts had done enough to stamp their ticket for the Euros.

“We won the match with a very good first half,” said Martinez.

“The important thing was the result. In seven games we’ve shown a perfect attitude. I’m very satisfied, but it’s only a stage.”

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Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said on Wednesday that he wants to go “even further” after becoming the first player to score 850 career goals with Saudi club side Al-Nassr. 

Cristiano Ronaldo was named in Portugal’s squad on Friday for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg.

“I want more,” the forward told a press conference before training with the national side at Oeiras, on the outskirts of Lisbon, ahead of upcoming European Championship qualifiers.

“As long as I play I want to set the bar very high, I have to think big,” continued the 38-year-old.

Ronaldo marked his 200th international cap last June by scoring the only goal in Portugal’s victory over Iceland, which allowed the Selecao to stay top of Group J in Euro 2024 qualifying.

On Friday, the 2016 European champions will play Slovakia in Bratislava and Luxembourg three days later at the Algarve stadium, in the south of Portugal.

“I really want to win these two matches. If we win we will practically qualify,” said the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Asked about his rivalry with Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Ronaldo replied that the two “respected each other” and he believes they have “changed the history of football”.

Ronaldo this year marks his 20th anniversary in the national side, saying he was “proud” of this “longevity”.

“I want to continue because I feel good and useful but anything can happen,” he said, adding for now he wanted to “enjoy the moment” and set himself the goal of “having an excellent Euro”.

Portugal squad for Euro 2024 Qualifiers:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto/POR), Jose Sa (Wolves/ENG), Rui Patricio (Roma/ITA)

Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG), Nelson Semedo (Wolves/ENG), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City/ENG), Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Ruben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Toti (Wolves/ENG).

Midfielders (6): Joao Palhinha (Fulham/ENG), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal/KSA), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/ENG), Otavio (Al-Nassr/KSA), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG)

Forwards (7): Ricardo Horta (Braga), Rafael Leao (AC Milan/ITA), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr/KSA), Pedro Neto (Wolves/ENG), Goncalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Diogo Jota (Liverpool/ENG).

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RIYADH: Saudi Pro League has the potential to become a top-five league in the world if they can rope in more big names, said star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just completed his first season at the Saudi League after an extravagant deal with Al Nassr in December last year, maintained he enjoyed his time in the Gulf nation and confirmed that he “will continue with the team” next season.

“I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here,” Ronaldo said in an interview with the SPL. 

“And in my opinion if they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top-five league in the world,” he added.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner asserted that if more renowned faces joined the league, it would take the league’s status to new heights.

“If they are coming, big players and big names, young players, ‘old players’, they are very welcome because if that happens, the league will improve,” stated the 38-year-old.

Ronaldo’s assertion came amid heated speculations about Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric’s prospective moves to the Saudi League.

World Cup winner Messi is all set to leave PSG after their last Ligue 1 fixture on Saturday, confirms the team’s coach Christophe Galtier on Thursday.

The Argentinian forward is likely to play in Saudi Arabia next season under a very lucrative deal, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP.

Similarly, Ronaldo’s former teammates at Real Madrid, Benzema and Modric, are also believed to be closing in on attractive deals from Saudi clubs.

“The league is very good but I think we have many opportunities to still grow. The league is competitive. We have very good teams, very good Arab players.” added Ronaldo, who holds the records for most international goals and appearances.

“But they need to improve a little bit more the infrastructure. Even the referees, the VAR system, should be a little quicker.” he concluded.

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RIYADH: Star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo met his new Saudi club Al Nassr’s women’s side on Thursday to boost the players’ confidence before their next games.

Ronaldo, who signed a lucrative deal with the club worth around 200 million Euros in December last year following his bitter exit from Manchester United, has been in Riyadh since January and has so far played two games for the side.

He also faced off long-standing competitor Lionel Messi on January 17 when Qatar-owned PSG toured Saudi Arabia and played a friendly match against a select side made up of players from Al Nassr and their Saudi rivals Al Hilal.

In a video posted by Al Nassr on Thursday on their official Twitter account, Ronaldo was seen motivating the club women’s team and wishing them luck for their remaining two matches of the Saudi Women’s Premier League.

‘Keep going’ he said while giving a thumbs up to the team.

Our women stars have their support from the greatest 🤩

Ronaldo meets #AlNassr’s women football team ⚽️
And gives a message for the two remaining matches 💪🔝 pic.twitter.com/6KT4YMY4D2

— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) February 2, 2023

It is worth mentioning here that at his opening press conference in Riyadh last month, Ronaldo expressed his desire to be an inspiration, not just for young boys but also for female footballers in the country.

“I’m grateful that Al-Nassr gave me this opportunity to show and develop not only the football, but also for the generation, the young generation, the woman’s generation as well,” he had said.

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RIYADH: Portugese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will be unveiled before thousands of fans at Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr club on Tuesday, a spokesman said, after sealing a shock move estimated at more than 200 million euros.

The 37-year-old great, a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, will arrive late on Monday with his family together with media and technical staff, club spokesman Al-Walid Al-Muhaidib told AFP.

Ronaldo, who left Manchester United under a cloud after slamming the club in a TV interview, will appear at Al Nassr’s 25,000-capacity Mrsool Park stadium in Riyadh at 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, officials said.

The latest, and possibly final, chapter in an illustrious career comes weeks after Portugal’s quarter-final exit from the World Cup in neighbouring Qatar, where his great rival Lionel Messi lifted the trophy with Argentina.

Ronaldo’s signing until June 2025 is just the latest foray into top-level sports by oil-rich Saudi, which has moved into Formula One, boxing and golf and snapped up English club Newcastle United.

Critics have dubbed the strategy “sportswashing” — an attempt by the conservative country to distract attention from its human rights record.

Al Nassr is expecting a full stadium for the unveiling, according to one official who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to media.

Ronaldo is by far the biggest star to play in Saudi Arabia, although other heavyweights including George Weah, Pep Guardiola and Xavi also had stints in the wealthy Gulf in the twilight of their careers.

Al Nassr, the nine-time Saudi league champions, have called Ronaldo’s signing “more than history in the making”, claiming he will inspire the rest of the league and even the country.

In a tweet, Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal pledged to “support the rest of our clubs for quality deals with international stars soon”.

United terminated Ronaldo’s contract during the World Cup after an explosive interview where he said he felt “betrayed” by the club and had no respect for coach Erik ten Hag.

The Portuguese forward has long been one of the top-paid players in football, earning a reported salary of 31 million euros at Juventus before taking a pay-cut to rejoin United.

Ronaldo has won five Champions League titles (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018), league titles in Italy (2019, 2020) with Juventus, in Spain (2012, 2017) with Real Madrid and in England (2007, 2008, 2009) with United.

He is also the top scorer in the Champions League and with the Portuguese national team, with whom he won Euro 2016.

In Qatar, he became the first man to score at five World Cups with his penalty in the group-stage win over Ghana.

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