Football
Ronaldo agrees to Saudi Al Nassr club’s €200mn per season deal after Manchester United exit
Portuguese sensation Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly agreed to sign a mega deal with Saudi Arabian-based club Al Nassr, reports popular Spanish daily Marca.
Ronaldo will reportedly earn 200 million euros per season, which includes his salary and advertising agreements. It was earlier confirmed that the Portuguese international is committed to leaving Europe to take on a new challenge.
Read More: Special record that Messi can break if he plays in FIFA World Cup 2022 final
Al Nassr's mega offer could not be matched by any European club, as well as by David Beckham's Inter Miami or any other MLS team.
Al Nassr offered Cristiano last summer, but the deal didn't go through due to an administrative sanction. But this time, a deal between the two parties seems very close, as there are no legal obstacles this time. Ronaldo also gives his green signal to his agent to finalize all the paperwork.
Mrsool Park, Al-Nassr's home stadium, has a capacity of 25,000 people. Their domestic rival is Al Hilal, the current league champions. Rudi Garcia is the current head coach of Al Nassr, and former Arsenal and Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina is also playing for the club.
The inclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo will hugely boost Al Nassr's popularity on a global scale, and the Saudi League will surely get special attention as well. The economic benefit for both the club and the league can't be denied either.
Ronaldo's first choice was always playing in the Champions League for a big European team in order to compete at the highest level. His agent, Jorge Mendes, was trying to find a suitable club for him last summer, but considering his age, no big club showed interest in him.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had to continue with Manchester United this season despite disinterest from both parties. However, United's newly appointed head coach, Erik ten Haag, was reluctant to include Ronaldo in his starting XI, which made him furious.
Read More: Australia upset Denmark to march to World Cup last 16
Both parties' relationship eventually frayed when Ronaldo gave an exclusive interview to Piers Morgan Uncensored two weeks before the Qatar World Cup 2022.
Cristiano's criticism towards Manchester United's owners, coach, club's current infrastructure, and ex-colleagues has triggered huge controversy. Ronaldo and Manchester United were about to get separated after this, and last week, the contract was amicably terminated. He is now set to sign a lucrative contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr.
Pelé back in hospital to regulate medication
Brazilian football great Pelé was hospitalized in Sao Paulo to regulate the medication in his fight against a colon tumour, his daughter said on Wednesday.
Kely Nascimento added that there was “no emergency” concerning her 82-year-old father’s health.
Nascimento, who lives in the United States, made the comments in an Instagram post after what she called “lots of alarm in the media today concerning my dad’s health.”
ESPN Brasil reported earlier that the three-time World Cup champion was taken to Hospital Albert Einstein due to “general swelling.”
“Really and truly, we appreciate the concern and love,” Nascimento said.
Spokespeople for Pelé and Hospital Albert Einstein did not reply to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Pelé removed a tumour in September of 2021, with the hospital saying then that he would begin chemotherapy.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, globally known as Pelé, has used his social media channels since then to deny he was in poor health. His latest public comment was in an Instagram post on Oct. 23, his birthday.
“I just want to express my gratitude. Life is good. Turning 82 with my family, in good health, is the best gift. Thank you for everything I have received,” he said in a video.
Pelé helped Brazil win the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups and remains the country’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches for the national team.
Australia upset Denmark to march to World Cup last 16
Mathew Leckie helped Australia to beat Denmark and helped his team to march to the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup for the first time after 16 years. Australia upset Denmark on Wednesday at Al Janoub Stadium.
Australia scored the only goal of the match in the 60th minute of the game. They broke the heart of Denmark in a counterattack.
Read More: France suffer shock 1-0 defeat against Tunisia
Kasper Hjulmand, the Denmark coach, tried his best and brought all of his power to the field to oust Australia, but they could not do that. Australia managed to keep their cool til the end of the match.
Australia started creating chances from the begging of the match. But it took them an hour to finally break the deadlock of the defense of Denmark.
Had a penalty call not been denied by the offside, Denmark would have conceded another goal. Denmark, however, won the ball possession by far, but that was not enough for them to avoid a shocking defeat.
Read More: Special record that Messi can break if he plays in FIFA World Cup 2022 final
With this win against Denmark, Australia marched to the last 16 as the runners-up of Group D of the 2022 World Cup. France, the current world champions, marched to the next round as the champions of the same group. They, however, lost the last group match to Tunisia. The last time Australia qualified for the Round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup, they lost to Italy.
France suffer shock 1-0 defeat against Tunisia
Tunisia may not play in the Round of 16, but they will go home on a high note after upsetting World Cup Champions France 1-0 and finishing third in the Group D points table of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Australia finished second in the group and secured a place in the knockout round.
World Cup 2022: France vs Tunisia Match Report
France secured their place in the Round of 16 after beating Denmark 2-1 in their second match of the group. The match against Tunisia was therefore just a formality for the French side. But for coach Didier Deschamps, it was a good opportunity to test his squad's strength, which he did by dropping some of his star players from the starting XI.
Read More: Australia upset Denmark to march to World Cup last 16
Tunisia, on the other hand, had a different equation. They had a realistic opportunity to advance to the Round of 16. But both sides played cautiously in the first half, but France dominated possession.
The match actually opened up when Wahbi Khazri scored for Tunisia in the 58th minute, forcing Didier Deschamps, the French coach, to make some immediate changes. He deployed Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, William Saliba, and Adrien Rabiot to enforce the France attacking line-up. Later, Antoine Griezmann was also brought in.
France started to attack more after those changes, while Tunisia tried to put pressure on the French defense through counterattacks. However, despite getting close on a number of occasions, France failed to find the net in the match and conceded a disappointing loss to the African side. Though Antoine Griezmann did score in the final minute of the match, that one was later disallowed due to offside.
Read More: Special record that Messi can break if he plays in FIFA World Cup 2022 final
Aftermath
Tunisia fought hard throughout the game, eventually defeating reigning champions France 1-0. This was undoubtedly Tunisia's greatest victory. On the other hand, losing this contest was disappointing for the French side, especially before their Round of 16 fixture at the Qatar World Cup 2022.
Messi, Lewandowski to square off as Argentina face Poland
Two of the best players on the planet go head-to-head when Lionel Messi of Argentina and Robert Lewandowski of Poland meet with World Cup implications in what is likely Messi's final attempt to win the tournament.
That match is part of an intense Wednesday at the World Cup: Mexico could be eliminated from the group stage for the first time since 1978 and Saudi Arabi has a chance to advance after its opening-game upset over Argentina.
But the spectacle will be at Stadium 974 in Doha, where Messi and Lewandowski square off.
Poland leads the group and a draw is enough to advance to the round of 16. But after the shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in its opening match, Argentina is only guaranteed to advance with a victory. A draw could get Argentina into the next round depending on the other result.
A loss? Well, that would mean elimination and humiliation. Messi is playing in his record-tying fifth World Cup and, at 35 years old, he's unlikely to play in a sixth.
He knows it, too, and the devoted Argentina fanbase shed tears after Messi scored the crucial second-half goal to seal a 2-0 win over Mexico last week. Argentina has not been eliminated from the group stage since 2002.
Read more: Goalless Mexico on brink of World Cup elimination
“I think when the groups were drawn and we were put together, the whole world has been waiting for this match," Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz said.
Poland is trying to advance out of the group stage for the first time since 1986, and the Poles last went unbeaten in all three first round games in 1982 en route to the semifinals. Lewandowski failed to convert a penalty in a 0-0 draw with Mexico, but he scored his first career World Cup goal in a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
Messi and Lewandowski have never before played each other at the international level, but have gone head-to-head three times at the club level in the Champions League. Messi scored twice for Barcelona in a 2015 win and Lewandowski scored once each for Bayern Munich in victories over Barcelona in 2015 and 2020.
Michniewicz said the match is much bigger than two players and it will be team effort, not Messi or Lewandowski, that decides the game.
“It’s not Messi versus Lewandowski. It’s not tennis, it’s not 1-on-1. They are not serving to each other," the Poland coach said. “Robert needs his teammates, like Leo does. They rely on their teammates, they can’t do this alone, although these individual players can do a lot themselves.”
MEXICO-SAUDI ARABIA
Mexico came to the World Cup with goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa desperate to advance past the round of 16 and play in an elusive “quinto partido” — a fifth game.
If Mexico doesn't make something happen against Saudi Arabia, there might not even be a “cuarto partido.”
El Tri hasn't advanced to the quarterfinals since Mexico hosted the 1986 tournament, but the team is now on the verge of elimination in group play. A loss to Saudi Arabia would end Mexico’s bid for an eighth straight trip to the World Cup’s knockout rounds.
The last time Mexico played at soccer’s biggest tournament and didn’t advance out of its group was in 1978.
But Mexico needs to do more than just win. Even with a victory, Mexico needs Poland to beat Argentina, and maybe even goal difference will determine Mexico's fate.
Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi leads Argentina to 2-0 win over Mexico
One problem: Mexico has yet to score any goals in Qatar. El Tri hasn’t scored in 384 straight minutes at the World Cup, dating back to their second group match at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
“In the next game we have no more chances,” Mexico forward Henry Martin said. “We have to score the goals that we can, and not worry what happens in the other game.”
Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets ever when it beat Argentina 2-1 in its opener. The team reached the knockout stage in 1994 in its World Cup debut but hasn’t made it past the group stage since.
Saudi Arabia can advance with a win. A draw would also be enough if Poland beats Argentina.
“We will play to the last second of this tournament and we will not give up,” Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard said.
Women's football: Bashundhara Kings hammer Dhaka Rangers 12-0
Bashundhara Kings thumped Dhaka Rangers 12-0 in the fourth-round match of the Bashundhara Group Women's Football League 2021-22 at the Birshrestha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in the capital's Kamalapur Wednesday.
Siraj Jahan Swopna made a hat-trick with four goals; Sabina Khatun netted the second hat-trick with three goals. Ritu Porna Chakma, Maria Manda, Marzia, Shamsun Nahar Jr and Sumaiya scored one goal each for the Kings.
Read more: Round-4 matches of Women's Football League begins Wednesday
In the day's other match, Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College earned a 3-1 victory over Barisal Football Academy at the same venue Wednesday afternoon.
Aklima, Mahfuza and Unnoti scored one goal each for the winners while Sajeda Khatun pulled one back for Barisal Football Academy.
In the day's other league match, Suddopuskorini JSC defeated FC Brahmanbaria 3-1 at the same venue.
Nasrin scored two and Kakoli netted one for the winners while Sagorika pulled one back for Brahmanbaria.
Read more: Women's football: Bashundhara Kings, Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College earn comfortable wins
In the remaining fourth-round matches Thursday, Nasrin Sports Academy will face Cumilla United Club at 1pm. Uttara Football Club will play Jamalpur Karcharipara Akadash at 3pm and Siraj Smriti Sangsad will face Farashganj Sporting Club at 5pm.
All the matches will be played at the Birshrestha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium.
Rainbow items allowed at World Cup stadiums: FIFA
One day after Iran and Wales were eliminated at the World Cup, FIFA finally gave a public assurance Wednesday that rainbow items and banners supporting protests in Iran will be allowed into stadiums.
Stadium security staff organized by Qatari authorities had seized items with rainbow colors and slogans such as “Women. Life. Freedom” to stop them from getting inside stadiums.
In the first week of the tournament, seven European teams including Wales lost the fight to wear multi-colored “One Love” armbands during World Cup matches and some fans complained they weren’t allowed to bring items with rainbow colors, a symbol of LGBTQ rights, into the stadiums of the conservative Islamic emirate.
Read: Qatar World Cup: Spain has some work to do vs Japan to guarantee spot in the round of 16
The match between Iran and the United States on Tuesday was charged with emotion among Iranian fans, some of whom had come to Qatar not only to support their team, but the protest movement back home with banners and flags.
“FIFA is aware of some incidents where permitted items were not allowed to be displayed at stadiums,” soccer’s world body said in a statement on Wednesday, more than a week after some incidents were reported at World Cup stadiums. “FIFA has received assurances by authorities that venue commanders have been contacted in relation to the agreed rules and regulations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”
FIFA’s assurances that have seemed to be overridden by Qatari authorities.
Read: US, Iran fans mingle in Qatar ahead of World Cup clash
Wales and Iran will not play any more games at the World Cup after results late Tuesday sent England and the United States from their Group B into the knockout rounds.
“FIFA continues to work closely with the Host Country to ensure the full implementation of related regulations and agreed protocols,” FIFA said.
In Ukraine, seeing World Cup, playing football pose challenges
Ukrainian video-game vendor Roman Kryvyi, fresh from a soccer game on a snow-blanketed field in suburban Kyiv, sat up close to a TV in a kebab shop as intermittent city power returned just in time for Tuesday’s World Cup game between Wales and England.
For the 22-year-old soccer buff, there was no question about which side to support in the matchup: He remembers how he was crestfallen — rolling on the floor in despair and on the verge of tears — when Wales ousted his beloved Ukraine in the qualifiers. The grudge hasn’t worn off.
“Only England! England has supported us in a military way,” Kryvyi said, overlooking the fact that England and Wales are both part of the United Kingdom — whose government has generously backed Ukraine with firepower and other support as it tries to repel Russia’s invasion. He wants England to go all the way.
With their team not having made the finals this year, many Ukrainian soccer fans are throwing their support behind European countries that have backed Ukraine’s fight against Moscow’s forces, or teams with greats like Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi of Argentina. Others just want to see top-notch play, out of appreciation for the game.
For Ukrainians these days, soccer trails well behind mere survival in the order of priorities. But the sport — as in many places around the world — can offer an escape from the troubles of daily life. For players, running around a field can offer up camaraderie and churn up body heat, and in this war-battered, says simply: Life must go on. Watching the World Cup in Qatar gives a sense of connection to the rest of the world.
Read: Special record that Messi can break if he plays in FIFA World Cup 2022 final
Like many fans in Ukraine, Kryvyi and teammate Hlib Kuian, 21, were far from certain that they would be able to see the England-Wales match. Russian military strikes in recent weeks have devastated power plants, rendered internet services uncertain and affected basics like water and heating — on top of the deaths and injuries they have caused.
Only minutes before Tuesday evening’s match, which England ended up winning 3-0, Mazza Cafe kebab-stand operator Mashrabjan Haydarov spotted that the lights had come back on in an apartment building across the street, so he turned off the generator outside that had been powering his bulbs and TV, and switched back to the local grid.
Then, even though the electricity was back, the internet popped off momentarily. The friends, accustomed to daily setbacks large and small, shrugged off the delay until the service rebooted. They also had to return home right when the match was set to end because of an 11 p.m. wartime curfew.
“In my house. I have no internet, so it’s a big problem for me,” said Kuian, an economics student. The only alternative to going out to see the match, he said, was watching it on his mobile phone’s small screen.
For all their interest in watching the World Cup, Kuian and Kryvyi prefer being on the field themselves.
As night fell, their team joined up with two others on a fenced-in field in a public park in Irpin, a town that Russian forces occupied earlier this year — and their pullout exposed suspected atrocities committed against civilians.
Read: Qatar World Cup: Spain has some work to do vs Japan to guarantee spot in the round of 16
In yet another sign of the Ukrainian resourcefulness that has become legendary in their war-battered country, the teams purchased and strung up lights to illuminate the field, and powered them up with an old — and recharged — car battery on the sideline. One player got up on a motorized scooter to shovel off the field, as snowflakes continued to fall.
Time was that they would have preferred to play in Irpin’s larger stadium, but it was pockmarked by craters and a nearby cultural center gutted as Ukrainian and Russian forces battled for control of the town.
As for the obstacles to soccer-playing, electricity shortages and other woes, Kuian is taking them in stride.
“I have to live with it. I know who made this (happen),” he said. “I know that the Russian Federation wants that I live like this.”
Special record that Messi can break if he plays in FIFA World Cup 2022 final
Argentina’s captain, Lionel Messi, has plenty of footballing records to his name, whether at club level or for his country. At the age of 35, he is still going strong and continues to break records. Messi is currently busy playing in the Qatar 2022 competition with Argentina, and this is probably going to be his last World Cup appearance. So, this is his last opportunity to break any record related to the World Cup. Here is the one unique record Leo Messi can break if he plays in the FIFA World Cup 2022 final.
Which record can Lionel Messi break if Argentina reach the final?
Lionel Messi can break Lothar Matthaus' World Cup appearance record if Argentina reaches the final and he plays in all of the games. Lionel Messi has played 21 matches and needs to play five more matches to surpass Lothar Matthaus’ 25 appearances in the World Cup tournament.
Read More: France vs Tunisia FIFA World Cup 2022 LIVE Streaming: Where and how to watch online and on TV Channel, predicted XIArgentina will play four more matches (a group-phase match against Poland, the Round of 16, the quarterfinal, and the semifinal) if they overcome all the hurdles and book their place in the final. Lionel Messi is expected to be part of each of the contests if he stays fit.
If Argentina fail to qualify for the final, Messi can take the second or third position in most appearance lists, depending on how far Argentina can reach in the ongoing event. Miroslav Klose of Germany (24) and Paolo Maldini of Italy (23) are in second and third positions, respectively, on that list.
By taking part in the first two matches of the group stage, Lionel Messi already broke two records. When Messi came on the field against Saudi Arabia in Argentina's first match, he became the first player to represent Argentina in five different World Cups and the fifth player overall to do so. Two days later, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal became the sixth player to represent a country in five World Cups.
Read More: Some football fans in Iran celebrate US win over the country's national team in World Cup
Six players who represented their countries in five World Cup events
Player
Team
Tournaments
Antonio Carbajal
Mexico
1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966
Andres Guardado
Mexico
2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
Lothar Matthaus
Germany
1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998
Rafael Marquez
Mexico
2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
Lionel Messi
Argentina
2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal
2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
Ind Cup Football: Holders Dhaka Abahani eliminated from semis losing to Sheikh Russell KC
Defending champions Dhaka Abahani Limited was eliminated from semifinal of the season's curtain raiser soccer meet, the Bashundhara Group Independent Cup Football' 2022 losing to Sheikh Russell Krira Chakra by 2-3 goal at the Bir Shrestha Fl Lt Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj on Wednesday.
Sheikh Russell Krira Chakra will the play final on Monday (December 5) at 1 pm at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla against the winners of Bashundhara Kings and Bangladesh Police FC, who will meet each other in the 2nd semifinal on Thursday (December 1) at the Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium in Gopalganj.
Read more: Round-4 matches of Women's Football League begins Wednesday
The 3rd place deciding match between two losing semifinalists will be held on Sunday (December 4) at the Bir Shrestha Fl Lt Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj.
The winners led the first half by a solitary goal.
In the day's first semifinal, Ivory Coast medio jean Charles Didier put Sheikh Russell KC ahead in the 31st minute (1-0) while Nigerian striker Mfon Sunday Udoh doubled the margin the 54th minute (2-0)
Nigerian fowrad Peter Nworah pulled Abahani the margin one back in the 64th minute (2-1) while Uzbek defender Timur Talipoy again sounded the Sheikh Russell margin in the 72nd minute (3-1).
Russian World Cup playing Costa Rica booter Daniel Colindres reduced the Abahani margin in the stoppage time (90+5 minute) of the match from a penalty (3-2).
Later, Kpeji Jean Charles Didier of Sheikh Russell KC was adjudged the man of the match.
Read more: Ind Cup Football: Dhaka Abahani to play Sheikh Russell KC in first semifinal on Wednesday
Earlier, Dhaka Abahani Limited qualified for the semi-final eliminating Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 2-1 goals while Sheikh Russell KC booked a seat for the last four stage eliminating Chittagong Abahani Limited by 1-0 goal in the quarterfinals.
Bangladesh Police FC qualified for the semis defeating Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad KC by 5-4 goals while star-studded Bashundhara Kings assured the semifinal berth beating Dhaka Mohammedan SC by 2-0 goal in their respective quarterfinals.