After two games of the season Manchester United sat at the foot of the Premier League with no points and a goal difference of -5. Roll the clock forward five months and manager Erik ten Hag has turned the club’s fortunes around to the point that a win against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday will spark genuine belief that an unlikely title challenge is on. It has not been an overnight success for United’s Dutch manager, who had to contend with an unsettled Cristiano Ronaldo while also trying to knit together a much-changed squad after taking over a team that finished sixth last season and 35 points off champions Manchester City. This was supposed to be a season of transition, and after back-to-back losses at the start of the campaign United looked more likely to fight to avoid relegation rather than compete for the title. United trails Arsenal by eight points. It might still be too soon for Ten Hag's team to mount a sustained challenge at the top, with Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace a reminder that it's a work in progress. However, the improvement is clear — and a win against high-flying Arsenal would be further evidence of United’s title credentials. The Associated Press looks at some of the key factors in the team’s turnaround. RONALDO’S EXIT Ronaldo’s departure in November removed a cloud hanging over United and an unhelpful distraction for Ten Hag at a time when he was trying to establish himself at the club. While Ten Hag tried to make it work with the Portugal great, their relationship was only ever likely to be a temporary one of convenience, with a younger, more mobile center forward needed to implement the Dutchman’s tactics of pressing from the front. Ten Hag gave the 37-year-old forward opportunities — playing him on 16 occasions — but Ronaldo was largely ineffective at the point of United’s attack, scoring only three goals. More of an issue was his behavior off the pitch — leaving early during a pre-season friendly and refusing to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham in October. His explosive interview with Piers Morgan on the eve of the World Cup was the final straw. Managing the Ronaldo situation throughout the summer and the opening months of the season was an added challenge for Ten Hag, however, he has emerged with his authority intact. United’s decision to terminate Ronaldo’s contract was evidence the manager has the trust of the club’s hierarchy. Ronaldo has since signed for Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr while Ten Hag can focus on building for the future instead of trying to accommodate an aging star who is past his peak. SELF BELIEF It was a desperate start for Ten Hag, with the 4-0 loss to Brentford in August coming on the back of an opening home defeat against Brighton. It raised questions about his insistence on playing out from the back with a squad unsuited to those tactics, as well as his decision to sign Lisandro Martinez, who at 5-foot-9 looked likely to struggle with the aerial side of English soccer. It would have been easy for Ten Hag to try to adapt his methods as he settled into a new league in a new country, yet he remained convinced United could play his way. He stuck with Martinez, dropping captain Harry Maguire instead, and the Argentine has been one of the outstanding defenders in the Premier League this season. And while United remains a work in progress, there have been clear signs of the players embracing Ten Hag’s system and showing the bravery to take the ball in tight spaces even in their defensive third. United appointed the former Ajax coach in part because of his commitment to his methods that saw him win three Dutch league titles and reach the semifinals of the Champions League in 2019, beating Real Madrid and Juventus on the way. He has shown the courage to stick to his beliefs even after such a humbling start to the job and the benefits are clear to see now with United arguably producing its best soccer since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. GETTING TOUGH Ten Hag has left United’s players in no doubt about who is the boss. Nicknamed the “new sheriff” when he arrived, he has laid down the law when necessary. After the defeat to Brentford he ordered his players to come in on their day off to do a punishing run during a heatwave in Britain to make up the 8.5 miles difference in ground covered between them and their opponent in that match. He also reportedly joined in on the run as a show of solidarity and collective responsibility. That wasn’t the only time he has had to exert his authority. He accused his players of lacking bravery in United’s 6-3 derby loss to Manchester City in October. Individually, he dropped Ronaldo and made the forward train away from the first team squad for refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham — and Marcus Rashford was also dropped to the bench against Wolverhampton last month for oversleeping and missing a team meeting. Maguire has spent much of the season on the sidelines after struggling for form, while Luke Shaw was also dropped earlier in the campaign before establishing himself as a key figure in the team. The message is clear: no one is too big to be left out. CASEMIRO’S CLASS After spending much of the summer trying to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, United ultimately turned to Real Madrid’s Brazil international Casemiro. At a cost of around $80 million, he didn’t come cheap. But he has added steel and composure to a United midfield that has been desperate for a player of his profile since Michael Carrick retired in 2018. Arguably, United has not had a dominant midfielder of Casemiro’s type since the departure of former captain Roy Keane in 2005. Casemiro’s authority, range of passing and anticipation to win the ball has had a transformative effect on United. In 12 Premier League starts, he has been on the losing side only once. United has won 14 of 19 games in all competitions with him in the starting lineup. His understanding with Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes is developing to form an imposing midfield unit. United, however, will have do without him against Arsenal after he picked up a fifth yellow card of the season on Wednesday, which means he’s suspended for Sunday’s match. RASHFORD RESURGENCE United desperately needed someone to replace the goals scored by Ronaldo, who hit 24 last season. In the absence of a top-class forward being recruited last summer, Ten Hag needed those goals to come from within his existing squad and Rashford has been the answer. The England international underwent an intense pre-season training schedule to ensure he was in peak condition after injuries impacted his previous two campaigns — and it has paid off. Ten Hag has also given him the opportunity to play in his favored position on the left of the attack and that settled role has seen him produce arguably the best form of his career. His winner against City last weekend saw him score in seven-straight games — a run that came to an end against Palace. Notably in that match against City, he shook off a first-half injury to play on and produce the decisive moment. “He knows that in football you have to suffer and sacrifice and have painful moments,” Ten Hag said. “He is unstoppable and opponents will go tough against him but he keeps going.”  

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first game in Saudi Arabia is set to be against Paris Saint-Germain and a possible reunion with his career-long rival Lionel Messi. PSG said Monday it will play a Jan. 19 friendly in Riyadh against a composite team of players from Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr and Al Hilal, the current Asian Champions League title holder. Read: What can Ronaldo expect from Saudi Pro League soccer? Ronaldo should have to wait until Jan. 22 to make his formal debut for Al-Nassr in a league game against Al Ettifaq. World soccer rules require the 37-year-old star to finish serving a two-match suspension imposed by the English Football Association in November ahead of the World Cup. Ronaldo slapped a mobile phone out of a fan’s hand following a game against Everton last April. Read: Deschamps extends contract as France coach to next World Cup Qatar-owned PSG is visiting Saudi Arabia during a two-day break in the region, including a visit to Doha for promotional work with the club’s portfolio of Qatari sponsors.

Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from Portugal’s starting lineup for the second straight match at the World Cup. The 37-year-old Ronaldo won’t play from the outset in the quarterfinal match against Morocco on Saturday, after starting on the bench and then coming on as a substitute for the round-of-16 match against Switzerland. Gonçalo Ramos, who scored a hat trick on Tuesday in Portugal’s 6-1 win over Switzerland on his first start for Portugal, was again selected ahead of Ronaldo. Ronaldo is playing in his fifth and likely final World Cup. He was left out of the lineup against the Swiss after coach Fernando Santos expressed frustration about his team captain’s attitude in the previous game. Read more: Which World Cup starlet can replace Messi, Ronaldo? Santos later said Ronaldo was “not happy” to be told he was being benched, but never threatened to leave the World Cup because of the decision. Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in men’s international soccer with 118 goals, eventually came in as a replacement in the 74th minute. He had looked somewhat disconnected from the rest of the squad after the match, and had already shown a poor attitude after being substituted in the last group game against South Korea. Ronaldo was coming off lackluster performances in the group stage, though he scored in the 3-2 win against Ghana to become the first player to score in five World Cups. He has played in every edition of the tournament since 2006.  Portugal’s other starters against Morocco at Al Thumama Stadium included João Félix, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Otávio. Read more: Ronaldo looks to shine like Mbappé and Messi at World Cup Portugal is trying to make it to the last four for the third time, having finished third in 1966 and fourth in 2006. It hadn’t gotten past the round of 16 since that tournament in Germany 16 years ago.

Cristiano Ronaldo did not threaten to leave the World Cup after being dropped from the starting lineup to play Switzerland in the round of 16, Portugal coach Fernando Santos said Friday. Santos did acknowledge his star player was “not happy” to be told he was not in the starting lineup in a private meeting on Tuesday after lunch, hours before the game. Ronaldo’s replacement Gonçalo Ramos scored three goals in 6-1 win. The all-time leading scorer for Portugal came off the bench in the 74th minute. READ: Croatia end Brazil's dream of 6th World Cup “Cristiano obviously was not very happy about it. He told me ‘Do you really think it’s a good idea?’” Santos said one day before facing Morocco in the quarterfinals. “He has never told me that he wanted to leave the national team,” Santos said in translated comments, dismissing reports in Portuguese media. “It is time we stopped with this conversation and the controversies. He celebrated all the goals that we scored.” “It is time for you to leave Ronaldo alone in acknowledgement of what he did for Portuguese football,” the coach said. Santos declined to say if he would change the team and restore Ronaldo to face Morocco.

Kylian Mbappé is the top scorer. Lionel Messi has been thrilling fans with his goals and dribbles. So what about Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the other superstars at the World Cup? OK, he’s broken a tournament record by becoming the first player to score a goal at five World Cups, but since converting that penalty in Portugal’s opening game, Ronaldo has had a rather quiet time of it. Maybe he’s about to burst into life in the knockout stage — and erase a blemish in his glittering career: None of Ronaldo’s eight World Cup goals have come in the knockout stage. READ: Giroud breaks Henry's French record with 52nd goal The five-time world player of the year heads into the round of 16 in likely his final World Cup facing Switzerland, which hasn’t advanced beyond this stage since 1954. Don’t be fooled, though: This is the same Switzerland that eliminated France in the last 16 at the European Championship last year and has become one of its continent’s most consistent teams. Portugal might need Ronaldo to start delivering. And the player himself will surely want to put himself back in the spotlight, having seen Messi — his great rival — perform so well for Argentina in its win over Australia in the last 16 and Mbappé — the man who is fast establishing himself as the sport’s new superstar — already rack up five goals for France on its path to the quarterfinals. Still oozing self-confidence at the age of 37, Ronaldo continues to back himself to perform at the highest level, yet his last two performances in the group stage were underwhelming. His only goal so far has come from the penalty spot in Portugal’s opening victory over Ghana. Portugal won its first two group games to advance and little should be read into the loss to South Korea, given coach Fernando Santos rotated heavily — even if Ronaldo started for the third straight game. He’ll be playing for the fourth time in 13 days and that’s quite the workload these days for Ronaldo, whose game time has been managed for the past year and a half at Manchester United. The other Ronaldo subplot is that he is still trying to convince potential suitors he is worth investing in when the World Cup is over, now he is a free agent after leaving United in contentious circumstances. Scoring goals in the World Cup knockout stage would go a long way to securing himself one last big move. READ: Messi’s sidekick Julián Álvarez flourishing at the World Cup Portugal will welcome back its leading players rested against South Korea, like Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias. Joao Felix should also return up front to play alongside Ronaldo, whose tally of international goals stands at 118. Santos must decide whether to play Raphael Guerreiro at left back, and return Joao Cancelo to right back, or leave Cancelo in that position to accommodate Diogo Dalot at right back. Portugal hasn’t got past the last 16 since making the semifinals in 2006 — and that was the only time Ronaldo has advanced beyond the quarterfinals. As for Switzerland, the danger man is Breel Embolo, who scored twice in the group stage and four times in his last five games for his country. It is one of two all-European matchups in the last 16 and the winner will play either Spain or Morocco in the quarterfinals.

After his exit from Manchester United, football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has received a three-year contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr club worth $225 million following the Qatar World Cup - allowing him to continue playing into his 40s, according to CBS Sports. Ronaldo is now a free agent after Manchester United terminated his contract recently, and Al Nassr and other Middle Eastern clubs have long been interested in signing him. As the 37-year-old entered his fifth tournament, CBS Sports reported in August that his interest would stretch beyond the World Cup 2022. He had expressed a desire to compete at the best level in Europe. Ronaldo scored in his fifth World Cup during Portugal’s opening match against Ghana, breaking another record on the international stage. Read: Ronaldo's next club options after leaving Manchester United Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr believes that Ronaldo would be eager to pioneer new territory after the tournament, and after in-depth discussions with his representation, sources close to the club claim that interest is “stronger than ever.” Ronaldo is reportedly being offered terms worth $75 million year. As a result of the summer’s initial contact, it is believed that negotiations are somewhat advanced but are still pending Ronaldo’s final choice. According to sources cited by CBS Sports, a transaction would be completed quickly if he decided to accept the offer. Ronaldo requested to leave Manchester United in the summer, but none of Europe’s top teams were eager to give him the opportunity to play in the Champions League. It seems unlikely that the market has expanded among the continent’s elite following an explosive interview with Talk TV in which he accused Manchester United of “betraying” him and said he did not respect head coach Erik ten Hag. Read: England players' wives, girlfriends spend £20,000 at Qatar cruise liner party One of the most successful clubs in Asia and Saudi Arabia, Al Nassr won nine league championships and advanced to the AFC Champions League final in 1995. Ronaldo has also been connected to their fierce rival Al Hilal. It is believed that Al Nassr’s offer is the sole official contract that has been made to the Portugal international, whose future is anticipated to be decided after the Qatar World Cup. Ronaldo found it difficult to have a significant impact on Manchester United’s success after switching from Juventus in the summer of 2021. Despite the fact that he led the team in scoring last season with 24 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions, United dropped from second to sixth in the Premier League. Ronaldo was reduced to a supporting position after Erik ten Hag was hired, starting only four matches in the top division. The veteran striker had been engaged in several other incidents before the interview that caused him to leave, including leaving the field early during a preseason friendly and refusing to enter the game as a substitute in a loss to Tottenham. Cristiano Ronaldo is known to be an ambitious player who likes to compete at the highest level and win big things, whether on a personal level or for his team. Playing in a completely new territory at the age of nearing 40, where he doesn't have prior experience, could be a real challenge for the Portuguese superstar. But Cristiano always likes to take on challenges, and most often he comes out as a winner. Now, it will be interesting to see whether Ronaldo accepts Saudi club Al Nassr's mammoth $225 million offer after confirming his exit from English club Manchester United last week. Read More: Qatar World Cup 2022 Day 9: Neymar-less Brazil to face Switzerland, Ronaldo’s Portugal to take on Uruguay

Cristiano Ronaldo has left Manchester United with immediate effect. Where will he turn up next? The Portugal star has put himself on the market with his explosive pre-World Cup interview that led to the termination of his contract on Tuesday. As a free agent, the 37-year-old forward now has the chance to impress potential suitors and prove he can still perform on the highest level for his country in Qatar. His future may well depend on it after failing to secure a transfer to a Champions League club in the summer. Midway through the season, his options look even more limited if he is set on playing in the knockout stages of European club soccer’s top competition when he returns from the World Cup. The Champions League is now down to the last 16 teams, with only a tiny number of those able to come close to offering Ronaldo anything like the reported 500,000 pounds (594,000 dollars) a week salary he earned at United. And there has been little evidence that they would be interested in signing him. Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan, in which he criticized United manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners, made it clear he still believes he is one of the top soccer players on the planet. But where in the world will his career take him next? A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLUB There are only 16 to choose from if Ronaldo harbors ambitions of playing in the competition when it resumes in February. Then it is a question of who would could afford him. A dream scenario would be to have one last fling with a truly elite club. But perhaps his best chance of that would be as a short-term fix until the end of the season. Read more: Ronaldo begins fifth, probably final World Cup with match against Ghana Thursday Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been ruled out of the World Cup with injury and so has Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane. Perhaps Ronaldo would be an attractive emergency option if either of those clubs feared being left short in the second half of the campaign. A PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB   Chelsea considered a move in the summer, but that never materialized. Ronaldo would not appear to fit in with the long-term planning of new manager Graham Potter, who is already having to deal with one ageing striker in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Arsenal fan Piers Morgan is pushing for a move to his club, but the Premier League leader has invested in building a young team under manager Mikel Arteta and Ronaldo would be a departure from that. Could Saudi-backed Newcastle be tempted to make a first truly statement signing under its new ownership? A RETURN HOME To finish his career where it started at Sporting Lisbon would provide a romantic bookend for Ronaldo, while the Portuguese club could provide him with a route back to the Champions League next season. He would have to take a considerable pay cut if he were to take up this option. SAUDI ARABIA The only serious interest in Ronaldo in the summer came from Saudi Arabia. While a move there would likely present the most lucrative option for him, it would be a marked step down in terms of his remaining sporting ambition. Read more: Ronaldo's career at Manchester United may be over It would deny him the chance to further extend his record as the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League, with 140 goals, and hand his great rival Lionel Messi, who has 129, the chance to overtake him. MLS Perhaps it is time to take his brand to the United States and become the biggest star ever to play in MLS. He could not hope to match his salary and he would have to accept his days playing in the Champions League are over. But for a man who has more than half a billion followers on Instagram this would be the chance to move to the biggest market in the world off the field - and a new adventure.

Cristiano Ronaldo is in the shop window as he starts his fifth and probably final World Cup with Portugal. As of late Tuesday, the 37-year-old forward was without a club after Manchester United canceled his contract as a result of his explosive interview criticizing manager Erik ten Hag, the club’s owners and many of his United teammates. Ronaldo doesn’t appear to have a new team lined up so his performances at the World Cup might yet convince potential employers to take the plunge on the five-time world player of the year, who may be past his prime but remains one of soccer’s most lethal finishers on his day. Speaking before the announcement that he had left United by mutual consent, Ronaldo was adamant that club matters would not impact his displays for Portugal at the World Cup and were not disrupting the atmosphere in the squad heading into Thursday’s group game against Ghana at Stadium 974 in Doha. That might need revisiting now. The motivation of winning the World Cup for the first time is likely driving Ronaldo enough in Qatar, but impressing a potential new club would be a nice bonus to go alongside it. Read more: Ronaldo to leave Manchester United 'with immediate effect' “Nothing will shake this squad,” Ronaldo said at a news conference in Doha this week. A loss to Ghana might. The African nation is the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup — at No. 61 — and is the big underdog in a group also containing Uruguay and South Korea. Still, Saudi Arabia showed anything is possible at this tournament by beating Lionel Messi’s Argentina against the odds on Tuesday, and Ghana has previously come within a handball by Luis Suarez of playing in a World Cup semifinal — in 2010. The Blacks Stars also have some form players in Thomas Partey — the midfield anchorman of Premier League leader Arsenal — and Mohammed Kudus, who has been scoring freely for Ajax in the Champions League this season. Portugal will start as the favorite, with coach Fernando Santos having so much depth in attack, midfield and at full back as well as the experience of leading the national team to the European Championship title in 2016. Concerns persist over whether Santos is too pragmatic given the talent at his disposal but he remains a popular choice as coach eight years after being hired. Santos has shown he isn’t afraid to make tough decisions by leaving Ronaldo out of a starting team in a Nations League game against Iberian rival Spain in June for “tactical reasons.” Read more: Cristiano Ronaldo gambles on World Cup to restore reputation Doing so again for the first match of a World Cup is highly unlikely, even if Ronaldo’s head might be scrambled given the turbulence in his club career over the past week.

Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Manchester United “with immediate effect,” the Premier League club said Tuesday. The 37-year-old forward conducted an explosive interview on the eve of the World Cup, criticizing manager Erik ten Hag and the club's owners. Last week, United said it had “initiated appropriate steps” in response to Ronaldo's comments. Read more: Cristiano Ronaldo gambles on World Cup to restore reputation “Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement. “The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future." Read more: Ronaldo's career at Manchester United may be over

Manchester United says it is trying to establish the full facts behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan. The Portugal great said he did not respect manager Erik ten Hag and that he felt “betrayed.” So far, only excerpts have been released and United says it will wait before deciding its next step. “Manchester United notes the media coverage regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo,” said the Premier League club. “The club will consider its response after the full facts have been established. “Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built among the players, manager, staff and fans.” Ronaldo conducted the interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored and was critical of Ten Hag, who has left him out on a number of occasions this season. “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me,” he said. “If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.” Read more: Ronaldo's career at Manchester United may be over