Arsenal are enjoying their best season in 22 years under Mikel Arteta, having established a seven-point lead at the Premier League summit while also winning all of their seven Champions League fixtures to top the league phase table. The Gunners also have one foot in the final of the Carabao Cup, and will be expected to reach the latter stages of the FA Cup.
A retirement plan for Cristiano Ronaldo has been teased as Saudi Pro League officials reportedly line up 50 big-name players to join CR7 in the Middle East before the day comes for him to hang up his boots. More high-profile additions, such as Mohamed Salah and Bruno Fernandes, will help the division to retain interest heading towards the 2034 World Cup.
Robert Lewandowski has joined Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and Neymar in an exclusive goal club. The prolific Polish striker was back on target for Barcelona in their Champions League clash with Slavia Prague. He actually found the net at both ends of the field in that contest, with his effort at the right end seeing him reach 20 in elite European competition for Barca.
A jobs website has remarkably listed a Saudi Pro League playing position to give successful applicants the chance to potentially play against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez. The league, which has shot to prominence since Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr in 2023, has publicly advertised for a defensive midfielder role.
Al-Nassr beat Damac 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Wednesday night to close the gap on leaders Al-Hilal to just four points. Abdulrahman Ghareeb opened the scoring early on in the game before Ronaldo doubled their advantage at the start of the second half. Damac did pull one back midway through the second half but Al-Nassr hung on for a vital win to reignite their title bid.
The 2026 World Cup will be unlike any before it - bigger in size and scope, without a clear favorite, and staged in some of the most iconic venues in world sport. Here’s everything worth knowing.
Police in Madeira are hunting a vandal who filmed himself setting fire to a bronze statue of Cristiano Ronaldo outside the CR7 Museum in Funchal. The dishevelled individual poured flammable liquid over the sculpture before performing a bizarre dance to rap music. He posted the footage to Instagram with the strange caption: "This is God's last warning." The suspect has been identified but not yet caught.
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney delivered a hilarious response when asked how the current Arsenal team would fare against one of the best sides assembled under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils outfit that won the Premier League and Champions League double in 2008 will go down in history as an all-time great side. And Rooney believes that the team he played in are streets ahead of Mikel Arteta's current one.
Cristiano Ronaldo is being backed to complete a successful transition from football player to movie star once record-shattering boots are hung up for the final time. The Portuguese GOAT has already dabbled in the film industry and is - as a “billionaire” superstar - expected to head down that path on a permanent basis, allowing Oscar recognition to be pursued.
Roberto Martinez has suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be undroppable when Portugal open their quest for 2026 World Cup glory. The evergreen 40-year-old forward remains captain of his country, and an inspiration to millions across the globe, but he is not immune to a spot of bench duty and will be replaced if remarkable individual standards are allowed to dip.
Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged victorious in his long-running dispute with former employers Juventus regarding wages that initially went unpaid. The Portuguese superstar, along with his team-mates in Turin, agreed to defer certain salary payments during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has since taken matters to court in a bid to keep £8.5 million ($11m) that was owed to him.
Cristiano Ronaldo will not want to stop without a World Cup win that allows him to emulate eternal rival Lionel Messi, the Portuguese’s former Manchester United team-mate Kleberson has told GOAL. A man who knows all about the mindset of an all-time great has also boldly predicted that evergreen CR7 could play on until the age of 50 if he really wants to.
Neymar to Inter Miami could still happen, former MLS star Kleberson has exclusively told GOAL, with Lionel Messi looking to bring “everyone” to the United States as he forms his own “private league”. Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul have already joined the Argentine GOAT in Florida, with more marquee transfer deals - including Cristiano Ronaldo - being lined up.
Cristiano Ronaldo would be prepared to join “the lowest professional league” in order to reach 1,000 competitive goals, claims former Manchester United team-mate Nani, but is not expected to be forced down that path. Instead, the Portuguese GOAT, who is still going strong in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr, is being backed to grace Euro 2028.
Sportico have released their annual highest-paid athletes list, with Cristiano Ronaldo sitting at the top of that chart. The Portuguese GOAT earned double what eternal rival Lionel Messi pulled in over the course of 2025, with the Al-Nassr forward making $260 million (£194m). There are 13 football players in the top 100, with Brazilian icon Neymar tumbling down the standings.
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