GOAL's Culture & Clobber Axis: Cristiano Ronaldo turns 40, Joao Felix's rogue new boots, Nike's United pack & more

There's nothing technically wrong with Cristiano Ronaldo turning 40, it just makes us feel very, very old. Now an icon of the game, CR7 was just 18 years old when he signed for Manchester United in 2003. The 22 years since have been quite incredible.

Having hit the big 4-0, the attacker has declared himself the unequivocal GOAT... we're not so sure about that, but it's hard to argue with him being considered the greatest athlete the sport has ever seen.

GOAL's shout: Blatant own goal

Newcastle gave a poignant tribute to late former midfielder Cheick Tiote when they hosted Arsenal in midweek, with his son Rafael among the mascots on the 14th anniversary of his father's brilliant volley in the exact same fixture in 2011, when the Magpies came from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 courtesy of his strike.

The Toon honoured him on the pitch too, downing the Gunners with a relentless performance to secure a Carabao Cup final place and a huge chance to pick up major silverware. Lovely stuff.

GOAL's shout: Maverick worldie

The fallout from Arsenal's 5-1 thumping of Manchester City at the weekend has been tiresome, to say the least, with most of the rhetoric centring on Erling Haaland's now-infamous 'stay humble' jibe.

Suffice to say, the Gunners probably didn't 'stay humble' as they indulged in plenty of sh*thousery in their rout of their new-found northern foes, but certain City fans' refusal to take it on the chin and flat-out denial that a rivalry can even exist before Arsenal win a trophy is downright bizarre. This is what it's all about, lads.

GOAL's shout: Maverick own goal

Nike has shown its commitment to the women's game by bringing together some of the world's leading ballers to form the Nike United collective, with a new boot drop to go with it.

The unisex United pack features their Tiempo, Phantom and Mercurial silos in a fresh purple and 'volt' colourway, all featuring a bold look inspired by shattered glass that was co-designed by the likes of Lauren James, Naomi Girma and Sophia Wilson (formerly Smith).

GOAL's shout: Maverick worldie

Twenty-twenty four belonged to adidas, and 2025 is heading the same way with another re-release that is guaranteed to be hugely popular on the horizon: the adidas Predator Mania in 'red/silver'.

The German sportswear giant's GM, Sam Handy, has teased the upcoming drop on Instagram, with the boot forming part of their celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of the iconic silo. They're taking us back to long-hair era David Beckham bossing it at Old Trafford.

GOAL's shout: Blatant worldie

Boy, that felt like the longest January on record, didn't it? The opening month of the year - which is without doubt the worst - dragged on for the best part of five long weeks.

If that wasn't bad enough, the perennially disappointing January transfer window went on for even longer,stretching into early February. Granted, there were some bigger deals than usual (Man City shelled out the majority on their own), but we definitely need a break from the churn of the rumour mill.

GOAL's shout: Blatant own goal

adidas love a bit of nostalgia, and it's pretty difficult to fault their new Terrace Icons collection, which, presumably, will be coming to a terrace near you in the near future.

They have provided some lovely new clobber for fans of their biggest clients, including Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Man Utd and Real Madrid, including a track jacket and the mandatory retro-style football shirt. Nice, very nice.

GOAL's shout: Blatant worldie

We are here for big-name footballers signing boot deals with more left-field suppliers, so we salute you, Joao Felix. It's been a big week for the Portuguese magician; having completed a loan move from Chelsea to AC Milan, the attacker has officially signed with iconic Japanese sportswear label Mizuno.

Joining as a brand ambassador, Felix has been wearing the iridescent Alpha II Japan speed boot of late, even channelling Mizuno legend Keisuke Honda by scoring a lovely debut goal for the Rossoneri in midweek, minutes after coming off the bench. Forza Joao, forza Mizuno.

GOAL's shout: Maverick worldie

Birthday boy Ronaldo has had his fair share of bad statues, most notably the one at Madeira Airport that was so hideous that it was eventually replaced having been the butt of plenty of online banter.

A new, 12ft homage that has been unveiled in New York's Times Square to mark the Portuguese icon's 40th is better, but still leaves a lot to be desired. The creator has given him Superman's physique and some deep wrinkles which the man himself won't be happy about, while he's doing a 'shhh' celebration rather than his trademark 'SIUUU' - not to mention the unnecessary, uh, package.

GOAL's shout: Maverick own goal

Neymar's decision to join Al-Hilal in 2023 was seen as a cynical money grab as he headed to the Middle East for a big payday, despite still having so much to offer top-level football.

As if by way of apology, his latest move means so much more; the Brazilian superstar has returned to boyhood club Santos, 12 long years after his first departed for Barcelona. He was welcomed back like a god by a huge crowd at his unveiling, with the emotion all too much for him.

GOAL's shout: Blatant worldie

One for the obscure football shirt collectors, Barcelona-based MEYBA have dropped a new home kit for supporter-owned San Francisco City FC, who ply their trade in USL League Two in the states.

MEYBA are known for supplying Barca's first-ever branded kit in the 80s, and they have sorted SFCFC with a jersey that has an iron-coloured base with a bold 'California gold' stripe down the centre and zig zags on the sides. Lovely stuff.

GOAL's shout: Maverick worldie