Ricardo Quaresma parie que Cristiano Ronaldo remportera enfin le trophée tant attendu de la Coupe du monde, ses coéquipiers de l'équipe nationale portugaise « souhaitant » que ce légendaire joueur « remporte ce titre ». À 41 ans, Ronaldo, quintuple vainqueur du Ballon d'Or, s'apprête à participer pour la sixième fois à la compétition phare de la FIFA, un record. Il est déterminé à imiter Lionel Messi en décrochant ce titre suprême.
Mick McCarthy a ravivé sa querelle avec Roy Keane, l'ancien sélectionneur de la République d'Irlande qualifiant l'ancien milieu de terrain légendaire de Manchester United de « connard ». Les deux hommes avaient connu une brouille retentissante avant la Coupe du monde 2002, qui fait aujourd'hui l'objet d'un film de Steve Coogan. Le temps ne semble pas avoir apaisé ces divisions historiques.
Cristiano Ronaldo continue de courir après son 1 000e but en carrière et une nouvelle entrée dans les livres d'histoire, mais le sélectionneur du Portugal, Roberto Martinez, insiste sur le fait que cet objectif n'est pas devenu une « obsession ». Personne ne craint, du moins dans le milieu international, que le légendaire CR7 cesse de faire des passes à ses coéquipiers pour s'assurer d'atteindre un nouveau record personnel.
Leroy Sané fait à nouveau partie de la sélection de l'entraîneur national Julian Nagelsmann et a de bonnes chances de participer à la Coupe du monde. Dietmar Hamann voit cela d'un œil très critique.
L'entraîneur du Real Madrid, Álvaro Arbeloa, a balayé les inquiétudes concernant la sélection de Kylian Mbappé et de Jude Bellingham en équipe nationale. Malgré les récentes alertes à la blessure au Santiago Bernabéu, l'entraîneur insiste sur le fait que le duo de superstars est prêt à jouer tant pour son club que pour son pays, et il se réjouit donc de les voir disputer les prochains matchs internationaux.
Al-Hilal are the most successful Saudi Pro League side ever, having won an astonishing 19 league titles. Their first-ever league title came at the end of the 1976-77 campaign. Currently, they are also the defending champions, having gone all the way in the 2023-24 season.
How many teams are in the Saudi Pro League?
Currently, there are 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League. In the first season ever, which took place in 1976-77, there were just eight teams. The number increased to 10 in the following season. Ahead of the 1981-82, Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged to form one single league for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. However, from the 1984-85 season, the number teams reverted to 12.
Who has made the most Saudi Pro League appearances ever?
Legendary Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea holds the record for most appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Deayea played for Al-Taee and Al-Hilal and managed 406 appearances inthe league.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the Saudi Pro League?
Majed Abdullah, also known as the Arabian Pele, is the league's all-time leading topscorer with 189 goals in 194 league games, all of them coming with Al-Nassr in a 21-year span. He is Al-Nassr's record goalscorer, with 259 goals in just 266 games.
Who has the most assists in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Former Syrian midfielder Jehad Al-Hussain has registered the most assists in Saudi Pro League history, setting up 50 goals for his teammates in 208 games.
Who is the oldest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature in Saudi Pro League. El Hadary was 45 years and 81 days old when he featured for Al-Taawoun in April 2018.
Who is the youngest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Teenage sensation Talal Haji, who plays for Al-Ittihad, is the youngest player to ever play in Saudi Pro League. Haji achieved this feat at the age of 16 years and five days when he came on as a substitute for Romarinho in Al-Ittihad's 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in September 2023.
Which famous players have played in the Saudi Pro League?
Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte, and Fabinho are among the most famous players to have played in the Saudi Pro League.
Which famous managers have managed in the Saudi Pro League?
Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Stefano Pioli are some of Saudi Pro League's most prominent managers in history.
What is the biggest stadium in the Saudi Pro League?
The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which is home to Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh, is the biggest stadium in Saudi Pro League. It has a capacity of 68,752.
Who is the most expensive player in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Neymar is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history, costing a whopping £77.6 million when Al-Hilal bought him from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.