Cristiano Ronaldo's dream to claim the 2026 World Cup with Portugal has begun, currently at the Round of 32. Cristiano Ronaldo, even at 41 years old, remains a central figure for both his club, Al Nassr, and the Portugal national team. Still drawing global attention, the key question now is when the legendary striker will take the field again. Cristiano Ronaldo’s next game with Al Nassr is scheduled for Saturday, September 5, when they visit Al Ittihad for Matchday 5 in the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League at Al Awwal Park. The Portuguese star heads to the game after scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 win against Al Taawoun. The icon’s 2026-27 international campaign with Portugal following the 2026 World Cup is set to begin on Thursday, September 24, when they host Wales for Matchday 1 of the of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League. The forward’s last World Cup game came on July 6th, where Spain beat the Selecao in the Round of 16 with a narrow 1-0 win. In the 2026-27 season, which he has stated could be his last one as professional soccer player, the Portuguese icon scored 2 goals and provided 0 assists in 3 games for Al Nassr, while netting 5 goals in 5 UEFA World Cup qualifiers and 3 in the 2026 World Cup for Portugal, with his personal account in 978 career goals. Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal celebrates scoring a goal. Ronaldo faced long break due to FIFA schedule After his stunning bicycle-kick goal against Al Khaleej, Cristiano Ronaldo was rested for Al Nassr’s midweek AFC Champions League Two match. But from that point forward, the Portuguese star endured a 24-day gap without competitive action, a result of the upcoming FIFA competition schedule. From December 1 through 18, Qatar hosted the second edition of the FIFA Arab Cup, with the final between Morocco and Jordan played at Lusail Stadium, the same venue as the 2022 World Cup final. With several Saudi Pro League players involved, including stars of the Saudi Arabian national team, clubs, including Al Nassr, were unable to meet domestic player requirements, forcing the SPL into a temporary pause during the tournament.
Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal, with the Brazilian forward set to undergo his medical in Spain on Monday before completing his permanent transfer. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano broke the news on X with his trademark “here we go” confirmation, revealing that Barcelona and Arsenal have reached a full agreement […] The post Medical booked for Monday as Arsenal agree deal for striker ahead of deadline day appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Julian Alvarez was absent for Atletico Madrid's 3-1 win over Sevilla in LaLiga on Saturday, as Barcelona continue their bid to sign him. The post Simeone says ‘anything can happen’ as Alvarez continues to push for Atleti exit appeared first on SoccerNews.
Leandro Paredes questioned FIFA's 10-match ban following the World Cup final incident, pointing out that Gavi received a far lighter punishment for the same clash. Leandro Paredes broke his silence on the 10-match ban handed down by FIFA following the incidents in Argentina’s World Cup final win over Spain, calling the sanction excessive during his first public comments on the matter. “For me the sanction is excessive, and I hope it can be reduced,” Paredes said. The Boca Juniors midfielder didn’t shy away from comparing his punishment to that of Gavi, who was involved in the same clash but received just a single-match suspension and a $30,000 fine from FIFA. Speaking to reporters at La Bombonera following Boca’s 1-0 win over Lanús, Paredes addressed the topic directly. “It seems exaggerated,” Paredes said of his own sanction, adding: “The strange thing is that Gavi got one match, and he’s the one who hit me in the chest”. Paredes stopped short of elaborating further on the incident itself, instead pointing to the ongoing appeals process as his best hope for relief. “There’s still the appeal, and we’ll see if the sanction can be reduced,” he said, expressing confidence that a resolution could still come his way. LEANDRO PAREDES VS ERIC Y GAVI. 🤬🇦🇷🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/N9beL52Ec2 https://t.co/wyWxa1LmoA— Sudanalytics (@sudanalytics_) July 19, 2026 Argentina could use next friendlies to serve suspensions The comments come after FIFA confirmed that Paredes, along with teammates Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada, would be permitted to serve their World Cup-related suspensions during international friendlies rather than competitive fixtures, easing the impact on Argentina’s schedule. Argentina can schedule up to four friendlies during the extended September-October window, plus two more in November, giving Almada and Molina more than enough matches to clear their suspensions in the short term. Paredes, given his longer 10-match ban, is the one most likely to still be serving time once competitive qualifiers roll around, though the exact timeline depends on how many friendlies the AFA lines up in the coming international windows. The federation has said it will continue pushing to reduce the bans on appeal once FIFA releases the full grounds for its rulings, with the case ultimately eligible to reach the Court of Arbitration for Sport if needed.
Listen to more from Sergej Jakirovic on BBC Sounds here. Hull's Konstantinos Tzolakis is the first goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a promoted side's opening two games of a Premier League season since David Raya in 2021-22 (for Brentford). Hull's Liam Millar became just the ninth Canadian player to score a Premier League goal, while he was the first Canadian to score the winning goal in a top-flight match since Daniel Jebbison for Sheffield United in May 2021 (v Everton).
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