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New Netherlands coach Xavi Hernandez vowed on Tuesday to bring back the attacking soccer philosophy that the Oranje are famous for, believing that this will bring the team out of the doldrums in terms of results. “If we play good football… taking the initiative, dominating the game, playing in an offensive way… we will be […] The post ‘Here to win’: Xavi vows to restore pride in Dutch soccer appeared first on Soccer America.
Bruno Fernandes was named PFA Players' Player of the Year, and alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, is now one of only two Portuguese players to win the award. Bruno Fernandes has joined Cristiano Ronaldo as the only Portuguese players in history to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, cementing an exclusive club within English soccer’s most prestigious individual honor. Manchester United’s captain was crowned the 2025-26 winner at the PFA’s annual awards ceremony. The award came off the back of a standout campaign in which Fernandes registered a record-breaking 21 assists in the Premier League, to go along with nine goals, as United rebounded to finish third in the table. He became the first United player to win the award since Wayne Rooney did so in 2010. Ronaldo, for his part, won the award in back-to-back seasons during his first spell at Old Trafford, claiming it in 2006-07 before repeating the feat in 2007-08. That consecutive double placed him alongside Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne as the only players to have won the award in successive years. With Fernandes’ triumph, Portugal now has two representatives on an honor roll that dates back to the 1973-74 season, a list voted on exclusively by fellow professionals across the English game. Premier League Player of the Season.Man Utd Player of the Season.FWA Footballer of the Year.PFA Players’ Player of the Year. The 2025-26 season belongs to Bruno Fernandes. pic.twitter.com/8Rx1uuKbMx— Premier League (@premierleague) August 25, 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo’s numbers in his back-to-back PFA-winning seasons In 2006-07, Ronaldo scored 17 goals and added 8 assists in the Premier League, finishing with 23 goals in all competitions as Manchester United won the title. That season also saw him complete a rare individual sweep, adding the PFA Young Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Player of the Year awards alongside the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, an unprecedented trio at the time. He topped that the following year. In 2007-08, Ronaldo scored 31 goals and added 6 assists in the Premier League alone, finishing with 42 goals in all competitions, numbers that earned him the Premier League Golden Boot. United won both the league title and the Champions League that season, and Ronaldo capped it off by winning the Ballon d’Or, cementing his status as the best player in the world during his first spell at Old Trafford.
After being subbed off in Al Nassr's epic SPL comeback, Cristiano Ronaldo issued a three-word message to his teammates. Cristiano Ronaldo experienced one of his stranger nights in an Al Nassr shirt on Tuesday, watching from the bench as his 10-man squad mounted a dramatic second-half rally after he was subbed off at halftime. Following the thrilling Saudi Pro League victory, the Portuguese legend took to social media to send a crisp three-word message to his teammates. For the first time in the 2026-27 season, Cristiano Ronaldo was named to the starting XI by head coach Ange Postecoglou for Tuesday’s match against Al Ettifaq. However, the opening half proved disastrous after goalkeeper Bento was sent off, leaving Al Nassr down a man before goals from Ondrej Duda and Alvaro Medran put the hosts ahead 2-0 going into the break. Postecoglou made a bold tactical shift at the half, taking off Ronaldo in favor of midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari to bolster the team’s defensive structure. The gamble paid off immensely, as Sadio Mane shifted centrally to cut the deficit in the 74th minute before Abdulelah Al-Amri netted the equalizer, setting the stage for Mane to seal the improbable 3-2 victory in the 90th minute. After watching the thrilling sequence unfold from the sideline, Ronaldo posted his immediate reaction to the result across his social media channels. “WHAT. A. COMEBACK!” he wrote on his Instagram story, accompanying the text with an image of his teammates celebrating in a huddle on the pitch. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Instagram story. (@cristiano) In the post-match press conference, coach Postecoglou explained his reasoning for making the change, stating he “believed the players coming on could make an impact“. The fixture against Al Ettifaq marked Ronaldo’s second appearance of the young campaign, following a 28-minute substitute appearance against Al Riyadh. A halftime substitution, an odd experience for Ronaldo Since arriving in Saudi Arabia in late 2022, Ronaldo’s tenure at Al Nassr has been defined by durability and elite conditioning, routinely playing full matches while suffering very few fitness setbacks. Consequently, a halftime tactical exit with his club trailing on the scoreboard represented a rare event for the superstar forward. Prior to Tuesday, the only other occasion Ronaldo had been subbed off at halftime in a Saudi Pro League match came in April 2024 against Abha Club. On that night, however, the Portuguese star had already scored a first-half hat trick and provided an assist, leading then-coach Luis Castro to rest him with Al Nassr holding a commanding 4-0 halftime cushion in an eventual 8-0 rout. Ronaldo was visibly frustrated heading into halftime with Al-Nassr down 0–2.He was subbed off at halftime. pic.twitter.com/aYRpiWdHI5— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 25, 2026 During Tuesday’s match against Al Ettifaq, Ronaldo’s disappointment was evident on the touchline as Postecoglou set a strong precedent by withdrawing him with the team trailing. The decision comes as Ronaldo continues to build match fitness, having rejoined squad activities less than two weeks ago before missing Sunday’s training session following a promotional trip to Paris.
Cristiano Ronaldo remains steady in his pursuit of becoming the first player to reach 1,000 career goals. Cristiano Ronaldo continues his march toward one of soccer’s most extraordinary milestones, sitting on 977 official senior career goals and just 23 short of becoming the first player in the sport’s history to reach 1,000. The Al Nassr captain has built that tally across more than two decades at the top level, moving from Sporting CP through Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and now the Saudi Pro League, all while remaining the Portugal national team’s all-time leading scorer. At 41 years old, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing his pursuit, continuing to feature regularly for both club and country as he chases down the number. The forward has also hinted this could be one of his final seasons as a professional, having said retirement could come within “one or two years” after already confirming the 2026 World Cup was his last major tournament with Portugal. Reaching 1,000 would place Ronaldo in territory no other player has ever occupied at the recognized senior level, cementing a scoring record that already stands as one of the most dominant in the sport’s history. Whether he gets there remains a matter of matches and minutes rather than doubt, given the pace he has sustained deep into his career. Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr. (Getty Images) Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals by club and country Ronaldo’s goal-scoring journey began at Sporting CP, where he broke into professional soccer before earning a move to the Premier League with Manchester United in 2003. It was there that his career truly took off, and after a brief return to Old Trafford decades later, he departed as one of the club’s most prolific forwards across two separate spells. His time at Real Madrid, however, remains the defining chapter of his career, a nine-year stretch in which he redefined the club’s scoring records and established himself as one of the greatest forwards the sport has seen. From there, Ronaldo added another major chapter at Juventus before making the move to the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr in January 2023, a switch that has done little to slow down his scoring output. Altogether, his goals break down as follows: ClubGoalsReal Madrid450Portugal national team146Manchester United145Al Nassr130Juventus101Sporting CP5
At halftime during Al Nassr's match against Al Ettifaq, Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted by manager Ange Postecoglou, and the coach has since explained the tactical reasoning behind the unexpected move. Al Nassr completed a thrilling comeback win against Al Ettifaq. However, Cristiano Ronaldo was not on the pitch to experience it, as the Portuguese star was substituted at halftime by manager Ange Postecoglou. The first half against Al Ettifaq was a nightmare for Al Nassr, as they trailed 2-0 on the road after goalkeeper Bento was sent off with a straight red card in the 12th minute. Postecoglou was forced to adjust his strategy, and surprisingly, Ronaldo was the one sacrificed in the tactical scheme. At halftime, Ronaldo was replaced by midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari. After the match, Postecoglou explained the reasoning behind the bold decision. “When I made the substitutions, including taking Ronaldo off, I believed the players coming on could make an impact,” Postecoglou explained. “I came here to help the players, so as I said, I’m proud of them because every substitute made a positive contribution.” Al Nassr fulfill an epic comeback win Trailing 2-0, Al Nassr rallied in the second half to secure a sensational 3-2 victory over Al Ettifaq. While many expected Ronaldo to be the central hero of such a win, his teammates stepped up to carry Al Nassr over the line. Sadio Mane scored a crucial second-half brace—assisted twice by Joao Felix—to guide Al Nassr to their third consecutive victory of the 2026–27 Saudi Pro League season. Even without Ronaldo on the pitch, Al Nassr proved they possess the squad depth to remain dominant under challenging circumstances. Sadio Mane celebrating with the fans at full time. pic.twitter.com/tAFXhleWOd— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) August 25, 2026 With three matchdays completed, Al Nassr sit atop the SPL table with a perfect nine points out of nine. They have scored 10 goals in their opening fixtures while allowing just two, demonstrating an explosive offense and resilient tactical structure. Al Nassr need Bento back soon In the 12th minute of the match, Bento was shown a straight red card after halting an Al Ettifaq goal-scoring opportunity outside the box. Following the ejection, Al Nassr conceded two opening-half goals—their only goals allowed so far this season—underscoring how important Bento’s presence is to Postecoglou’s defensive blueprint.
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