Cristiano Ronaldo to be included in Portugal squad for upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be included in Portugal’s squad for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

Ronaldo, 38, had previously been coy on his international future in the aftermath of Portugal’s quarter-final exit at the hands of Morocco at the 2022 World Cup.

The former Manchester United forward has since left Europe to join Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr but he remains committed to representing his country.

Ronaldo has the joint-most international caps in the history of men’s football with 196, a record he shares with Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa.

Al-Mutawa is still active and could face the Philippines next Thursday, the same day Portugal host Liechtenstein..

Ronaldo is set to feature under his fifth Portugal manager due to Roberto Martinez’s appointment as manager in January.

He previously played for Portugal’s senior team under Luiz Felipe Scolari, Carlos Queiroz, Paulo Bento and Fernando Santos.

Martinez met Ronaldo before deciding to call up the veteran forward. His decision to prolong his international career will benefit the Portuguese FA’s finances.

The former Belgium head coach said he hoped Ronaldo would continue to represent his country when he was unveiled at the start of the year.

“We’re going to start a footballing process to try to get to know all the players that could make it to the national team,” said Martinez. “We’re going to give all the players an opportunity and respect all those who are already in the national team. Cristiano is one of them.

“I’m delighted to be able to have them by my side. It’s a process that we have to face naturally, with responsibility, and we’re going to make important decisions for the team.”

Ronaldo has scored eight goals in nine games for Al Nassr, who are second in the Saudi Pro League.

Kylian Mbappé equals Thierry Henry goal-scoring record

Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé (24) became the club’s all-time top-scorer after his late goal against FC Nantes on Saturday. The Frenchman now has 201 goals for Les Parisiens breaking the record previously held by Edinson Cavani (36), who now plays for Valencia. 

However, more history was made when Mbappé wrapped up the game against Les Canaris. The goal was his 30th of the season in all competitions, and it is the fifth consecutive season in which Mbappé has reached the 30-goal mark. The last Frenchman to do so in Europe’s top five divisions was Thierry Henry, who achieved the feat with Arsenal. 

During his professional career, Mbappé has scored 264 goals in 373 games. He is therefore scoring at a rate of 0.71 goals per game, the best ratio of any French player with a minimum of 200 goals since Just Fontaine on 11th February 1962, who scored an average of 0.94 goals per game. 

Cristiano Ronaldo picks up his first Saudi trophy! Portugal star picks up giant Man of the Match award after starring on his first appearance in Riyadh... as fans go wild for 37-year-old's outrageous nutmeg

Cristiano Ronaldo needed no second invitation to dazzle fans during his first match in Saudi Arabia, as the Portuguese star produced a sublime nutmeg before scoring twice in a nine-goal thriller against PSG in Riyadh on Thursday.

Captaining an all-star line-up consisting of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal players, the 37-year-old faced his competitive rival Lionel Messi in a mid-season friendly against the French champions, who took time out of their Ligue 1 campaign to travel to the Middle East.

Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr on a record-breaking deal worth £173million per year following his acrimonious exit from Manchester United, won Man of the Match for his impressive display, despite falling to a 5-4 defeat against PSG.

In the 11th minute, the megastar picked up the ball on the halfway line and cleverly nutmegged Carlos Soler, prompting a buoyant roar from the Saudi supporters.

He then found the net with a smart finish in the 34th minute, cancelling out Messi's third-minute penalty and giving the new kingdom a taste of what the Saudi Pro League is in for.

The veteran netted again in stoppage time at the end of the first half before making way in the second.

Ronaldo has yet to feature for Al-Nassr due to a ban he picked up whilst at Manchester United

Kylian Mbappe's moment with Cristiano Ronaldo spotted after divisive Lionel Messi comments

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi went head-to-head for what could be the final time in Saudi Arabia, with PSG beating an All Star XI which included the Portuguese icon

Following Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia earlier this month, opportunities to come up against his old foe will be few and far between. Messi had been linked with a move to join him in the Gulf State, but now looks set to sign a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

And Messi was part of the PSG team that travelled to Riyadh to take on a Saudi All Star XI which included the former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar.

Unsurprisingly, the pre-match talk was dominated by Messi and Ronaldo renewing their rivalry - albeit with the stakes at their lowest. It may be the last occasion where two of the greatest players of all time face off, with both now in the twilights of their glittering career.

The game also meant the age-old debate over who the best ever resurfaced, with battle lines drawn over the last 15 years of global domination. Kylian Mbappe was also in the PSG line-up and has made no secret of where his allegiances lie in the GOAT debate.

"He is a Real Madrid fan and his idol is Cristiano Ronaldo," Mbappe’s father explained back in 2016. "He used to spend hours watching videos [of Ronaldo] on the internet."

Then after a meeting on international duty, Mbappe posted an image alongside the Portuguese icon, with the caption “Idol”, accompanied by a crown and goat emoji. And even teaming up with Messi hasn’t changed his view, making it clear in recent times he is still in the Ronaldo camp.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe at Euro 2020

Following the 37-year-old’s elimination from the World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo posted a lengthy statement on Instagram, with Mbappe replying with the familiar emojis. Then on the eve of the final, a final which would be dominated by the PSG star and his Argentine colleague, Abdou Diallo revealed Mbappe was unmoved with his verdict.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is literally everything to Kylian Mbappe,” the PSG defender explained: "If you mention Lionel Messi against Cristiano, Mbappe will debate with you for at least an hour. For him, Cristiano is untouchable."

And his admiration was on clear display during the thrilling friendly, which ended 5-4 to the French champions. The pair shared a moment shortly after half-time, with Ronaldo sporting a nasty black eye following a clash with Keylor Navas.

The incident happened during the opening 45 minutes when Navas inadvertently punched his ex-Los Blancos team-mate when attempting to clear the ball. Ronaldo picked himself up off the tuf to fire home the spot-kick, which levelled the game following Messi’s early opener.

Marquinhos then put the hosts in front before Ronaldo scored his second of the game, his first in Saudi Arabia. Sergio Ramos then put PSG back in front, only for Jang Hyun-soo to make it 3-3 minutes later.

Mbappe then got in on the act from the spot, with Hugo Ekitike establishing a two-goal lead for the first time in the match. Anderson Talisca then scored a late consolation and though PSG lifted the shield after the game, it was Mbappe’s idol Ronaldo who was awarded Player of the Match.

Weghorst: The signing interview in full

Wout Weghorst has conducted his first club media interview since arriving at Manchester United on loan from Burnley for the remainder of the 2022/23 season.

The striker was present at Saturday's Manchester derby too, watching Erik ten Hag's Reds overcome rivals City to earn a valuable three points - and, of course, bragging rights.

Wout discusses the experience of being at Old Trafford for that match in his first interview at the club, along with a host of other topics.

You can find out all about our newest recruit, his personality, and what he hopes to achieve at United by reading every word from our chat below...

Wout, welcome to Manchester United. How excited are you to be able to say you are a United player?  “Yeah, [I'm] really excited, of course. It’s a great feeling. The last week, of course, when I heard for the first time of their interest it was special and yeah, [I'm] proud that everything is done now. I’m a United player.”

When did you become aware that the move might be on? “Over a week ago now. My agent called me actually for the first time and I was together with my girl, and she was a little bit shocked because she saw my face and I was like 'oof'. So yeah, it was a special moment and that was really nice, of course.”

For clarification for our fans, how do you pronounce your first name? Is it like ‘Vout Veghorst’? “Yeah, I take it. I go for it. In Dutch, you say like ‘Vehr-horst’, but the G is, of course, in England, a little bit difficult so, in my time at Burnley, it was also Weghorst. That’s okay.”

What attracted you to this move at this stage of your career?  “[It's] good for me. Also, to be honest, I think it’s the right moment as I feel as a footballer - I’m 30 years old now. I also already have experience in the Premier League - that was not as successful as I hoped - and I am really waiting and looking forward to getting back here because, in my opinion, it is still the biggest competition in the world and now I’m going to play for one of the biggest clubs in England. For me, [to play for] the biggest club is, of course, amazing, and as I’ve always said as a football player, and also as a human being, the stage I am at now, the [experience] that I have, I am ready for it. This is the right moment to take on this great challenge, of course.”

What are your first impressions of Carrington and here at Old Trafford? “I have been here for three days and Carrington training ground, of course, it is top class, everything. The training we’ve had already was great and, of course, I was at the [derby] match. It was the first time for me to come to Old Trafford and I always said there are a few stadiums in the world that I only want to go there if I am capable to play there, it is one of them. So for the first time [at Old Trafford], that was actually a really special moment and the atmosphere and everything was really wonderful.”

What a game. Did your family enjoy it as well? “Yes, yeah, the kids were also there. I think they watched it for 20 minutes. They spoke 15 minutes with me and then, after 20 minutes, my girl took them inside and I could watch the game and take in the atmosphere better. So it was a lovely, lovely game.”

You’ve played in the Premier League before, how much are you looking forward to being back in the league? “Yeah, really. For me, it was not done, it was not finished. It didn’t work out the first time as I hoped and I’m really hungry to show myself, to help the team. Of course, we are on a really good track now. The last couple of weeks, months actually, it’s going really positive here and I just want to contribute and give my best and give my all for the club and I try to be a part of the successful [direction] we are going.”

Do you know anybody in the squad ahead of visiting? “I’m good, of course, with the Dutch guys, with Donny [van de Beek] and Tyrell [Malacia]. And for the rest, I didn’t know any guys. I played against some of them, of course, but, yeah, actually the first three days, [I've had] a really great and warm welcome and I think it is a really nice group of lads, I already noticed, so I don’t think that will be any problem.”

And also you have played under former United manager Louis van Gaal. What is your experience of him as a manager, and as a person? “Yeah, great. For me, he was one of the best trainers I had. He is a really honest person, he is really, I hope it’s good in English, pure. What you see is what you get. Yeah, we had a great relationship and, of course at the World Cup, it could’ve been even more successful than it was. It was really close unfortunately but no, as I have seen, he has a great personality and for me, a great, great trainer.”

You played against United once during your time at Burnley, the 1-1 draw. Can you remember anything about the United away supporters at that match? “Yeah, of course. I think it was the second match for me, if I’m right, and yeah we took a draw there. That was for us a good result and I can remember the atmosphere. It was raining like hell, the weather was typical England and that was for me one of the – actually [it] was the best match so far for me as a player in England. Of course, because of the atmosphere, not only from the Burnley fans but also from the away fans. It was totally full there so that was a special experience.”

How much are you looking forward to coming out onto the Old Trafford pitch as a United player? “Yeah, good. That’s clear of course. I can’t wait to get started. There are plenty more games and I noticed it yesterday what’s waiting for me. I can’t wait to get started.”

What are your own personal ambitions as a Manchester United player?  “Trophies. That’s quite easy. Trophies, and that’s also what the manager told me about, the expectations that are there. Also my role and, yeah, that’s also something I want to bring. Like I earlier said in the interview, I'm just going to give everything I have for the club to be successful, to win the games and, of course, to win trophies. We are still active in four competitions, so yeah, four trophies to go, that’s the only thing that’s counting, and I think also that fits for a big a club as United is.”

You mentioned the manager. How aware are you of his excellent record and what he achieved? You faced him or his teams in the Eredivisie perhaps? “Yes, yes. They are good. I’m from the Netherlands, of course the players from the national team spoke always a lot about him. The way he is training, the way he is living football, living winning also. So, for me, these are the first days. Of course, I know him quite longer but never worked on a real serious [basis] like we are now. So for me it’s new, but, yeah, you can feel already what the guys have been speaking about. I’m really looking forward to contributing and working together." 

You’ve had a very good scoring record at your previous club Besiktas – about one goal every two matches. Is that something you hope to emulate under Erik ten Hag? “No, of course, I want to score goals here. I’m a striker and I think every striker knows it; you are living for scoring goals. That’s the thing we have been working all week for to get it done in the weekend and that’s definitely something I want to achieve here also. That’s also what I meant with being part of it and contributing. Of course, for me as a striker, at the end, it’s also all about goals, of course.”

You have now played in four different European leagues. How do they compare with one another? “After the Eredivisie in the Netherlands, of course I played in the Bundesliga. I think that’s a great competition, also from [the] intensity, tactics. And after the Bundesliga I moved to the Premier League and I noticed it, you can see it, again it’s another level. It’s just like the tempo is really high so that’s why I said also it’s the biggest competition in the world. Of course, now I came from the Turkish league, with the intensity and everything [it has]. But I also managed to be successful there and again I’m looking forward to going [in the Premier League].”

During your time at Burnley, you were among the highest pressing strikers in the Premier League. Is this an element of your game that you feel is important? “Yeah, I think that’s something that’s one of my strengths. Especially without the ball to put pressure on an opponent, to be active and also these pressures in the time at Burnley had that a lot also. That’s something I am capable of and that’s also something in the way the trainer [Ten Hag] wants to play. He wants to play aggressive, he wants to go high on the pitch, try to recover the ball there as quickly as possible and I think I can help the team with that.”

You are now the 19th player from the Netherlands to represent this club, and United have a rich history of legendary Dutch players, from Robin van Persie, to Ruud van Nistlerooy and Jaap Stam. Have you followed their journeys, and their time at United? “Yeah, of course, them, for me as a striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie, yeah, of course [I followed them]. [When] I was a younger kid you see these games, these matches, these goals with the combination with the fans in the stadium. Yeah, of course, they are things that I definitely remember and definitely memories in my head, yes.”

Were you always a striker growing up? Did you play any other positions? And what happened to make you fall in love with this position? “Yes. I have been always a striker.”

And who would you say is the biggest influence in your career so far?  “That’s a good question. I never really had an idol. Of course I always looked up to strikers and followed them and tried to pick up things. I think I am as a person open to learning things. Critical also, to try to take it and try to develop me as a football player, and also as a human being. And the influence at the end of, course, [is] your parents [as they] are also there to bring you up from a young kid to an adult and now, especially when you become a parent on your own. They had a big impact on me, then over the last five years, that’s definitely changed me as a human being. If I have to say one, I will say them.”

You will wear the no.27. Why choose that number? “Yeah, good. Of course, I looked into the ones that are free or available. Two and seven will make nine, of course – a striker’s number. I had a feeling with it and of course when I came here I heard it was Alex [Telles]’s number, he got loaned out now. So yeah, I first had to ask him if that was ok, so I said to them [United] that was for me important and then in the end there was no problem so thanks to him also. So yeah, I go for the 27 and actually it’s just because I had a good feeling with it.”

Off the pitch, how would you describe yourself? Your character? “Yeah, off the pitch, around the pitch I will say there is no difference. I am also somebody who what you see is what you get. I think I’m really pure, also quite emotional, and, yeah, a quiet one. I like to be home also, spend time with my family, with the kids of course. Actually, it’s something that’s always been my main thought, is the other things you want to achieve in your life you want to achieve. I always worked really hard for it and I always try to give 100 per cent in everything I did. Whether that is in football related or at home as a dad. I just try to be the best version of me and the best person I can be, to be honest.”

Liverpool transfers: First Chelsea bid expected to arrive for Moises Caicedo later this week

Chelsea’s first bid for reported Liverpool transfer target Moises Caicedo is imminent.

The midfielder is claimed to have shot to the top of the Blues transfer list over recent weeks. And now, according to Give Me Sport, they are ready to lodge an opening offer.

There’s no specifics given on the value of the bid, with it being termed as a ‘test the waters’ type offer. It is claimed that Brighton will be looking for £70m in order to let Caicedo leave this month.

The Ecuadorian reportedly has new agents taking over his business from tomorrow. However, Chelsea are said to be looking to sort out a fee with Brighton before dealing with the agents. Once they do, personal terms will reportedly be no problem at all. Liverpool getting left behind.

Photo by Richard Sellers/Getty Images

Boehly at it again for Chelsea

Having been interested in Caicedo for a fair amount of time, Liverpool look set to be outmanoeuvred by Chelsea.

Should that come to pass, the Reds wouldn’t be the first side to be sucker-punched by Blues owner Todd Boehly.

Since taking over in West London, the American hasn’t been afraid of splashing the cash in the market. His transfer strategy of latching onto other teams targets is likely to have already made him a few enemies in the Premier League.

So far, Liverpool haven’t been targeted by this approach. A cynical chap might say that’s because the Reds simply don’t bother making bids for players anymore, but we digress.

Should Liverpool lose out on Caicedo though, it would sting a little. It isn’t as though we’ve been hounding Brighton to let him go, but interest is clearly there.

Liverpool are even said to have weighed up making an offer for the 21-year-old before he joined his current club.

But when it comes down to it, £70m feels like too steep-a price to pay. Yes, he looks extremely accomplished, showing that once again when playing Liverpool last weekend.

When all is said and done though, Caicedo has barely 100 senior appearances under his belt. The price is too high. Having said that, if Chelsea don’t manage to strike yet another deal with Brighton, Liverpool should be in the mix this summer.

Marcus Rashford insiders' 'view' on Man Utd star's brother meeting PSG comes to light

Marcus Rashford had his contract extended at Old Trafford by a further year.

Manchester United insiders reportedly feel that Marcus Rashford’s agent meeting with Paris Saint-Germain last season was ‘ill-advised’. The England international is flourishing at Old Trafford so far this season, with a new contract in the offing.

United have progressed significantly under Erik ten Hag, with their 2-1 victory over Manchester City over the weekend indicating that they should be considered outsiders to win the Premier League. Following an opener from Jack Grealish, United hit back with late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Rashford.

The latter has been instrumental in Ten Hag’s rebuild of the Red Devils, thriving under the Dutchman and appearing to fall back in love with his football. The forward has scored eight and assisted three in 19 Premier League appearances so far this season, providing much-needed No 9 cover in the early stages of the campaign.

Though it has been a very sudden turn of events for the 25-year-old, with his agent – and brother – Dwaine Maynard meeting with PSG in August to discuss his future. According to Manchester Evening News, those close to the player felt it was ‘ill-advised’.

PSG are long-term admirers of Rashford and monitoring his contract situation closely, with his current deal expiring in 2024. United are set to offer the versatile forward a new contract in the near future which will see him on new and improved terms.

However, Ten Hag’s introduction of a ‘wage cap’ could cause the academy product to weigh up whether he would like to earn a more significant salary elsewhere. The former Ajax boss wants all of his players to take home a maximum of £200,000 per week to prevent a culture of jealousy from growing in his changing room.

The news comes after Cristiano Ronaldo saw his contract terminated at the Theatre of Dreams. United made special exceptions to welcome the Portugal international back to the club, though hindsight showed that this was not the wisest of decisions.

PSG would certainly be willing to better whatever contract offer United put on the table for Rashford and it would be no real surprise to see them make the forward one of the highest-paid players in world football. Those negotiations would have to take place at the end of next year when he would become a free agent, with United not willing to entertain offers for their No 10 knowing that it could derail their chances of club progression.