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Ronaldo scores and leads Al-Nassr into AFC Champions Elite semifinals

Ronaldo scores and leads Al-Nassr into AFC Champions Elite semifinals
Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Yokohama F Marinos' Yan during the AFC Champions League Elite quarter Final match between Al-Nassr and Yokohama F Marinos at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, 黑料社区, April 26, 2025. (Reuters)
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Updated 27 April 2025

Ronaldo scores and leads Al-Nassr into AFC Champions Elite semifinals

Ronaldo scores and leads Al-Nassr into AFC Champions Elite semifinals
  • In Wednesday鈥檚 semifinal, Al-Nassr will take on Al-Sadd of Qatar or Kawasaki Frontale of Japan, who meet on Sunday

JEDDAH, 黑料社区: Cristiano Ronaldo led 黑料社区n team Al-Nassr to a 4-1 win over Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite on Saturday.
The 40-year-old scored his eighth goal of the tournament during a dominant first half performance in Jeddah, which is hosting all of the games in the tournament from the quarterfinal stage to the final on May 3.
In Wednesday鈥檚 semifinal, Al-Nassr will take on Al-Sadd of Qatar or Kawasaki Frontale of Japan, who meet on Sunday.
Jhon Duran, signed for over $100 million from Aston Villa in January, opened the scoring from close range.
Four minutes later, Sadio Mane doubled Al-Nassr鈥檚 lead, the former Liverpool forward firing home a fierce low shot from the left of the area.
There was still time before the break for Ronaldo to give Al-Nassr, looking for a first ever continental title, one foot in the last four. Goalkeeper Park Il-kyu spilled a shot from Marcelo Brozovic and Ronaldo, from close range, was on hand to score his 33rd goal of the season in all competitions.
Duran scored his second and Al-Nassr鈥檚 fourth four minutes after the break, and Anderson Lopes grabbed a consolation for the five-time Japanese champion.
Al-Nassr鈥檚 Saudi Pro League rival Al-Ahli defeated Buriram United of Thailand 3-0.
The damage was done early. After just four minutes, former Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez scored with a low shot from the right side of the area after Buriram failed to clear. Two minutes later, Brazilian winger Galeno made it 2-0 and Roberto Firmino finished off.
Al-Ahli, a two-time finalist, will take on Al-Hilal, the four-time champion, in an all-Saudi semifinal on Tuesday.
On Friday, Al-Hilal thrashed Gwangju 7-0 with all seven coming from different scorers.
After Al-Hilal鈥檚 relatively poor run of form domestically, coach Jorge Jesus was delighted with the result and performance. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been under pressure in the Saudi Pro League, and the players have shown great focus despite that,鈥 Jesus said.
鈥淲ithout commitment, we couldn鈥檛 have achieved this. I believe we鈥檙e on the right path, creating a good atmosphere for everyone involved 鈥 players and staff.鈥


Mbappe scores 2 as Real Madrid win on opening night of Champions League; Arsenal subs deliver

Mbappe scores 2 as Real Madrid win on opening night of Champions League; Arsenal subs deliver
Updated 54 min 32 sec ago

Mbappe scores 2 as Real Madrid win on opening night of Champions League; Arsenal subs deliver

Mbappe scores 2 as Real Madrid win on opening night of Champions League; Arsenal subs deliver
  • The victory meant that 15-time champion Madrid became the first team in competition history 鈥 since the rebranding in the early 1990s 鈥 to reach 200 wins
  • An early own goal from goalkeeper Luiz Junior gave Tottenham a 1-0 win over visiting Villarreal
  • Borussia Dortmund and Juventus drew 4-4 in Turin

LONDON: Kylian Mbappe converted two penalties and 10-man Real Madrid came back to beat visiting Marseille 2-1 on Tuesday on the opening night of the Champions League.

The victory meant that 15-time champion Madrid became the first team in competition history 鈥 since the rebranding in the early 1990s 鈥 to reach 200 wins.

And it gave former Madrid playing standout Xabi Alonso a victory in his Champions League debut as the club鈥檚 coach.

Timothy Weah put visiting Marseille ahead early on but Mbappe struck back from the penalty spot in the 29th and 81st.

The first penalty came after a foul on Rodrygo and the second for a handball by a defender.

Mbappe now has 50 goals in 64 matches with Madrid.

鈥淲e are happy that he keeps scoring goals and has been feeling more and more comfortable,鈥 Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde said of the France star. 鈥淥ur job is to make sure the ball gets to him and that he can have even more scoring opportunities than he is having now.鈥

Madrid captain Dani Carvajal was sent off in the 72nd for headbutting Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.

Weah 鈥 a US international and the son of former Ballon d鈥橭r winner George Weah 鈥 was set up by Mason Greenwood, who stripped Madrid鈥檚 Arda Guler near midfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold鈥檚 Champions League debut for Madrid lasted only five minutes. The England defender was replaced by Carvajal because of an apparent muscle injury.

Spanish police clashed with Marseille fans before the match but the situation was controlled quickly.

An early own goal from goalkeeper Luiz Junior gave Tottenham a 1-0 win over visiting Villarreal.

Borussia Dortmund and Juventus drew 4-4 in Turin. Juventus substitute Dusan Vlahovic scored one goal in stoppage time and then set up the equalizer for English defender Lloyd Kelly.

Qarabag came from two goals down to win 3-2 at Benfica.

In the second season of the new league-phase format, the top eight teams advance to the round of 16. The next 16 teams enter a two-leg playoff, with eight advancing.

Arsenal subs decisive

Viktor Gyokeres was off target in his Champions League debut for Arsenal.

The London club鈥檚 substitutes were decisive, though, in a 2-0 win for the Gunners at Athletic Bilbao.

Gabriel Martinelli scored less than a minute after he came on and Leandro Trossard 鈥 who had replaced Gyokeres 鈥 doubled the lead 15 minutes later.

Gyokeres 鈥 Arsenal鈥檚 prized signing who scored six Champions League goals for Sporting Lisbon last season 鈥 missed a golden chance shortly after the break. The Sweden international evaded his marker with ease and rose to meet a well-placed free kick from Declan Rice but his header went well wide of the target.

Martinelli and Trossard also provided the assists on each other鈥檚 goals.

Union鈥檚 memorable debut

Competition newcomer Union Saint-Gilloise made a memorable debut, as the Belgian club won 3-1 across the border at PSV Eindhoven.

The first goal of this season鈥檚 competition was a penalty kick converted by Canada international Promise David.

The penalty was awarded when United States international Ricardo Pepi harshly landed his boot into the leg of Union鈥檚 English center back Christian Burgess.

Goalkeeper Matej Kovar then went the wrong way on the spot kick in the ninth minute.

Another error by Pepi led to Union鈥檚 second before the break, a dribbling exhibition and expert finish by Anouar Ait El Hadj.

Union, which qualified by winning the Belgian league for the first time in 90 years, is one of four clubs making their competition debuts this season. The others are Bod酶/Glimt (from Norway), Kairat (Kazakhstan) and Pafos (Cyprus).

Argentine defender Kevin Mac Allister, who is named for Macaulay Culkin鈥檚 character in 鈥淗ome Alone,鈥 made it 3-0 from close range in the 81st.

Ruben van Bommel 鈥 the son of former Netherlands standout Mark van Bommel 鈥 scored for PSV in the 90th.

PSV had gone unbeaten in its previous 11 group or league matches in UEFA competition.


Hernandez strike sees Al-Hilal complete comeback win over Al-Duhail

Hernandez strike sees Al-Hilal complete comeback win over Al-Duhail
Updated 17 September 2025

Hernandez strike sees Al-Hilal complete comeback win over Al-Duhail

Hernandez strike sees Al-Hilal complete comeback win over Al-Duhail
  • Goals from summer signings earn victory

Al-Hilal came from behind to defeat Qatar鈥檚 Al-Duhail 2-1 in their opening match of the AFC Champions League Elite group stage on Tuesday. Second-half strikes from summer signings Darwin Nunez and Theo Hernandez won the clash for the Riyadh club.

The match burst into life 10 minutes before the break as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic let fly from outside the area for Al-Duhail鈥檚 Salah Zakaria to tip around the post.

However, from the resultant corner, Senegalese defender Youssouf Sabaly won the ball before lifting a long ball over the home defence for Adil Boulbina to outpace the backline, run into the area past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, and slide home to complete a devastating counterattack.

It spurred the hosts into action and they thought they were back on level terms on the stroke of half-time. The Qatari team failed to clear their lines and the ball fell to Yusuf Akcicek just outside the area. The Turkish teenager fired a low shot into the bottom corner but the strike was ruled out by VAR after a Marcos Leonardo handball was spotted in the build-up.

After the break Al-Hilal continued to push forward but the ball would just not fall for the Blues in the area. However, just before the hour, a well-worked attack saw the four-times continental champions move the ball quickly in the final third. Milinkovic-Savic found Hamad Al-Yami on the right who pulled his pass back for fellow substitute Nunez to sidefoot home from just outside the six-yard box.

The 黑料社区n side were far from satisfied and went in search of a second, albeit by leaving gaps at the back.

But the ploy paid off when Hernandez鈥檚 shot from outside the area took a deflection to give Zakaria no chance and the home team the start they wanted in the competition.


Bangladesh stays alive in Asia Cup with thrilling win over Afghanistan

Bangladesh stays alive in Asia Cup with thrilling win over Afghanistan
Updated 16 September 2025

Bangladesh stays alive in Asia Cup with thrilling win over Afghanistan

Bangladesh stays alive in Asia Cup with thrilling win over Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan now needs to beat Group B leader Sri Lanka in its last group game as three teams are still in contention to get the final two spots for the next round
  • Bangladesh鈥檚 ploy to field Nasum in place of Mahedi Hasan worked out perfectly

ABU DHABI: Bangladesh notched a thrilling eight-run victory over Afghanistan in a must-win game and stayed alive for the Super 4 stage of Asia Cup on Tuesday.
Afghanistan now needs to beat Group B leader Sri Lanka in its last group game as three teams are still in contention to get the final two spots for the next round.
Bangladesh spinners Nasum Ahmed (2-11) and Rishad Hossain (2-18) stifled Afghanistan鈥檚 top-order batters before left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman (3-28) knocked out the tailenders in the death overs to bowl out the opposition for 146 off the final ball.
Earlier, Afghanistan slow bowlers also squeezed Bangladesh in the middle-overs with Noor Ahmad and captain Rashid Khan sharing four wickets for 49 runs and restricted them to 154-5.
Bangladesh brilliant with the ball
Bangladesh鈥檚 ploy to field Nasum in place of Mahedi Hasan worked out perfectly as the left-arm spinner trapped Sediqullah Atal leg before wicket off the very first ball with the new ball and went on to bowl a wicket maiden over.
Nasum鈥檚 three overs in the powerplay pinned down Afghanistan to 27-2 as he also accounted for the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran, who struggled for 12 deliveries and could score only 5.
Top-scorer Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35) held one end up, but Rishad鈥檚 two quick wickets saw Afghanistan slipping to 62-4 by the halfway stage as Gurbaz swept straight to backward square where Jaker Ali took a well-judged catch.
Afghanistan had lost half of its side for 77 runs in 13 overs when Mohammad Nabi (15) played Mustafizur back onto his stumps. With the run-rate climbing to over 11-an-over Azmatullah Omarzai took 20 run in one over of off-spinner Saif Hasan (0-39).
Azmatullah holed out to Saif after scoring a rapid 30 off 15 balls and Rashid briefly challenged Bangladesh with a quickfire 20 off 11 balls before Mustafizur had him caught at short third in the penultimate over.
With 22 needed off the final over, Noor smashed two straight sixes to Taskin Ahmed (2-34) but holed out at mid-off of the final ball.
Tanzid stars with half-century
Tanzid Hasan鈥檚 brisk 52 off 31 balls formed the cornerstone of Bangladesh innings.
Saif and Tanzid gave Bangladesh a strong start of 63 runs off 40 balls. Bangladesh was set for a strong finish when it reached 87-1 in 10 overs, but the middle overs of Noor and Ahmad pulled them back.
Saif fell soon after the powerplay when he missed a sweep against Rashid and was clean bowled while Tanzid holed out to Ibrahim at long-off in the 13th over as Afghanistan went on to concede only 30 runs in the death overs.


FIFA to distribute record $355 million to clubs for 2026 World Cup

FIFA to distribute record $355 million to clubs for 2026 World Cup
Updated 16 September 2025

FIFA to distribute record $355 million to clubs for 2026 World Cup

FIFA to distribute record $355 million to clubs for 2026 World Cup
  • The initiative marks an increase of close to 70 percent from the $209 million paid out after the 2022 tournament in Qatar

MANCHESTER, England: FIFA is set to distribute a record $355 million to clubs around the world as part of an expanded Club Benefits Program tied to the 2026 World Cup, football鈥檚 world governing body announced on Tuesday.

The initiative marks an increase of close to 70 percent from the $209 million paid out after the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

For the first time, clubs that release players for World Cup qualifiers 鈥 not just the finals 鈥  will be compensated.

The initiative is part of a renewed memorandum of understanding between FIFA and the European Club Association signed in March 2023, aimed at creating a more inclusive and equitable system for global club football.

鈥淭he enhanced edition of the FIFA Club Benefits Program for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is going a step further by recognizing financially the huge contribution that so many clubs and their players around the world make to the staging of both the qualifiers and the final tournament,鈥 FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

The CBP was first introduced for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In 2022, 440 clubs from 51 FIFA member associations received payments under the program.

With the 2026 edition set to include compensation for qualifiers, the number of benefiting clubs is expected to rise significantly.

ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi called the program 鈥渋nnovative.鈥

鈥淐lubs play a pivotal role in the success of national team football,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his initiative recognizes every element of it, from early development through to release for the most important games.鈥

The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 in the US, Mexico and Canada.


Subs Martinelli and Trossard earn Arsenal 2-0 win at Bilbao

Subs Martinelli and Trossard earn Arsenal 2-0 win at Bilbao
Updated 16 September 2025

Subs Martinelli and Trossard earn Arsenal 2-0 win at Bilbao

Subs Martinelli and Trossard earn Arsenal 2-0 win at Bilbao
  • Martinelli replaced Eberechi Eze in the 71st minute, with Arsenal struggling to find a breakthrough despite creating plenty of chances
  • The Brazilian forward was sent racing through on goal after a flicked pass from Trossard

BILBAO, Spain: Arsenal began their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win away to Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday, with Gabriel Martinelli making an immediate impact from the bench to open the scoring and another substitute, Leandro Trossard, netting the second.
Mikel Arteta鈥檚 side, beaten at the semifinal stage last season by eventual winners Paris St. Germain, were the better team on the night, but labored to put away Athletic who were backed by a boisterous San Mames stadium, until the substitutes arrived.
Martinelli replaced Eberechi Eze in the 71st minute, with Arsenal struggling to find a breakthrough despite creating plenty of chances, and the substitute netted an impressive solo goal after less than a minute on the pitch.
The Brazilian forward was sent racing through on goal after a flicked pass from Trossard, and the two combined again three minutes from time, with Martinelli鈥檚 pullback from the byline finished off by Trossard.
The game took a while to get going before Arsenal ventured forward and began to create chances. Athletic defender Andoni Gorosabel made a crucial clearance with Eze about to pull the trigger from close range after a Noni Madueke pass.
Viktor Gyokeres had a couple of opportunities 鈥 a strike which never troubled Athletic keeper Unai Simon and a diving header which went wide, with Arsenal looking to the Swedish striker鈥檚 movement and strength to break through Athletic鈥檚 backline.
Arsenal began to turn the screw and increase the pressure in the early stages of the second half, while Athletic always posed a threat on the counter but the game was failing to match the frenzied atmosphere in the stands.
Mikel Arteta sent Trossard on for Gyokeres, but it wasn鈥檛 until the introduction of Martinelli that Arsenal really got going.
Trossard鈥檚 ball from inside his own half sent Martinelli through and, after controlling it neatly, he drove forward into the area and kept his nerve to send a low shot past Simon.
Martinelli then turned provider, going past his marker before finding Trossard, who had time to take a touch before getting a shot away, which took a deflection on its way past the keeper.
Arsenal began last season鈥檚 campaign with a 0-0 draw at Atalanta, and they almost had to settle for a similar result, but Arteta turned to his bench to defeat an Athletic side making their first Champions League appearance since 2014.
Arsenal host Olympiakos in their next Champions League game on October 1 with Athletic away to Borussia Dortmund on the same day.