RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo scored all of Al Nassr’s goals in a 4-0 rout of Al Wehda in the Saudi league on Thursday as he passed the 500 league goal mark in his club career.
The 38-year-old Portuguese star now has 503 goals scored for five different teams stretched across five leagues.
He hit three for Sporting Lisbon in his fledgling career, 103 for Manchester United over two spells, 311 for Real Madrid and 81 at Juventus.
Ronaldo now has five for Al Nassr who he joined after the World Cup following his bitter divorce from United.
On Thursday, he hit the 500 mark in the 21st minute with a left-footed strike.
He made it 2-0 with his right foot just before the interval before his hat-trick arrived from the penalty spot eight minutes into the second half.
It was his 61st career hat-trick.
He added a fourth just after the hour mark when he was first to a rebound.
Ronaldo had opened his account for his new employers last Friday with a stoppage-time penalty in a 2-2 away draw against Al Fateh.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who holds the all-time records for Champions League and international goals, is banking more than 400 million euros for his surprise move to Saudi, according to sources close to Al Nassr.
The giant sum includes 200 million euros for promoting Saudi Arabia’s expected joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, the sources told AFP.
Ronaldo has become a figurehead for the conservative kingdom’s push to improve its reputation through sports — a process that has drawn accusations of “sportswashing,” or trying to sanitise its human rights record.
Cristiano Ronaldo scores four to pass 500 league goals
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Cristiano Ronaldo scores four to pass 500 league goals
- Ronaldo, four days after his 38th birthday, scored twice in each half to help Al-Nassr defeat Al-Wehda 4-0
De Bruyne is Manchester City’s ‘greatest player’ says club chairman as Guardiola prepares team for Club World Cup
- In Part 1 of his review of the 2024-2025 season, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak looks back on the challenges faced by the team and confirms his confidence that they will be back to winning ways
ABU DHABI: Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak has provided his annual review of the season to the club’s official online channel. In Part 1 of the interview he discussed the challenges of the 2024-2025 campaign, the departure of a club legend and his trust in manager Pep Guardiola. Here are some of the highlights.
On City improving next season …
We will be back. This season is a season that’s now behind us. And we will take all the good things and the not-so-good things from this season and learn from it and improve from it and get better.
I can assure you, this club will do everything possible to come back to the standards that we know we all can achieve and that we know, we will achieve. If there’s one thing I’d like right now, it’s to turn that page from last season and just immediately start focusing on next season.
All the players, everyone I saw yesterday after the Fulham game, all the players, they’re excited, they’re excited about coming back. Nobody feels good about how we finished the season. They want to come back and they want to come back hungry. And I can see the hunger.
And that’s exactly why you see me so positive. We’re going to come back strong, with a lot of positivity.
On City’s summer transfer strategy …
We have clearly identified who exactly are the targets, in what positions, and we have our clear No.1 option, our clear No.2 option. And we’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift.
Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.
On Kevin De Bruyne …
In my view, he is the greatest player to play for this club. His accomplishments speak for themselves. His accomplishments for the club in terms of trophies — that tally, number of Premier Leagues, the Champions League, FA Cups, Community Shields, Carabao Cups. It’s an unbelievable tally, the highest of any player who has ever played for this club.
He's been a captain. He’s been a leader. He’s been a teammate. He’s been everything you would hope from your most important player.
Kevin really transcends this team and I’m so proud of what he has accomplished. It’s one of the best decisions we ever took – the day we took the decision to invest in Kevin and bring him from Wolfsburg. I remember some people thought we overpaid.
On Pep Guardiola …
One thing we have with Pep, which is so fundamental, is one word: trust.
We have trust, and it goes both ways. I think he trusts us. He trusts me. He trusts the organisation. He trusts the club, and we trust him.
And that trust is what, in the good times, allows you to keep winning. And in the tough times, that’s where that trust really shows up.
And we’ve gone through all these ups and downs, and we’ve always stood together as a team. And inevitably it’s always shown to be the foundation of our success.
Dubai Basketball keep title dreams alive with overtime win against seven-time champions
- Home team edges Partizan Mozzart Bet 100-95 at Coca-Cola Arena in ABA League semi-finals
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball edged out seven-time ABA League champions Partizan Mozzart Bet in Game 2 of the semi-finals — winning the pivotal clash 100-95 in the final five minutes of overtime to square the series.
Dubai welcomed Serbian powerhouse Partizan Mozzart Bet to Coca-Cola Arena on Thursday night after a shock loss in Belgrade in the first leg of the semi-final. Needing a win to keep their league ambitions alive, Dubai Basketball were set for what would be one of their best games this season.
In a stark contrast from the first game of the semis, Dubai Basketball kept Partizan on edge with unrelenting momentum and strong defensive tactics. Praising Dubai’s response, Partizan coach Zeljko Obradovic spoke about the intensity of playing Dubai at home.
“We knew they would try to be aggressive here (in Dubai), and they were,” he said.
Dubai’s physicality and determination were evident from the start of the first quarter. Holding a narrow three-point lead in the second quarter, the team gained confidence as they landed crucial three-pointers, pushing ahead into the second half. However, Partizan quickly retaliated, with American guard Carlik Jones and Belgian international Frank Ntilikina making an early impact and keeping the contest tight.
Leading by example for Dubai was captain and Man of the Match Klemen Prepelic. The Slovenian shooting guard has often been praised for his role in the debutant team, but his performance on Thursday night outshone his previous milestones for the team.
Prepelic, the night’s top scorer, contributed 30 points, three rebounds and one assist. Only one other Dubai Basketball member came close to these stats, with Nate Mason’s perfectly executed free throws in the last 14 seconds of regulation time leveling the score and forcing Partizan into overtime.
Praising the team’s resilience, Dubai Basketball head coach Jurica Golemac said: “I’m very proud. We didn’t surrender; we didn’t give up. You could see it in the players — the emotions in their eyes. We didn’t want the season to end, and that was obvious.”
With more than 7,000 fans in attendance, Dubai looked more confident than ever in the extra period. Spurred on by the home crowd, they secured the final points of the night and sealed a crucial win to force a deciding third game in Belgrade on Sunday.
“Our defence was unbelievable today,” Golemac added. “I had the feeling there were 10,000 people inside — breathing and playing the game with us. They wanted to succeed just like we did.”
Dubai Basketball now head to Serbia for the semi-final showdown, one step away from a place in the ABA League finals — marking an already historic debut season for the team with a second home win against one of Europe’s most decorated clubs.
Al-Nassr working on renewing Ronaldo deal, says club chief
- Speculation over the 40-year-old Portuguese forward’s future intensified
- Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in back-to-back Saudi Pro League seasons
RIYADH: Al-Nassr are negotiating with Cristiano Ronaldo over a contract extension but face competition from a host of clubs eager to sign the five-times Ballon d’Or winner, the Saudi side’s sporting director Fernando Hierro said on Thursday.
Speculation over the 40-year-old Portuguese forward’s future intensified after Al-Nassr’s season-ending match at Al-Fateh on Monday, with Ronaldo posting on social media: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written.”
“Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr runs until June 30. We will work to renew his contract so he can continue with us, and there are many clubs interested in signing him,” Hierro told a news conference.
Despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify for the Club World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last week that discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the June 14-July 13 tournament in the United States.
FIFA has created a special transfer window for clubs to sign players for the event, and while Wydad Casablanca had been linked with a move for Ronaldo a source close to the Moroccan side said last week they were not in talks to sign him.
Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in back-to-back Saudi Pro League seasons and Hierro described him as a trailblazer for Saudi football.
“Ronaldo’s presence from the beginning is a national project,” Hierro said.
“Cristiano has opened up soccer in this country to the world. It’s phenomenal that he had the courage to come here, stay here, and open up the Saudi Arabian league to the world.”
Brunson, Towns keep Knicks alive in Pacers rout
- Trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks roar back to life
- Pacers coach Rick Carlisle blamed his team’s failure to threaten the Knicks on their sluggish start
NEW YORK: Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 56 points as the New York Knicks kept their NBA playoff campaign alive with a 111-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.
Trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks roared back to life in front of a star-studded Madison Square Garden crowd with a wire-to-wire win that sets up a Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday.
Knicks talisman Brunson was once again the standout performer for New York, finishing with 32 points including four three-pointers.
Towns, whose presence in the New York lineup was only confirmed shortly before tip-off following a left knee injury in Game 4, was also a pivotal figure with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
“We were just able to get stops early and we would convert. We just found a way,” Brunson told TNT television.
“I just felt like we played better. We played to our standards. Give them credit for the way they played, but we played Knicks basketball tonight.”
Towns said there was never any chance of him not lining up.
“It was do or die – nothing was going to stop me from playing this game,” Towns said.
Brunson set the tone from the get-go, rattling in 14 points as the Knicks sprinted into an early 23-13 lead in the first quarter.
Although Indiana came back to cut the lead to 27-23 at the end of the first, the Knicks continued to control possession, unsettling Indiana with the speed of their fast break offense and neutralizing Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.
New York led 56-45 at half time with Haliburton scoring just four points in the first half. Haliburton would go on to finish with a series-low eight points, shooting just two-of-seven from the field.
The Pacers had staged an epic comeback to take the opening game of the series in New York last week, overturning a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Knicks.
There was a hint that another fightback might be in the offing when Indiana slashed a 20-point New York lead to just 10 points in the third quarter.
But the Knicks regrouped and stretched their lead once more before closing out the win to keep the series alive.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle blamed his team’s failure to threaten the Knicks – it was the first time in the series Indiana had been restricted to less than 100 points – on their sluggish start.
“We didn’t play with the level of force that we needed to,” Carlisle said. “We lost the rebound battle, we lost the turnover battle and we didn’t shoot well.
“They had a lot to do with that, so give them credit, but we’re going to have to play much better.
“To start the game we didn’t have the right level of attitude necessary in this environment. It was a bad start. We never had a lead in the game. There were a multitude of things that were going wrong.
“There were little stretches where we got traction, but it was never enough.”
Sinner sends Gasquet into retirement, Djokovic marches on
- Zverev, Gauff make swift progress into third round
- Fatigued De Minaur crashes, Fonseca continues run
PARIS: French Open veteran Richard Gasquet’s career ended in defeat by Jannik Sinner while seasoned campaigner Novak Djokovic continued his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title by battling into the Roland Garros third round on Thursday.
Third seed Alexander Zverev, teenager Mirra Andreeva and American title contenders Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys all won on a windy afternoon but former champion Barbora Krejcikova and ninth seed Alex De Minaur crashed out.
Top seed Sinner brought the curtain down on Gasquet’s long professional journey, hammering the 38-year-old 6-3 6-0 6-4 for his second win over the local favorite in as many editions of Roland Garros and then led the tributes.
“We’re different generations, but it’s your moment. You played in such an incredible era of tennis and everyone will recognize you, even after retirement,” said Sinner, before a touching video tribute featuring Gasquet’s peers.
Gasquet’s compatriot Gael Monfils, also 38, lit up the evening session on Court Philippe Chatrier as he pushed fifth seeded Briton Jack Draper in a sensational match that had a partisan crowd screaming for more.
Draper eventually won 6-3 4-6 6-3 7-5 but had to battle back from 5-2 down in the fourth set to avoid a decider.
“My brain was fried out here. I’m not sure if I am going to go to sleep tonight because my brain is just all over the place with what he was doing out here,” Draper said of the man he described as a magician.
While Sinner and Gasquet showcased clean hitting in their match, third seed Alexander Zverev had to chase down dozens of drop shots from Dutchman Jesper de Jong before securing a 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-3 victory.
Surprise 2024 semifinalist Andreeva took apart the powerful Ashlyn Krueger 6-3 6-4 with her inventive approach and confirmed her caliber on the sport’s slowest surface after runs to the Madrid and Rome quarterfinals this season.
“This match wasn’t easy, I’d lost to her at the US Open,” Andreeva said, reflecting on her second-round defeat by Krueger in New York last August.
“She’s a powerful and aggressive player. I knew I had to play well ... I suffered and struggled with my serve, but I’m happy I found a way to stay calm.”
Pegula, Krueger’s frequent doubles partner this season and the third seed, had to battle against fellow American Ann Li but found her best level when it mattered to prevail 6-3 7-6(3).
Up next for the 2024 US Open runner-up is former Paris finalist Marketa Vondrousova, after the Czech sent 25th seed Magdalena Frech packing 6-0 4-6 6-3.
Gauff cruises
Gauff moved ahead by beating unseeded Czech Tereza Valentova 6-2 6-4 while fellow Grand Slam champion Keys overcame Briton Katie Boulter 6-1 6-3 but it was the end of the road for 2021 champion Krejcikova who fell 6-3 6-3 to Veronika Kudermetova.
Three-time French Open champion Djokovic had to work but the 38-year-old continued his quest for more history after his 100th title in Geneva last week as he beat Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-2 7-6(1).
The Serbian’s sixth victory in a row marked his longest winning streak since his run to the Paris Olympics gold at the same venue last year.
“Mentally you have to be concentrated throughout such a match. Corentin is very quick, he is a fighter, especially in the third set,” said Djokovic, who came close to losing the third set.
“He had set point. At that moment anything could happen but I stayed in the set. At the right time I found a good serve.”
Teen sensation Joao Fonseca beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6(4) 7-6(4) 6-4 in a clash where French and Brazilian fans competed for vocal superiority at a packed Court 14.
Up next for Fonseca is a mouth-watering clash with Draper.
Czech Jakub Mensik, who at 19 is a year older than Fonseca but equally talented as confirmed by his Miami triumph, failed to conjure up any magic and fell 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-3 against Henrique Rocha of Portugal.
Local crowds had reason to cheer despite Gasquet, Moutet and Herbert falling, however, as 14th seed Arthur Fils rallied for a 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 2-6 0-6 6-4 win over Spaniard Jaume Munar.
“In the fifth set, I thought about Gael Monfils, who has flipped millions of matches,” said Fils, referring to his 38-year-old compatriot who earned his 12th five-set win at the French Open on Tuesday.
Jiri Lehecka earlier took out Spanish 26th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-2 and Kazakh showman Alexander Bublik awoke from his
slumber to upset Australian ninth seed Alex De Minaur 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2.
De Minaur put down his own problems in the match down to fatigue amid a gruelling season and called for changes to the calendar to prevent players from burning out.
