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Tag: Portugal National Soccer Team

  • Cristiano Ronaldo makes big-money move to Saudi Arabian club

    Cristiano Ronaldo makes big-money move to Saudi Arabian club

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    LONDON — Cristiano Ronaldo completed a lucrative move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on Friday in a deal that is a landmark moment for Middle Eastern soccer but will see one of Europe’s biggest stars disappear from the sport’s elite stage.

    Al Nassr posted a picture on social media of the five-time Ballon d’Or holding up the team’s jersey after Ronaldo signed a deal until June 2025, with the club hailing the move as “history in the making.”

    “This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves,” the club wrote.

    It also gives the 37-year-old Ronaldo a massive payday in what could be the final contract of his career. Media reports have claimed the Portugal star could be earning up to $200 million a year from the deal, which would make him the highest-paid soccer player in history.

    Ronaldo said in a statement that he was “eager to experience a new league in a different country.”

    “I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia,” the forward added.

    While the signing is a massive boost for Middle Eastern soccer, it will also fuel the debate about Saudi Arabia using so-called “sportswashing” to boost the country’s image internationally. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund owns Premier League team Newcastle, and the country is considering a bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

    Ronaldo had been a free agent after his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners after having been repeatedly benched and even temporarily suspended by the club.

    He is also coming off a disappointing World Cup where he was benched in the knockout rounds and left the field in tears after Portugal lost in the quarterfinals to Morocco.

    And after a storied career that saw him win the Champions League with both United and Real Madrid, along with league and cup titles in England, Spain and Italy, he will now seemingly see out the last years of his career far away from the spotlight of top European soccer.

    While Saudi Arabia earned its biggest international soccer win ever at the World Cup in Qatar last month when it beat eventual champion Argentina in its first group-stage game, the domestic league has few other stars and is not watched by a major international audience.

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    More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • AP PHOTOS: Favorite photos from AP staff at the World Cup

    AP PHOTOS: Favorite photos from AP staff at the World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — A World Cup that ended with Lionel Messi finally holding the golden trophy in his hands produced some unforgettable images from the staff of Associated Press photographers at the tournament in Qatar.

    Through the 64 games over nearly a month of soccer, the AP deployed dozens of photographers to the eight stadiums in and around Doha.

    It ended at Lusail Stadium with Argentina beating France in a penalty shootout for the title, and a photo of Messi hoisted above the crowd with the World Cup trophy in his hand.

    It was one of a group of photos chosen by staff members as their favorite of the tournament.

    There were other memorable moments, and other star players. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, who may have played his last World Cup match with Portugal at the age of 37. Like Neymar, who overcame an ankle injury to return to the field but ultimately lost in the quarterfinals with Brazil. Like Luka Modric, who made it back to the semifinals with Croatia a year after reaching the final. And like Kylian Mbappe, who became only the second player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final despite France’s loss to Argentina.

    The tournament in Qatar has been criticized for years because of the country’s human rights record and it started with more controversy when FIFA threatened to penalize players who wanted to wear an unofficial captain’s armband to promote inclusion.

    Four-time champion Germany was one of those teams, and the players decided to take a team picture before their opening match with each holding his hand over his mouth to show they were being silenced.

    There were pictures off the field as well, like of the fans who make the World Cup so special. And even a cricket photo with migrant workers playing their favorite game on a rocky lot in the city with skyscrapers all around them.

    In the end, though, it was all about Messi and that World Cup trophy in his grateful hands.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • After World Cup success, Morocco has renewed aims to host

    After World Cup success, Morocco has renewed aims to host

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    DOHA, Qatar — The idea that Morocco could co-host the 2030 World Cup with near-neighbors Spain and Portugal seemed a bit crazy when it was floated four years ago.

    It doesn’t seem so crazy now.

    Morocco has gained status inside FIFA and credibility with fans by eliminating Spain and then Portugal in knockout games to be the first African team to advance to a World Cup semifinals.

    There are longer-term prospects for the national team with a solid foundation seemingly in place. There’s strong recruitment from the Moroccan diaspora in Europe, coupled with homegrown players nurtured at a world-class training center near Rabat.

    Though there is no proposal yet to create a first multicontinent World Cup hosting bid, the head of Morocco’s soccer federation still believes in the concept.

    “We wanted this organization to be shared between the African continent and the European continent,” Fouzi Lekjaa told The Associated Press in an interview at the team hotel this week.

    “In order to show the world that the relationship between Africa and Europe is not only the relationship of illegal immigration and the fight against it,” Lekjaa said. “Rather, it is a relationship in which civilizations can meet and cultures meet.”

    That Morocco and Spain are so geographically close — “We are only 14 kilometers (less than 10 miles) away” Lekjaa noted — is the core appeal of any joint bid as it was in 2018.

    So is the support of King Mohammed VI who immediately asked for a renewed World Cup bid when Morocco lost the 2026 tournament hosting vote to the heavily favored United States-Canada-Mexico plan. The latest in a streak of losing Morocco bids was a 134-65 vote by FIFA member federations in Moscow on the eve of the last World Cup.

    What has changed since 2018?

    Lekjaa, a government minister in charge of the state budget, now has more influence at FIFA as an African elected delegate on its ruling Council since joining last year. He is clearly in good graces with FIFA president Gianni Infantino given that holding a government job was once a barrier to candidates in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

    “Now we seek to be a key player in the international dimension within FIFA,” Lekjaa acknowledged.

    What seems possible in soccer politics also changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with continental championships postponed plus hosts and scheduled dates changed at short notice.

    European soccer body UEFA was flatly opposed in 2018 to jointly bidding with another continent.

    Still, Europe and Africa combine to have 109 of the 211 FIFA voting members and there was clear politics involved in Ukraine joining the Spain-Portugal bid in October.

    FIFA has yet to specify a timetable and bid rules toward an expected hosting decision in 2024 for the 2030 tournament.

    Infantino also had talks with political leaders that fueled speculation of an unlikely three-continent bid anchored by Saudi Arabia and also including Egypt and Greece. By comparison, uniting Spain, Portugal and Morocco looks more logical.

    The 100-year anniversary of the World Cup is in 2030, and the original 1930 host, Uruguay, is jointly bidding for it with Argentina, Chile and Paraguay. The South American soccer body CONMEBOL has just 10 votes at FIFA.

    Morocco is also building influence in African soccer and winning admirers globally for the $65 million Mohammed VI Football Center, which is a training base for players, coaches, referees and officials.

    “Morocco’s policy has made us an important partner for all African countries. We are present in partnerships in money and business, and also in sports,” Lekjaa said.

    Under his leadership since 2014, the Moroccan federation tried to professionalize management at its clubs, install more natural grass pitches and create regional youth training bases.

    Casablanca-based team Wydad, coached by Walid Regragui, benefited from this strategy, winning Africa’s Champions League in May.

    Regragui was installed as the coach of Morocco’s national team three months later, with Lekjaa emphasizing that the national team that beat Portugal on Saturday featured seven players from Moroccan clubs.

    “There is no reason for European teams to be better than us,” Lekjaa said. “They are now better than us because they work in professional ways, and this is what we seek.”

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Little known before World Cup, Ramos goals lift Portugal

    Little known before World Cup, Ramos goals lift Portugal

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    LUSAIL, Qatar — In his first start for Portugal’s national team, Gonçalo Ramos showed that he has the goods — and the goals — to stand in for Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Even at the World Cup.

    The 21-year-old forward scored a hat trick Tuesday after surprisingly being called on to start against Switzerland in place of Ronaldo, the men’s record holder for most international goals. Portugal won the match 6-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals for the third time.

    “Not even in my wildest dreams did I think about being part of the starting team for the knockout stage,” Ramos said through a translator after being named player of the match.

    Those three goals, and the smoking pistols goal celebration, instantly made Ramos one of the sport’s hottest prospects.

    Morocco, which will next play Portugal on Saturday for a spot in the semifinals, may not have known anything about Ramos before Tuesday. That has certainly changed.

    Ramos had never played for Portugal before being selected in the World Cup squad last month. He was given the No. 26 shirt in the 26-man squad and played for only a few minutes as a late substitute in Portugal’s group wins over Ghana and Uruguay. He had zero attempts on goal in those games.

    “Most people in the world had never heard about him until today,” Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes said.

    The first hint that Ronaldo’s place might be at risk came Monday. Portugal coach Fernando Santos vented his frustration with his long-time star’s body language after being replaced in a 2-1 loss to South Korea on Friday.

    Sure enough, 80 minutes before the start of the match at Lusail Stadium, Ronaldo’s name was missing from the starting lineup. Ramos was his replacement.

    The final result made Santos look more like a mad genius than a madman.

    Ramos scored early, giving his team the lead in the 17th minute. Passes then started flowing, attacks came in waves and consumed the Swiss opposition, leaving them seemingly unable to track the speed and mobility of playmakers like Fernandes, João Félix and Bernardo Silva.

    Ramos was at the center of it all.

    “Gonçalo is more dynamic,” Santos said through a translator. “Cristiano currently is a player who is more fixed and plays in a more determined area.”

    Ramos linked easily with a group of teammates he has barely played with, ghosting in at the near post to poke the ball in from close range for his second goal, and the team’s third, soon after halftime.

    He created the fourth goal with a pass to Raphael Guerreiro and then completed his hat trick with a deft flick over onrushing Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer in the 67th minute.

    Seven minutes later, Ronaldo came off the bench and replaced Ramos on the field.

    They next met in the center circle after the final whistle, the established star hugging his potential successor. Ramos was holding the match ball, the usual gift for a player who scores three goals.

    The first hat trick at this year’s World Cup was only the fifth in the past three tournaments. One of those came from Ronaldo four years ago, when he was 33, in a 3-3 group-stage draw with Spain.

    When Ramos returns to play for Benfica in the Portuguese league, he will no longer be under anybody’s radar.

    Yet clues were there when the young forward stepped up a level this season to replace Darwin Núñez, now at Liverpool after another big-money sale by the Lisbon club. Led by goals from Ramos, Benfica is unbeaten both in Portugal and in the Champions League.

    “It’s because people are not aware of the quality in the Portuguese league,” Fernandes said. “I think people should be aware of Gonçalo and his qualities.”

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • World Cup hopes for South Korea rest on Son Heung-min

    World Cup hopes for South Korea rest on Son Heung-min

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    SEOUL, South Korea — Few players carry an entire nation’s hopes like Son Heung-min.

    South Korea will be counting on the Tottenham forward’s two-footed shooting ability and his scoring touch at this year’s World Cup.

    The 30-year-old forward started the Premier League season without a scoring a goal in eight games, but he seems to have regained his touch just in time for the tournament in Qatar.

    The current group of players is arguably the best South Korea has ever assembled. Son is supported by several players in their 20s and early 30s getting regular minutes in European soccer.

    Still, the South Koreans will head to Qatar as underdogs in a tough Group H with Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana.

    South Korea coach Paulo Bento’s critics say he has a rigid style of play that’s over-reliant on Son and struggles at times to maximize his skill set. The defense has also been less than stout.

    ASIAN POWERHOUSE

    Qatar marks South Korea’s 11th appearance at the World Cup and its 10th straight. The country has reached the knockout rounds only twice — making the semifinals at home in 2002, and the last 16 in the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

    South Korea breezed through Asian qualifying but has looked underwhelming in recent friendlies, including a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica and a laborious 1-0 win over Cameroon in September.

    Some have criticized the South Korean soccer association for failing to book warm-up matches with stronger opponents and deciding to host all the team’s friendlies since June at home.

    South Korea’s run at the 2018 World Cup ended in the group stage. Son’s late goal capped off a 2-0 victory over Germany in the team’s final group match to eliminate the defending champions, but the South Koreans still failed to advance.

    “We will clearly be an underdog, but I hope we can create a real surprise for the stronger teams,” said Son, who will be playing at his third World Cup.

    BUILDING AROUND SON

    Son shared the Premier League scoring lead last season, but he has often struggled to be as loose and dangerous as he is with Tottenham when he’s playing for his country.

    Since taking over South Korea in 2018, Bento has experimented with various attack partners to fit with Son and now appears to have settled with a committee approach.

    Hwang Ui-jo, a forward for Greek club Olympiakos, adds another natural scorer to the lineup. But Hwang doesn’t create space for Son like Jeonbuk Hyundai’s Cho Gue-sung can with his ability to win balls in the air and stretch defenders.

    If Bento opts to sit deep and dial up defensive pressure against Uruguay or Portugal, he may pair Son with Freiburg forward Jeong Woo-yeong, who has the speed to chase balls and make plays across the field.

    Wolverhampton’s Hwang Hee-chan and Mainz’s Lee Jae-sung are likely to start as wingers, while Olympiakos’ Hwang In-beom pulls the strings from the midfield.

    TOUGH ROAD

    Bento wants his fullbacks to aggressively push forward and provide width to the attack. But the space they leave behind has also created defensive problems that South Korea has struggled to fix.

    Jung Woo-young, a veteran of Qatari club Al Saad, has often looked taxed in his role as the lone defensive midfielder shielding the backline. The team has shown a tendency to gradually concede space as the game progresses and easily allow goals in transition.

    Bento at least has a solid center back pairing. Kim Min-jae, who has looked impressive in his first season with Napoli, brings a rare combination of size, strength and speed. His partner, Kim Young-gwon, is one of the most experienced players on the team.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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