Cristiano Ronaldo injury scare! Al-Nassr boss offers update after seeing CR7 leave AFC Champions League fixture with concerning neck issue

Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to see out the full 90 minutes for Al-Nassr in their latest AFC Champions League game, with a neck issue forcing him off.

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Portuguese superstar picked up a knockHad to be replaced late onCoach hoping he will be fit to face Al-HilalWHAT HAPPENED?

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner did enough during his time on the pitch to ensure that his Saudi Arabian club made their way into the next round of continental competition. A 0-0 draw with Persepolis has seen them progress as winners of Group E.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT CASTRO SAID ABOUT RONALDO

The sight of Ronaldo having to be replaced in the 78th minute has caused some concern amid Al-Nassr supporters, and the Portuguese’s global fan base, but head coach Luis Castro remains hopeful that the legendary 38-year-old will be ready for the club’s next game. He told reporters when delivering a fitness update: “The medical team is studying the injury and will do everything to make sure he is ready for the next game.”

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Ronaldo won more plaudits during his time on the field against Persepolis, with the all-time great advising the match referee to reverse a decision at one stage that had seen him awarded a penalty. CR7 made the officials aware that he had not been fouled and that no spot-kick should be lined up.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO & AL-NASSR?

Al-Nassr will be back in Saudi Pro League action against table-topping Al-Hilal on Friday, with Ronaldo – who has hit 24 goals through 25 appearances in all competitions this season – hoping that he will be ready to figure prominently in that title-chasing encounter.

Miedema, Kerr and the Women's Super League team of the season

The league's two top goal-scorers feature in Goal's best XI for the 2020-21 campaign, which saw Chelsea retain their title

Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal dominate Goal's Women's Super League team of the season after once again locking out the top three spots in the league, all clinching Women's Champions League football for next season as a result.

The Blues clinched the title for a second successive year, their fourth title overall, while City came second for the fifth time in six years – the only exception being the 2016 season, when they won the division.

Manchester United, who topped the table at Christmas but just missed out on the European spots in the end, are the only other club represented in this XI, telling of the 15-point gap between the top four and the rest of the league.

GettyGK | Ellie Roebuck

Only Ann-Katrin Berger kept more clean sheets this campaign than Man City's Ellie Roebuck, the 21-year-old having another excellent year after also making Goal's 2019-20 team of the season.

That Golden Glove award would have likely been shared too, had Roebuck not missed the final day of the season through injury.

She has a strong defence in front of her to help, but a save percentage of 68% – the fourth highest of any goalkeeper playing more than 10 WSL games – shows the England international more than plays her part, too.

“The sky's the limit for Ellie," head coach Gareth Taylor said earlier this season. “She’s a great girl to work with, really mature for her age, enjoys the challenge and gets the bit between her teeth."

AdvertisementGettyRB | Ona Batlle

After signing from Levante in the summer, Ona Batlle has quickly endeared herself to Manchester United fans this season with performances that typify the modern day full-back.

As well as being an excellent attacking threat, playing at times in an inverted full-back role that sees her really get at teams in the final third, the Spaniard has shown just what a brilliant one-v-one defender she can be.

Despite playing for a team that are one of the strongest in the league, she is among the top five when it comes to tackles won this year. At 21 years old, she will only get better, too.

GettyCB | Magdalena Eriksson

To understand how good Magdalena Eriksson is, and how important she is to her team, one only has to look at how Chelsea have performed without her this season.

The Blues' captain is the leader of this title-winning side and whole team looks more assured when she is on the pitch, such is her status as one of the best centre-backs in Europe and, arguably, the best in the WSL.

That Emma Hayes touted her as a future Chelsea manager earlier this season tells you everything you need to know about her character and footballing intelligence.

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GettyCB | Alex Greenwood

When Alex Greenwood returned to the WSL in the summer, most expected her to renew a competition for places that she is familiar with when playing for England, battling with Demi Stokes for the starting left-back spot at City.

As the season transpired, Greenwood instead spent most of it as a centre-back – and she has thrived, having the best individual season of her career to date.

Her composure in possession has been essential for the way City play, while her set-piece deliveries have been problematic for every team in the league. Arsenal's Katie McCabe was the only defender to create more chances all season.

Erik ten Hag reveals friends warned him not to take Man Utd job but admits he ‘wanted the challenge’ after Sir Alex Ferguson inspiration

Erik ten Hag says many people told him not to accept the "impossible" job of succeeding at Manchester United, but he felt he was up to the challenge.

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Ten Hag was urged not to take Man Utd jobWas told succeeding at Old Trafford is impossibleDutch coach wanted to take on the challengeWHAT HAPPENED?

No United manager has managed consistent success since legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013. The current incumbent has found himself under pressure despite positive signs in his first season in charge, and Ten Hag revealed that he was warned against accepting the role at Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TEN HAG SAID

Ten Hag revealed his admiration for Ferguson's treble winning team of 1999 as he outlined why he took the job, telling independent fanzine (via ): "I loved the teams of Sir Alex, that [Champions League final] win in Barcelona. It was inspiring. A big, successful club was constructed, which then dropped in the last 10 years.

"Everyone was telling me: ‘You can’t succeed in that job’. They said it was impossible. Me? I wanted the challenge. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was such a great club with such a great fanbase. People love Man United — or they are against Man United. I like clubs like this. Ajax was like this. This job is the most difficult to do, but I want the challenge."

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After guiding the Red Devils back to the Champions League with a third-place finish in the Premier League last season, Ten Hag has endured a more rocky campaign so far in 2023-24. The Dutch coach has been on the end of heavy criticism as his side sit sixth in the league table and are in danger of crashing out of the Champions League if they fail to beat Bayern Munich in their final game of the group stage next week.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

After beating Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford on Wednesday thanks to two goals from midfielder Scott McTominay, Ten Hag's team are looking to claim another three points on Saturday when they host Bournemouth.

'Bring him in' – Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag explains shock decision to bring veteran defender Jonny Evans back to Old Trafford

Erik ten Hag has explained the thinking behind Manchester United making the shock decision to re-sign veteran defender Jonny Evans.

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Centre-half started out with the Red DevilsRe-signed on a one-year contractProving his worth again at Old TraffordWHAT HAPPENED?

The Northern Ireland international centre-half is a product of the Red Devils’ famed academy system and took in 198 appearances for the club – winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League – before leaving for West Brom in 2015.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Evans’ career has now gone full circle, with the 35-year-old initially returning to Old Trafford over the summer to train with the Red Devils’ Under-23 squad on the back of becoming a free agent. Having severed ties with Leicester following their relegation in 2022-23, Evans wanted to keep fit while searching for a new club. He eventually impressed Ten Hag enough to earn a one-year contract in Manchester.

WHAT THEY SAID

Ten Hag has said of that call, which allowed United to add more experience to their defensive department: “When he was in the summer, I heard he was in. He was to train with the U23, I said ‘Fletch, come bring him in with the first team, maybe he can help us’. I already saw in the pre-season the schedule, the problems in the numbers in the squad and then, yeah, we decided to sign him because I think he can be really contributing in the squad and you have seen how massively important he can be.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Evans has made two appearances for United since rejoining their ranks, and delivered an impressive assist during his latest outing as a pinpoint pass clipped over the top of the Burnley backline allowed Bruno Fernandes to score a match-winning volley at Turf Moor – earning the Red Devils their third Premier League victory of the season.

Qualification no easy task for Zimbabwe

Underachievers in major global tournaments, Zimbabwe will need to overcome injuries and a host of changes in order to make their bid for the main draw

Firdose Moonda07-Mar-2016Big pictureZimbabwe, as Full Members of the ICC, feel they should be part of major global tournaments. Their performances, though, do not always allow them that privilege.Ranked 12th in ODIs, Zimbabwe have no chance of playing the 2017 Champions Trophy and perhaps not even the 2019 World Cup, which will feature only 10 teams. They are ranked even lower in T20Is, in 13th position, which is why they have to qualify for this event.Ahead of them are Afghanistan, Scotland and Hong Kong, and Zimbabwe will possibly have to beat two of them to make it to the main draw. Still, the ask for Zimbabwe is tough and though they may not want to admit it, they will have to punch above their weight just to earn the right to play with the big boys.That’s not to say Zimbabwe have not been preparing. They have spent time in the UAE, warming up against the likes of West Indies and Ireland. Most of their players have just come off a long run of T20 cricket in the domestic tournament at home and some have been playing in competitions like the PSL. Zimbabwe have done their homework, now it’s about passing the test.They already faced the first hurdle when three members of their initial squad were ruled out with injury at the training camp in the UAE. Newly-appointed vice-captain Graeme Cremer, Neville Madziva and Luke Jongwe were all sent home while Donald Tiripano, Chamu Chibhabha and Tawanda Mupariwa were added to the squad. Those changes will not only affect the balance of the XI, but could also impact the morale of the side. Despite these setbacks, their focus needs to be on staying positive because too often, they have been tripped up by their own minds. Dav Whatmore is well aware of that and his gentle, caring approach could be what Zimbabwe need to overcome years of under-performance in this format.Zimbabwe’s T20 record is dismal. They have won just 10 of 48 matches and only three at a World T20, two of those were in the qualifying round. If ever there was a time to change that and prove they belong, it’s now.At the helmLittle more than a month ago, Zimbabwe’s opening batsman Hamilton Masakadza was appointed captain in all three formats. In a set-up where the leadership has often seemed a revolving door, it was the first time Masakadza had been given the job permanently, after 12 appearances as a stand-in captain. His promotion came just a few months after he was dropped from the national squad, which may be why it took him by surprise. “I have been waiting my turn for such a long time. I never thought it was going to come. I thought it had evaded me,” he said at the time.Masakadza’s calm demeanor and dedication to his craft will make him an excellent off-field leader. His form will make a him a sterling on-field captain. He gives Zimbabwe certainty at the top of the innings and his new quick-scoring style could set them up for strong totals.Key stat318 runs at 63.60.That’s Hamilton Masakadza’s T20 record in 2016. A week before the World T20, Masakadza led this year’s run charts despite playing fewer matches than his four closest competitors. He was surpassed by Rohit Sharma, who has played 11 matches and Virat Kohli, who has played eight, after the Asia Cup but that will not take away from what seems to be a timely maturing of Masakadza.With Graeme Cremer missing, Sean Williams’ ability with the ball could come to the fore•AFP/Getty ImagesLeading menWith the captaincy duties no longer weighing Elton Chigumbura down, there is no better time for him to prove his potential. As Zimbabwe’s premier allrounder, Chigumbura will be key to his team’s success. Although he is lurching through a lean patch – Chigumbura has not been able to get to double figures in his last six T20Is, which include three ducks – Zimbabwe’s selectors, justifiably, have showed faith in his ability to come good under pressure. Chigumbura scored a match-winning half-century in the last World T20, against UAE, and his desperation to prove himself may pay off.Graeme Cremer would have been Zimbabwe’s main spinner but his injury-enforced absence means the responsibility has been given to Sean Williams. The left-arm spinner is not as attacking as Cremer, but has proven himself as a shrewd operator, with a stifling economy. Williams is also a nuggety middle-order batsman whose big-match temperament and love of a scrap is crucial to keeping Zimbabwe competitive.Makhaya Ntini, South Africa’s effervescent former bowler, who was appointed Zimbabwe’s bowling coach, has already been an inspiration by example. Part of Ntini’s charm is his self-belief and his dedication to fitness. Ntini has been running the Zimbabwe players ragged and some reports even suggest he has caused Tinashe Panyangara to drop a few kilograms. But beyond the exercise regimen, Ntini is there for technical advice and he would no doubt offer much to the likes of Panyangara, Tendai Chatara and Tawanda Mupariwa.Burning questionHow will Zimbabwe handle spin?Perhaps it’s the placid pitches in their own country that have made Zimbabwe so susceptible to anything with a bit of bite, but they will have to be prepared to deal with plenty of turn in India. Although the surfaces used for T20 cricket are not the raging turners of Tests, they will still challenge a team that has not travelled to India since the 2011 World Cup. Not only will Zimbabwe have to come to terms with how to play spin when batting, but also how to use it with the ball. At least, they can take heart from their drawn series in Bangladesh earlier this year and their reasonably good efforts in the UAE during the warm-ups.World T20 historyZimbabwe pulled off an epic victory against Australia in the 2007 World T20 but have failed to build on that achievement. In three tournaments since then – Zimbabwe pulled out of the 2009 edition which was hosted in England – they have not beaten a Full Member. They exited the 2010 and 2012 events without any success in the group stage and in 2014, did not even make it to the main draw. They were victorious over Netherlands and United Arab Emirates but it was not enough to see them through.In their own words”[Makhaya Ntini] brings a lot of energy and a lot of goodwill and good spirits, apart from his coaching. He’s one of those guys who likes to do whatever he asks of the guys, he likes to do it with them, so he’s also leading by example quite a bit.”

'You're a bunch of f*cking fatty f*cking footballers' – Paul Mullin reveals infamous 'Welcome to Wrexham' scene involving manager Phil Parkinson was secretly edited

Another revelation has emerged from Paul Mullin's autobiography, as the Wrexham striker has shone light on one of Phil Parkinson's most famed rants.

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Mullin's autobiography discuss Parkinson rantsSays boss has "a switch on him"Reveals secret Welcome To Wrexham editWHAT HAPPENED?

The publication of Mullin's autobiography 'My Wrexham Story' has revealed some fascinating stories behind the rise of North Wales' biggest club, from his doubts about joining to his experiences of promotion. He's also given a clearer picture of Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson, famed for his explosive, expletive-packed dressing room rants. However, according to Mullin, these moments, captured on film for 'Welcome To Wrexham', aren't always what they seem like from the outside.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MULLIN SAID

"The gaffer, like all bosses, has a switch on him," wrote Mullin. "There’s a famed scene in Welcome to Wrexham where, at half-time in a game where we’ve not been at the races, he exasperatedly comes out with the unique ‘You’re like a bunch of f*cking fatty f*cking footballers.’ Or at least that’s what he appears to say. I’ll let you into a secret: his actual words were changed on the voiceover. Sadly, I can’t reveal here what his real words were. If you see me at the ground, I might tell you, but only in the strictest confidence! In brief, he was telling us we needed to be a bit more aggressive if we were going to win the game. There are times when, being on the inside, you watch Welcome to Wrexham and can hardly help pissing yourself laughing – and that’s one of them. In reality, it’s very rare for the gaffer to lose his rag. When he's got something to say, he says it in a calm way. That's Phil's way, and as a group we listen and understand."

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According to Mullin, Parkinson's strategy is a broader reflection of modern coaching methods. "Fewer managers scream and shout than you might think," he wrote. "What's the point of blowing up, saying everything's shit? What a manager should be doing is telling his players what to do to make things better."

Whatever the 55-year-old is doing, it seems to be working. Having won the National League with a remarkable 111 points last season, Wrexham are on the hunt for another successive promotion this campaign. They're currently 2nd in League Two and in line for an automatic promotion to the third tier, if they keep their current form up.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN?

Mullin's new book comes out at a crucial stage in his career, when the talismanic striker is aiming to pull the Red Dragons up to League 1 for the first time since 2005. So far this season, he's contributed 7 league goals and 3 assists, a tally he'll be hoping to build on significantly. But before he does so, Mullin and his teammates face an FA Cup second round clash with National League South side Yeovil Town this weekend.

Buy your copy of Paul Mullin's brilliant new autobiography My Wrexham Story on Amazon.

Warner, Dhawan set up breezy Sunrisers chase

Half-centuries from David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan laid the platform for Sunrisers Hyderabad to cruise to a target of 167 and pick up their first win of the season

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Apr-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:25

Agarkar: No standout bowler in RCB attack

Half-centuries from David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan laid the platform for Sunrisers Hyderabad to cruise to a target of 167 and pick up their first win of the season. They were aided by a dewy outfield, but Royal Challengers Bangalore would have known their total was never going to be good enough to test Sunrisers on a flat Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch.Having been sent in, Royal Challengers were 93 for 2 in the 12th over of their innings, with Virat Kohli batting on 41, when two wickets in two balls from Ravi Bopara precipitated a slide that saw them lose their last eight wickets for 73 runs.Royal Challengers were always going to struggle to defend 166, and a poor start from their seamers only made their task harder. The first ball of Sunrisers’ chase encapsulated the story that was about to unfold. Sean Abbott sent down a full-toss, and Warner simply met it with the full face of his bat to send it screaming away to the extra-cover boundary. By the end of the second over, Warner and Shikhar Dhawan had hit five more fours and a six, against Abbott and Harshal Patel’s assortment of hit-me balls, and Sunrisers had shaved 36 runs off their target.Warner was in a particularly punishing mood, and in the fifth over took two fours and a six off successive balls from Varun Aaron. The six was the shot of a man in the zone. Aaron saw Warner making room and dug it in short, getting the ball to rise over shoulder height, but Warner still managed to jump off the ground and uppercut the ball over the backward point boundary.Royal Challengers introduced spin in the eighth over, which began with Sunrisers 73 for 0. Warner muscled a short ball from Yuzvendra Chahal over the leg-side ropes, but the legspinner had his revenge three balls later, when he trapped Warner lbw as he failed to connect with a sweep.Williamson missed another sweep in Chahal’s next over and ended up dragging his back foot out of the crease. The twin strikes could have stalled some of Sunrisers’ momentum, but KL Rahul ensured that didn’t happen. He pulled Sammy for an authoritative four soon after walking in, and stepped out to Chahal and hit him fiercely to the straight boundary in the next over. By that point, Sunrisers had brought the equation down to 57 from 52 balls. With eight wickets in hand, Dhawan well set, and plenty of dew for the bowlers to contend with, there was only going to be one winner.Dhawan, who had been content to ride in both Warner and Rahul’s slipstreams, accelerated as he approached his fifty, hitting two massive sixes off Abu Nechim, a pull and a pick-up shot over backward square leg. Royal Challengers weren’t just beaten comfortably, with 16 balls remaining, they also suffered the anxiety of watching AB de Villiers hobble off the field with a twisted ankle, suffered while trying to stop a ball with his feet.Interviewed between innings, Ravi Bopara said the Sunrisers bowlers had struggled to grip the dew-soaked ball too. If so, they did a pretty good job to cope with it. They couldn’t control every ball, and gave away their share of boundaries to AB de Villiers and Sean Abbott, but bowled a lot of good balls towards the end of the Royal Challengers innings, usually targeting the base of the stumps. They took three wickets with yorkers in the last five overs, one from Ashish Reddy in the 16th over and two from Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 20th.In between, Trent Boult took out de Villiers, who sliced a wide one straight into sweeper cover’s hands, and removed Abott and Harshal Patel in the same over, with well-directed short balls. In all, Royal Challengers lost their last six wickets for 41 runs, and their last five in the space of ten balls.The total of 166 was far less than what Royal Challengers seemed set for during a breezy first-wicket partnership between Chris Gayle and Kohli. With the ball coming on beautifully and the outfield lightning-quick, both batsmen were able to find the boundary by simply pushing the ball into gaps.Gayle fell in the sixth over, flicking Praveen Kumar straight to deep square leg, but Kohli was still batting fluently at the other end, and a spilled return catch from Karn Sharma in the ninth over may have raised Sunrisers’ worries of having to chase an outlandish target.But that wasn’t to happen. Karn got rid of Dinesh Karthik, who picked the wrong ball to try and slog-sweep, and Bopara rattled Kohli’s off stump when he tried to force him away through the off side. Next ball, Mandeep Singh looked to flick a legcutter and got a leading edge to off. There didn’t seem to be anyone in its way, until Warner flew to his right from short cover to pluck it one-handed. It wouldn’t be his last eye-catching contribution of the day.

Neymar, Kaka and the top 10 Brazilian scorers in Champions League history

Neymar is only one goal away from becoming the most prolific Brazilian scorer outright in Champions League history as he is currently tied at the top

Mike Hewitt10Willian – 17 goals, 64 appearances

Chelsea star Willian has been amassing Champions League goals for the last decade. His first arrived in his second season playing in the competition for Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, a strike in a 5-0 thrashing of Basel at home, with 16 goals following since then.

Curiously, in the season he saw the most European football at this level, the 2013-14 campaign with Chelsea and his first at Stamford Bridge, he failed to score a single goal. Indeed, it took him until his 16th outing with the Blues to net, but since opening his account against Schalke he has barely stopped.

The 2015-16 season was his most successful on a personal basis, as he scored five in eight outings.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Hulk – 17 goals, 50 appearances

Now playing for Shanghai SIPG, Brazil international forward Hulk spent the best years of his career as one of Europe’s most enigmatic strikers in spells with Porto and Zenit St Petersburg, during which time he amassed 17 Champions League goals.

Noted for his sheer physical strength, the 32-year-old waited 13 games to break his duck in the competition but was thereafter a steady scorer, reaching the respectable mark of four goals on three occasions, including his last season in Europe, when he matched that number of strikes with assists.

Indeed, he marked what will likely prove to be his final UEFA Champions League match with a goal, netting against Benfica with what was ultimately a consolation in a last-16 second-leg defeat.

Getty Images8Juninho – 18 goals, 59 appearances

During Lyon’s dominance of French football in the early part of the millennium, Juninho was one of the stars of the world game.

His long-range shooting was a quality that particularly caught the eye, and he can lay claim to being one of the greatest free-kick takers ever, having been one of the pioneers of the ‘knuckleball’ style of effort regularly seen taken today.

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Getty7Ronaldinho – 18 goals, 47 appearances

Before Ronaldinho arrived at Barcelona, the Catalan club had gone 14 years without winning the Champions League, yet he more than anyone allowed them to break that duck and to set the scene for the great teams of the Pep Guardiola years.

The Brazilian, who also played in the competition for AC Milan, is known for his outrageous moments of individual skill, such as the flip-flap, which tied many defenders in knots all over the continent, but he also boasted a pretty strong scoring record. 

An outrageous toe poke against Chelsea will go down as one of his most memorable Champions League goals.

‘Cristiano Ronaldo is LeBron James, Lionel Messi is Steph Curry’ – Comparisons between football icons and NBA superstars explained by ex-Barcelona loanee Kevin-Prince Boateng

Kevin-Prince Boateng has compared football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi with NBA icons LeBron James and Steph Curry.

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Argentine icon has a special giftPortuguese forward all about hard workBasketball legends boast similar traitsWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Barcelona loanee once played alongside seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi at Camp Nou, while he has crossed paths with Portuguese legend Ronaldo down the years. Boateng is well placed to pass judgement on the all-time greats, with the ex-Ghana international explaining why a couple of eternal rivals from the world of football can be likened to talismanic figures in the NBA ranks that also have plenty of major honours to their name.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THEY SAID

Boateng has told Rio Ferdinand’s : “I always compare LeBron James with Ronaldo, and Steph Curry with Messi. These [Ronaldo and James] both have their talent, LeBron James is hard work. Talent, of course, but hard work – like Ronaldo, hard work to be the best. Both these guys [Messi and Curry], they have just a gift.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Boateng has also told a story which highlights how Messi is able to turn his special ‘gift’ on and off at the flick of a switch, with one memorable performance against Liverpool in the Champions League from back in 2018-19 springing to mind. Boateng said: “Liverpool first leg, we won 3-0, when Messi scored this free-kick. Unbelievable. So we’re coming into the dressing room, he’s just sitting there with his phone. Whatever, gets a massage sitting down. Two minutes before we go out he just stands up, closes his boots, we go out. Warm-up, just long balls, control, dribbling a little bit, crossbar challenge… at the warm-up Champions League against Liverpool. He goes back inside. Coach makes the last adjustments talking, Messi’s on the phone… The coach was talking, saying ‘now you have to go left, you have to go right’. Messi was FaceTiming: ‘Yes, Si, Claro’. Thirty seconds before we go out, he just comes down, puts his jacket on, goes out, boom. Go, go, go, go. Like this.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Messi is now strutting his stuff in MLS with Inter Miami – with the Argentine currently nursing an unfortunate injury – while Ronaldo is showing no sign of slowing down at Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr despite being 38 years of age.

USMNT star Yunus Musah 'back on track' – but not for long! AC Milan midfielder set to sit out Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund

Yunus Musah is pleased to be “back on track” at AC Milan, after returning them to winning ways, but he is about to step aside in the Champions League.

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Rossoneri returned to winning waysWelcome success in Serie AEuropean action up nextWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international continues to make an impressive contribution at San Siro during his debut campaign in Italian football. The versatile 20-year-old has settled quickly in new surroundings following his summer transfer from Valencia.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Musah was given another 84 minutes of Serie A action in Milan’s latest outing, and he helped them to a welcome 1-0 victory over Fiorentina. Theo Hernandez scored the only goal from the penalty spot, but USMNT stars Musah and Christian Pulisic played their part in the collection of three hard-earned points.

WHAT MUSAH SAID

Milan had gone four games without success in the Italian top flight, but are now up to third in the table and hoping to build momentum again after an unfortunate dip that led to uncomfortable questions being asked of title-winning coach Stefano Pioli. Musah has defiantly said on social media: “Back on track.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR MUSAH & AC MILAN?

Musah is, however, about to get off that track as he will not figure in Milan’s next fixture. The Rossoneri are due to play host to Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday. Musah will be forced to sit that game out as he must serve a ban for collecting three yellow cards in European competition this season.

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