Cristiano Ronaldo – Sports Africa

Ronaldo makes history as Juventus win ninth Supercoppa

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ROME, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) — Cristiano Ronaldo became the top goalscorer in football history as his Juventus side won the Italian Super Cup (Supercoppa) for the ninth time, beating Napoli 2-0 at Mapei Stadium on Wednesday.

Victory for the Bianconeri came despite a shaky performance in Serie A, with the defending champions currently ranking only fifth in the 2020-21 table.

The Supercoppa is a traditional clash between the previous season’s Serie A and Coppa Italia winners.

Juventus was missing Paulo Dybala, Matthijs de Ligt and Alex Sandro, but Juan Cuadrado returned to the starting line-up after recovering from Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Napoli had to do without Victor Osimhen and Fabian Ruiz.

Juve dominated possession in the first half, but Napoli had the best chance in the 29th minute when Diego Demme rolled across from the left and Hirving Lozano’s diving header forced a stunning save from Wojciech Szczesny.

Federico Chiesa picked up an injury, making way for Federico Bernardeschi who almost found the net right after the interval. Juve started to lay siege to Napoli’s goal as time wore on, and it paid off in the 64th minute when a corner bounced off Tiemoue Bakayoko and bobbled kindly for Ronaldo to sweep in from point-blank range.

It was Portuguese’s 760th career goal for club and country, making him the top goalscorer of all-time, surpassing the record of 759 set by Josef Bican.

Lorenzo Insigne should have scored an equalizer and his 100th goal for Napoli, but the captain missed a penalty earned by Dries Mertens in the 80th minute.

Juve punished Napoli deep into stoppage time, as after a textbook counter, Cuadrado surged forward and squared for Alvaro Morata to seal the win.

The Supercoppa is Juve’s first title in the current 2020-21 season, and also Andrea Pirlo’s maiden trophy as a head coach.

Messi, Ronaldo grateful for Ballon d’Or Dream Team spot

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BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) — Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo said Monday they felt honored to be named in the greatest team of all time by France Football.

Having cancelled its annual Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best footballer because of the coronavirus pandemic, the weekly magazine instead announced its best XI in history, as voted by journalists from 170 countries and regions.

“For me it is an honor to have been included in the eleven of the Ballon d’Or Dream Team,” Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or a record six times, said in an Instagram post. “I want to thank you for choosing me and also congratulate all the players who were selected … and all the nominees, there are real phenomena on that list.”

As expected, the esteemed line-up included Brazil’s three-time World Cup winner Pele and legendary Argentinian Diego Maradona, who died last month of a heart-attack.

The team also included goalkeeper Lev Yashin; defenders Cafu, Franz Beckenbauer and Paolo Maldini; and midfielders Xavi and Lothar Matthaus. Ronaldo, a two-time World Cup winner and dual Ballon d’Or recipient, expressed pride at being named in the No. 9 position.

“It’s such an honor to be elected the best centre forward of all time in the Dream Team by France Football,” Ronaldo said on Instagram. “I gave my life for football and followed my dreams. No matter the obstacle I faced and the pain I had to overcome I was always focused to get where I wanted.”

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the Ballon d’Or five times, said: “I’m very honoured to be part of France Football’s all-time 11. What an amazing Dream Team. They all deserve my respect and admiration and I’m obviously proud to be amongst such extraordinary players. Thank you!”

Ronaldo returns to Juventus on special medical flight

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ROME, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) — Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who tested positive for Covid-19 while leading Portugal in the Uefa Nations League, travelled from Portugal to Italy on Wednesday on a special medical flight.

Ronaldo, who is under contract with Juventus for 31 million euros (36.6 million U.S. dollars) per year, will continue his coronavirus quarantine under the care of Juventus physicians.The Portugal skipper first tested positive for the virus on Monday, but his status was not revealed until the result of Tuesday’s second test was available.

Italian media reported that within hours of the second test, Juventus began arranging a special flight for him to return to Italy.

“Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Italy with a medical flight authorized by the competent health authorities at the request of the player and will continue his fiduciary isolation at his home,” Juventus said in a statement.

The team said Ronaldo was asymptomatic and in good health, despite the positive test. Italian media speculated that Ronaldo may have been infected by two members of the Portuguese national team who tested positive on Monday.

Portugal beat Sweden 3-0 on Wednesday night in Lisbon without the three infected players.

Juve doctors will oversee Ronaldo’s recovery, along with that of teammate Weston McKennie, a member of the United States’ national team. Juventus revealed Wednesday that McKennie had also tested positive for Covid-19.

Juventus, who will play its next game on Saturday against winless Crotone, is currently in a three-way tie for third place just three games into the Serie A season, with two wins and one loss.

Ronaldo surpasses 100 international goals

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LONDON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) — Cristiano Ronaldo made history in Portugal’s 2-0 win over Sweden, as the legendary footballer became the first European to reach 100 international goals with the first of his two goals in the Uefa Nations League on Tuesday.

The reigning champions visited Sweden with their captain Ronaldo back in the squad after the 35-year-old Juventus forward missed their opening Nations League match due to a toe problem three days earlier.

The veteran opened the score by firing a freekick before the break, then added a second by curling home from the edge of the penalty area in the 73rd minute.

“I managed to beat this milestone of 100 goals and now for the record (109),” said Ronaldo, who is only outscored by Iran’s Ali Daei with 109 international goals.

“It’s step-by-step. I am not obsessed because I believe the records come in a natural way.” It’s the second straight victory for Portugal, as they defeated Croatia 4-1 at home last Saturday. They will visit France in October in their third match in Group 3.

In Paris, France came from behind to repeat their triumph in the final of the 2018 World Cup, beating Croatia 4-2, despite the absence of striker Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe, scoring the only goal in France’s victory over Sweden on Saturday, tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday and was separated from Didier Deschamps’ squad right after receiving the result.

Dejan Lovren scored first for the visitors in the 18th minute, but Antoine Griezmann’s close-range effort and Dominik Livakovic’s own goal gave France the lead before the interval.

Josip Brekalo managed to score an equalizer in the 56th minute, but Dayot Upamecano’s header and Olivier Giroud’s penalty secured the win for the hosts.

Belgium swept Iceland 5-1 at home to lead Group 2 with two wins, and Denmark drew 0-0 with England as both teams failed to create good chances.

Lewandowski on his way to breaking Ronaldo’s record

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BERLIN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) — The bag of Robert Lewandowski was packed in no time before the Pole boarded the plane heading for Portugal’s capital Lisbon this Sunday afternoon.

A brief smile went over the face of the 31-year-old Bayern Munich striker as the Bavarians took off to attend the 2019/20 Champions League quarterfinals.

Spanish giants Barcelona are waiting for their “tournament opener” in the last-8-round this Friday evening.

The striker admitted he couldn’t be happier to finish the season’s last chapter with another successful episode. But Lewandowski wouldn’t be Lewandowski if he did not take steps to hide his true intentions.

“We want to show we are one of the world’s best sides, and we are determined to reach the semifinal,” he said, talking about his team’s goals instead of his personal ones. Goal records or the Ballon d’Or is nothing he is thinking about, he insisted.

In Bayern’s training camp in Lagos, 300 kilometers away from Lisbon, the forward might nevertheless think about his desire to win the campaign for the first time and break the record of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese scored 17 goals in 2013/14 in the shirt of Real Madrid, taking the Spaniards all the way to the trophy. Having scored his goals number 12 and 13 in this season’s campaign when Bayern crushed Chelsea 3-1, the attacker is approaching Ronaldo’s all-time best in rapid strides.

“He is not only the world’s best striker, but the best performer in general,” Germany’s most capped international Lothar Matthaeus commented.

Never before had a player scored that many goals for a German club in the Champions League. 53 goals in 44 games of all competitions make him Europe’s current leading striker.

Three goals and five assists in both games against Chelsea give proof of his outstanding form. Teammate Leon Goretzka spoke about the “phenomenon Lewandowski” by praising his attitude. “He always told me to stay calm and focused,” Goretzka reported.

“After all, we had to deal with a break after the national league. We had only one test game to get on top-level again,” the midfielder added. Goretzka admitted to having been worried, but “Lewa” told him to concentrate on the duel against Chelsea and forget about the unusual circumstances.

“You could feel his determination, he carried us all away in every training session,” the German international said. This season’s key to success is to keep in mind that only one game will decide the next round, Lewandowski concluded.

Ronaldo scores twice as Juventus conquer Lazio in Serie A

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ROME, July 20 (Xinhua) — The race for the Scudetto seems a foregone conclusion as Juventus run away with the league after beating Lazio 2-1 in a highly-anticipated showdown on Monday.

The competition for the top scorer became intense as Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a brace and Ciro Immobile also managed to get on the scoresheet.

The two strikers are the league’s joint top scorers with 30 goals each. Lazio challenged Juve for a long time this season, and were only point behind the Bianconeri before the suspension of Serie A.

However, with a poor run after the restart, the Biancocelesti slipped to fourth place. Both sides had an opportunity to score in the first half as Alex Sandro’s header smacked the upright while Immobile’s screamer also rattled the woodwork.

Juve almost found the net straight after the break when Paulo Dybala’s attempt was blocked, and Ronaldo’s follow-up was cleared off the line.

The Old Lady broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when Ronaldo’s strike hit Bastos’ arm, the referee awarded Juve a penalty after viewing the VAR, and Ronaldo converted it, becoming the first player to score at least 50 goals in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A respectively.

The home side quickly rode the momentum three minutes later when Luiz Felipe’s error sparked a counterattack, Dybala surged forward, flicking the ball to a totally unmarked Ronaldo to tap in from a close range.

The Aquile pulled one goal back through a penalty after Leonardo Bonucci brought down Immobile, and the Italian international kept his cool to convert it.

Juventus now lead the table with 80 points, eight points ahead of second-placed Inter Milan with four rounds remaining, which means the Bianconeri only need four points to capture their ninth consecutive Scudetto.

Pogba wants Juventus move over Real Madrid to play alongside Ronaldo

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Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is reportedly prioritising a return to Juventus this summer to play alongside Cristino Ronaldo.

Pogba is Zinedine Zidane’s top remaining target, but Real Madrid are unwilling to stump up the £150million required.

Apart from playing alongside Ronaldo, Pogba would also prefers a switch back to his old club.

Zidane has already seen £344m worth of new players come through the door this summer.

Real president Florentino Perez is reluctant to spend the £150m that United would want for Pogba, meaning Juventus and PSG could outgun the Spanish side.

Reports indicate Ronaldo has meddled in the negotiations for Paul Pogba, Matthijs de Ligt and Joao Felix to ensure that they don’t strengthen direct Champions League rivals Real Madrid.

Ronaldo is said to be trying to ensure that Real Madrid do not strengthen significantly with Pogba and De Ligt now tilting towards Juventus over Real Madrid.

Madrid are especially interested in Paul Pogba, with Zidane informing Florentino Perez the French midfielder is hi top target this summer.

Juventus could play Ajax without talisman Ronaldo after injury during international break

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Cristiano Ronaldo remains a major doubt for Juventus’ Champions League clash with Ajax next week.

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri confirmed his star man is making progress after suffering a hamstring injury on international duty last week.

Ronaldo limped off after half an hour of Portugal’s 1-1 draw with Serbia and missed his side’s weekend win over Empoli.

But with the first leg of their quarter-final with Ajax just nine days away, his chances of playing appear slim.

“Cristiano is working to get back, we hope to have him ready for Ajax, but it will be difficult,” he said.

“Today’s exam is much better, the leg is much better, then there is a clinical examination and the player’s symptoms.

“There are still nine days to go, so we still have time to evaluate things together. He is doing things he can do right now.

Ronaldo inspired Juventus through the last round with a stunning second-leg hat-trick against Atletico Madrid having lost 2-0 to the Spanish side in the first leg.

It’s best if he misses one game rather than two months of the season. Ronaldo will return when there is no longer any risk of a setback.

And Allegri knows just how crucial the £99million man is to Juve’s hopes of winning the Champions League this season – but cannot afford to gamble on him in the short-term.

Speaking last week, he said: “We need to be prudent. It’s best if he misses one game rather than two months of the season.

“We’re heading into the final stages of the season and there’s not much time to recover, and we’ve still got two Champions League games to play.

“Ronaldo will return when there is no longer any risk of a setback.

Ajax of course dumped his former club Real Madrid out in the last round.

Like Juventus, the Dutch side lost the first leg but Dusan Tadic and Frenkie de Jong helped stun the Bernabeu, beating Los Blancos 4-1 in the second leg to go through.

But before next week’s meeting in Amsterdam, Juventus host AC Milan at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

Allegri’s side are already 15 points clear at the top of Serie A and can take another giant step towards an eighth-successive title.

Ronaldo’s hat-trick sinks Atletico Madrid as Juventus overturn 2-0 deficit to reach Champions League quarters

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Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick to bring Juventus back from the brink of a last-16 exit against Atletico Madrid and book their place in the quarter-finals.

Ronaldo, signed from Real Madrid for £88.3m (€100m) last summer and aiming to lift the European Cup for the fourth season in succession, inspired the fightback with two towering headers and a late penalty which sealed a 3-2 win after they lost the first leg 2-0 in Madrid.

“It was always going to be a special night – and it was, not only for the goals, but for the team,” Ronaldo told Juve’s website. “This is the mentality of champions, this is the journey to follow. We enjoyed a magical night.”

Late goals from José Giménez and Diego Godín had earned Atletico a 2-0 first-leg advantage but Ronaldo produced trademark headers in either half and converted the penalty to clinch a deserved aggregate win.

Atlético were a difficult team but we were strong too,” added Ronaldo, who has scored 124 goals in 160 Champions League appearances.

João Cancelo, who provided the cross for Ronaldo’s second header in the 49th minute, praised his Portugal teammate. “Ronaldo is fantastic,” he said. “Now we will think about the league, we want to win against Genoa on Sunday. This victory was important for the team. We worked well and we deserved this success.”

Leonardo Bonucci saluted the home fans in Turin and also quickly switched focus to the Serie A game at Genoa. Massimiliano Allegri’s side, unbeaten in their domestic league this season, are 18 points clear at the top.

“It’s a great night for the Juventus family and we responded on the field,” defender Bonucci added. “In the first leg we were missing something but today we gave everything and the Allianz Stadium was our 12th man in an incredible night”

Atlético ended the first leg in rousing fashion but they offered little threat in the return and Diego Simeone was magnanimous in defeat.

“They were better than us,” the manager said. “We didn’t have many chances apart from Alvaro Morata’s header. Juventus played very well. We have to congratulate them.”

JUVENTUS HELD 3-3: Gervinho strike twice as visiting Parma overturn Juventus 3-1 lead

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Former Arsenal winger Gervinho scored twice as Parma bounced back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 at Serie A leaders Juventus on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo had given the Blue Lady a comfortable lead with a brace taking his tally to 17 goals, but a brilliant flicked goal by Gervinho followed by a stoppage-time equaliser meant Juventus had to settle for a point.

Juve took the in the 36th minute when Ronaldo’s deflected shot beat Luigi Sepe after collecting a pass from Blaise Matuidi in the penalty area.

Daniele Rugani put Juventus 2-0 ahead in the 62nd minute after a series of ricochets, Antonino Barilla headed one back two minutes later and Ronaldo restored Juve’s two-goal lead with a towering header in the 66th minute.

But it is the ex-Gunners forward Gervinho who reduced the deficit with a sweet back-heeled flick at the near post in the 74th minute.

Deep into stoppage time, Juventus failed to clear the ball and Roberto Inglese forced his way to the goal-line and pulled the ball back for Gervinho, who scored with a shot which Mattia Perin got his hand to but could not stop.

Napoli forward Lorenzo Isigne was on the scoresheet as Napoli beat Sampdoria 3-0 to keep pace with league leaders Juventus. PHOTO COURTESY.

Lorenzo Insigne ended his goal drought as Napoli beat Sampdoria 3-0 on Saturday to keep Juventus within its sights.

Arkadiusz Milik and Insigne scored quick goals in the first half and Simone Verdi added a late penalty as second-placed Napoli moved to eight points behind Juventus.

Napoli was looking to recover from a league draw against AC Milan and an Italian Cup exit to the same team, and it took the lead in the 12th minute.

Marek Hamsik floated a lovely ball onto the right flank to Jose Callejon, who rolled the ball across for Milik to smash in.

Callejon set up Napoli’s second a minute later with a through ball for an Insigne goal. It was Insigne’s first goal in any competition since early November.

The result after that rarely looked in doubt but Napoli extended its lead with a Verdi penalty in the final minute after Joachim Andersen was penalised for handball.

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