Asia

Karim Benzema leaves Real Madrid after 14 years at the club

MADRID - Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid as a free agent in the close season after 14 trophy-laden years, the LaLiga club said on Sunday, with the striker set to move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.

Saudi Arabia's state-run Al Ekhbariya television station reported that Al Ittihad had reached an agreement with Benzema on a two-year contract, with club officials in Madrid to hammer out a "record deal" with the striker.

Ronaldo ends disappointing debut season in Saudi Arabia empty-handed

Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr could not resist the temptation to sign five-times Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in January, but although the prolific Portuguese forward scored an impressive number of goals, they finished the season empty-handed.

Ronaldo's hopes of silverware ended on Saturday as Al-Ittihad clinched the league title for the first time since 2009 with one match to spare.

Opinion: Cristiano Ronaldo scored a game-winner for Al-Nassr — should we even care?

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the third goal for Al-Nassr on Tuesday to complete a two-goal comeback against third-place Al-Shabab and keep his side in the race for the Saudi Pro League title.

Ronaldo’s goal was solid as he nestled the ball into the side netting after he bodied an Al-Shabab defender who flew like a ragdoll onto the turf.

CR7 received high praise from the soccer-sphere for his goal.

I can’t stop laughing at these commentators’ reactions to game-winning Indonesia goal

If you’re like me then you had no idea that the Southeast Asian Games were taking place right now. However, a late game-winner from 10-man Indonesia against Vietnam has been brought to my attention after the hilarious reaction from the commentators.

Saturday’s game was the semifinal match and Indonesia were going up against the two-time defending champions Vietnam.

Lionel Messi posts apology video to teammates after his Saudi Arabia trip debacle

The latest chapter of Lionel Messi’s unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia came on Friday when he posted a video on his Instagram story of him apologizing to his teammates. The Messi apology video is 37 seconds long in which he claims it was all a misunderstanding.

If you’re out of the loop on events, then here’s a quick timeline.

Fabrizio Romano links Messi with imminent move to Ronaldo's Saudi rivals

The fallout from Lionel Messi's unauthorized use of PTO to go on a quick jaunt to Saudi Arabia continued Wednesday with our transfer lord and savior Fabrizio Romano drawing the line on the Argentine's time in Paris.

"Messi will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season. There are no doubts about that anymore," Romano tweeted. "Behind the scenes, it's now understood that Leo's father Jorge communicated the decision to PSG already one month ago."

Man charged after linesman's jaw broken in Australian amateur league

SYDNEY - A 25-year-old man has been charged with assault after an attack on a linesman in a lower league match in southwest Sydney at the weekend left the official with a broken jaw and several missing teeth.

Khodr Yaghi, 45, was taken to hospital after being punched repeatedly in the face and kicked in the head by a spectator after a match between Greenacre Eagles and Padstow Hornets in an amateur league in the Bankstown area of the city on Friday.

American striker Madison Haley scores twice, wins MVP honors in Australia's title game

SYDNEY - American striker Madison Haley scored twice as Sydney FC snapped a three-season losing streak in Australian championship finals with a 4-0 win over Western United to claim a record-equalling fourth A-League Women's title on Sunday.

Haley opened the scoring in the fourth minute and added her second goal in stoppage time as Sydney added to their 2009, 2013 and 2019 triumphs and equalled Melbourne Victory's record as four-times champions.

Madison Haley first goal in A-League Women's Grand Final

Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 12th league goal for Al-Nassr in his 12th Saudi Pro League game

Cristiano Ronaldo ended Al-Nassr’s three-game streak without a goal after netting a header vs. Al-Raed on Friday during his side’s 4-0 victory. CR7 opened the scoring in the fourth minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo goal vs. Al-Raed

56-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura makes his debut in the Portuguese second division

Former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura added yet another achievement to his age-defying career on Saturday, making his debut for Portuguese second-tier club Oliveirense at the age of 56.

Miura, who joined Oliveirense on loan from Yokohama FC earlier this year, came on in the 90th minute of a 4-1 win at Académico de Viseu.

According to a report on the Portuguese league's website, Miura's appearance made him "the oldest footballer ever to play in Portuguese football, with 56 years, one month and 24 days."

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