Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo scored to hand Portugal a 2-0 victory over Liechtenstein in their Euro 2024 qualifier on Thursday night. This triumph sees Portugal retain their perfect record in the qualifying tournament, topping their group with nine wins in nine.

While the Portuguese dominated the flow of play with 84% possession, they were unable to penetrate Liechtenstein’s defense during the first half. One minute into the second half, however, Diogo Jota’s through ball found Ronaldo, who thumped a left-footed shot that hit the crossbar before going in. This goal saw Ronaldo go level with Romelu Lukaka as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with 10.

In the 56th minute, a blunder from the Liechtenstein goalkeeper saw the ball go in the direction of Joao Cancelo, who capitalized on the error by burying the ball into an empty net.

The post Ronaldo Becomes Euro Qualifiers Top Scorer as Portugal Beat Liechtenstein appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Portugal thumped Luxembourg 9-0 in their European Championship qualifier on Monday night despite being without captain Cristiano Ronaldo. This victory gives Portugal a five-point cushion at the top of Group J, putting them comfortably on track to qualifying for Euro 2024.

After picking up a second yellow card in consecutive games, Ronaldo was suspended from a match that proved to be a prime opportunity for him to extend his international goalscoring record of 123 goals. Still, this victory served as proof of Portugal’s strong team chemistry, with six different scorers on the night.

“It was perfect because the players had the same attitude from the first to the last minute,” Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez commented after the game. “They remained concentrated not only in attack but to ensure we kept a clean sheet. As a coach, I really liked the attitude of the players, and they have a place in the history of Portuguese football.” So far in qualifying, Portugal has scored 24 goals in six games without conceding a single goal.

The post Portugal Rally to Nine-Goal Victory Despite Ronaldo Absence appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester United is set to make a formal inquiry about the availability of Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos ahead of the January transfer window, sources revealed on Wednesday.

While manager Erik ten Hag previously stated that the club may not buy a striker next month, the Red Devils have ramped up their search for a goalscorer following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the World Cup.

Cody Gakpo, Rafael Leao, and Joao Felix have all been targeted by the club, however, Goncalo Ramos appears to have rocketed to the front of the line following his impressive World Cup performance for Portugal, including a hat-trick in his team’s 6-1 win against Switzerland in the Round of 16.

Benfica valued the player at around €20 million during the previous transfer window and was willingly considering bids in this range, however, they made an effort to keep the player especially after qualifying for this season’s Champions League. Following Portugal’s World Cup campaign, however, it is believed that Benfica will now look for a higher price from the 21-year-old player.

Fellow striker Cody Gakpo continues to be monitored by Man Utd following his strong World Cup showing for the Netherlands. While the club received a quote of €30 million from PSV Eindhoven in the summer, this valuation is expected to rise to €50 million.

The post Man Utd Expresses Interest in Portugal Star Goncalo Ramos appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Portugal manager Fernando Santos stated that he feels no regrets over excluding Cristiano Ronaldo from the starting lineup in Portugal’s World Cup quarterfinal loss to Morocco on Saturday night. Ronaldo only came on in the 51st minute of the 1-0 defeat in place of central midfielder Rúben Neves.

Following the defeat, Santos was questioned about his decision to leave Ronaldo on the bench, as he did in Portugal’s 6-1 triumph over Switzerland in the Round of 16. “I don’t think so, no regrets,” Santos replied.

“I think this was a team which played very well against Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary, so no regrets,” Santos continued.

The Portugal boss added that both he and Ronaldo feel emotional about the result, however, this is just a natural part of the game. He went on to express uncertainty over his future as Portugal’s coach. When asked whether he would like to stay on in his role, Santos stated that he would have to have a discussion with the president of the Portuguese Football Association once he is back in Portugal in order to discuss his contract.

The post Portugal Boss Insists That He Does Not Regret Decision to Bench Ronaldo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

While Cristiano Ronaldo might better be known for his tenures with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, the global soccer star got his start at Sporting CP in his native country of Portugal.

On Monday, his former club announced that they will change the name of their youth academy in honor of the club’s biggest ever star.

Sporting CP, a Lisbon-based club with 18 Primeira Liga and 17 Portuguese Cup titles, has decided to christen their academy as the “Academia Cristiano Ronaldo” after seeing the success achieved by their best-ever academy product.

Ronaldo spent five years, from 1997 to 2002, as a youth player with Sporting CP. He only played one senior season with the club in 2002-03, scoring 3 goals in 25 games at the tender age of 17 before being sold to Manchester United for a $16 million fee.

Sporting explained its decision in a press release, stating, “The academy will thus immortalise the name of the greatest symbol ever formed [here] and that will be an inspiration to follow for all the young talents.”

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has become one of the most decorated players in the sport’s history, winning five Champions League trophies and countless domestic honors while starring for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Ronaldo got off to a hot start to the 2020-21 season on Sunday, scoring a goal in Juventus’s 3-0 win over Sampdoria.

The post Sporting CP Renames Youth Academy After Cristiano Ronaldo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo scored to hand Portugal a 2-0 victory over Liechtenstein in their Euro 2024 qualifier on Thursday night. This triumph sees Portugal retain their perfect record in the qualifying tournament, topping their group with nine wins in nine.

While the Portuguese dominated the flow of play with 84% possession, they were unable to penetrate Liechtenstein’s defense during the first half. One minute into the second half, however, Diogo Jota’s through ball found Ronaldo, who thumped a left-footed shot that hit the crossbar before going in. This goal saw Ronaldo go level with Romelu Lukaka as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with 10.

In the 56th minute, a blunder from the Liechtenstein goalkeeper saw the ball go in the direction of Joao Cancelo, who capitalized on the error by burying the ball into an empty net.

The post Ronaldo Becomes Euro Qualifiers Top Scorer as Portugal Beat Liechtenstein appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Portugal thumped Luxembourg 9-0 in their European Championship qualifier on Monday night despite being without captain Cristiano Ronaldo. This victory gives Portugal a five-point cushion at the top of Group J, putting them comfortably on track to qualifying for Euro 2024.

After picking up a second yellow card in consecutive games, Ronaldo was suspended from a match that proved to be a prime opportunity for him to extend his international goalscoring record of 123 goals. Still, this victory served as proof of Portugal’s strong team chemistry, with six different scorers on the night.

“It was perfect because the players had the same attitude from the first to the last minute,” Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez commented after the game. “They remained concentrated not only in attack but to ensure we kept a clean sheet. As a coach, I really liked the attitude of the players, and they have a place in the history of Portuguese football.” So far in qualifying, Portugal has scored 24 goals in six games without conceding a single goal.

The post Portugal Rally to Nine-Goal Victory Despite Ronaldo Absence appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester United is set to make a formal inquiry about the availability of Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos ahead of the January transfer window, sources revealed on Wednesday.

While manager Erik ten Hag previously stated that the club may not buy a striker next month, the Red Devils have ramped up their search for a goalscorer following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the World Cup.

Cody Gakpo, Rafael Leao, and Joao Felix have all been targeted by the club, however, Goncalo Ramos appears to have rocketed to the front of the line following his impressive World Cup performance for Portugal, including a hat-trick in his team’s 6-1 win against Switzerland in the Round of 16.

Benfica valued the player at around €20 million during the previous transfer window and was willingly considering bids in this range, however, they made an effort to keep the player especially after qualifying for this season’s Champions League. Following Portugal’s World Cup campaign, however, it is believed that Benfica will now look for a higher price from the 21-year-old player.

Fellow striker Cody Gakpo continues to be monitored by Man Utd following his strong World Cup showing for the Netherlands. While the club received a quote of €30 million from PSV Eindhoven in the summer, this valuation is expected to rise to €50 million.

The post Man Utd Expresses Interest in Portugal Star Goncalo Ramos appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Portugal manager Fernando Santos stated that he feels no regrets over excluding Cristiano Ronaldo from the starting lineup in Portugal’s World Cup quarterfinal loss to Morocco on Saturday night. Ronaldo only came on in the 51st minute of the 1-0 defeat in place of central midfielder Rúben Neves.

Following the defeat, Santos was questioned about his decision to leave Ronaldo on the bench, as he did in Portugal’s 6-1 triumph over Switzerland in the Round of 16. “I don’t think so, no regrets,” Santos replied.

“I think this was a team which played very well against Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary, so no regrets,” Santos continued.

The Portugal boss added that both he and Ronaldo feel emotional about the result, however, this is just a natural part of the game. He went on to express uncertainty over his future as Portugal’s coach. When asked whether he would like to stay on in his role, Santos stated that he would have to have a discussion with the president of the Portuguese Football Association once he is back in Portugal in order to discuss his contract.

The post Portugal Boss Insists That He Does Not Regret Decision to Bench Ronaldo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

While Cristiano Ronaldo might better be known for his tenures with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, the global soccer star got his start at Sporting CP in his native country of Portugal.

On Monday, his former club announced that they will change the name of their youth academy in honor of the club’s biggest ever star.

Sporting CP, a Lisbon-based club with 18 Primeira Liga and 17 Portuguese Cup titles, has decided to christen their academy as the “Academia Cristiano Ronaldo” after seeing the success achieved by their best-ever academy product.

Ronaldo spent five years, from 1997 to 2002, as a youth player with Sporting CP. He only played one senior season with the club in 2002-03, scoring 3 goals in 25 games at the tender age of 17 before being sold to Manchester United for a $16 million fee.

Sporting explained its decision in a press release, stating, “The academy will thus immortalise the name of the greatest symbol ever formed [here] and that will be an inspiration to follow for all the young talents.”

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has become one of the most decorated players in the sport’s history, winning five Champions League trophies and countless domestic honors while starring for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Ronaldo got off to a hot start to the 2020-21 season on Sunday, scoring a goal in Juventus’s 3-0 win over Sampdoria.

The post Sporting CP Renames Youth Academy After Cristiano Ronaldo appeared first on SportzBonanza.