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Ronaldo and Al-Nassr Chase Asian Glory as Saudi Clubs Dominate

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Wehda v Al-Nassr - King Abdulaziz Stadium, Makkah, Saudi Arabia - February 25, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Wehda v Al-Nassr - King Abdulaziz Stadium, Makkah, Saudi Arabia - February 25, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)
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Ronaldo and Al-Nassr Chase Asian Glory as Saudi Clubs Dominate

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Wehda v Al-Nassr - King Abdulaziz Stadium, Makkah, Saudi Arabia - February 25, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Wehda v Al-Nassr - King Abdulaziz Stadium, Makkah, Saudi Arabia - February 25, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo can take a major step towards the Asian Champions League elite title in Iran on Monday, though Al-Nassr is not the only Saudi Arabian club in contention for the big prize.

Ronaldo has yet to win a major trophy since signing for the Riyadh club in December 2022 and victory over Esteghlal of Tehran in the two-legged Round of 16 tie would mean a place in the last eight for Al-Nassr.

The 40-year-old has won five UEFA Champions Leagues while Al-Nassr has yet to win one in Asia.

Domestically Al-Nassr is off the pace and its latest setback — a 2-1 defeat at Al-Orubah on Friday — saw it slip into fourth in the Saudi Pro League and increase the pressure on coach Stefano Pioli.

“We had many chances but could not score,” said Pioli. “We have a lot of games in a short period of time and only had two days rest before this game and now we have to get ready for another one in the Asian Champions League.”

Ronaldo has been in good form in Asia scoring six goals in the group stage, helping Al-Nassr finish third in a 12-team group behind two other Saudi Arabian clubs.

Al-Hilal seeking fifth ACL title

Nassr’s Riyadh rival Al-Hilal won the group stage and continues its quest for a record fifth continental title against Pakhatkor of Uzbekistan.

With talent such as Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves of Portugal as well as Brazilian stars Marcos Leonardo, Kaio Cesar and Malcom, Hilal is the strong favorite to beat the Central Asian team who won only one of eight games in the group stage.

Al-Ahli finished second in the group and meets Qatar’s Al-Rayyan. Former English Premier League star Ivan Toney in fine form as he scored a hat trick on Friday as Al-Ahli won 3-2 at Al-Hilal.

Elsewhere, two-time champion Al-Sadd of Qatar faces Al-Wasl from the United Arab Emirates.

Japanese clubs rising in the east

None of the eight teams in the eastern zone, the tournament is divided into two geographic zones until the quarterfinal stage, have won the tournament before.

The three Japanese teams strolled through the group stage however. Yokohama F. Marinos will meet former coach Kevin Muscat, now in charge of Shanghai Port. Kawasaki Frontale travels to Shanghai Shenhua and Vissel Kobe hosts Gwangju FC, South Korea’s sole representative. The remaining tie is a Southeast Asian affair as Buriram United of Thailand meets Malaysia’s Johor Darul Tazim.

The final will be held in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on May 4.

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Kvaratskhelia Named Champions League Player of the Season

(FILES) Paris Saint-Germain's Georgian forward #07 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates at the end of the UEFA Champions League second-leg, semi-final football match between FC Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich, southern Germany on May 6, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
(FILES) Paris Saint-Germain's Georgian forward #07 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates at the end of the UEFA Champions League second-leg, semi-final football match between FC Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich, southern Germany on May 6, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
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Kvaratskhelia Named Champions League Player of the Season

(FILES) Paris Saint-Germain's Georgian forward #07 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates at the end of the UEFA Champions League second-leg, semi-final football match between FC Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich, southern Germany on May 6, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
(FILES) Paris Saint-Germain's Georgian forward #07 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates at the end of the UEFA Champions League second-leg, semi-final football match between FC Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich, southern Germany on May 6, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Paris Saint-Germain's Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was named Champions League player of the season on Sunday by a UEFA panel of judges.

Kvaratskhelia was a constant menace in PSG's defence of the title with ten goals and six assists from his 16 games.

PSG came from a goal down against Arsenal on Saturday to equalise from the spot on 65 minutes after Kvaratskhelia was scythed to the floor inside the box with Ousmane Dembele converting the spot-kick.

Both had left the fray before the game went to extra-time and ended 1-1, before PSG emerged from a shoot-out as narrow 4-3 winners.

UEFA's technical observer board of around 30 football dignitaries such as Gareth Southgate, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Rafa Benitez voted for the award.

The panel's statement described his season as pivotal and dazzling, AFP reported.

"Arguably Kvaratskhelia's finest performance came in the unforgettable 5-4 semi-final first-leg win over Bayern, as he curled in a beauty to draw his side level at 1-1 before adding a fierce drive in the second period to complete a fine double," they said.

He also scored three goals over the two legs against Chelsea in the last 16 and another at Liverpool in the quarter-finals.

The now 25-year-old was also on the score sheet in the 2025 final as PSG thumped Inter Milan 5-0.

Sports

Kostyuk Stuns 4-time Champion Swiatek on Big Day for Ukraine at French Open

31 May 2026, France, Paris: Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk celebrates a point against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their Women's Singles Match on Day 8 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex. Photo: Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
31 May 2026, France, Paris: Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk celebrates a point against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their Women's Singles Match on Day 8 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex. Photo: Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Kostyuk Stuns 4-time Champion Swiatek on Big Day for Ukraine at French Open

31 May 2026, France, Paris: Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk celebrates a point against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their Women's Singles Match on Day 8 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex. Photo: Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
31 May 2026, France, Paris: Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk celebrates a point against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their Women's Singles Match on Day 8 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex. Photo: Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

There will be a first-time women’s champion at the French Open this year, and two Ukrainian players are among the strongest contenders.

Undefeated this season on clay, 15th-seeded Marta Kostyuk showed her strong credentials as she reached the quarterfinals in Paris for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.

She will be up against her compatriot Elina Svitolina next, ensuring there will be an Ukrainian woman semifinalist at Roland Garros for the first time in the professional era (1968). The seventh-seeded Svitolina rallied past Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

“There’s going to be Ukraine in the semifinals, so it’s already amazing,” said Svitolina, whose country is in a 4-year-old war with Russia.

“I think it couldn’t be a better, amazing achievement for Ukrainian tennis. I think in such a difficult situation right now in the war, with the invasion, it’s really, really difficult, and I think it’s really inspiring for the next generation to really believe that it is possible one day to play on this court and win.”

None of the players still in the draw have yet lifted the trophy in Paris, following Coco Gauff’s elimination on Saturday and Swiatek's exit. It's the same in the men’s draw, after the defeats of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic and with Carlos Alcaraz absent because of an injury.

Kostyuk had lost her three previous matches against Swiatek and never taken a set against the former top-ranked player, who turned 25 on Sunday.

“I’m still in shock. To beat such an unbelievable player, who won four times here," The Associated Press quoted her as saying.

Kostyuk has been the best player of the clay-court season. She defended extremely well, chasing Swiatek’s shots all over the court, and also produced some stunning groundstroke winners while her rival was also undone by her own mistakes.

Poland's Iga Swiatek leaves the court after losing to Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in the fourth-round tennis match at the French Open in Paris, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

An intense baseline battle unfolded from the outset. Swiatek showed signs of nerves as she double-faulted, shanked a forehand wide and then missed a volley at the net, allowing Kostyuk to level at 5-5 in the opener. Swiatek hit two more double faults in the 12th game and the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player sealed the set with a backhand passing shot.

Swiatek then briefly left the court. Meanwhile, Kostyuk kept herself warm by stretching and hopping beside her chair, then received some applause as she did a few dance moves to the music playing in the stadium.

Following a first week marked by a suffocating heatwave, relief finally arrived in Paris on Sunday, with temperatures dropping to 21 degrees C (70 F) around midday. When play resumed, Swiatek broke but another double fault coupled with more unforced errors brought her opponent back at 1-1. Kostyuk then won the last five games.

Kostyuk, who had reached the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2021 when she lost to Swiatek, extended her winning streak on clay to 16 matches. Ahead of the French Open, she won in Madrid, the biggest title of her career, after she claimed another clay-court title in Rouen, France.

“The most important thing that I’ve been doing this whole time is really just trying to enjoy,” she said. “It’s helping. I want to keep enjoying. I try not to focus at all on winning or losing because I’m not playing tennis to win, I’m playing tennis because I love it."

17 years later Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea, who is planning to retire at the end of the season, beat Chinese qualifier Wang Xiyu 6-3, 7-6 (4) to reach her second Roland Garros quarterfinal, 17 years after first making it to the last eight.

The gap between Cirstea’s first and second Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances in Paris is the longest at a single major by any woman in the Open Era.

“There is no expiration date for ambition and for dreams,” Cirstea said. “I think back then I was a kid, just started on tour. Now I have so many years behind me. I have so much experience, maturity. I feel I’m a completely different player.”

Sports

Jordan to Let Fans Start Work Late for World Cup Debut

Jordan's defender #2 Mohammad Abu Hashish (L) fights for the ball with Switzerland's midfielder #16 Christian Fassnacht next to Jordan's forward Mohammad Abu Zraiq (R) during a friendly match between Switzerland and Jordan ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup football tournament at the Kybunpark stadium, in St. Gallen on May 31, 2026. (Photo by Ennio LEANZA / AFP)
Jordan's defender #2 Mohammad Abu Hashish (L) fights for the ball with Switzerland's midfielder #16 Christian Fassnacht next to Jordan's forward Mohammad Abu Zraiq (R) during a friendly match between Switzerland and Jordan ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup football tournament at the Kybunpark stadium, in St. Gallen on May 31, 2026. (Photo by Ennio LEANZA / AFP)
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Jordan to Let Fans Start Work Late for World Cup Debut

Jordan's defender #2 Mohammad Abu Hashish (L) fights for the ball with Switzerland's midfielder #16 Christian Fassnacht next to Jordan's forward Mohammad Abu Zraiq (R) during a friendly match between Switzerland and Jordan ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup football tournament at the Kybunpark stadium, in St. Gallen on May 31, 2026. (Photo by Ennio LEANZA / AFP)
Jordan's defender #2 Mohammad Abu Hashish (L) fights for the ball with Switzerland's midfielder #16 Christian Fassnacht next to Jordan's forward Mohammad Abu Zraiq (R) during a friendly match between Switzerland and Jordan ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup football tournament at the Kybunpark stadium, in St. Gallen on May 31, 2026. (Photo by Ennio LEANZA / AFP)

Jordan said on Sunday it will allow a late start to work for public sector employees on World Cup matchdays to let fans enjoy the national team's debut appearance at the tournament.

A decree from Prime Minister Jafar ⁠Hassan said official ⁠working hours would begin at 10 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. for its Group J games against Austria, Algeria and ⁠Argentina which are being played in the US on June 17, 23 and 28.

"The decision aims to enable citizens to follow and rally behind our national football team during its historic participation in this tournament," Reuters quoted a ⁠government ⁠statement as saying.

Jordan, popularly known as Al-Nashama (The Chivalrous Ones), qualified for the World Cup after finishing second behind South Korea in their Asian qualifying group, an unprecedented achievement that sparked nationwide celebration.