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Portugal’s Fernandes Hopes to Win World Cup to Crown Ronaldo’s Career

Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo in action during the AFC Champions League Two 2025/2026 semi-finals match between Al-Nassr and Al Ahli Doha in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 22 April 2026. (EPA)
Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo in action during the AFC Champions League Two 2025/2026 semi-finals match between Al-Nassr and Al Ahli Doha in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 22 April 2026. (EPA)
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Portugal’s Fernandes Hopes to Win World Cup to Crown Ronaldo’s Career

Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo in action during the AFC Champions League Two 2025/2026 semi-finals match between Al-Nassr and Al Ahli Doha in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 22 April 2026. (EPA)
Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo in action during the AFC Champions League Two 2025/2026 semi-finals match between Al-Nassr and Al Ahli Doha in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 22 April 2026. (EPA)

Portugal midfielder Bruno ‌Fernandes expressed hope that he and his teammates can help crown Cristiano Ronaldo's international career by winning the 2026 World Cup.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo is set to appear in a record sixth World Cup in June, a tournament expected to be the final major chapter of the forward's career.

"Wrapping up ‌all this ‌last World Cup with ‌Cristiano (Ronaldo) ⁠winning it would ⁠be something amazing," Fernandes told Wayne Rooney in a BBC report published on Friday.

"I really hope we can make it happen, not just for Portugal, but for everything Cristiano gave ⁠to football and the world," ‌the Portuguese midfielder ‌and Manchester United captain said.

Ronaldo, considered one ‌of the greatest players ever to ‌have not won a World Cup, is the record scorer in international football with 143 goals.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was ‌part of Portugal's Euro 2016-winning team and has lifted the ⁠Nations ⁠League twice.

Portugal's opening Group K game is on June 17 against the Democratic Republic of Congo, followed by Uzbekistan on June 23, with both games in Houston. They play Colombia on June 27 in Miami in their final group game.

The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

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Real Madrid’s Mbappe Suffers Hamstring Issue at Betis

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Betis v Real Madrid - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - April 24, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Betis v Real Madrid - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - April 24, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts. (Reuters)
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Real Madrid’s Mbappe Suffers Hamstring Issue at Betis

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Betis v Real Madrid - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - April 24, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Betis v Real Madrid - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - April 24, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts. (Reuters)

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe suffered a "muscle overload" in his left hamstring during the team's 1-1 draw at Real Betis in La Liga, a club source told AFP on Friday.

Mbappe asked to be substituted in the final 10 minutes of the game, which left his side eight points behind league leaders Barcelona.

The France captain's problem does not appear to be serious, pending further tests, easing any potential concerns ahead of the World Cup this summer.

"I have no idea (how Mbappe is), he had some discomfort and we will see how it develops in the coming days," said coach Alvaro Arbeloa when asked by reporters about the forward, Madrid's top goalscorer, after the game.

On Wednesday Barcelona's teenage winger Lamine Yamal suffered a hamstring injury which ruled him out until the end of the season, although he is expected to be fit to play at the World Cup for Spain.

Sports

Forest Blitz Sunderland to Close in on Premier League Safety

24 April 2026, United Kingdom, Sunderland: Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus (C) celebrates scoring their side's fourth goal of the game with teammates during the English Premier League match between Sunderland and Nottingham Forest at the Stadium of Light. (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/dpa)
24 April 2026, United Kingdom, Sunderland: Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus (C) celebrates scoring their side's fourth goal of the game with teammates during the English Premier League match between Sunderland and Nottingham Forest at the Stadium of Light. (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/dpa)
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Forest Blitz Sunderland to Close in on Premier League Safety

24 April 2026, United Kingdom, Sunderland: Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus (C) celebrates scoring their side's fourth goal of the game with teammates during the English Premier League match between Sunderland and Nottingham Forest at the Stadium of Light. (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/dpa)
24 April 2026, United Kingdom, Sunderland: Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus (C) celebrates scoring their side's fourth goal of the game with teammates during the English Premier League match between Sunderland and Nottingham Forest at the Stadium of Light. (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/dpa)

Nottingham Forest smashed Sunderland 5-0 on Friday to pull eight points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, heaping extra pressure on struggling Tottenham.

The stunning result at the Stadium of Light effectively turns the battle to avoid the final relegation spot into a two-horse race between Spurs and West Ham, with Wolves and Burnley already doomed.

Vitor Pereira's Forest have found a rich vein of form at just the right time and are now unbeaten in six league games.

Sunderland enjoyed the bulk of possession in the early stages of an absorbing contest in the northeast of England, but the visitors looked consistently dangerous when they attacked.

Forest broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Trai Hume deflected Igor Jesus' header into his own net, but that gave little indication of what was to follow in an extraordinary opening period.

Chris Wood doubled the lead in the 31st minute, finishing smartly after Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs gifted possession to the away side.

Morgan Gibbs-White volleyed home to make it 3-0 and three minutes later it was 4-0 when Jesus hammered home at the back post, leaving mid-table Sunderland shellshocked.

The home side battled harder in the second half. Dan Ballard nodded home on the hour mark, but the goal was ruled out for a foul by Nordi Mukiele.

But Forest largely remained in control and rubbed salt into Sunderland's wounds when Elliot Anderson passed the ball into the net to make it five in stoppage time.

The emphatic win takes Forest to 39 points and the brink of safety.

Pereira said his side were still not safe despite their impressive run.

"We are in a good moment," he told Sky Sports. "Because we created the spirit, we created the mentality.

"And tactically now, because we have more time working together, we are in a moment that we can face every game to get points."

The East Midlands club have had a turbulent season under four different permanent managers but could end the campaign on a real high -- with a Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa to come.

Attention now turns to Saturday's matches at the bottom of the table.

Tottenham, under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, travel to basement side Wolves at the same time as West Ham host Everton.

Spurs, who were last relegated in 1977, are on 31 points -- two behind the Hammers. Both teams have five matches left.

Sports

Napoli Delay Inter’s Title Celebrations with 4-0 Win Over Cremonese

Football - Serie A - Napoli v Cremonese - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - April 24, 2026 Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund scores their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Serie A - Napoli v Cremonese - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - April 24, 2026 Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund scores their second goal. (Reuters)
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Napoli Delay Inter’s Title Celebrations with 4-0 Win Over Cremonese

Football - Serie A - Napoli v Cremonese - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - April 24, 2026 Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund scores their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Serie A - Napoli v Cremonese - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - April 24, 2026 Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund scores their second goal. (Reuters)

Napoli cruised to a ‌4-0 win at home to Cremonese on Friday, a result which means Serie A leaders Inter Milan will have to wait at least another week to celebrate the title win and leaves the visitors in serious relegation trouble.

Napoli are second in the standings on 69 points, nine behind Inter who are away to Torino on Sunday and three points ahead of AC Milan who host Juventus.

Cremonese are third from bottom, level on 28 points with Lecce who are in the safety zone ahead of a trip to Hellas Verona on Saturday. Verona are second ‌from bottom on ‌18 points and look Serie B bound along ‌with ⁠bottom club Pisa.

With ⁠their title defense all but over, Napoli were still keen to impress after a dismal performance last weekend when they failed to register a single shot on target in a 2-0 home loss to Lazio.

"After Lazio, we spoke, I coach intelligent guys and they understood what didn't work," Napoli boss Antonio Conte told DAZN before kickoff.

"Today we have to ⁠get back on track."

Conte's men duly obliged.

Scott McTominay was ‌denied by the onrushing keeper Emil Audero ‌in an early attack, but his opening goal quickly followed in the ‌third minute.

McTominay collected Kevin De Bruyne's pass, took one touch to ‌control before rifling a low shot to the bottom corner of the net for his ninth league goal of the season.

Napoli created plenty of chances before doubling their lead on the stroke of halftime with an own goal.

Rasmus Hojlund ‌slipped as he got his shot away, but the ball took a wicked deflection off Filippo Terracciano ⁠to wrongfoot Audero ⁠and Napoli finished the game off in stoppage time before the break.

After McTominay made an acrobatic pullback from the byline to keep the ball in play, De Bruyne battled to win possession from Youssef Maleh in the area and drilled his shot beyond Audero.

Napoli continued where they left off after the interval. Keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic threw the ball to Alisson Santos who ran the length of the pitch unchallenged before firing home from the edge of the area.

Amir Rrahmani rattled the Cremonese crossbar and Audero denied McTominay from the penalty spot late on as Napoli failed to add to their goal tally, but Conte, and the home fans, will be more than happy with an impressive performance.