Ronaldo Puts Al-Nassr on Brink of Asian CL Playoffs while Toney Advances Al-Ahli

Soccer Football - Asian Champions League - Group B - Al Gharafa v Al Nassr - Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar - November 25, 2024 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari

Asharq Al Awsat

07:49-26 November 2024 AD ـ 24 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

07:49-26 November 2024 AD ـ 24 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

Ronaldo Puts Al-Nassr on Brink of Asian CL Playoffs while Toney Advances Al-Ahli

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia defeated Al-Gharafa of Qatar 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite group stage on Monday.
Al-Nassr is virtually assured of a place in the knockout stages, The Associated Press reported.
Ronaldo had two early shots well saved by goalkeeper Sergio Ricom, and half an hour in he placed the ball on the penalty spot. Sadio Mane went down in the area under a challenge from Matias Nani and the referee awarded a penalty. But the VAR overturned the decision.
Ronaldo then missed the best opportunity of the first 45 minutes, heading a free kick just wide from close range.
He made amends in the new half, heading home powerfully from an Angelo cross. Angelo then went around the goalkeeper for 2-0 in the 58th.
Ronaldo sealed the victory six minutes later, shooting home from inside the area.
Former Real Madrid striker Joselu pulled a goal back for Al-Gharafa.
Earlier, Ivan Toney scored twice as Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia won at defending champion Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates 2-1 to become the first team to book a place in the knockout stages with three group games to spare.
The England striker, who arrived in Jeddah from English Premier League team Brentford in August, came off the bench in the second half and scored twice in four minutes.
Both came from Riyad Mahrez crosses; Toney headed home the first and stretched to guide in the second.
“Coach (Matthias) Jaissle told me to come on and make a difference,” Toney said. “It was challenging because I've missed many games, but I stepped in and delivered a good performance.”
It was a fifth win in five by Al-Ahli, which moved into first place in its 12-team group. The tournament is divided into two groups, with the top eight from each progressing to a round of 16.

World Cup by the Numbers: 104 Matches, 48 Teams and 3 Countries Make This the Largest Ever

Workers are seen on a crane at Los Angeles Stadium (temporarily renamed from SoFi Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles on June 7, 2026. (AFP)

10:26-8 June 2026 AD ـ 22 Thul-Hijjah 1447 AH

World Cup by the Numbers: 104 Matches, 48 Teams and 3 Countries Make This the Largest Ever

Workers are seen on a crane at Los Angeles Stadium (temporarily renamed from SoFi Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles on June 7, 2026. (AFP)

This year's edition of the World Cup will be the biggest ever with an expanded field of 48 teams, three host countries and 16 stadiums staging the record 104 matches over the 39-day tournament.

The tournament being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico is the first since FIFA expanded the field from 32 teams to 48, adding four more groups in the initial stage and a new round of 32 in the knockout portion.

The World Cup last expanded for the 1998 tournament with the last seven editions featuring 32 teams and 64 games. This also marks just the second time that the tournament will be played in multiple countries with Japan and South Korea sharing the 2002 edition.

There will be 11 sites in the United States, with three in Mexico and two in Canada. Mexico will host 13 matches, including the opener in Mexico City on June 11 between the host team and South Africa and three in the knockout rounds.

Canada will also have 13 matches with the first coming between the hosts and Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto and three more in the knockout round.

The remaining 78 will be in the US starting when the Americans take on Paraguay on June 12 in the Los Angeles area, and including all the matches in the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final round at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Here's a look at some other stats to watch during the 2026 World Cup:

1,248 There are a record 1,248 players on the rosters coming from 449 domestic clubs in 71 countries. There are 357 players with World Cup experience, along with 891 first-timers.

England leads the way with 200 players on rosters who are based there at club level. Germany is second with 109, followed by France (86), Spain (86), Italy (71) and Saudi Arabia (49). Major League Soccer will be represented by a record 44 active players at the World Cup with 103 of the players having some experience in MLS.

Manchester City of the Premier League has the most players of any club with a record of 19, followed by Bayern Munich with 18, Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal 16 and Barcelona with 15.

226 Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo leads all players in the tournament with 226 caps — the most ever by a single men's player — as he is set to join Argentina's Lionel Messi as the only players to appear in six World Cups.

Ronaldo is the only player to score in five World Cups with eight goals in his 22 matches.

Messi has the most career World Cup matches with 26 and needs two appearances to become the third man with at least 200 caps (Bader Al-Mutawa, Kuwait, also has more 200 appearances in international play). Croatia’s Luka Modric is three short of joining that group.

Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa is on a World Cup roster for the sixth time but didn't appear in a game in 2006 or 2010.

16 Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 career goals for Germany could jeopardy in this year’s edition. Messi comes into the tournament with 13 career goals, trailing only Klose, Brazilian star Ronaldo (15) and Gerd Muller (14). France’s Kylian Mbappe is also in range having scored 12 goals combined in the past two tournaments

8 Only eight countries have won the World Cup with six of those teams winning multiple titles led by Brazil's five. The only first-time winners in the last 11 Cups came in 1998 when France won the first of its two titles and in 2010 when Spain won it all.

2 Only two countries have repeated as champions with Pele leading Brazil to titles in 1958 and ‘62, and Italy winning it in 1934 and ’38. Three other defending champions made it to the title game, including France four years ago before losing to Argentina.

6 There have been six defending champions who failed to make it out of the group stage, including in three of the last four editions. France made it back to the final in 2022 but Italy (2010), Spain (2014) and Germany (2018) all got eliminated before the knockout rounds.

3 France will try to become the third county to make it to three straight finals after winning it in 2018 and losing in 2022. West Germany lost the final in 1982 and '86 before beating Argentina in 1990. Brazil had wins in 1994 and 2002 around a title game loss to France in 1998.

23 Brazil is the only country to appear in all 23 editions of the World Cup starting in 1930 in Uruguay. The Brazilians also lead all countries with 76 wins, 237 goals and a plus-129 goal differential. Germany is next in all three categories with 21 appearances, 232 goals and a plus-102 goal differential, including 10 appearances as West Germany before reunification.

4 There are four countries making their World Cup debuts with Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan the newcomers this time around. That will increase the total of countries to compete in the World Cup to 84 all-time.

7 Egypt has played seven World Cup matches without a win. The Egyptians are 0-5-2 and will try to break through starting June 15 against Belgium. The only country with more games and no wins is Honduras with nine. Honduras didn't qualify this year.

2,720 There have been 2,720 goals scored in 964 matches in the first 22 World Cups. With the additional 40 games, the record of 172 goals in a tournament set in Qatar in 2022 should be broken. The record of 5.38 combined goals per game set in 1954 should be safe.

25 There is more than 25 years separating the oldest player from the youngest. Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon will be 43 years and 162 days old on the first day of the tournament, while Mexico's Gilbert Mora will be 17 years, 240 days old.

Sports

Injury Concerns for Morocco Ahead of Their World Cup Opener

Noussair Mazraoui of Morocco exits the pitch injured during the international friendly match between Morocco and Norway at Red Bull Arena on June 07, 2026 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Getty Images/AFP)

09:00-8 June 2026 AD ـ 22 Thul-Hijjah 1447 AH

Injury Concerns for Morocco Ahead of Their World Cup Opener

Noussair Mazraoui of Morocco exits the pitch injured during the international friendly match between Morocco and Norway at Red Bull Arena on June 07, 2026 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Getty Images/AFP)

Morocco are concerned about injuries to starters Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Noussair Mazraoui, who could be forced out of their opening game at the World Cup against Brazil on Sunday.

Both went off early in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Norway in their last warm-up match before this week's kick-off of the tournament in Canada, ‌Mexico, and ‌the United States.

Ezzalzouli was replaced ‌at ⁠halftime after suffering ⁠a leg injury, while Mazraoui departed in the 29th minute with a shoulder problem after a tough encounter in which Morocco took an early lead but Norway equalized with 15 minutes remaining.

"We ⁠left a good impression despite ‌not winning because ‌we really showed some very good things against ‌a very good opponent," coach Mohamed ‌Ouahbi told reporters.

"That's the point of playing against teams like this. When you make so many changes (10 in total), it's difficult for ‌the player but it was important that we managed everyone's playing ⁠time.

"Two ⁠players went off injured. We're waiting to see how serious it is. I’m more concerned about that," the coach added.

Morocco were surprise semi-finalists at the last World Cup and have high hopes of another strong performance at the 2026 finals.

They open proceedings in Group D with the clash against the five-time champions at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

Sports

France to Edge Out Spain for World Cup Glory, Economists Say

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe reacts ahead of a training session at the French Football Federation's (FFF) training ground in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, southwest of Paris on June 6, 2026, as part of the team's preparation for upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup football tournament. (AFP)

07:00-8 June 2026 AD ـ 22 Thul-Hijjah 1447 AH

France to Edge Out Spain for World Cup Glory, Economists Say

France will ‌beat Spain to lift the World Cup trophy on July 19 and five-time winners Brazil are expected to be the biggest flops, according to a Reuters survey of economists who said football was still harder to call than inflation.

For 160 respondents from nearly every continent, this poll conducted once every four years is a welcome break from their macroeconomic forecasting in an era of wars, energy shocks and revived "transitory" versus persistent inflation debates.

Their brief this time is the biggest World Cup yet - a 48-team tournament spanning 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico - the first staged across three countries.

Les Bleus drew 35% of the vote in the May 11-June 5 poll to add a third star to their badge, edging Spain on 31% - a result that would return Europe to the pinnacle of international football.

France's Didier Deschamps would become the first coach since Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo in 1938 to win two World Cups - and the only one ‌to do so ‌after also lifting the trophy as a player in 1998.

Argentina, reigning champions and top ‌of ⁠the current FIFA ⁠world rankings, Portugal and England rounded out the top five choices.

"After the disappointment of the 2022 final, France looks well equipped to go one better this time," said Cathal Kennedy, senior economist at RBC and based in London.

"The squad retains a number of members of the team that reached the final who are now reaching the peak of their careers, complemented by the emergence of some members of the Paris St Germain side."

"Added to that, they should have a well-rested Kylian Mbappe to call on for the tournament."

Mbappe, who just finished another prolific season at Real Madrid, was the poll’s pick for both the Golden Ball, awarded ⁠to the tournament’s best player, and the Golden Boot for top scorer.

He only just ‌pipped England captain Harry Kane, the European Golden Shoe winner after a ‌career-best 61-goal season with Bayern Munich.

There's likely another milestone within reach for both. Mbappe and Kane, on 12 and eight World Cup ‌goals respectively, are among those chasing German great Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16, along with Lionel Messi on ‌13.

BASIC INSTINCT

There were the dreamers. Two respondents picked Japan, one Mexico and one Morocco - any of which would make for a World Cup fairytale - among the 8% who said loyalty had guided their choices. An overwhelming 73% said they went with gut feeling.

"As with any model, the forecast was adjusted with a heavy dose of gut feel!" quipped Shannon Bold, senior economist at the Bureau of Economic Research ‌in Johannesburg.

Around 20% relied on data and models for their predictions. "The macroeconomists sat around together and created a house view," said Claudio Govender at RMB.

But for Brazil, the ⁠poll view was bleak.

Even Carlo ⁠Ancelotti’s arrival as coach has failed to lift confidence, with nearly a third picking the Selecao - quarter-final losers to Croatia in 2022 - as the biggest football powerhouse likely to disappoint, followed by England and Germany.

Norway, powered by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, may supply the drama - picked by 21% as the underdogs most likely to surprise, ahead of Japan on 15%.

The search for breakout stars was wide open. Respondents scattered their votes across 46 names, but Spain’s 18-year-old forward Lamine Yamal topped the list.

France’s Mike Maignan, Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez and Spain’s Unai Simon were among the favorites for the Golden Glove, awarded to the tournament’s best goalkeeper.

COSTLY CUP

Off the pitch, organizers face a daunting logistical test as millions of fans prepare to descend on North America, with affordability already a flashpoint. Expensive tickets, accommodation and cross-country travel have raised fears this could be the costliest World Cup yet for fans.

So much for the break from inflation.

Over 60% said 2026 inflation was still easier to forecast than football’s biggest prize - though recent years have made that a low bar.

"We know when the World Cup is going to end,” said Ozan Can Turkmen at Türkiye's Sekerbank. “On the other hand, the energy supply crisis..."

Ronaldo Puts Al-Nassr on Brink of Asian CL Playoffs while Toney Advances Al-Ahli

Ronaldo Puts Al-Nassr on Brink of Asian CL Playoffs while Toney Advances Al-Ahli

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World Cup by the Numbers: 104 Matches, 48 Teams and 3 Countries Make This the Largest Ever

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France to Edge Out Spain for World Cup Glory, Economists Say

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