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Cristiano Ronaldo Ready for Asian Champions League Action Before a Milestone Birthday 

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Nassr v Al-Fateh - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 26, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Nassr v Al-Fateh - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 26, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
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Cristiano Ronaldo Ready for Asian Champions League Action Before a Milestone Birthday 

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Nassr v Al-Fateh - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 26, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Nassr v Al-Fateh - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 26, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the match. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo turns 40 on Wednesday but is showing few signs of slowing down as he prepares to lead Saudi club Al-Nassr against Al-Wasl in the Asian Football Confederation’s Champions League Elite.

The Portuguese star, who signed for the Riyadh club in Dec. 2022, leads the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 15 goals in 17 games.

If Ronaldo can reproduce that form in the continental tournament -- there are two games remaining in the group stage, from which his team has already qualified -- then Al-Nassr has a chance to become Asian champion for the first time.

“The best birthday gift for Ronaldo is to achieve victory against Al-Wasl,” Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli said ahead of the Monday meeting. “It is an important match for us and we want the three points.”

After winning the UEFA Champions League five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid, Ronaldo’s chances of winning a first Asian title have been bolstered with Al-Nassr's signing of Jhon Duran from English Premier League club Aston Villa last week.

According to reports in Saudi Arabia, Duran has already been registered in time to play against Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates.

“Duran is in good shape,” Pioli said. “We will decide how best to use him.”

The team will certainly be without former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, who is absent for personal reasons. There are also injury issues for another defender, Ali Lajami, as well as Portuguese midfielder Otavio.

Al-Nassr is in third place in the 12-team group, behind Saudi rivals Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli, both unbeaten after six games.

Al-Hilal has won four continental titles, more than any other Asian club. The Blues have lost Neymar ahead of their match against Persepolis of Iran. Brazil’s record scorer returned to South America last week after an injury-hit spell of just seven appearances in 18 months for Al-Hilal.

“We are looking forward to the game,” coach Jorge Jesus said. “Our ambitions are always to win at home and in Asia.”

Al-Ahli, with former English Premier League stars such as Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney, has the offensive strength to win the Champions League for the first time. The Jeddah club, currently second, heads to Qatar to take on Al-Sadd.

All 12 teams in the western zone — the tournament is split into two geographic halves until the quarterfinals — are in with a chance of finishing in the top eight and progressing to the knockout stage.

The eastern zone resumes next week.

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Bayern’s Neuer Out of Atalanta Tie with Calf Tear

06 March 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer warms up prior to the start of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Allianz Arena. (dpa)
06 March 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer warms up prior to the start of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Allianz Arena. (dpa)
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Bayern’s Neuer Out of Atalanta Tie with Calf Tear

06 March 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer warms up prior to the start of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Allianz Arena. (dpa)
06 March 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer warms up prior to the start of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Allianz Arena. (dpa)

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will miss his side's Champions League last-16 clash with Atalanta on Tuesday after picking up another calf injury.

Bayern said their captain suffered a "minor muscle tear" during the 4-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Friday.

Runaway leaders Bayern did not give a timeframe on Saturday for his return but German tabloid Bild reported Neuer will be out for two weeks. That means he would miss both legs against Atalanta as well as the Bundesliga match at Bayer Leverkusen.

Neuer, who turns 40 later this month, has already missed several matches with calf problems this season and was sidelined for 10 games last campaign with a similar injury.

The goalkeeper's deal at the German champions runs until the end of the season.

Neuer, who retired from international duty in August 2024, is yet to indicate whether he will try and stay on for another year.

Sports

Verstappen Baffled by Crash in Australian Grand Prix Qualifying

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands spins off the track during the qualifying session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands spins off the track during the qualifying session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP)
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Verstappen Baffled by Crash in Australian Grand Prix Qualifying

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands spins off the track during the qualifying session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands spins off the track during the qualifying session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP)

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen said Saturday he had never experienced anything like the crash that left him 20th on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman came out relatively late in the first qualifying session in Melbourne but didn't manage a single timed lap, spinning at speed and careening through the gravel into the barriers at Turn 1.

He clambered out of his Red Bull shaking his hand and wrist, but said he was okay after being checked by medics.

"I just hit the brakes and suddenly the rear axle just completely locked out of the blue," he told reporters on the eve of the season-opening race.

"I don't know why that happened or how that happened. I've never experienced something like that before in my career.

"The rear axle just completely locked on, then of course you can't save that anymore at that speed."

Verstappen said hitting the barrier was not too bad, but the steering wheel snapped out of his hands, which is why he went to get a medical check.

"But all good," he added.

Verstappen, the 2023 and 2024 pole-sitter, has his work cut out on Sunday with a near-impossible task ahead to salvage his weekend.

George Russell led a Mercedes 1-2 with teammate Kimi Antonelli, with the Briton almost a second faster than third-placed Isack Hadjar in the other Red Bull.

"I said in Bahrain (at pre-season testing) 'Let's wait and see in Melbourne, and you will see how fast they are'," Verstappen said of the Silver Arrows.

"So for me, that's not a surprise. We know that we have to improve the car to fight Mercedes."

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Ahead of F1’s 1st Race, Red Bull Welcomes 21-Year-Old Hadjar to the Hot Seat with Verstappen

Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 5, 2026 Red Bull's Isack Hadjar during the photoshoot ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 5, 2026 Red Bull's Isack Hadjar during the photoshoot ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. (Reuters)
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Ahead of F1’s 1st Race, Red Bull Welcomes 21-Year-Old Hadjar to the Hot Seat with Verstappen

Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 5, 2026 Red Bull's Isack Hadjar during the photoshoot ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 5, 2026 Red Bull's Isack Hadjar during the photoshoot ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. (Reuters)

Isack Hadjar has no lack of confidence going into his debut season at Red Bull Racing, despite having arguably the most difficult ride in Formula 1.

On the eve of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the 21-year-old French driver said he expects to win a race in his first season with the team while squaring up against teammate and four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

It seems incongruous for him to say it, given Hadjar is only going into his second season of F1 and Red Bull doesn’t appear to have a major pace advantage heading into Sunday's race at Albert Park in Melbourne.

To add to Hadjar's challenge is that Verstappen has gone through four teammates in about 15 months.

One of them, Sergio Pérez, said in January that being Verstappen's teammate was "the worst job there is in Formula 1." Pérez was beside Verstappen for four years at Red Bull before being dropped at the end of 2024 with two years left in his contract. Pérez is returning to F1 this year with new team Cadillac.

Still, Hadjar is putting the off-track talk aside, saying the team is set to surprise everyone with the pace of the RB22 car.

"I would say I’m confident in our race car, what we can do in the race, a bit less probably on one lap pace," Hadjar told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview. "But if we’re going to surprise people it’s definitely in a good way."

Hadjar said he was stunned by the competitiveness of Red Bull’s new power unit, an endlessly complex technical project.

"I was very happily surprised with the reliability and drivability of the engine," Hadjar said. "I know that I can’t make engines, but I know what it requires to make something smooth to drive. And to do it in 3 1-2 years, start the project so late and (then) make it so well is so impressive."

Also impressive is Hadjar himself, who came back from an embarrassing formation lap crash on debut during last year’s Australian GP to score points at 10 of 24 races, including a third place at the Dutch Grand Prix, the fifth-youngest podium finisher in F1 history.

Hadjar will also benefit from having the same team boss, Laurent Mekies, who also made the step from Racing Bulls to replace Christian Horner at Red Bull last year in the aftermath of Horner's exit in the days following the British Grand Prix last July.

"Yeah, it’s good, not much change for me," Hadjar said. "I know him (Mekies) quite well, made my debut in F1 with him, we had some very good moments. So, it’s good not to step into unknown territory, so it’s good to keep going on the way I started F1."

One change Hadjar has made is important — a geographical one. He moved from Faenza, Italy where he was close to Racing Bulls to London to be closer to Red Bull Racing’s Milton Keyes operation. He’ll need all the help he can get to take on Verstappen in the same team.

As always, Hadjar is confident and looking forward to the challenge.

"I’m just happy, at my age, to be able to see what it’s like to be next to the best driver on the grid," Hadjar said, "with the same material and see what I can do, and just learn from him.

"Yeah, I’m just happy. And lucky."