Sports
Ronaldo scores twice on return | The Express Tribune
RIYADH:
Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return from a month-long injury layoff by scoring twice in the second half as Al Nassr maintained their winning run with a 5-2 victory over bottom side Al Najma in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
The Portuguese forward, sidelined since February, had missed Al Nassr’s previous two league matches and was also ruled out of Portugal’s friendlies against Mexico and the United States last month.
Al Najma, who have won only once in 27 league games, took a surprise lead a minute before halftime through Rakan Al Tulayhi.
Al Nassr responded swiftly, with Abdullah Al Hamdan and Sadio Mane scoring in first-half stoppage time to turn the match around.
The visitors drew level two minutes after the restart when Felippe Cardoso struck, but Al Nassr regained control when Ronaldo converted a penalty in the 56th minute.
The 41-year-old added his second in the 73rd minute before Mane sealed the win with a stoppage-time strike.
Earlier on Friday, Al-Ittihad claimed a 1-0 win at home against Al-Hazem despite having Moussa Diaby sent off after 34 minutes. Having been denied a penalty by VAR in the 66th minute, the reigning SPL champions took the lead six minutes later through Abdulrahman Al-Obud. Al-Ittihad now sit sixth in the table with 45 points from 27 matches. Al-Hazem are in 10th place with 31 points from the same number of matches.
In the day’s other match, Al-Kholood drew 2-2 with Khaleej Club with two first-half goals from Guga (9 minutes) and Abdulaziz Al-Elewai (37), the visitors’ first equalizer coming from a Konstantinos Fortounis penalty spot on 18 minutes. Khaleej grabbed a point thanks to a second leveller from Giorgos Masouras in the 85th minute.
The result leaves Al-Kholood in 14th place and Khaleej in 10th.
Al Nassr’s 13th consecutive league victory kept them top of the standings on 70 points, six clear of second-placed Al Hilal, who play Al Taawoun on Saturday.
Sports
Every team’s championship, group odds for the 2026 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup field is set, and many of the usual suspects are in the favorites conversation to win the tournament. Spain tops the odds board at +450, with France and England following at +600. Brazil and reigning champions Argentina round out the top five at +850.
Portugal (11-1), Germany (14-1) and the Netherlands (20-1) make up the next tier, with perennial contenders such as Belgium (35-1) and Colombia (40-1) also close behind. Some relative newcomers to the conversation include Norway (28-1) and Japan (50-1), which opened at 50-1 and 100-1, respectively, at some shops.
Meanwhile, the host nations sit longer with the USA at 65-1, Mexico at 70-1 and Canada at 200-1. The Americans are drawing a lot of outsized attention with U.S. sportsbooks, attracting 6.7% of the tickets and 4.9% of the handle at BetMGM to be one of the sportsbook’s largest liabilities, along with France (17.7% of handle) and England (14.3%).
There’s one very notable absence from the odds board: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive tournament after falling to Bosnia and Herzegovina (250-1) in the UEFA playoff. The Italians had ranked 10th on the board at 30-1 odds before they were eliminated from contention.
Here are all 48 teams’ odds to win their group, qualify from the group stage and advance through the knockout bracket to win the 2026 World Cup.
Odds subject to change, see DraftKings Sportsbook for more.
Sports
Chelsea’s Liam Rosenior: Enzo Fernández comments ‘not what people think’
Liam Rosenior has refused to be drawn on Enzo Fernández‘s agent’s criticism of Chelsea but insisted “things aren’t what people maybe think they are” regarding the player’s future.
Fernández was dropped for Saturday’s 7-0 FA Cup quarterfinal thrashing of League One strugglers Port Vale, but attended the game in support of his teammates.
The 25-year-old will also miss next weekend’s Premier League clash with Manchester City after twice casting doubt over his future, initially in an interview with ESPN Argentina after the club’s Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain.
Fernández went further when speaking during the international break, suggesting “I’d like to live in Spain, I really like Madrid” amid ongoing speculation over a possible move to Real Madrid.
He has a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2032 and sources have told ESPN they value Fernández in excess of £100 million ($132m).
Rosenior claimed Fernández had “crossed a line” and sanctioned the player with what is effectively a two-game ban.
However, Fernández’s agent Javier Pastore branded the decision “completely unfair.”
“We don’t understand the punishment because he doesn’t mention any club or say he wants to leave Chelsea,” Pastore said.
Asked about Pastore’s intervention, Rosenior said: “That’s his opinion. I don’t have anything to say on someone else’s opinion. Enzo knows what I think of him and it was brilliant to see him here to support the players today.
“We’ll move forward and make sure we have a really good run-in in the season.
“I said yesterday, the conversations I have with my individual players, with Enzo, with anyone in the squad when it comes to things like this, stay within.
1:21
Gibbs: Chelsea’s huge Port Vale win ‘a step in the right direction’
Kieran Gibbs reacts to Chelsea’s much-needed FA Cup win over Port Vale after an eventful week off the pitch.
“The dressing room is sacred. I made it really clear what I think of him as a person.
“He’s a top, top guy. But at the same time, I want us now to focus on the football and achieve what we want to achieve through the season.”
Rosenior was pushed to answer whether Fernández felt the suspension was unfair.
“In the right time, in the right moment, which isn’t now, going through what we’ve gone through, I’m sure the discussion will happen in terms of what’s been said between me and Enzo,” the Chelsea boss said.
“Enzo and I are in a very good place. I saw him today, had a really good conversation with him today one-to-one, and things aren’t what people maybe think they are.”
Chelsea eased to victory through goals from Jorrel Hato and João Pedro before an own goal from Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel put the Blues 3-0 up at the break.
– Enzo Fernández’s agent: Chelsea punishment ‘completely unfair’
– ‘Not a leader’ – John Obi Mikel slams Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández
– Chelsea hammer Port Vale 7-0 in FA Cup quarterfinal
Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos, Estêvão and an Alejandro Garnacho penalty ensured Chelsea reached the semifinals.
However, Rosenior revealed they had suffered a fresh injury blow after Jamie Gittens sustained another setback.
“Unfortunately, Jamie, in training yesterday, picked up what looks like a hamstring injury again,” Rosenior said.
“We have to scan him and make sure.
“It’s a real shame for him, I think it’s the third time it’s happened. We need to help him and we need to make sure he’s ok. I can’t give you a time frame on that at the moment.”
Sports
UConn dispatches Illinois to make third men’s national title game in four years
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The UConn Huskies men’s basketball team is headed back to the national championship game for the third time in the last four years after defeating the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Final Four.
The Huskies, who were leading by as much as 14 points, fended off a late 10-0 run from Illinois to keep their championship hopes alive. Tarris Reed Jr. ended the run with a lay-up in the paint, then a turnover led to a Solo Ball one-handed slam.
UConn forward Jayden Ross celebrates his shot against Illinois during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 4, 2026. (Abbie Parr/AP)
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
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