All posts by h716a5.icu

A former Saudi Arabian sports minister has unleashed a withering assessment of the Saudi Pro League, claiming Cristiano Ronaldo is the only foreign player in the competition justifying their wages. Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad lauded Ronaldo's unparalleled ability to bring global exposure to the league. The 40-year-old extended his stay in the country when he signed a new two-year deal with Al-Nassr in the summer.

Former minister claims Ronaldo only player to justify wage

Bin Mosaad served as the country's sports minister between 2014 and 2017, before Mohamed Bin Salman's administration began heavily investing in sports projects including the SPL.

The politician was speaking on Arab-language channel Al-Arabiya, when he was asked about his opinion on record-chasing striker Ronaldo. Bin Mosaad was effusive in his praise of the 40-year-old Portugal star, while also taking a swipe at his well-paid peers. 

Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January 2023, after his second spell with Manchester United ended in acrimony. His high-profile switch to the Gulf state paved the way for a host of prominent players such as Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez to leave European football for the promise of higher wages.

The former Real Madrid and Juventus star's stay in the kingdom was extended earlier this year, with Ronaldo signing an improved deal worth a reported $211m-per-year.

AdvertisementGettyRonaldo's global impact for Saudi Pro League praised

"Ronaldo is the only foreign player worth what he earns because of the global exposure he brings to the league and the country. Many others are paid far more than they deserve," said Bin Mosaad.

"The international renown that Ronaldo brings is unparalleled. He is the only foreign player whose impact justifies the level of his salary. No one else has done that for the league."

Prince Abdullah's words reflect the fact that Ronaldo is more than simply a footballer in Saudi Arabia, he is a sporting icon and an ambassador for the SPL and the nation's push for sporting excellence as a whole. The levels of sponsorship and commercial revenue that the Portuguese frontman brings to the country are impossible to match, and, on top of all of that, he continues to do the business and justify his salary on the pitch, too.

Ronaldo continues to star in Saudi in twilight of career

The 40-year-old stunned fans once again last weekend as he scored a stunning bicycle kick to put Al-Nassr 4-1 up on Al Khaleej in the Saudi Pro League. He has already struck 11 goals in 12 matches this campaign, backing up Prince Abdullah's claims. But even the great man Ronaldo himself concedes that he is reaching the latter stages of his illustrious career.

He recently said: "I'm really enjoying the moment right now. As you know, in football, when you reach some age, you count the months very quick. I feel very good in this moment. I score goals, I still feel quick and sharp. I'm enjoying my game in the national team. But of course, let's be honest. What I mean by soon is probably one or two years."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesRonaldo counting down to World Cup

Bin Mosaad's comments reflect the fact that Ronaldo is a global icon of the sort that the Saudi Pro League has never seen before and might never see again. He continues to appear head and shoulders above opponents and will hope to show his world-class ability again for what could be the last-ever time at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Portugal captain has avoided a ban for the start of the competition, following the confirmation that his red card against the Republic of Ireland during the most recent international break will not carry over into the tournament. Next summer's edition is set to be Ronaldo's sixth World Cup, with the trophy representing the elusive major honour that the great man has failed to secure in his career to date. His red-hot form in Saudi will stand him in good stead as he aims to make a massive impact on the tournament.

Labels and expectations have dogged the South Africa captain through his career, but he’s over them now

Firdose Moonda09-Jun-2025Don’t tell anyone but maybe, quietly, and very, very privately, Temba Bavuma is getting excited for the next few days.And why the hell not? On Wednesday, he will lead South Africa out at Lord’s for their first World Test Championship final, one they reached powered by team spirit.His is not a side filled with superstars, he is rarely listed among the great Test captains, and South Africa are not in the Big Three. But here they are, greater than the sum of their parts, punching above their weight, and – if you listen carefully to the outside noise – showing what’s possible for cricket outside of the India-England-Australia axis. Those are massive responsibilities to shoulder, but no bigger than those Bavuma has already hefted.”I don’t allow myself to get caught up in all the emotion about it, because I guess I know there’s a lot more important and bigger things out there,” Bavuma said before South Africa left for the UK. “I’ve accepted what comes with being in the presence of the national team. There’s good that comes with that and there’s the negative that comes with it.”Related

Bavuma: Picking Ngidi over Paterson 'tactical'

Imperfect World Test Championship still manages to stoke five-day fires

Conrad on SA's C-word tag: 'Unfair to burden this group with anything that's gone before'

Philander: SA shouldn't be hasty with 'fantastic leader' Bavuma

Australia line up title defence after 13 wins in 19 Tests

So here we go again, with the story of how South African sport is always about more than the game: from how it was used as a political tool, in support of and as resistance against apartheid, to how it serves to provide hope to a nation filled with socioeconomic problems. Now you also know what we know: that it matters and it matters so damn much.Bavuma has lived some of this and he has lived it intensely for almost a decade. His Test debut in 2014, as the first black African batter to play for South Africa, was one thing but it was the century he scored against England in Cape Town in 2016 that opened the door to expectations that he may never be able to shut.”The first time I really came across that [the bigger responsibility of being a black African player in the South African team] was when I scored my first international hundred,” he said. “One of the articles you wrote – the headline was ‘Temba Bavuma: a product of transformation’ [it was “Africa applauds a son of transformation”]. At that point, I wasn’t super clued up about transformation and all of that, and when it was introduced at that moment, I struggled to accept it. A couple of years later, I see the positivity in it, but I also see how the narrative kept following me through the good and the bad of my career.”Maybe the media was wrong to create that narrative, but it seemed unavoidable, especially as it came a few years after Cricket South Africa introduced a quota specifically for black African players, and mere months after a group of black African players complained about the way they had been treated by CSA. More recently, Bavuma has played (and captained) in the shadow of the Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings, which threatened to tear South African cricket apart. Having gone through all that, he also knows that the discussion about race can never be totally avoided.”I’m not emotional about it. We [black African players] accept if we don’t score runs in two or three games, you’re going to be called certain names. You accept that even if you do well, there will be people who will be questioning why you are in the team or why you are leading the team.Since the start of December 2019, Bavuma has scored nearly 1800 Test runs at 48.4•Gallo Images/Getty Images”The bigger responsibility is to try and carry yourself with dignity so that other black players who are batters, who hopefully also become leaders, don’t see it as a burden being within the Proteas team. I don’t think that’s really going to change.”But it’s starting to. Last summer, when Bavuma was the leading run-scorer in the home series against Sri Lanka and finished with two centuries in four Tests, he talked about finally being able to be spoken of, and to, as just Bavuma the cricketer and captain, titles he felt he’d earned a few years prior.”If I look at the last four or five years in Test cricket, I think I’ve been more than a solid performer. I’ve probably scored the most runs within the team. My average has been up there,” he said.He’s right. Since December 2019, in a period of lean batting, Bavuma has been South Africa’s leading run-scorer in Tests and averages close to 50. Is it a case of those numbers not being celebrated as much as they should?”I try not to live off what the hype is out there,” Bavuma said. “If the stats are telling a different story to what people are saying, then why should I really worry about people who are trying to find things that aren’t really there? Maybe the difference now is that I’ve started to score 100-plus scores and that’s probably given a lot more confidence to people. But in terms of actual run-scoring, I’ve been doing it for the last four to five years. I find myself in the ICC’s top ten – that doesn’t happen over a space of six months, so I’ve obviously grown as a batter, I’ve grown as a player, as well as a leader.”Bavuma is currently sixth on the ICC’s Test rankings and even that is barely spoken about, but it points to someone who is both consistent and in form, which are two labels hardly ever pinned on him. Why is that?Shukri Conrad’s presence as South Africa’s Test coach has helped the players just focus on their game, says Bavuma, and “not worry about the peripheral stuff that in the past we’ve allowed to poison our culture”•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesIt may be that the seven-year gap between his first and second Test hundreds was long enough to cause people to doubt him. It may also be that his poor form in T20I cricket (where he was also captain till early 2023) was conflated with his ability as a Test player. Whatever it is, Bavuma is now over it and happy to say so.”My career has been an incredible one for me, not from a statistical point of view, but from the experiences I’ve had. With all the things I’ve gone through, all the things I’ve managed to overcome, you almost get to a point where you feel like it can’t get any worse” he said. “I’ve been disappointed. I’ve been rejected. I’ve been embarrassed. So I don’t feel like there’s anything that can really be any worse than what I’ve gone through. And I take a lot of belief and comfort in the fact that here I am, I’m still standing stronger than ever. I believe that I have whatever it takes mentally to deal with whatever comes my way. The acceptance comes from that.”He reached that point when he began to see that being the Test captain didn’t have to be all-consuming. The realisation came around the time he welcomed his first child and was replaced as the T20I captain. That was also the time when current Test coach Shukri Conrad took charge.”In the earlier parts of my leadership, I tried to take on a lot of responsibility because when I came in as a captain, there was a lot of turmoil happening in the team off the field. I allowed myself to get caught up in all of that and didn’t pay due diligence to me as the batter, as the player,” he said.”Now, as much as I’m a team player, I’m not insecure in allowing other guys to lead within the space. Working with a guy like Shukri has really made it simple and easy for players to just play their cricket, not worry about all the other external or peripheral stuff that in the past we’ve kind of allowed to filter and poison our culture. Players are in a space where they can just play their best cricket.”Conrad’s mantra of “this is going to look different” has given South Africa the freedom to dream while also setting a standard. It also has its foundations in respecting the work-life balance of a player, which, in Bavuma’s case, includes fatherhood, a milestone that has changed his perspective about what’s important.Tony de Zorzi (left) and Tristan Stubbs were two of three South Africa batters to score debut hundreds in the Chattogram Test last year•AFP/Getty Images”Growing up, cricket’s obviously always been the main thing. You’d hear the older guys saying that cricket is not everything, but as a young guy that’s all you ever knew. Now I have a different, stronger purpose in a child and really understand that whether I score 100, whether I score 50, whether I don’t score runs, it doesn’t change how that little guy looks at me.”Bavuma’s son, Lihle, is 21 months old and he won’t be making the trip to London. Neither will his wife, Phila, who is taking exams in architecture. But Bavuma’s parents and siblings will be in attendance to watch the culmination of a journey that only properly began after South Africa’s disastrous tour of New Zealand with an under-strength side in February 2024. They lost that 0-2 and then had to win seven out of their eight remaining Tests to qualify for the final.In August, they won 1-0 in the West Indies, but they only really started to believe they had a chance when they were in Bangladesh in October. Bavuma was out injured but still part of the travelling party.”We had a very inexperienced side in foreign conditions, against a team that can be very competitive in their own conditions,” Bavuma said. “And you look at the performances there. Kyle Verreynne scored a hundred in the first Test, KG [Rabada] took a five-for – that’s never easy as a seamer in the subcontinent. And then in the second Test, you had Tony [de Zorzi], Stubbo [Tristan Stubbs], Wiaan Mulder, who is really starting to live up to the expectation that he came in with as a 20-year old, and Senuran Muthusamy as well. He came in as almost a super sub in the game, scored runs and took wickets as well. For me, it was almost like the turning point.”With debut hundreds from de Zorzi, Stubbs and Mulder in Chattogram, South Africa proved to themselves they could bat big, an asset missing from their arsenal before. From there, they had to beat Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home, which they did, and what had seemed to be a long shot a year before – reaching the final – became reality.”We don’t have the wealth of experience that the Australians have, but we’ve got a bunch of guys who play for each other. We believe our chances are 50-50″•ICC via Getty ImagesBavuma admitted to hiding in the toilet when the winning runs were hit against Pakistan in Centurion late last year, too nervous to watch but quietly hopeful.”You obviously have to be optimistic, in whatever challenge or campaign that you start,” he said. “We set the vision as a team as to what we wanted to achieve but a lot of it at the beginning was just trying to find the best make-up of our team. We used quite a lot of players and then without even knowing, we kind of started ticking off a lot of milestones, beating different countries in different conditions, having young guys stepping up and putting in match-winning performances. Along the way, we were still kind of trying to find our philosophy as a team. What was always there within the group was just this willingness to win, this willingness to play with each other and this willingness to just find a way to make sure that things go our way.”Now, they are one step from the summit against the defending champions. Some former players have indicated that South Africa don’t deserve to be there, and they know they go in as underdogs.”We don’t have the superstars,” Bavuma said. “We don’t have the wealth of experience that the Australians have, but we’ve got a group of guys who are super determined to make sure that the result is in our favour. We’ve got a bunch of guys who play for each other. We’ve got a bunch of guys who are desperate to be the man for the occasion. We know we’re coming up against a strong, experienced side in Australia, but we believe our chances are 50-50.”Those odds will be different depending on who you ask, but what isn’t in dispute is that this final is the most important match of the careers of these South African players, and Bavuma in particular.”It will probably be the biggest thing in my career. I grew up wanting to play Test cricket, so now I have an actual opportunity to be in the Test final, but also to lead the team as well. I don’t think it gets bigger than that. What gets bigger than that is obviously winning it. What gets bigger than winning it is winning another one. At this point in time, that’s probably the biggest thing in my career.”And that is worth getting excited about.

Leeds United need to improve their offensive output if they want to stand a chance of avoiding an instant relegation from the Premier League this season.

Last season, every team that avoided the drop scored at least 42 goals, with Spurs in 17th place scoring 64 times, whilst all three of the teams that went down averaged less than a goal per game.

The Whites are currently in the middle of that, with 11 goals in 11 matches in the Premier League, which shows that they need to improve their output at the top end of the pitch.

11 games into the season, no Leeds player has scored more than two goals in the division, with three players leading the way for goals, and that needs to change in the coming weeks.

25/26

Noah Okafor

Joe Rodon

Lukas Nmecha

2

22/23

Rodrigo

13

21/22

Raphinha

11

20/21

Patrick Bamford

17

As you can see in the table above, at least one player hit double figures for goals in each of the three seasons that the club were in the Premier League during their last stint.

In their run in the division before that, Australian forward Mark Viduka hit double figures in four successive seasons, including 17 and 20-goal hauls in two of them, per Transfermarkt.

Why Leeds need to sign a new centre-forward

Leeds need to sign a new centre-forward to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch in the January transfer window because none of their current options look likely to be their next Viduka.

As aforementioned, no one in the squad has scored more than two goals in the Premier League after 11 matches, and summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a particular disappointment so far this term.

The experienced number nine, who was signed on a free transfer from Everton in the summer, is reportedly the highest earner in the squad on £100k-per-week, but has not done enough on the pitch to justify that.

25/26

1.62

1

24/25

8.85

3

23/24

13.63

7

22/23

6.50

2

21/22

6.22

5

20/21

18.21

16

19/20

16.11

13

18/19

6.17

6

17/18

5.44

4

16/17

1.25

1

As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin has historically been a poor finisher in the Premier League, mostly for Everton, and arrived at Elland Road in the summer off the back of four successive seasons without scoring more than seven goals in a league campaign.

It should, therefore, not be a surprise that he has struggled for form for the Whites in front of goal, with one goal and ten ‘big chances’ missed in all competitions so far this season, per Sofascore.

Nmecha, meanwhile, has scored two Premier League goals this season, but has not scored more than eight goals in a league season, per Sofascore, since he plundered 18 goals in the Pro League for Anderlecht in the 2020/21 campaign.

Leeds plotting move for new striker

The unlikelihood of Calvert-Lewin or Nmecha pushing on to hit double figures for goals in the Premier League has reportedly prompted the club to pursue another option in their position.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to TEAMtalk, the club recognise that they let Daniel Farke down in the summer transfer window and plan to rectify that mistake by adding more firepower to his squad in January.

The report claims that Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda is one of the players they are plotting a possible move for, alongside Coventry’s Haji Wright, AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott, and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia.

It adds that the Scottish Premiership forward has told the Hoops of his desire to move on from Parkhead in the next transfer window, which will come as a boost to Leeds, as well as Everton and Brentford, who are said to be leading the race for his signature.

Maeda was reportedly valued at around £21m by Celtic in the summer, amid interest in his services at the time, but it remains to be seen if that valuation has changed ahead of January.

Why Daizen Maeda could be Leeds United's new Mark Viduka

As aforementioned, Viduka had great success in the Premier League during his time at Elland Road, with 72 goals in 166 matches in all competitions for the club, per Transfermarkt.

That impressive form for the Whites came after he made a move from Celtic, where, per Transfermarkt, he scored an eye-catching 27 goals in 37 games in the 99/00 season, before his switch to West Yorkshire in the summer of 2000.

Maeda, who is currently shining for Celtic, could follow in Viduka’s footsteps by making a similar move to be a goalscoring sensation for Leeds in the second half of this season, and beyond.

The Japanese forward, who can play on either wing or as a number nine, scored 33 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Transfermarkt, and has scored four goals so far this term.

These statistics show that Maeda has been an incredibly prolific goalscorer for the Scottish giants, which is exactly what Leeds are lacking in their current squad.

xG

12.76

Top 1%

Goals

16

Top 1%

xA

5.99

Top 6%

Assists

10

Top 1%

Duels won

104

Top 23%

Tackles won

44

Top 6%

Possession won in the final third

13

Top 16%

Perhaps most interestingly, though, the Japan international ranked within the top 16% of his positional peers in the Premiership last season for winning possession back in the final third, despite Celtic being an incredibly dominant team who won the title.

At Leeds, Maeda would be in a team that is under pressure a lot in matches, as they are fighting relegation, which would give him even more opportunities to use his incredible pressing skills and speed to win the ball off the opposition to spark counter-attacks.

The Celtic star, who ex-Rangers boss Barry Ferguson claimed is “built like a brick”, could be the perfect signing for Leeds because he has the goalscoring record to suggest that he can provide the threat that they are currently missing, whilst also possessing the out-of-possession attributes that you need a player to have in a relegation scrap.

Maeda’s relentless running and pressing could be invaluable to the Whites as they battle to avoid the drop, and his goalscoring quality could make him Viduka 2.0 at Elland Road.

Raphinha repeat: 49ers keen on signing "generational" £79m star for Leeds

Leeds United are lining up a January swoop for a star who could be as exciting a signing as Raphinha once was.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

Fast bowler’s workload to be managed in lead-up to Perth Test, in less than a month’s time

Cameron Ponsonby22-Oct-2025Jofra Archer will miss the opening ODI against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, as England ramp up their fast-bowling preparations for the Ashes.Archer returned to Test cricket in spectacular style this summer, after spending over four years on the sidelines with injury. There is no suggestion that he is missing the opening ODI through injury, rather that England are continuing their strategy of micromanaging one of their star players’ programmes in an attempt to have him fit for as much of the Ashes as possible.Archer, who had already been rested from the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, will arrive in the country on Thursday alongside fellow quicks Mark Wood and Josh Tongue as England’s fast-bowling pack begin their conditioning before the Perth Test in just over four weeks’ time.England will face criticism from some quarters for only scheduling one warm-up fixture ahead of the Ashes, against the Lions in Perth the week before the first Test. However, they have been ultra-attentive to their fast bowlers’ preparations, with the entire Test fast-bowling group, Ben Stokes included, set to join up with the Lions from November 2 – a week in advance of the rest of the group.Of the seven fast bowlers in England’s Ashes squad, only Brydon Carse and Archer are playing any role in the white-ball series against New Zealand. However, Gus Atkinson has been with the squad for close to a week, working on his own individual preparations, with Wood and Tongue set to join him in their own training.”We’ve worked so hard to get to this point,” managing director Rob Key said in September about England’s fast-bowling group who – Wood’s final steps towards full fitness pending – are close to reporting a full bill of health. “It is the last little step. So we get this bit right and hopefully we have every option available to us going into that first Test in Perth.”Of England’s battery of fast bowlers, only Matthew Potts will not spend any time in New Zealand leading up to the England Lions camp, with Stokes expected to visit family in New Zealand before the group meets. Potts’ delayed arrival is due to him playing all three of Durham’s final matches in the County Championship in September.Related

Moores hails 'box office' Tongue as Notts close in on title

Mark Wood 'quietly confident' about fitness ahead of Ashes opener

Curran comes in from the cold with several points to prove

Salt, Brook fireworks set up crushing England win

Treats amid the treadmills fuel England's white-ball hunger

Archer’s absence from the opening ODI in Mount Maunganui means he will not return to the ground which is often associated with the start of his injury problems. In only his fifth Test match for England, Archer bowled 42 overs in an innings as New Zealand racked up 615 for nine. It was a figure that James Anderson only bettered once in his career when he bowled 44 overs against South Africa in 2008, while Stuart Broad only ever bowled a maximum of 36. Archer first reported elbow pain a little over a month later.During that same fixture in 2019, Archer was also subjected to racial abuse by a member of the crowd. The spectator in question was subsequently caught and banned from attending cricket for two years.England decide against naming XI ahead of final T20England broke from convention as they opted against publicly naming their XI a day out from the third and final T20I at Eden Park.In both Test and white-ball cricket, England have become accustomed to putting out their team early. However, with plenty of rain around in Auckland, there is doubt over the balance of the XI England will go with.Eden Park, an iconic stadium that is synonymous with All Blacks rugby, is an unusual ground for cricket with the straight boundaries particularly short. This is a factor that, combined with the damp conditions, may lead to England selecting an extra seamer rather than picking two specialist spinners in Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid.”It can sometimes be a bit mickey mouse at Eden Park,” Black Caps wicketkeeper Tim Seifert told the press in Auckland. “250 can be a par score. It’ll be interesting to see what the wicket plays like and we’ve just got to adapt to whatever we play on.”

Gavin Larsen is empowered to brief, advise, collaborate with, and challenge the NZ head coach Rob Walter, who retains the ultimate decision-making authority

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2025Gavin Larsen has been appointed selection manager of New Zealand men, filling the gap left by the departure of Sam Wells. Larsen, in conjunction with head coach Rob Walter, will be responsible for selecting the New Zealand men’s senior team, and the New Zealand A and New Zealand XI squads.”I feel absolutely honoured to be stepping back into the BlackCaps and the national high performance environment,” Larsen said. “I’m hugely passionate about cricket in this country and to be given another opportunity to contribute at the highest level is really exciting. I can’t wait to get started this summer and hopefully help play a part in continuing the success of the BlackCaps.”Larsen, who played eight Tests and 121 ODIs for New Zealand as a medium pacer between 1990 and 1999, was the chief executive of Cricket Wellington and the cricket operations manager ahead of the 2015 ODI World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand, before being appointed New Zealand’s selection manager from 2015 to 2023. He then took on the role of performance director at Warwickshire County Cricket Club before returning to New Zealand and accepting the role of commercial manager for basketball team Nelson Giants.

“While Rob will make the final decisions as the chief selector, we want Gav preparing him with as much intel as possible, and challenging his thinking and decisions. This requires a strong relationship between the two parties and we’re confident Gav has the soft skills, and the acumen to make it work”Daryl Gibson, NZC chief high-performance officer

NZC chief high-performance officer Daryl Gibson said Larsen would be responsible for managing the selection processes as well as working with domestic scouts and the major association coaches to stay up to date on the domestic scene.”Gavin’s familiarity with the role and his understanding of the requirements played an important part in his appointment,” Gibson said. “But we were also impressed with his passion and energy, and his desire to get back into the game and help make a difference.”Gibson confirmed that the selection model would remain unchanged, with Larsen empowered to brief, advise, collaborate with, and challenge Walter, who retains the ultimate decision-making authority.”While Rob will make the final decisions as the chief selector, we want Gav preparing him with as much intel as possible, and challenging his thinking and decisions,” Gibson said. “This requires a strong relationship between the two parties and we’re confident Gav has the soft skills, and the acumen to make it work.”Larsen will begin his role officially on November 3.

The Pakistan batter was arrested on suspicion of rape by the Greater Manchester Police in the UK last month

Danyal Rasool04-Sep-2025The investigation into Pakistan cricketer Haider Ali, who was arrested on suspicion of rape by the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in the UK last month, has been closed, with all charges against the player dropped. Haider, who had been released on bail following his arrest, is now free to leave the UK.”We always take allegations of this nature very seriously and will assess each incident thoroughly,” the GMP told ESPNcricinfo. “Following a comprehensive review of all available evidence, the investigation has been closed at this time. Should any further information come to light, we would review the material and case again appropriately.”Related

Haider Ali under criminal investigation in the UK, suspended by the PCB

Haider Ali arrested and granted bail after report of alleged rape

Haider, 24, was part of a tour by the Shaheens – effectively a Pakistan A side – to the UK, playing matches against a select XI in Beckenham and Hove. During a game on August 3, GMP officers arrived at the ground in Beckenham, where Haider was arrested during the game. According to a GMP statement at the time, the alleged offence leading to the arrest had occurred in Manchester on July 23, the day after the Shaheens’ first tour game, which Haider played. Haider was bailed at the time and the alleged victim was being “supported by officers”.The PCB confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that charges against Haider had been dropped. At the time of his arrest, the PCB had put out a statement saying it “reserve[d] the right to take appropriate action under its Code of Conduct, if necessary”.ESPNcricinfo understands a decision on whether to take action against Haider has not been made yet, with the PCB waiting on the player to return to Pakistan before it takes a decision.Haider has played two ODIs and 35 T20Is for Pakistan. Initially feted as a destructive hitter, he burnished his reputation with standout performances in the PSL with Peshawar Zalmi in 2020, when he scored 239 runs at a strike rate of 157.23. He was called up to the national side later that year, his international debut coming in a T20I game in Manchester, where he scored a 33-ball 54 as Pakistan won by five runs.Inconsistency has dogged him since, and he has repeatedly found himself in and out of the Pakistan side. However, his talent and explosiveness have kept him in international contention, and the current Shaheens tour was widely viewed as an opportunity to reintegrate a player whose batting approach aligns with the aggressive style Pakistan’s current T20 set-up has made no secret it wants to pursue.

Well, it appears that Liverpool are back in their biannual rut. Just as the Anfield side have shown themselves to be capable of hitting staggering heights over the past decade or so, they have also battled through several challenging campaigns in recent years.

This is, sadly, a crisis for Arne Slot, whose tactics aren’t working after a summer transfer window of sweeping change.

The likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have been disappointing, and no mistake. However, Liverpool’s wider systematic issues have made it difficult for such players to bed in.

Could it be that, against the cascade of arrivals on Merseyside, sporting director Richard Hughes oversaw one too many sales too?

How Luis Diaz has sparkled at Bayern Munich

After 11 Premier League fixtures this season, Liverpool are eighth in the standings. It is not so much Arsenal’s eight-point advantage over last year’s champions as the difference in fluency and solidity that has made the gulf insurmountable.

The upheaval could have been eased, to be sure, had certain measures not been taken this summer. For example, it was probably a mistake to have sold Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich. He has been rampant since moving to Germany, scoring 11 goals in his first 17 matches.

The 28-year-old had stepped toward the penultimate year of his contract at Anfield, and despite efforts to spark a renewal, it became clear from all parties that a deal could be struck if Liverpool’s valuation was met.

And it was. The Bundesliga champions paid £65.5m for the versatile forward; the money was good, but Liverpool lost a winger who scored 17 goals and provided eight assists last season, and offered so much pressing impact and tenacity, both on and off the ball.

However, Diaz’s departure was an understandable one, given the circumstances, and there’s another Redman whose efforts overseas this season have shown that Slot and co made a big error in letting him leave.

Hughes made a bigger mistake than selling Diaz

Liverpool are bound to smooth out the creases in Slot’s side at some stage, but there’s no escaping the fact that it hasn’t been good enough this season.

Out of the Carabao Cup and facing a fight for Champions League qualification, let alone the Premier League title, Liverpool have a whole host of problems, but there’s unquestionably been something missing in central midfield, and Tyler Morton might have been able to do something about it, had he not been sold to Lyon in France for around £15m in August.

Hailed for his “incredible IQ” by journalist Bence Bocsak, the 23-year-old Morton is a creative and enterprising midfielder, industrious in his work ethic and more than happy to cover ground across the engine room, working hard to protect the defence and win back the ball before driving it forward and into the danger area.

He is early into his career with Lyon in Ligue 1, but the Wallasey-born midfielder has demonstrated remarkable confidence and maturity to make headway after a difficult, peripheral year under Slot’s wing, commenting since leaving that he didn’t “feel the trust” from the Dutch coach, not handed a single minute in the Premier League.

Matches (starts)

11 (11)

Goals

1

Assists

1

Touches*

63.1

Accurate passes*

40.0 (86%)

Chances created*

1.3

Dribble (success)*

0.6 (70%)

Recoveries

4.2

Tackles + interceptions*

2.4

Ground duels won*

3.2 (61%)

His league form so far this season would suggest that a mistake has been made, especially when considering Slot’s reluctance to play veteran Wataru Endo.

With Morton so early into his career and without the top experience of many ahead of him, there’s so much reason for Lyon to be excited about this talent and where he might take them.

Not Liverpool, though. Morton has been released from the books, and this might just come back to bite Slot, with the homegrown star’s sale more puzzling than that of the 28-year-old Diaz, who wanted to leave.

Liverpool star is quickly becoming their biggest "disaster" since Keita

Arne Slot has a Naby Keita-style situation on his hands with this expensive Liverpool flop.

2 ByKelan Sarson Nov 13, 2025

Mauricio Pochettino made it loud and clear that the USMNT are about the collective rather than the individuals after Sebastian Berhalter and Alex Freeman stepped up with breakout performances.

TAMPA, Fla. – Mauricio Pochettino's press conference wasn't indicative of a 5-1 win. There was no celebration and, in truth, no joy. It was, in a word, feisty, as the U.S. manager laid down a marker for players, media, and fans. It was, in that sense, a challenge for everyone to recognize that the U.S. Men's National Team is a squad, not a select group of individuals.

Pochettino fought back against the idea of "regulars". Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tim Weah, among others, weren't here, for sure, but, on Tuesday, it was the USMNT that beat Uruguay. Regardless of who wears the shirt, who's in the team, or who scores the goals, it's the USMNT. Nothing changes.

"I don't want to be negative, but I hate that: 'no regular players'," Pochettino said. "What this means is that the USA is playing, the national team. We have to stop with that mindset. Every time that we make our decision and pick our starting XI, the U.S. Men's National Team is playing. I think after one year, you need to really know me and that I hate to talk this way. It's disrespectful. I think we need to give credit to all of the guys who were involved today."

That message, quite clearly, resonates. After making nine changes following the win over Paraguay, Pochettino's USMNT came to play. They scored four first-half goals and one in the second to stun an overmatched Uruguay, outplaying them at every turn. It was, in a word, relentless.

Over the last few months, Pochettino hasn't built an XI; he's built a pool. Every player in that pool, quite clearly, believes they have a chance at the World Cup. On Tuesday, that belief helped create the USMNT's best result of the Pochettino era, one that allowed them to close the year on a high.

"This is his first year and a half, and knowing how he built this roster, he's had this team here to be intense and be able to compete," Alex Freeman said after the match. "It feels good for all of us to have that connection. We know that, every game, every part of it is going to be intense. I feel like we're all building connections, and we're going to build right into the next games and then the World Cup.

"Knowing we've had these outcomes lately, we've [gone unbeaten] in five games against top 40 teams, so that shows we're a team that's hard to beat. No matter what competition we go against, we're hard to beat."

That's the big takeaway from Tuesday: the USMNT, as a whole, has become tough to play against and, with the World Cup looming, there's plenty for Pochettino and his staff to be happy about.

"That's the main thing that we've been focused on, is [building] that DNA, and that grit, that hard-working mentality, because that's us, that's us as a country, and that's us as a team," Diego Luna told

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Raymond James Stadium…

AFPWINNER: Sebastian Berhalter

Set pieces, set pieces, set pieces – they're important after all. It helps when you have someone who is apparently very good at them, and Berhalter might actually be just that. 

In a matter of minutes, Berhalter scored one from a set piece and set one up with a perfectly hit corner. It's the type of danger Berhalter has shown he can bring, but in truth, Berhalter had never shown anything quite like this even at his best in MLS. 

Up first was the free kick. Positioned on the left-hand side, Berhalter played it short to Sergino Dest, who laid it off right back to him. The Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder proceeded to smash a shot right into the back of the net, netting his first international goal. The celebrations after were emphatic, but Berhalter wasn't done. Just four minutes later, Berhalter whipped in a corner kick right to a wide-open Freeman, and the Orlando City star did the rest to make it 2-0.

"We wanted to make a statement," Berhalter said postgame. "We wanted to show what U.S. Soccer is about. We had a chance to go out here and give everything we had and show that we're ready."

Two goals in four minutes, and for a player fighting for a World Cup spot, this was a hell of a statement. It will surely leave Pochettino pleased. Berhalter has already shown he can bring the fight; now he's shown he can bring some goals, too, against an excellent Uruguay team.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Cristopher Fiermarin

Uruguay are looking for a goalkeeper. That much was made clear by their call-ups this month. In total, the group had eight caps between them heading into these games. After watching Santiago Mele start the 0-0 draw with Mexico, Fiermarin was given the nod on Tuesday.

He'll wish he hadn't. The 27-year-old goalkeeper wasn't at fault for all of the USMNT goals, but he surely did little to prevent them as he, like the rest of Uruguay's team, looked slow, lethargic, and, by the end of the first half, a little bit shellshocked.

There are times in a game like this where a goalkeeper can make one good save just to calm things down. That never happened. As goal after goal sailed past the goalkeeper, Uruguay seemingly got worse, ultimately leading to a dreadful scoreline and even worse performance.

Getty Images SportWINNER: Alex Freeman

The Orlando City defender broke out in MLS season as a dynamic, goal-threatening attacking fullback. We hadn't gotten a full glimpse of that yet in a USMNT shirt – despite playing in the 2025 Gold Cup. Yet, on Tuesday night, Uruguay had absolutely no idea how to handle the 21-year-old defender.

Freeman scored his first two USMNT goals on Tuesday, scoring one from a set piece and one from open play. The first came via a header, one perfectly placed thanks to a great ball in from Berhalter. The second, though, was all his. After receiving a pass just past Manchester United's Manuel Ugarte, Freeman then put Barcelona star Ronald Araujo on skates to create the space needed to fire his second into the back of the net.

"Before the game, you see the players and go 'Wow, he plays in the Prem, he plays in La Liga, they play in the Champions League', and, going into the game, you just try to get that out of your system and not think about it," Freeman said. "You think about you because it's you and him at the end of the day. If I'm able to think like that, I think it gives me confidence in myself. I'm not overthinking it, but I'm just trying to do my best to try and win my duel. At the end of the day, it's just me doing that and trying to play like I'm the best player on the pitch in my mind in every game."

It was certainly a statement performance from the player who was named the MLS Young Player of the Year Award this season. There will be a lot of big nights for Freeman ahead, but it'll be hard to have one bigger than this one, as the 21-year-old was the star of the show.

"I am so happy because today he scored twice," Pochettino said,  "but, in a way, I think you need to analyze the way that he plays. He can play like a third center back. He can go forward on the side. How difficult is it for the opponent to stop him from going inside and playing? When he has the ball, the team [can exhale]. He's so strong."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportLOSER: Marcelo Bielsa

Ahead of the match, Pochettino was asked about his relationship with Bielsa. The two Argentines worked together at Newells, where Pochettino was a player under the legendary manager. He described the now-Uruguay coach as something more than a mentor; he described him as some sort of mythical figure, one that even he defers to when they come face to face.

"Always, my admiration and my respect are massive," Pochettino said Monday. "I cannot consider him like a friend. I cannot consider him like another normal person. It's a bigger respect. I speak with him like a man that you admire, like one that is your hero. He's the type of person that you wait [to] talk to. You always wait for him to say hello and then you say hello."

The USMNT showed Bielsa's side no such respect on Tuesday as they battered them thoroughly. And, through it all, Bielsa could only watch, frustrated, from his seat on his cooler.

Bielsa, of course, is known as "El Loco" for a reason. Behind closed doors, he will be none too pleased with this. There will be ramifications, no doubt, even with the World Cup on the horizon. This was a bad night for him, but more importantly, it was a bad night for Uruguay's players, who will now feel his wrath as a result.

A late Australia fightback or Lee and Kasprowicz’s finishing act? Which Test was better? Vote now!

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The ENG-AUS 2005 Nottingham Test moves into the round of 16.The Trent Bridge thriller, 2005It was a Test of two halves.The first 11 sessions were about England’s march to a 2-1 lead in the fourth game of the Ashes. The 12th and final session, in which England were chasing a small(ish) target, was dragged into a great fight from the time Shane Warne took the wicket off his first ball. Had Australia won, they would have retained the Ashes with a game to spare.England were so dominant that they forced Australia to follow on after being bowled out for 218 inside 50 overs. Andrew Flintoff’s 102 off 132 balls and Geraint Jones’ 85, had propelled England to 477. In the third innings, Australia rode on half-centuries from Justin Langer, Michael Clarke and Simon Katich to post 387 and set England a target of 129.It wasn’t a cakewalk for England, though.The fourth innings lasted only 31.5 overs, where Brett Lee and Warne led a courageous Australian fightback. There was a period of calm when England moved from 32 for 1 to 103 for 4. But when Lee dramatically dismissed Kevin Pietersen and Flintoff to leave England at 111 for 6, Australia sensed a comeback. In the next over after Flintoff’s dismissal, Warne – who had by then picked up three wickets – removed Jones. It was left to Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard to fight it out. Slowly, they picked off the runs even as Lee peppered Hoggard with a mixture of bouncers and yorkers. Giles hit the winning runs, a flick through the onside for two, to the delight of a joyous England balcony.Lee and Kasprowicz steal a thriller, Johannesburg, 2006
The white-ball leg of this series was remembered for the 438 game, but in Tests, Australia earned a 3-0 clean sweep against South Africa.After two dominating performances in Cape Town and Durban, Australia were challenged in Johannesburg. In a scene of Edgbaston revisited, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz buried their Ashes nightmares with a 19-run eighth-wicket partnership to secure victory in a fascinating Test.In the first innings, Lee scored a fighting 68-ball 64 at No. 9 after Michael Hussey’s 72, to stretch the visitors’ total but they were eventually all out for 270, thanks to Makhaya Ntini’s six-wicket haul. This was after South Africa posted 303 in the first innings.Set 292 for a win, Hussey’s 89 and Damien Martyn’s 101 had laid a platform for Australia. However, Australia stumbled at the fall of Hussey’s wicket, going from 198 for 2 to 275 for 8. Kasprowicz walked out to meet Lee with 17 to go.The duo overcame the 2005 flashbacks as Lee finished with an unbeaten 24 and Kasprowicz remained 7 not out.

England went down 2-1 in their ODI series against West Indies, extending a dismal record in the format. Alan was joined by Miller and Vish to pick through the pieces

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2024England lost the series decider in Bridgetown on Thursday to extend their lean run in ODIs. With Jos Buttler set to make his comeback from injury in the T20Is, there are plenty of issues to work through. On this week’s pod, Alan Gardner, Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah discuss where things have got to with the ODI side. Has ECB neglect undermined England’s 50-over cricket? Can they fix things in time for the Champions Trophy? And which of the youngsters have impressed under duress?