Sporting CP has sacked head coach Joao Pereira after being in charge for just over a month. Ruben Amorim's successor at the Portuguese club managed 8 games for the senior team across all competitions, managing only three wins. 

🚨🟢 Sporting confirm they’ve sacked the head coach João Pereira who had replaced Rúben Amorim in November.

The new manager is Rui Borges, set to be unveiled as new head coach in the next hours. Documents signed. pic.twitter.com/JwTRzt4vSc

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 26, 2024

Sporting also presented Rui Borges as their next head coach on the same day in hopes of getting up from their midway slip this season. 

Pereira gets dismissed

Joao Pereira was handed the duty of managing the first team on 11 November after the former first-team head coach Ruben Amorim signed for Manchester United.  

The 40-year-old Portuguese coach had previously managed various age group teams at Sporting, although he was promoted to head coach of the Sporting B team at the start of this season.

However, Pereira faced difficulties during his time at the helm, winning only three games out of eight. A brutal 1-5 defeat against Arsenal at home in the Champions League started to mount the pressure on Pereira. 

Um Leão para sempre.

Obrigado, João Pereira 🦁 pic.twitter.com/KhxhqwIdqk

— Sporting CP (@SportingCP) December 25, 2024

Before Amorim's exit to Old Trafford, Sporting were atop Liga Portugal and second in the Champions League leaderboard. Since Amorim's departure, they have slipped to second in the Portuguese league; a point short of Lisbon rivals Benfica. Sporting also dropped to 17th in the Champions League.

Pereira lost his first two domestic games consecutively against Santa Clara and Moreirense at the start of December. However, following a goalless draw against Gil Vicente on 23 December, Sporting decided to fire Pereira before the all-important face-off against Benfica on 30 December. 

Rui Borges is set to take over

Vitoria Guimaraes manager Rui Borges is announced to take over as the new coach with a contract set to run until 2026. Sporting CP announced the news of his appointment via its website and social platforms as his official presentation took place on Boxing Day. 

𝐑𝐮𝐢 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬 é o novo treinador do #SportingCP 🦁

Bem-vindo ao reino do Leão, míster 🫡 pic.twitter.com/QGh7c993yE

— Sporting CP (@SportingCP) December 26, 2024

The 43-year-old coach had been in charge of Vitoria since the beginning of the season. Borges led Vitoria to finish the UEFA Conference League league stage in second place, with four wins and two draws; being the only second team to stay unbeaten in the Conference League alongside Chelsea.

The official statement of his appointment and presentation reads:

Sporting Clube de Portugal presented Rui Borges as the new coach of the first team, on a contract through 2026...

Sporting President Frederico Varandas thanked former boss Joao Pereira and expressed his gratitude towards him.

João Pereira came in at a time when everyone knew there was an extremely tough challenge ahead. Unfortunately, we came to the conclusion that it was not working out. We knew the difficulties and the brutal emotional shock caused by Rúben Amorim's departure. There was also a wave of injuries, the likes of which I have never had before as president of this club, and unfortunate refereeing calls that went against us,

The only thing I regret was not being able to help João Pereira more. We wish João all the best and have no doubt that he will succeed due to the qualities, skills and character he has. When I sat down with João Pereira to negotiate his termination, he didn't even want a cent as a payoff.

Rui Borges also shared some words after signing for his new club.

Want to add trophies to Sporting CP's history, as well as giving joy to the fans. That's our focus. I'm happy with the players we have. We are going to be competent and competitive with them. For me, they are the best. At this great club, the demand is for victories and trophies. That's what we are here for, to fight for that. Things may not always work out, but there can be no lack of attitude,

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest football players and goal scorers ever, has won 36 trophies in his senior career so far. The Portuguese legend is among the top 10 football players with the most trophies in history as well. 

Ronaldo, till now, has won 17 different trophies in his career, and among them, two are with his country, Portugal. Today, in this article, we will discuss every single trophy Cristiano Ronaldo has won in his career.

Read Also | 11 players who have won the most trophies in football history

Cristiano Ronaldo's international trophy cabinet

Ronaldo got the taste of winning a trophy with Portugal on only three occasions so far. In the historic and emotional 2016 European Championship, he was able to lift the trophy, despite being sidelined for the most amount of time due to a knee injury in the final. 

Éder's lone goal helped Portugal lift the EURO 2016 and Ronaldo lift his first international trophy with Portugal.

Read Also | Greatest Premier League XI Ever: Rooney, Ronaldo or Salah?

Ronaldo's second international trophy came three years after that European success. In the UEFA Nations League 2019 final, Goncalo Guedes scored the lone goal for Portugal against the Netherlands to lift the inaugural Nations League title.

Ronaldo then became the oldest player to score in a Nations League final as Portugal won their second UEFA Nations League in 2025, becoming the first team to do so. They defeated Spain in the penalties to win the title.

Cristiano Ronaldo's club trophies

One of the most successful players ever, Cristiano Ronaldo, won trophies across three major European Leagues. He won his first-ever trophy in 2003, with Sporting CP, by lifting the Portuguese Super Cup. 

His winning momentum then reached a great high at Manchester United as he went on to win 3 Premier League titles, 1 UEFA Champions League title, 2 English League Cups, 1 English Super Cup, the FA Cup and FIFA Club World Cup for the Red Devils.

But, Ronaldo's success reached its peak when he joined Real Madrid for then a record fee of €94 million. With Real Madrid, Ronaldo won another four Champions League titles, which made him one of the most successful players in the tournament's history.

Read Also | Players with the most champions league titles 

Not only that, he also went on to win 2 La Liga titles, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups and two Spanish Cups and Spanish Super Cups. 

However, Ronaldo did not stop there as he went on to conquer Italy with Juventus. With Juventus, Ronaldo won 2 Serie A titles, 2 Italian Super Cups and one Italian Cup. 

In all, Ronaldo till now has won 33 club trophies in his career. His last club trophy came with Al-Nassr when he won the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.

Read Also | Statistical Overlook of Messi vs Ronaldo Debate: Who Is the G.O.A.T?

Every single trophy Cristiano Ronaldo has won in his career

Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, PSG, PSV and Real Madrid qualified for the Round of 16 from the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Knockout phase play-offs.

Real Madrid thrashed Manchester City by 3-1, PSV stunned Juventus with the same scoreline while PSG scored 7 times against Brest and Bayern Munich played out a 1-1 draw against Celtic in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Knockout phase play-offs.

Read Also |  2024-25 UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draw: Where is it, when is it, and teams' pairings?

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Knockout phase play-offs Round-Up

Milan 1-1 Feyenoord (agg: 1-2)

Italian football giants and one of the most successful teams in UEFA Champions League history AC Milan were knocked out of this season's tournament after Dutch club Feyenoord defeated them by 1-2 on aggregate. 

Feyenoord were leading by 1-0 after the first leg and then they ensured a 1-1 draw to progress to the round of 16 for the first time in their history. 

Santiago Giménez scored early for Milan but against a 10-men Milan side Julián Carranza came off the bench to seal an equaliser with a stunning header. 

Benfica 3-3 Monaco (agg: 4-3)

Orkun Kökçü scored a late winner for Benfica to progress to the next round after beating Monaco by 4-3 on aggregate. 

Kerem Aktürkoğlu gave Benfica the early edge only to see Takumi Minamino and Eliesse Ben Seghir put Monaco back on level terms. 

Vangelis Pavlidis then gave Benfica the lead but George Ilenikhena levelled things again. Kokcu then sealed the winner for Benfica with a later goal.

Atalanta 1-3 Club Brugge (agg: 2-5)

Chemsdine Talbi's brace and Ferran Jutglà's stunning long-range goal took Club Brugge to the round of 16 with ease. 

Ademola Lookman scored the lone goal for Atalanta. However, he also saw one penalty saved by Simon Mignolet as well. 

Bayern Munich 1-1 Celtic (agg: 3-2) 

Bayern Munich narrowly passed the Celtic test with a late goal from Alphonso Davies. Nicolas Kuhn scored the goal for Celtic in the one-hour mark and when they were nearly close to taking Bayern Munich to extra time, Davies took the German Champions home.

B. Dortmund 0-0 Sporting CP (agg: 3-0)

Despite a goalless draw at their home, Borussia Dortmund went past their Portuguese visitors with ease, after a solid 3-0 lead from the first leg. 

In the second leg, Rui Silva was the hero for the Portuguese team who made multiple saves to deny the Dortmund players. 

Paris 7-0 Brest (agg: 10-0)

PSG thrashed their Ligue 1 opponent Brest via a 7-0 victory in the second leg to manage a 10-0 win on aggregate. 

PSG became the first team to have seven different scorers in a single match. Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Désiré Doué, Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Ramos and Senny Mayulu scored for the French giants.

PSV 3-1 Juventus, aet (agg: 4-3)

🚨🇪🇺 GOAL | PSV 3-1 Juventus | Ryan Flamingo

RYAN FLAMINGO MAKES IT THREE FOR PSV IN THE 98TH MINUTE OF OVERTIME !!!!!!!!!!!!! 4-3 ON AGGREGATE !!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/n9Y0TXCmmo

— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) February 19, 2025

PSV stunned the Italian giants to qualify for the round of 16. This is their first Champions League knockout win since 2007. 

Ryan Flamingo scored an extra-time goal to nullify Timothy Weah's stunning goal. 

Ivan Perisic and Ismael Saibari scored the other two goals for the Dutch club.

Real Madrid 3-1 Man City (agg: 6-3)

Real Madrid proved why they are the 15 times Champions League winner as they eased past a struggling Manchester City to reach the Round of 16. 

Kylian Mbappe scored a stunning hat-trick to take the defending champions to the next round in front of their home crowd. Nico González scored a late consolation goal for City. 

Hello and welcome to another UEFA Champions League night. Tonight, we will provide you the live coverage of a highly-anticipated clash between Sporting CP and Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the Knockout play-off tie in the UCL 2024-25 at the  José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal.

Sporting finished the league phase in the 23rd position, having earned 11 points in 8 matches. On the contrary, Dortmund's impressive league phase run ended in the 10th position, accumulating 15 points in 8 games. 

Both the Portuguese side and the German outfit produced some great results this season, as this game will be an outstanding one, so sit back and enjoy the game as Sportz Point brings you all the live updates from the game.

This is Soumit Bhattacharya with the Build-up, as Swastik Debnath will take over to bring you the news, images, live scores, news, and updates of the Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund match from our webdesk.

"CR7", "El Blicho" or Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has scored 917 goals till now in his footballing career. He appeared 217 times for Portugal, a record for the Highest International Appearance in Football. He netted 135 goals and became the Top Goal-Scorer in International Men's Football. So, let's check out the facts and stats of this "Goal-Scoring Machine."

Al-Nassar (2023-25), 74 Goals

Ronaldo's arrival at Al-Nassar following his disappointed departure from Manchester United enables him to begin a new chapter in his career. In the First Season with Al Nassar, the Portuguese forward scored 14 goals in 19 appearances. 

However, this performance was not sufficient enough, and Al-Nassar was not able to secure any silverware like the Saudi Pro Trophy, Saudi Pro Cup, or the King's Cup. But his presence in the club leads to some major arrivals in Al-Nassar in the form of Sadio Mane and Marcelo Brozovic.

Also Read | Cristiano Ronaldo's stats at Al-Nassr: Goals, Glamour But No Trophies

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Al-Nassar

Re-Union with United (2021-23), 27 Goals 

After twelve years, he reunited with the 'Red Devils' at the end of his prime. Nevertheless, at 37 years old, he scored 24 goals and emerged as a leading goal scorer for United in the following year. He had scored a total of 27 goals in two seasons in his second spell with Manchester United, a short spell nonetheless.

Also Read | Comparing Bruno Fernandes stats with & without Cristiano Ronaldo in the team

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Manchester United (Second Spell)

Shocking Move to Juventus (2018-21), 101 Goals

Juventus signed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018. It was a shocking move for every Football fanatic, but he still managed to adapt his impressive form from Real Madrid to the Italian League. He was not able to win much in terms of Silverware. However, he continues his form as a prolific goal-scorer. 

He became the second-fastest player to score 50 goals in Seria A and become the all-time leading Portuguese scorer in the league's history. In his third season with Juventus, he surpassed 100 goals and secured the title of top scorer in the league with 29 goals.

Read Also | Cristiano Ronaldo Records: Ronaldo's 801 Goals in Detail

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Juventus

At Real Madrid-"The Transfer that Changed Football" (2009-18), 450 Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo's £80 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2009 has been considered " the transfer that changed Football forever." Ronaldo's era in La Liga was considered the 'Golden Era in Modern Football' as he shared the same stage with Lionel Messi during that period, who was playing for Barcelona then.

Read Also | Messi vs Ronaldo: The major trophies they have failed to win

He won four Champions League with Real Madrid and two La Liga titles and secured four Ballon d'Ors, a record as a European player. He became the top Real Madrid goal scorer in the 2015-16 season and the highest scorer in the history of the Champions League.

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Real Madrid

First Spell at Man United (2003-09), 118 Goals

Cristiano arrived in 2003 as a young talent during his first spell with Manchester United. Throughout that period, he was mostly popular for his dribbling and flair, rather a prolific goal scorer. He swiftly turned into a prominent goal scorer in early 2006 and finished as Manchester United's leading scorer during the final three seasons of his initial tenure at Old Trafford.

Read Also | Cristiano Ronaldo's 700 career goals by club

He also won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 and transferred to Real Madrid in 2009 at a gigantic money of £80 million (€94 million) which was the most expensive transfer during that time.

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals Stats at Manchester United (First Spell)

As a Young Talented Winger at Sporting SP (2002-03), 5 Goals

He started his professional football career as a talented youth winger and made his debut for Sporting CP in 2002. After spending one year at the senior level, he did not achieve any significant goal-scoring success, but his excellence caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson during a match that resulted in his move to Manchester United.

Read Also | Cristiano Ronaldo: 10 shocking stats we can't believe from 2022-23 so far

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Sporting SP

Cristiano Ronaldo's Goal Contribution for Portugal, 135 Goals

No doubt! Cristiano Ronaldo is a prolific goal scorer in Portugal, as he is Portugal's all-time leading goal scorer and also the player with the highest number of goals in international football history. His role as a goal scorer was vital to the victory of the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.

Read Also | Europe's Top International Goalscorers: Cristiano Ronaldo extends his lead

Cristiano Ronaldo's Goal Tally as a Portugal International

So that concludes all the facts about Cristiano Ronaldo's Stats regarding his goal-scoring ability for Clubs, as well as Portugal year-wise. These stats state how prolific he is in front of the goal. He won almost every major trophy except the World Cup title. This is the dream for all the CR7 fanatics as well, that's for sure. 

Will Ronaldo be going to play in the 2026 World Cup? Will Portugal and Ronaldo lift the FIFA World Cup title for the first time ever? What do you think? Let me know!

Ronaldo's goal in every calendar year

Football clubs across the globe will be back in business in the transfer market as the January Transfer Window draws near. Players will be listed for transfers as the clubs will look for potential reinforcements to chase the coveted success in the ongoing season. 

The 2024-25 January transfer window is officially open in England, Germany, and France from today, whereas clubs from Spain and Italy will engage in the market from tomorrow. The window will also conclude by adhering to different deadlines. 

Here are the timeframes of the January transfer window for the clubs from different European countries:

Negotiating transfers during the January window has its pros and cons, yet the thrill and intensity are just as significant as those in the summer transfer period.

Although the summer transfer window concludes typically in August, clubs keep their off-screen business running to shortlist, evaluate, and monitor players to acquire their services in the January window.

There have been many exciting speculations ahead of January that could take shape and rumours that could take unexpected turns in the coming days. 

🥂 Here we go! 2025 is here, January transfer window open! ✨

Happy new year to all of you, guys… wishing you health and happiness as always!

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 31, 2024

We have shortlisted the most speculated transfers, extensions, and rumours regarding some big names as well as youngsters across the European football circuit.

January Transfer Window: Players to watch

Mohamed Salah: Contract extension with Liverpool?

Mohamed Salah confirmed on 30 December that he is "far away" from signing a new deal at Liverpool. The Egyptian maestro will be a free agent after June 2025 if Liverpool fails to pen down a contract extension with the talisman. 

The 32-year-old forward is flying high with The Reds, enjoying one of the best seasons in the Premier League. However, Liverpool has been negotiating with the player for sometimes but no solution has been facilitated. Earlier this season, Salah also said that he was "disappointed by the club's failure" to offer him a new deal.

If Liverpool fails to negotiate with Salah while meeting the personal terms and financial expectations, there might be a chance that Salah can sign pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs, which has come into force from 1 January 2025; along with captain Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold who all are running out of contract this summer.

It is not clear yet if Salah wants to leave or stay with the club, as he has refused to discuss this matter in public. He clearly refused to "put anything on media". 

Dani Olmo: The registration fiasco

After moving to FC Barcelona for a €55m transfer fee from RB Leipzig last summer, Dani Olmo has become a free agent ahead of the January window. The Catalan club's appeal to register the Spanish international has reportedly been blocked by the Spanish Football Federation on 31 December, the deadline day.

LaLiga has now said in an official statement that Barcelona has failed to adhere to the Financial Fair Play rules, quoting that Barcelona "did not present any alternative" on meeting to the regulations, which was required for the club to "register any player beginning on January 2."

Barcelona injected some financial boost after reportedly reaching a deal to sell the VIP boxes to generate €100m to register Dani Olmo, along with Pau Victor. But the LaLiga committee continues to block the appeals made by Barcelona. 

Olmo has clearly shown his intentions to continue with Barcelona, but everything depends on the series of events in the upcoming days. 

The potential availability of the Euro 2024 winner on a free transfer in January has alerted some Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold: Linked with Real Madrid 

Real Madrid have reportedly been monitoring Trent Alexander-Arnold for some time now, and the Spanish club has made their intentions clear about signing the Liverpool full-back.

As per the most recent report from Sky Sports today, Real Madrid did not make a formal offer but approached Liverpool about the player, but the current Premier League leaders have turned down the proposal. 

Trent's contract at Liverpool ends in June 2025, ahead of the summer transfer window. Back in September, the 26-year-old England international hinted at his contract extension, saying that his negotiations with Liverpool will not be 'played out' in public.

It will be interesting to see how this speculation goes down as Liverpool is well-shaped this season, leading the table both in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Viktor Gyökeres: Comeback to the Premier League?

After a stellar 2024, the Swedish striker has drawn interest from many big European outfits. However, Viktor Gyökeres is currently on a contract with Sporting CP that runs until June 2028. With a current market value of €75m and a release clause of over €100m, very few clubs will be able to afford the transfer fees Sporting will demand.

Following the departure of Ruben Amorim as head coach and also his successor Joao Pereira, Rui Borges has taken the helm at Sporting but the club has slipped in the Champions League and also domestically. Although Borges won his first game against Benfica on 30 December 2024, other clubs can take advantage of the situation in the upcoming days. 

Both Arsenal and Manchester United have been in a race to sign the 27-year-old prospect. A January move seems unlikely, but no one can really predict the aspects of the transfer window. 

Marcus Rashford: Move to Saudi imminent?

Marcus Rashford is seeking to leave Manchester United after being dropped completely in recent matches. Under the new manager Ruben Amorim, the 27-year-old forward has got a handful of minutes and he reportedly does not want to play under the Portuguese, although he has a contract until June 2028.

Rashford is now eyeing to facilitate his exit from Manchester United but the player may have to battle hardships to convince any other European outfit to sign him. Reports suggested that Barcelona can make a move for the English forward, but there has been no recent development.

However, Saudi clubs such as Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Qadsiah have reportedly shown interest in signing Rashford. 

Randal Kolo Muani: Linked with Chelsea

The French striker has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea in January, as reports suggested that Chelsea are officially preparing a bid. The Paris Saint-Germain striker is currently valued at €80m, but Chelsea are reportedly looking to splash cash to reinforce their attacking options. 

However, Kolo Muani was linked with Manchester United as well, but the Red Devils are now out of the race. The insiders from Old Trafford have confirmed that the club have a limited budget for the January window. 

Other players linked with reported possible moves

• Matheus Cunha, who currently plays for Wolves, is reportedly shortlisted by Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle after his electrifying performances in recent matches. 
• Newcastle striker Alexander Isak has been regularly linked with Arsenal.
• Galatasaray has approached PSG to discuss a loan deal for defender Milan Skriniar.
• Both Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle have been linked to Manchester City.
• Martin Zubimendi, the Real Sociedad midfielder, has attracted interest from top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester City. Real Madrid is reportedly preparing for a bid as well.
• Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku, has been linked with a January move to clubs like Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
• Manchester United are keen on signing Victor Osimhen.