European Super Football

There has been a shocking story coming out of Old Trafford Cristiano Ronaldo wants Manchester United to let him leave the club if they receive an appropriate offer for him this summer. The forward returned to Old Trafford from Juventus last summer. Despite finishing the season as United's top scorer, the overall campaign was a disappointment. United finished sixth in the Premier League and missed out on qualification for the Champions League. That means Ronaldo faces playing in the Europa League for the first time in his career. PL: Ronaldo breaks record and gives United important win  UCL: Ronaldo rescues Manchester United  The most iconic and interesting moments of 2021  It is not something he is viewing with relish, and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner feels there could be more attractive options available at this stage in his career. Manchester United expect Ronaldo to stay despite links with Premier League rivals Chelsea. He is reportedly anxious to stress he respe

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, commonly known as Ronaldo, is our latest football icon.  He played for some of the world's biggest clubs and was a huge icon during the 1990's and 2000's. A brief introduction to 'The Phenomenon'. Nicknamed The Phenomenon and R9, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever. As a multi-functional striker who brought a new dimension to the position, Ronaldo had a huge impact on a generation of forwards and attacking players that followed him. His individual accolades include being named FIFA World Player of the Year three times and winning the Ballon d'Or twice. <More football icons> The start of his career. He started at Cruzeiro and moved to PSV in 1994. He joined Barcelona in 1996 for a then-world record transfer fee, and at 20 years old, he was named the 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year, making him the youngest recipient of the award. Despite being a fan favourite and developing an affinity with the clu

Manchester United 3 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur A late Cristiano Ronaldo header sealed his hat-trick and gave Manchester United a crucial win in the race for Champions League football. Eight minutes remained when the 37-year-old bulldozed Matt Doherty aside, eyes fixed only on Alex Telles’s corner from the right, and connected his forehead to the ball as he cartwheeled through the air before hitting the turf. There was ecstasy and the ringing out of Viva Ronaldo from home fans. They could not quite believe their hero had done, again, what he loves to do.  Spurs have already beaten Manchester City away this season, so this was not an easy task for United. City 2 - 3 Spurs Ronaldo’s opener lit up the stadium. Raphaël Varane tapped to Fred who backheeled to the No 7. Cue delirium from the Old Trafford faithful and a lift for the United players. Ronaldo started to drop off the front to link with Diogo Dalot, and Paul Pogba forced a save from Lloris. United do this, though. They dominate and

Portugal 0 - 0 Slovenia Portugal won 3-0 on penalties Cristiano Ronaldo's tears turned to joy as Portugal triumphed over Slovenia on penalties to secure a Euro 2024 quarter-final spot against France, despite the 39-year-old missing a crucial penalty in extra time. Ronaldo, who was in tears after Jan Oblak's brilliant save of his penalty in the 105th minute, was consoled by his teammates. Following a gruelling goalless draw, he successfully converted Portugal's first effort in the shootout. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa's saves from Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec, and Benjamin Verbic were instrumental in the victory. Costa's heroics paved the way for Bernardo Silva to score the winning penalty after Bruno Fernandes had also found the net. This came after a similarly crucial save from Benjamin Sesko deep into extra time, as Slovenia came heartbreakingly close to a historic upset. Viva Ronaldo As always, Ronaldo took centre stage in this unforgettable match, though his wai

Portugal 0 - 0 France France win 5-3 on penalties Theo Hernandez scored the decisive penalty for France after Portugal's Joao Felix hit the post in the shootout following a goalless draw, sending Didier Deschamps' team into the Euro 2024 semi-final against Spain. This time, there were no tears from Cristiano Ronaldo,  who had been overcome with emotion during Portugal's last-16 victory over Slovenia.  Despite converting his penalty, the 39-year-old's final Euros campaign ended in defeat. He was left to console his outstanding 41-year-old teammate Pepe at the end. Ronaldo was mostly on the periphery of what turned out to be a cautious match. Both teams had chances to win in the second half. France's Mike Maignan made sharp saves to deny Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha and then smothered Ronaldo's backheel attempt. At the other end, Randal Kolo Muani's shot was blocked by Ruben Dias, and Eduardo Camavinga missed from close range. Substitute Ousmane Dembele hit

Cristiano Ronaldo scored with almost the last kick of the match as Manchester United came from behind to beat Villarreal. The repeat of last season's Europa League final looked to be heading for a draw but summer signing Ronaldo stroked home from Jesse Lingard's lay-off to spark some incredible scenes. Watch the highlights in the video below This United side still looked to be papering over the cracks as they once again failed to find any real cohesion in the final third of the pitch. Ronaldo, Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Paul Pogba all started in front of a passionate Old Trafford crowd. There seems to be little connection between a the clearly talented attacking line-up. For all the clear problems though, they still managed to find a way to win the match. More Manchester United news can be found here Atmosphere United's home support has often been criticised for being quiet but the fans were certainly up for it against Villarreal. The scenes after the wi

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 800th goal of his career as Manchester United came from behind to beat Arsenal in a thrilling match. New United interim boss Ralf Rangnick and former England captain David Beckham both enjoyed a thrilling encounter Emile Smith Rowe drove home from the edge of the area, while United keeper David de Gea was lying on the ground, seemingly injured, with his back to play. The inevitable VAR check said De Gea had fallen after bumping into and being trodden on by his own teammate Fred. The referee Martin Atkinson eventually gave the goal. Bruno Fernandes levelled finished off an intricate move involving Jadon Sancho and Fred a minute before the break, setting up a pulsating second half. Ronaldo then put United ahead as he swept home Marcus Rashford's cross. Martin Odegaard quickly made it 2-2 with a well-taken equaliser. Atkinson then gave United a penalty after reviewing Odegaard's challenge on Fred on a pitchside monitor - and Ronaldo kept his nerve

It's time to explore some iconic World Cup moments. First up, it's a flashback to the 1998 final Background to the final  The 32 teams competed in a group stage, from which 16 teams qualified for the knockout stage. En route to the final, Brazil finished first in Group A, with two wins and one defeat, after which they beat Chile in the round of 16, Denmark in the quarter-finals and the Netherlands in a penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals. France finished top of Group C with three wins, before defeating Paraguay in the round of 16, Italy in the quarter-final, and Croatia in the semi-final.  The match itself The final took place in front of 75,000 supporters, with an estimated 1.7 billion watching on television, and was refereed by Said Belqola from Morocco. Before the match, speculation surrounded the fitness of striker Ronaldo, who was originally left out of Brazil's starting line-up, only to be restored to the team before kick-off.  Frnce dominate the early stages

It's time to decide the world's best footballer again The winner of the Men's Ballon d'Or will be decided on 29th November. Let's have a look at some of the contenders. Will we see a shock? Cesar Azpilicueta Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta is one of the more surprising names on the shortlist.The defender is something of an unsung hero, helped Chelsea to win the Champions League last season and also reached the Nations League final with Spain. Karim Benzema The French forward was overshadowed at Real Madrid for a long time but he's now getting the praise he deserves. He scored 30 goals in 46 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid and finished second in the La Liga Golden Boot race. He won the UEFA Nations League with France a few weeks ago. For all his goals, this was the only trophy he has picked up over the last 12 months. Erling Braut Haaland Unless things go drastically wrong for him, the Norwegian forward is going to feature on Ballon d'Or shortli

Let's take a look at some of the greatest Champions League semi-finals.  With the 2023 Champions League semi-finals just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to look back at some legendary matches at this stage of the competition.  From AC Milan to Manchester United and Didier Drogba to Zinedine Zidane, iconic clubs and players have come of age and built their modern mythology in these matches. However, which games were the best?  AC Milan v Monaco - 1994 The Champions League was still a very different competition when it officially changed its name from the European Cup in the earlier part of the 1990s.  In this game against Monaco, Milan went up early through Marcel Desailly but suffered a significant setback when Alessandro Costacurta was sent off after 40 minutes. However, they were determined not to let their advantage slip. In the end, they only held their lead but also added to it with further strikes in the second half. The season would only get better for Milan.

Let's look at some of the best matches and moments of 2021. England v Italy - Euro 2020 final It was so close to coming home. England had a superb tournament but came unstuck in a penalty shootout in the final. The gradual return of crowds throughout the competition meant a special atmosphere.  Italy's triumph was perhaps unexpected despite their wonderful run of form throughout recent history, Southgate and England went one better than their semi-final spot in the 2018 World Cup. Can they finally win their first trophy since 1966 in Qatar 2022? Another notable mention from the tournament was France 3-3 Switzerland. The 2018 World Cup winners were knocked out after an enthralling match. Chelsea v Manchester City - Champions League final Another all English final. Manchester City were desperate to win their first Champions League title but it never really happened for them on the night. Back in May, Greater Manchester took a detailed look at some of the best reaction from th

How has the world of football translated onto the small screen? We have picked some excellent documentaries and TV series that are worth a watch. Dream Team Dream Team was a drama that aired on Sky One from 1997 to 2007. It chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club. It was more dramatic than many of the Netflix and Amazon Prime series based on real-life football teams.  Renford Rejects A series that examines and explores the grassroots side of football. The centre of this show is a five-a-side school football team, made up of aspiring players who had been turned down by their school team. They were named Renford Rejects when a rival player sabotaged their league entry form. They ultimately decided to stick with the name as it suited the outcast nature.  Welcome to Wrexham An American sports documentary series that premiered in August 2022. It documents the events of Wrexham A.F.C. It was told by the club's owners Rob McElhenn

Let's have a look at the reaction as Manchester United pulled off a stunning comeback against Atalanta. Second-half goals from Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo gave United the win. The reaction from pundits and players United defender Harry Maguire spoke to BT Sport after the match: "The first half we conceded two bad goals. Two big moments in the game. For the first they caught us out and then the second it is a set-play that we shouldn't be conceding. We created a lot of chances in the first half so we knew at half-time that the next goal would be crucial. We got the goals we needed and deserved and I think we deserved the win in the end. Yes, we made it difficult but it is a tremendous victory in the end. Some previous great nights in Europe involving Manchester United On Ronaldo's goal, he added: "I had eyes on it all the way. I was right behind him. His leap, his timing, it was perfect right in the corner. We see it day in, day out in t

Turkey 0-3 Portugal Portugal secured their spot in the last 16 as group winners at Euro 2024 with a straightforward victory over Turkey in Dortmund. Manchester City's Bernardo Silva opened the scoring midway through the first half, deftly placing the ball past goalkeeper Altay Bayindir after Nuno Mendes' cross from the left was deflected into his path. A disastrous own goal doubled Portugal's lead when defender Samet Akaydin, without looking up, passed the ball back to Bayindir, who was unable to stop it from rolling into his own net. This blunder dampened the spirits of the enthusiastic Turkish supporters, who had arrived at the stadium in droves from the city centre, proudly waving their flags. Portugal's fans, though less in number, were just as spirited and celebrated as their team played with confidence and style. The victory was sealed when Cristiano Ronaldo selflessly set up Bruno Fernandes for a simple tap-in to make it 3-0 before the hour mark. The 2016 c

Cristiano Ronaldo was the inspiration behind an excellent Manchester United display against Tottenham Hotspur This provided the perfect response to last week's 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool at Old Trafford that raised questions over Solskjaer's future. Ronaldo made life more comfortable for his boss with a sublime far-post volley from Bruno Fernandes' cross. This was followed by a slide-rule pass to set up Edinson Cavani for a second. Marcus Rashford wrapped things up with a cool finish just four minutes from time as Spurs fans erupted in fury against Nuno and their chairman Daniel Levy. Towards the ground, Spurs fans started chanting"we want Levy out." Tottenham manager Nuno has been struggling to win over supporters but the atmosphere inside this vast arena turned very angry as they slipped tamely to defeat here. They were already in a grim mood before their boss made the highly-contentious decision to replace Moura with Bergwijn nine minutes after the break. Ch

Manchester United 1 - 1 Chelsea Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 17th goal of the season to earn his side a point after David de Gea had frustrated Chelsea with some superb saves. Chelsea were thoroughly dominant in the first half at Old Trafford but were unable to find a way past De Gea, who made saves from Kai Havertz and N'Golo Kante. 🚫 @D_DeGea 's fine form continued during #MUNCHE 💪 #MUFC | #PL — Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 29, 2022 They finally broke the deadlock midway through the second half when Marcos Alonso volleyed home from an angle. Their celebrations had barely finished as Manchester United responded within a minute, Nemanja Matic playing a brilliant ball into the box and Ronaldo taking a touch before thumping a shot into the net. That brought Old Trafford to life - there had been a subdued atmosphere inside the ground up to that point, while discontent against the club's owners was still evidents. Protests were held outside for the second home

This player might be Brazilian, but like his friend Ronaldo, his impact across Europe was huge.  Icons: Ronaldo (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Let's explore Rivaldo's fantastic career A brief introduction Rivaldo played mainly as an attacking midfielder. However, he was also used as a second striker and occasionally as a wide midfielder or a winger. He was renowned for his bending free kicks, bicycle kicks, feints, and powerful ball striking from a distance. Rivaldo also had the ability to both score and create goals. In 1999, he won the Ballon d'Or and was named FIFA World Player of the Year. With his huge success, he is one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or. Early career  He started his career in 1991 with Brazilian club Santa Cruz, moving on to spells at Mogi Mirim, a loan spell at Corinthians, and Palmeiras. People across the major European leagues were impressed, and it was inevitable that a move was

The shortlist for Ballon d'Or 2022  has been announced, and there have been some interesting developments. Let's take a look at some of the talking points. No Messi and Neymar! Lionel Messi and Neymar have not been included on the 30-man shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. The Argentina international has won the most Ballons d'Or in history with seven, but he did not make the list despite scoring 11 goals in 34 matches for Paris Saint-Germain last season. His team-mate Neymar is also not on the list. He played just 28 times for PSG last season in an injury-hit campaign. Kylian Mbappe does make the list. Recognition for the Lionesses  England's Euro 2022 success has been recognised. Millie Bright, Beth Mead and Lucy Bronze have been nominated for the women's Ballon d'Or, awarded to the best female footballer of 2022. Women's Euro 2022: England win after dramatic final (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Who could win it? Real Madrid's Karim Benzema,

Georgia 2 - 0 Portugal Georgia made history by reaching their first major tournament knockout stage with a stunning victory over Portugal at Euro 2024. Portugal, having already secured the top spot in the group, were shocked early on when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia drilled a low shot past Diogo Costa just two minutes into the match. The goal came from a swift counter-attack after Georgia overturned possession, setting the tone for the rest of the night. Georgia didn’t dominate possession but made the most of their chances. Georges Mikautadze scored from the penalty spot in the second half, sealing Georgia's unexpected triumph. Georgia were happy to let Portugal control the ball, defending resolutely and closing down space to limit Portugal's opportunities. They waited patiently for counter-attacking chances. Euro 2024 news and stories  Portugal guarantee top spot  While Georgia had few chances, they also prevented Portugal from creating significant threats. The underdogs maintai