Another match, another landmark for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner insisted he still has more to offer at the international level this week, and he brought up 900 career goals by netting in Portugal's Nations League Nations League opener versus Croatia.

It was a typical poacher's finish that brought up Ronaldo's latest landmark, the forward beating his marker to Nuno Mendes' left-wing cross to sidefoot home and put Portugal 2-0 up inside the first half.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Ronaldo will now surely be targeting the big 1,000, though Pele's FIFA-recognised figure of 1,281 goals will surely prove beyond the 39-year-old.

As Ronaldo plots a route to four figures, we dive into the Opta data to look at how he reached his current total, highlighting the most interesting facts and figures.

Ronaldo's 900th career goal was also his 131st in 213 appearances for Portugal, with both of those figures being all-time records both for the Selecao and for any male player on the international stage.

The ultimate goal poacher, he has scored 109 of those from inside the penalty area, though only 20 have come from the penalty spot – he memorably missed his last spot-kick for the Selecao, versus Slovenia in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.

Ronaldo struggled at this year's tournament in Germany, where he had 23 shots but failed to find the net – the first time he has not scored at a major international competition. Only fellow Portugal great Deco has ever had more efforts at a single edition of the Euros without scoring, firing off 24 shots without success at the 2004 tournament.

However, Ronaldo does boast 22 goals at the World Cup/Euros for Portugal overall, winning the Golden Boot with five strikes at Euro 2020, five years on from captaining the Selecao to their maiden trophy. Only two of those, though, have come in knockout matches – versus the Netherlands at Euro 2004 and Wales at Euro 2016.

Still, Ronaldo's international legacy speaks for itself, and his achievements on the club stage are even more impressive.

Ronaldo scored five times for boyhood club Sporting CP before leaving for Manchester United, for whom he plundered 145 goals across two separate spells.

He has broken three figures with all but two of his clubs, netting 101 times for Juventus and being well on the way to doing so with Al-Nassr, for whom he has 68 goals. 

It was at Real Madrid, however, where Ronaldo earned his goal machine tag, scoring exactly half his career goals (450) for Los Blancos and helping them win the Champions League four times.

He is the leading goalscorer in Madrid's illustrious history, some 96 clear of former team-mate Karim Benzema (354), who represented the club 648 times, compared to Ronaldo's 438 appearances.

Overall, Ronaldo has scored 573 of his goals with his favoured right foot, with 173 coming via his left and almost as many – 152 – coming via headers, with his aerial prowess becoming increasingly notable throughout his career.  

What about dead balls? Ronaldo has converted 164 penalties for club and country, including a spot-kick in the 2014 Champions League final versus Atletico Madrid.

Ronaldo's free-kick taking has been an area targeted by those looking to do down on his achievements at times, but he has scored 64 direct free-kick goals throughout his career, the latest coming in a 4-1 win over Al-Fayha in the Saudi Pro League before the turn of the month.

Where, then, do Ronaldo's achievements rank versus those of his peers? Drum roll please... Ronaldo is currently some 62 goals ahead of his great rival Lionel Messi, who has 838 career strikes for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina.  

With Ronaldo firing on all cylinders in Saudi Arabia and looking unlikely to give up the ghost at international level any time soon, few would bet against him extending that advantage before the two greats hang up their boots.

Kylian Mbappe is shutting out criticism of his early-season performances for Real Madrid as he prepares to return to France duty for Nations League fixtures against Italy and Belgium.

Mbappe's arrival has not brought about a flying start to 2024-25 for Madrid, who have eight points from four games to sit four adrift of pacesetters Barcelona in LaLiga.

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward failed to score in his first three league games with his new club, only to get off the mark with a brace in Sunday's 2-0 win over Real Betis.

That made him the fourth player this century to see his first two goals for Madrid come in the form of a brace, after Ronaldo, Javier Hernandez and Dani Ceballos, while Ruud van Nistelrooy scored a hat-trick.

As Mbappe returns to France duty for their opening 2024-25 Nations League fixtures, he is ignoring his critics, having recovered from a broken nose that overshadowed his Euro 2024 campaign in Germany, where he failed to score from open play.

"I'm at a point in my life and career where I don't think too much about other people's evaluations," Mbappe told reporters on Thursday.

"I arrive, play and always try to give my best, to be the best possible version for the national team. I love this shirt. Then in football you can't satisfy everyone.

"In Madrid it's going very well, we've already won a trophy. It's getting better and better in terms of performance, I've scored goals, now I'm focused on the national team.

"My nose is no longer broken, so it's already better than at the European Championship.

"I had tests at Real Madrid and they told me that it was not necessary to have surgery, I can breathe and sleep well. Physically, mentally, I'm fine. I am happy."

Mbappe helped France win the 2020-21 edition of the Nations League, beating Spain in the final in Milan, and despite the understated reaction to that success, he is determined to lift the trophy for a second time.

"For us there is nothing more important than the French national team, we have already won this competition and there wasn't an extraordinary reaction," Mbappe said.

"We won in Milan and at the end of the game I didn't even feel like I had won a trophy. But, when we lost it, it was the end of the world."

Italy visit the Parc des Princes for France's first game in Group A2 on Friday, before Didier Deschamps' men welcome Belgium to Decines-Charpieu three days later.

Deshaun Watson makes his long-awaited return from injury for the Cleveland Browns this weekend, having reaffirmed his belief he is still an 'elite' passer in the NFL. 

Watson, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last November, has played just 12 times for Cleveland since making his debut in 2022. 

Before his injury, he threw for seven touchdowns and four interceptions in six appearances in 2023, leading his team to a 5-1 record.

The 28-year-old has not featured during preseason but is relishing being labelled with the underdog tag ahead of Sunday's Week 1 clash with the Dallas Cowboys.

"It's fine with us. It's perfect," Watson said of the lower expectations on Wednesday. "We're just going to go under the radar and work. That's all we can do."

When asked whether he still considers himself one of the league's elite quarterbacks, Watson answered, "Of course. No doubt."

Watson's last start for Cleveland came in a comeback 33-31 triumph over the Baltimore Ravens last November, completing 58.8% of his 34 passing attempts for 213 yards and a touchdown. 

And while he enjoyed a successful start to last season, Watson is not looking to dwell on the past as he prepares for an exciting future with Cleveland.

"Honestly, man, I don't even look at those six starts. It's a new year, it's a new season," Watson said.

"You've got to focus on Week 1. In this system and this league, if you're focusing on last year, you're going to get left behind."

While Watson will return to the lineup, he could be without his starting left tackle this week. 

Jedrick Wills Jr. returned to practice this week for the first time since a season-ending knee injury last November, but told reporters he is not in contention to face the Cowboys.

Jack Conklin, who is also returning from a season-ending knee injury he sustained in Week 1 last year, could start in his place. 

Didier Deschamps is preparing for France's upcoming Nations League fixtures without Adrien Rabiot, who finds himself in an "embarrassing" situation.

Rabiot, who has made 48 appearances for France since his debut in 2016, was left out of Les Bleus' squad for their matches against Italy and Belgium having not found a new club since his Juventus exit at the end of last season. 

The 29-year-old attracted interest from Manchester United during the transfer window, but the Premier League giants have since signed Manuel Ugarte from Rabiot's former club Paris Saint-Germain. 

Serie A side Milan also expressed an interest in Rabiot, with their interest ultimately fading as Ismael Bennacer chose to remain at San Siro. 

Rabiot started all of France's fixtures at Euro 2024, but Deschamps revealed that the midfielder's failure in finding a new club resulted in his omission this time around.

"Adrien Rabiot has a somewhat embarrassing situation," Deschamps said.

"His contract was expiring and he was solicited by several teams but now he's without a team and doesn’t train in a group. 

“I hope he can quickly choose a club that can then bring him back to us."

France kick-off their Nations League campaign on Friday against Italy at the Parc des Princes, with both teams looking to improve on their underwhelming displays at Euro 2024.

Deschamps' side were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners Spain. Meanwhile, the Azzurri were unable to defend their crown, crashing out in the last 16 to Switzerland. 

Even with Kylian Mbappe in their ranks, Les Bleus managed to find the back of the net once from open play in Germany, something Deschamps is keen on improving.

"Our lack of efficiency was damaging at the Euros, but we still managed to reach the semi-final," said Deschamps.

“Now there are two games in three days. These are not friendlies, but the Nations League.

"Italy too made various changes after the Euros, unfortunately there has always been criticism and our objective must always be to achieve the maximum result."

Andy Robertson insists that Scotland must right their wrongs from a dismal Euro 2024 campaign to ensure they "feel the love again" from supporters. 

Robertson, who led Scotland in Germany, was powerless to stop their group stage exit as their wait for knockout football at an international tournament went on. 

After surpassing George Young's record for the most caps as Scotland captain in June, the Liverpool full-back will wear the armband for their two Nations League games.

Steve Clarke's side welcome Poland to Hampden Park on Thursday before travelling to Lisbon to face Portugal three days later. 

"The summer was a low for all of us," Robertson said. "But we have to move on from it. We have to be positive, otherwise it's pointless being here. We have to believe.

"Okay, we might have some doubters again within our country. Our country was right behind us in the summer.

"We get they're disappointed and now it's up to us to drag them along with us again.

"It's up to us to show on the pitch we're willing to fight, win games, and put in the hard yards.

"If we do that, we know our fans will come with us as well."

Robertson spoke at length with his head coach ahead of their upcoming campaign and said it was the first time a review of a camp had more negatives than positives.

Scotland proved they could compete with Europe's elite nations during their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, finishing second behind Spain in Group A, who went on to win the tournament, losing just one of their eight qualifying matches.

They have also impressed in the Nations League, winning 10 of their 16 matches in the competition (D2 L4), with their 62.5% win ratio the best of any nation in the tournament.

Clarke has also introduced the likes of Vancouver Whitecaps attacker Ryan Gauld and Robertson's Liverpool team-mate Ben Doak, who is currently on loan at Middlesbrough for their next two fixtures.

And the 30-year-old believes those additions will help his side in the forward areas, but acknowledges they need to be more consistent against the best in the business. 

"We know that's what we need to improve - that's the next step for us," Robertson continued.

"That's us been to two tournaments now and only got two draws. We've not progressed the way we would have liked.

"We need to look at that. And in the build up when we played the stronger nations like England and France we didn't show how good we can be.

"But also not that far in the past we beat the European champions here at Hampden, we also beat a really good Denmark team. We competed against Spain away as well.

"We need to get more consistent at doing it. We've done it previously but not all the time. That's what we need to get better at, especially at tournaments."

Kyle Walker believes Lee Carsley made "the right call" leaving him out of England's party for their upcoming Nations League matches.

Carsley named his first England squad last week, with Walker one of the notable absences after being a pivotal figure under Gareth Southgate.

The right-back made 70 appearances under the previous manager, starting 64 of those, and featured in all seven of England's games at Euro 2024 as they reached the final.

However, since returning to Manchester City after an extended break, Walker has played just two minutes in the Premier League, coming off the bench in their 3-1 win over West Ham last weekend.

Walker admitted that while he was unhappy to be left out of the fold, he understood why he was not given a place.

"I'm disappointed," Walker said on his BBC podcast. "You have to accept it and just try to prove them wrong.

"With a new manager, you are always expecting a few changes. I'm disappointed because to represent your country is always the highest thing.

"But I haven't played any minutes this season, so you have to take it on the chin. I've not performed at any level since coming back from the [Euros], so I think it's the right call from him."

England start their Nations League campaign against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday before hosting Finland on Tuesday.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen says he is committed to Barcelona for the long term, brushing off suggestions he could return to Germany in the near future.

The goalkeeper joined Barcelona from Borussia Monchengladbach in May 2014 and has since made 417 appearances for La Blaugrana in all competitions, keeping 175 clean sheets.

In his 10 years with the Catalan giants, he has won five LaLiga titles, five Copa del Reys, a Champions League and a Club World Cup, with his current contract set to run out in 2028.

He is now set to step up as Germany's number one following Manuel Neuer's international retirement, and when asked if he could also see himself filling the 38-year-old’s shoes at Bayern Munich, Ter Stegen claimed that was not on his mind.

"Wow, I still have a long contract with my club and am very happy with my family in Catalonia," he said.

"I don't know if Germany will ever be a footballing destination for me again. We'll see about that.

"In general, I am very, very satisfied at the moment with my current contractual situation and with the club I am at right now."

Marc Cucurella says Chelsea "need stability" if they want to find success, comparing it to Spain's Euro 2024 triumph.

Enzo Maresca became the Blues' seventh permanent manager in the last eight years in July, taking over from Mauricio Pochettino, who only spent one season at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea began the season with a defeat to Manchester City before getting their first Premier League victory under the Italian in a 6-2 thrashing of Wolves.

While they followed that up with a draw, Maresca has already started to stamp his mark on the squad, with a blend of his new signings and the youngsters brought in by previous managers.

And Cucurella believes that keeping him for the long term will allow Chelsea to find a necessary rhythm so they can start to target silverware.

"I'm happy, I think the coach we have is very good, he has very clear ideas," Cucurella told EFE, as quoted by ESPN.

"We've come from years of changes of coaches. Let's see if we can get stability without many changes, and that the manager can transmit his ideas.

"We need stability, we have very high-level players and, hopefully, we can have that patience that is needed, that calm so that everything goes well. We need the coaches and players to be allowed to work in order to do something important.

"One of the keys to success at the Euro was the good group we had. In these tournaments you're together all day, we have to put up with each other and if we hadn't gotten along, it would have been difficult. Creating a good atmosphere comes naturally to me."

Chelsea saw a lot of outgoings in the final days of the transfer window, with Raheem Sterling, Trevoh Chalobah and Romelu Lukaku among those who left.

However, they also made 13 signings in the transfer window, including the likes of Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Joao Felix and Jadon Sancho.

Joao Felix is already off the mark in his second spell in west London, netting the final goal in their win over Wolves, and Cucurella has backed him for success at Chelsea after struggling at Atletico Madrid.

"He showed a good level during the months he was there [last time]," Cucurella added.

"He was unlucky because he was sent off in his first game for an unfortunate, unintentional action, then he had many opportunities, but he's a player who can contribute a lot to us.

"In the Premier [League] there are many more spaces, he can move around, and hopefully he will help us a lot."

Brendon McCullum retains full confidence in Jos Buttler as England's white-ball captain, describing him as his country's best-ever limited-overs cricketer.

McCullum has won plenty of admirers for his aggressive approach to Test cricket in just over two years in charge of England's red-ball side, and earlier this week his remit was expanded to include coaching the ODI and T20I teams until 2027.

The move comes after Matthew Mott quit in the wake of England's semi-final exit at June's T20 World Cup, while they also surrendered their 50-over crown in meek fashion at the 2023 World Cup in India, losing six of their nine games.

While those disappointing tournament performances saw Buttler's leadership placed under the microscope, McCullum is confident he remains the right man to lead the team.

One of the New Zealander's main aims upon taking his new role, which he will formally start in January, is to get Buttler enjoying his cricket again.

"I am very confident in Buttler as captain," he said at a press conference at The Oval. "What I want from Jos is for him to enjoy the next few years.

"If he retired tomorrow, he would probably go down as the greatest white-ball player England have produced so there is a chance, for however long he plays, to not protect anything and play with a smile on his face. 

"My job is to push him towards that. He has been a little bit miserable at times, he is not naturally as expressive as some, but he has done a great job.

"He has won a World Cup as captain and been part of World Cup-winning teams previously. He is a gifted player and a fine leader."

Buttler has been ruled out of England's upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia with a calf injury and could also miss the five ODIs that follow. 

McCullum's ultra-attacking approach to Test cricket coaching has been dubbed "Bazball", with England winning 19 of 28 Tests under him and averaging 4.57 runs per over, compared to 3.09 in their 29 Tests immediately prior to his appointment.

He intends to bring a similar fearlessness to the white-ball game, saying: "I will bring the positivity and style I like to operate with across all formats and I think it will give us a good chance of being successful.

"The white-ball side has been through a dynasty. They have won World Cups and some once-in-a-generation players have come through at the same time. Now a natural regeneration is required and that's the bit that excites me."

McCullum added he sought the approval of Test skipper Ben Stokes before committing to the new role, and he hopes Stokes could yet be persuaded to return to limited-overs cricket, having prioritised the longer format during an injury-hit spell.

"In terms of white-ball, why not? We will see where he sits. He loves big moments and big stages but our players can't play everything," McCullum said of Stokes.

"There will be some bilateral series where we can't have all our best players at the same time but when it comes to major events and big series, those players are very much in discussions."

Luis de la Fuente believes that both Rodri and Dani Carvajal have "earned the right" to win the Ballon d'Or after being named on this year's shortlist.

The duo are two of six Spain players on the list after they won a record-breaking fourth European Championship title with a 2-1 triumph over England in Berlin in July.

Rodri was named the Player of the Tournament for Euro 2024 after leading the team from midfield in all but one of their seven games, though he was forced off injured at half-time in the final.

At a domestic level, he did not taste defeat in any of his 34 Premier League games last season (27 wins, seven draws) as Manchester City won a historic fourth consecutive title, with the Citizens losing three of the four games he missed (one win).

Meanwhile, Carvajal also won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League with Real Madrid last season, scoring the opening goal in the latter competition’s final to help them to a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.

In doing so, he became the first defender to score in a Champions League final since Sergio Ramos in 2015-16, also for Los Blancos.

And De la Fuente says they should both be among the leading contenders to scoop up the Ballon d'Or for their achievements.

"Both Rodri and Dani Carvajal have without doubt earned the right," De la Fuente told the Guardian.

"If after everything they have done, they're not considered, it would be a huge injustice. They've done more than enough. Not just now, but everything.

"Look at Dani: six Champions Leagues?! What on earth is that? Rodri has a Champions League, more to come, and I don't know how many leagues. They're European champions.

"Do they deserve to win it? Of course. I'm championing them, asking for it for them. They've won it all."

Lamine Yamal, who was also a key figure at just 16 years old for Spain during the Euros, is also on the shortlist for the individual award.

The youngster enjoyed a breakout tournament in Germany, becoming the youngest player to appear in a Euros or World Cup final at 17, surpassing Pele's record from 1958.

He also became the youngest player to score at the European Championships, and provided four assists, the joint-most any player has ever registered at the tournament that Opta has on record (from 1980 onwards).

De la Fuente says he knew there was something special about Yamal, which is why he was not afraid to take a chance on him.

"Faith in young players isn't an act, it's a conviction," he added. "When you see talent, play them, even if they're young.

"Lamine is very good. It's true what I said: that he's touched by God's wand.

"There are players that are different. I don't want to get into those comparisons, because I know we're going to start [that], and they're different footballers, different eras. But the talent? Pfff … there's something that sets them apart.

"The super mega cracks, football geniuses, those who [made] history, all have something. At that young age, they all seemed different, older."

Spain begin their Nations League defence on Thursday against Serbia, before facing Switzerland in League A Group 4 on Sunday. 

Kansas City Chiefs tackle Mike Pennel is out to prove the Opta supercomputer wrong after it estimated the team's chances of a Super Bowl three-peat at just 11.6%.

The Chiefs are looking to make history in the 2024 campaign, which they open on Thursday with a mouthwatering tussle with the Baltimore Ravens, who they beat in last season's AFC Championship game.

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid and company are out to make the Chiefs the first franchise in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls.

Eight teams have previously won back-to-back Super Bowls, only to fail to make the showpiece game in the subsequent season, most recently the New England Patriots in 2004 and 2005.

Ahead of the new campaign, the Opta supercomputer's predictive model, which takes into account a team's quarterback and EVE (efficiency vs expected) performance, rated Kansas City's chances of winning Super Bowl LIX at 11.6%.

They are more favoured than AFC rivals Baltimore (10.8%), but the San Francisco 49ers – who the Chiefs beat at Super Bowl LVIII and Super Bowl LIV – are favourites with a 23.9% likelihood of winning it all.

Pennel is desperate to prove the model wrong, telling Stats Perform: "Give me the opportunity to fight against the machines! I don't think we were favoured in any playoff game this year. You know what I mean? 

"I'm pretty sure they're doing it off numbers, but we played them twice in the Super Bowl. We beat them twice. I guess we'll just have to get to it. 

"I think we may see them again. But the NFC, they've got some tough teams out there right now. They got some teams that are ascending, Green Bay was looking good and are another dark horse. 

"We'll see what Dallas is doing, how their contract situation works out. The Eagles look very, very, very solid. So we'll see how it shakes out. Remember, you've got to remain healthy to make it to the game. That's out of both teams' hands. 

"We'll see what happens, but 23% to 11%? I can't agree with that. I would flip-flop that, but maybe it's calculating in the three-peat. Maybe that's what it is."

The Chiefs have made six consecutive AFC Championship games since Mahomes became their starting quarterback in 2018, winning four of those and going on to claim three Super Bowl rings.

Asked where their main competition might come from in the AFC, Pennel highlighted the Houston Texans – in their second year with C.J. Stroud leading the offense – as a major threat.

"I love the direction that Houston is going in. They're going to be formidable in the AFC. Cleveland with a healthy Deshaun Watson, we're interested to see how that looks," he said.

"Even in our division, you know, the Chargers with Jim Harbaugh, they've got a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert. We know he'll be running the ball, but we'll see how that shakes out. 

"The AFC is just getting better, man. There'll be a couple dark horses in there, but those are the two or three that I really think are going to take a leap and be competitive."

Japan kickstarted their 2026 World Cup qualifying third-round campaign with an emphatic 7-0 victory over China PR at Saitama Stadium. 

Liverpool's Wataru Endo and Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma got themselves on the scoresheet to hand the hosts a comfortable two-goal advantage at half-time. 

But Hajime Moriyasu's side turned on the style after the break, with a brace from Takumi Minamino followed up with goals from Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda and Takefusa Kubo.

The hosts took the lead in the 12th minute as Endo headed home Kubo's inviting corner-kick, with Mitoma adding Japan's second two minutes into time added on. 

Minamino struck twice in six minutes shortly after the break, with Ito then netting his second goal in three appearances against China in the World Cup qualifiers. 

The Reims attacker would turn provider for Japan's final two finishes, first teeing up Maeda before picking out Kubo, who rifled the ball beyond Wang Dalei. 

Data Debrief: Samurai Blue show China the sword

Japan have now restricted their opponents to just one shot (none on target) in two consecutive matches in the World Cup qualifiers, with China registering an expected goals (xG) figure of just 0.03. 

Moriyasu's side dominated the contest from start to finish, accumulating 102 final-third entries to China's 33, also recording 33 touches in the opposition's box compared to their opponents' one. 

Kubo and Minamino were the pick of the bunch for Japan, recording the joint-most shots (four) and shots on target (two).