Cristiano Ronaldo may decide to end his playing career after seeing his dream of winning the World Cup dashed, says his former Manchester United team-mate Patrice Evra.
Ronaldo was used only as a substitute for the final two games of Portugal's campaign in Qatar, which ended with a surprise 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the last eight.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner became the first player to score in five different editions of the World Cup last month, but all eight of his goals at the tournament have come in the group stage.
Ronaldo has been strongly linked with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr since his United contract was terminated last month, but Evra believes he may hang up his boots.
"When I talked to him, we didn't talk especially about what he's going to do next. I don't know. I don't know if Ronaldo will retire," Evra told Sky Sports News on Friday.
"Sometimes at the end of your career you think, 'okay, I think it's time to stop', especially when you're not in the starting eleven with your national team.
"Ronaldo wanted to play and be fit to win the World Cup with his country, this was his dream. Now he doesn't have that dream, I don't talk for Cristiano, but I won't be surprised if he retires.
"Now, everything Ronaldo does, he's a bad person and a bad player or whatever, so I wouldn't be surprised if he decides to retire."
Ronaldo's great rival Lionel Messi has the chance to cap his career by lifting the World Cup for the first time on Sunday, having helped Argentina to the final with a series of talismanic displays.
Some have suggested Messi must win the World Cup to be considered the greatest player to have played the sport, but Evra feels the Argentina captain has already secured that status – alongside Ronaldo.
"He needs to win this World Cup? No. Him and Ronaldo are already the greatest," Evra added.
"Why does Messi need to win this World Cup? I think this is for the Argentina players to put him on the same level as Diego Maradona.
"Even when they say Messi does not have a good record with Argentina, he already played six finals with them. The debate is not whether Messi can be the greatest, he's already the greatest.
"But guys, let's not forget, Messi is the greatest and Ronaldo is the greatest, too. People have different opinions, and Ronaldo is there.
"It doesn't matter if he doesn't play the final, he's still the greatest. We have to respect every different opinion."
Spain's third-highest appearance maker Sergio Busquets has announced his retirement from international football.
The 34-year-old captained Spain in each of their four games at the World Cup in Qatar, missing a penalty in the shootout as Luis Enrique's side were knocked out by Morocco at the last-16 stage.
Busquets made his debut for La Roja against Turkey in April 2009 and went on to make 143 appearances, behind only Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos in the country's history.
The Barcelona midfielder, who scored two international goals, was an integral part of the Spain squads that won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship two years later.
"I would like to thank all the people who have accompanied me on this long journey," he wrote on Instagram.
"From Vicente del Bosque who gave me the opportunity to start, to Luis Enrique for making me enjoy it until the last second.
"I also thank Julen Lopetegui, Fernando Hierro and Robert Moreno for their trust, as well as all their staff.
"And, of course, to each and every one of my team-mates, with whom I have struggled to try to take the team where it deserved, with more or less success but always giving everything and with the greatest of pride.
"It has been an honour to represent my country and take it to the top.
"To be a World and European champion, to be captain and to play so many games, with greater or lesser success but always giving everything and contributing my grain of sand so that everything went the right way."
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed the governing body is proceeding with plans for a 32-team Club World Cup, while the format of the next World Cup is to be revisited.
Infantino was addressing the media in Doha on Friday for the first time since his extraordinary press conference at the start of Qatar 2022.
He opted against a 45-minute opening monologue on this occasion, instead taking the opportunity to provide an update following a FIFA Council meeting earlier in the day.
During that meeting, plans were approved to push on with a previously proposed expansion to the Club World Cup.
The competition currently pits the winners of the main continental club competitions against each other every year, but the new version will feature 32 teams from across the globe and take place once every four years.
"It will be a Club World Cup of 32 teams, every four years, and the first edition will be summer of 2025," he said. "They will be the best teams in the world invited to participate."
Infantino also revealed FIFA is re-thinking its format for the next World Cup, which will be the first with 48 competing teams.
Initially FIFA planned for the tournament to consist of 16 groups of three teams; however, enlightened by the drama at the end of the first stage of Qatar 2022, Infantino suggested groups of four are likely to remain.
"I have to say, after this World Cup and the success of groups of four and looking at other competitions such as the Euros, here [four-team groups] have been incredible," he added
"I think we have to revisit or at least re-discuss the format. This is something that will certainly be on the agenda."
Speaking two days before Qatar 2022's final, Infantino summarised the tournament as a success in every way, in his opinion, praising the behaviour of supporters.
"The World Cup has been an incredible success on all fronts," said Infantino.
"The main one being the fans, the behaviour, the joyful atmosphere, the bringing of people together. The fans meeting the Arab world, it has been very important for the future of all of us.
"When it comes to the matches, we have seen some incredibly competitive games, some surprises, some great goals.
"At the end of the day, there was on average 10 minutes played as additional time every match. This was a very fair World Cup on the pitch, no simulations, not so many yellow and red cards.
"But this shows the compliment goes to the players and coaches, who maintained their calm, and of course the referees."
Boris Becker is set to tell his story to German television on Tuesday after the tennis legend was released from prison.
The 55-year-old was sentenced to two and a half years in jail at the end of April for breaking insolvency laws.
It was news that 21-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic, who was previously coached by Becker, said left him "heartbroken" for his close friend.
Becker, who won six singles grand slams, served just eight months of his jail sentence. It was confirmed on Thursday by his lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, he has returned to his native Germany, where he is not subject to any restrictions.
Now Becker is poised to speak about his experiences, shining a light on a shocking fall from grace.
The former world number one was found guilty of hiding £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts when he was declared bankrupt in 2017.
He will appear on the Sat.1 channel in a prime-time slot, with editor-in-chief Juliane Essling telling dwdl.de: "Boris Becker is perhaps the greatest hero of German sport. We all know the unbelievable highs and downfalls in his life. Boris Becker is familiar to us.
"Sat.1 will not talk about him – but with him. I am pleased that Boris Becker has given us his trust for the first and only interview worldwide after what may have been the most difficult time in his life."
Becker lived in London before being sent to prison but could be prevented from returning to live in the UK.
He does not have UK citizenship and the Home Office has confirmed any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity.
He covered tennis in a broadcasting career before he was sentenced, being a regular presence on the BBC during Wimbledon, the tournament he won three times, including s spectacular triumph as the age of 17 in 1985.
The business end of the NFL season is here as the playoff picture starts to emerge.
You can tell things are getting interesting as this weekend sees three Saturday games, meaning football fans can stretch out their weekend viewing even further.
Saturday sees the Minnesota Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts, the Baltimore Ravens visit the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills taking on the Miami Dolphins.
Sunday's action includes a clash in the NFC South where no team seems to want to finish first, but the winner of the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints will leave themselves with an inexplicable chance to do so.
Stats Perform has taken a look at the numbers behind a selection of Week 15's games.
Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (10-3)
While the Vikings have been having a far better season than the Colts, they are just 7-18-1 all-time in the series between the two (including playoffs). It is the Vikings' worst record against any single opponent.
Indianapolis entered their bye week with a 54-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, in which they were outscored by 33 points in the fourth quarter (33-0), the largest point differential in a single fourth quarter in NFL history.
Matt Ryan needs 125 passing yards to reach 3,000 for the 13th consecutive season, which would make him the eighth QB in NFL history to accomplish the feat, joining Philip Rivers as the only two to do so without a Super Bowl victory.
Justin Jefferson set a franchise record with 223 receiving yards on 11 catches against the Detroit Lions. Jefferson is up to 4,516 career receiving yards, the most of anyone in NFL history in a player's first three seasons (next most being Randy Moss with 4,163).
Miami Dolphins (8-5) @ Buffalo Bills (10-3)
The Bills have a five-game winning streak at home against the Dolphins, tied for their longest of all-time. This is just one game shy of matching Buffalo's longest home win streak against a divisional opponent (twice against the Colts and once against the New England Patriots).
The Dolphins lost 23-17 to the Chargers last week, posting a season-low 127 passing yards. Miami's 10 completions in the game were their fewest since Week 13 of 2015 (nine).
Tyreek Hill had a 57-yard fumble return touchdown and 60-yard receiving touchdown last week, and leads the NFL with four plays of 50 or more yards this season. Hill had four total plays of 50 or more yards in his last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sean McDermott is 9-2 (.818) in his career as a head coach against the Dolphins, the best record by any head coach with at least eight games against Miami all-time. Only two coaches have 10 or more career wins against Miami (Bill Belichick, 26, and Marv Levy, 15).
Atlanta Falcons (5-8) @ New Orleans Saints (4-9)
The Falcons' three-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their last game was Atlanta's 10th game this season decided by six points or fewer, tied for the most in franchise history (also in 1995, 2015 and 2017).
Cordarrelle Patterson is one of three players in NFL history to average 5.0+ yards per rush and 9.0+ yards per reception over his career (minimum 400 rushes and 200 receptions), along with Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell.
The Saints have held their opponent to fewer than 300 net passing yards in 22 consecutive games, tied with the Bengals for the second-longest active streak in the NFL (after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 27).
Chris Olave has had at least 40 receiving yards in all 12 games of his career thus far, the second-longest streak by any NFL player to begin his career in the Super Bowl era behind fellow Saints player Michael Thomas (19).
Elsewhere...
Panthers QB Sam Darnold has won both of his starts this season and has not thrown a pick in either. He has now won seven straight starts dating back to 2020 in games where he has not thrown an interception, tied for the third-longest active streak among QBs (Jimmy Garoppolo 16, Jalen Hurts 13, Joe Burrow 7), and will look to extend it against the Steelers.
The Dallas Cowboys will have to find a way to stop Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence. Since November 1, Lawrence has the highest completion percentage in the NFL among players with at least 100 attempts (71.8). On the season, the Jaguars are 5-2 when he completes at least 70.0 per cent of his passes compared to 0-6 when he does not.
The Las Vegas Raiders will look to bounce back against the New England Patriots after blowing a 13-point lead with fewer than four minutes remaining in their 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week. Over the last 40 seasons, the only other time the team had lost a game it led by 13+ points with four minutes or less remaining was in Week 3 of the 1993 season to the Cleveland Browns.
Tom Brady was 34-for-55 for 253 yards last week, the 11th time in his career he has attempted at least 55 passes. His teams are now 3-8 in such games, with wins in 2002 against Chicago, 2015 against Buffalo, and Week 9 of this season against the Rams. The Buccaneers (6-7) will hope he can guide them to a much-needed W against the Bengals.
Rafael Nadal on Friday revealed long-time coach Francis Roig is no longer on his team.
Former player Roig has been working with the legendary Spaniard since 2005, helping him win a record 22 grand slam titles.
Roig's long spell on the Nadal team has now come to an end, with the world number two announcing that his compatriot has taken on a "new project."
He wrote on social media: "I wanted to inform you that Francis Roig is leaving the team. Francis has been an important person in my career and I am very grateful to him for all these years of work and friendship.
"When we started working together I was a child and together with my uncle Toni, we started on the circuit.
"Francis is a great coach who knows tennis very well and has helped me a lot to get better and better. I only have words of gratitude and I wish him all the luck in the world in his new project."
Toni Nadal left his nephew's coaching team at the end of the 2017 season and is now working with Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Carlos Moya was appointed as Nadal's coach following Toni Nadal's departure.
The discussion over Lionel Messi's defensive work is "almost silly", according to his former coach at Paris Saint-Germain Mauricio Pochettino.
Messi's Argentina will appear in their sixth World Cup final on Sunday against France, aiming to get their hands on the trophy for the first time since 1986.
Messi will claim the World Cup appearance record outright by playing his 26th and likely final game at the tournament, while he could become the first player to record 20 goal contributions in the competition (currently 11 goals, eight assists).
The Argentina captain started the tournament slowly, with some observers criticising his work rate, but he has shone in the knockout stage.
Former Albiceleste international Pochettino, who coached Messi at PSG until his dismissal earlier this year, scoffed at those concerns and compared Messi to two icons of the game not renowned for their defensive work.
"Honestly, I think the debate about Messi's defensive work is so stale, almost silly," he wrote in The Athletic.
"You cannot pretend that [Diego] Maradona or Pele — along with Messi, the most important players in football — were focused on trying to win the ball back. He can't participate in that. He just needs the others to run for him.
"He doesn't need to press. When you have Messi, you need the other players to understand that they have to get the ball and give it to him so he can conserve his energy and then be decisive, as shown."
Argentina's run to the final has not been all about Messi, though, with Lionel Scaloni's side proving resolute in defence.
They have restricted their opponents to just 5.7 shots per game – fewer than any other side. Indeed, they have not faced above 0.6 expected goals against in any of their six games so far.
Pochettino believes that defensive solidity and work ethic has been crucial in allowing Messi to flourish.
"Of course, Argentina need Messi, but Messi needs the other 10 players to fight for him at all times," he added. "That's one of the keys to this team: they all believe that playing for Messi, they can win the World Cup.
"You can see that the players give 120 per cent to achieve this. Different players: [Rodrigo] De Paul, [Alexis] Mac Allister, [Enzo] Fernandez, [Julian] Alvarez, they give everything they have and more, and they do it for Messi.
"They give everything because it's their dream, they are so close, and when they have Messi, they know that everything is possible.
"That's the most important thing about this Argentina team, and the reason why they are in the final. It's because the players fully understand their role. When you have Messi in your team, you have to run for him.
"And when you have the ball, you have to give it to him as soon as possible so that he can create something. So, the players know what they have to do at all times: to give Messi everything he needs to be decisive."
Josko Gvardiol will take pride in having faced "the best player in history", even if Lionel Messi went to another level in an Argentina shirt to humiliate the Croatia defender.
Gvardiol and Messi have been two of the stars of the 2022 World Cup and came face to face in the semi-finals.
But it was a battle Messi won emphatically, scoring one goal and creating another in a 3-0 Argentina win.
It was the assist that garnered most attention as Messi took on Gvardiol, beating him twice before cutting the ball back for Julian Alvarez.
Gvardiol was on the wrong end of one of the moments of the finals, but he was still delighted to be able to play Messi.
"I have already played against him, but he plays differently than with his club," Gvardiol said.
"It's a great experience, and one day I'll tell my kids that I played against the best player in history."
Messi has seemingly confirmed this will be his last World Cup, as he attempts to lead Argentina past France in Sunday's final, and the same is expected of 37-year-old Croatia midfielder Luka Modric.
But Andrej Kramaric, speaking alongside RB Leipzig player Gvardiol, is not so sure Modric is ready to quit the international game.
"We all know how many nice words were written about Luka and what he did not only for Croatia but the whole world," Kramaric said. "Knowing him, I'm not sure that this is his last.
"Age comes for everyone, including for him, but he will remain immortal for the whole world. He makes everything easier and simpler, which is difficult."
Bernard Laporte has been told he must stand down as president of the French Rugby Federation after his corruption conviction, reports said on Friday.
Former France coach Laporte had signalled an intention to remain at the helm of the federation (FFR), but the organisation's own ethics committee has decided he must go.
According to French newspapers Le Parisien and L'Equipe, the ethics committee has served Laporte with an injunction insisting he vacates his post.
Should Laporte not follow the instruction to leave office, the ethics committee would reportedly have the power to take control of the FFR disciplinary commission and impose sanctions on the 58-year-old president.
"We could not stay outside this situation," said the ethics committee, quoted by Le Parisien. "But it took time for the members to come together, far from the media tumult, to make a decision in calm and serenity."
Laporte stepped down from his role as vice-chairman of World Rugby on Tuesday as an act of "self-suspension" after he was given a two-year suspended prison sentence.
That came after an investigation which examined a number of decisions that favoured Mohed Altrad, the president of Top 14 side Montpellier, including the award of a shirt sponsorship deal for the France national team to Altrad's construction business.
Laporte, who was France's head coach between 1999 and 2007, was also hit with a €75,000 fine and a two-year ban from involvement in rugby by the Paris Criminal Court on Tuesday.
The ban from rugby activities is suspended pending the outcome of Laporte's planned appeal; however, France's sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera and the French National Rugby League have this week both called for Laporte to be replaced.
France will host the Rugby World Cup next year.
Oudea-Castera said it would be inappropriate for Laporte to remain in charge "at a moment as decisive for French rugby as the home stretch before a Rugby World Cup where France will receive nations from all over the world".
Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara made brilliant centuries as India continued their dominance of the first Test against Bangladesh on day three.
Gill (110) scored his maiden Test hundred and Pujara (102 not out) made his first for almost four years, with the tourists declaring on 258-2 in their second innings.
India had earlier bowled out the Tigers for 150 to take a first-innings lead of 254 runs.
Set an improbable victory target of 513 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Bangladesh were 41 without loss at stumps on Friday.
Kuldeep Yadav (5-40) completed a five-wicket haul as India wrapped up the Tigers' first innings in the morning session after they resumed on 133-8 in Chattogram.
Gill and KL Rahul then put on 70 for the first India wicket before Khaled Ahmed had the captain caught by Taijul Islam for 23.
The excellent Gill and Pujara then combined for a stand of 113 to extend the lead, raising the run rate with Ebadot Hossain off the field and Shakib Al Hasan not bowling due to a rib issue.
Gill took a bow after reaching three figures in the longest format for the first time, before he fell to Mehidy Hasan, and Rahul declared after Pujara brought up an elusive hundred.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Zakir Hasan looked assured as they saw Bangladesh through to the close, but they will head to the middle on Saturday with much work to do,
Gill grasps his chance, wait over for Pujara
The absence of injured captain Rohit Sharma opened the door for Gill to come in at the top of the order.
Gill has taken his chance, making his maiden hundred in his 12th Test. He hit three sixes and found the rope 10 times in a 152-ball knock.
Pujara had not reached three figures in the longest format since January 2019, but he followed up his 90 in the first innings by scoring a 19th Test century.
Kuldeep shines on his return
Spinner Kuldeep has bowled beautifully in his first Test since February 2021, claiming a third five-wicket Test haul.
After taking four wickets on the second day, he had Ebadot caught behind before Mehidy was stumped by Rishabh Pant off the bowling of Axar Patel to end Bangladesh's first innings.
George Russell has faith Mercedes will be much more competitive next season, believing they "just got it wrong" this year.
The Silver Arrows had won eight consecutive constructors' championships heading into 2022, also taking the drivers' title in seven of those seasons – including six for Lewis Hamilton.
But Russell's move to Mercedes coincided with a dismal year for their car, unable to match the pace of Max Verstappen's Red Bull.
Mercedes were third in the constructors' championship, with Russell fourth in the driver standings and Hamilton down in sixth.
That is not a theme Russell expects to continue into 2023, however, confident Mercedes are still capable of producing a title-winning car.
"They haven't forgotten how to build a fast race car," Russell told BBC Radio Norfolk. "We just got it wrong this year.
"We got the philosophy wrong. We went down a route which turned out to be the wrong route.
"Sometimes it takes you a long time to dig yourself out of that hole. Now I feel we've dug ourselves out of that hole and we're building on top of that.
"We are a step behind Red Bull and Ferrari and we've got a lot of catching up to do – but we're definitely going to be in a much stronger position from race one next year than we were this year."
Russell ended his wait for a first career win at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in the penultimate race of the year, but he is hungry for more.
"When you join a team like Mercedes, you're expecting victories," he said. "I felt ready to fight for race wins and championships this year, but you've just got to manage your expectations.
"You've got to change those sights slightly, and it's been really intriguing for me this year, seeing how the team deal with this situation.
"I'm here for the long haul, and even though I wanted victories and [to be] fighting for that championship in 2022, as a team these struggles are going to set us up for the coming years.
"I hope I look back in 10 years' time and say the 2022 season was a positive one in the journey."
Rehan Ahmed will become the youngest man to play a Test for England when the teenager makes his debut in the final match of the series against Pakistan.
Ahmed will be aged 18 years and 126 days when he makes his Test bow at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday.
The leg-spinning all-rounder will break a long-standing record held by Brian Close since back in 1949.
Ahmed and Ben Foakes come into the side as replacements for Will Jacks and James Anderson.
Nottingham-born Ahmed earned a call-up with some impressive performances for Leicestershire in the County Championship.
While Ahmed will be making his first Test appearance, Pakistan batter Azhar Ali has announced he will retire from the longest format after playing in Karachi.
England have already won the series and will be looking to pull off a first whitewash in Pakistan.
Pakistan batter Azhar Ali will retire from Test cricket after the final match of the series against England.
The 37-year-old has announced the 97th match of his career in the longest format at the National Stadium in Karachi, which starts on Saturday, will be his last.
Azhar is Pakistan's fifth-highest Test-run scorer with 7,097 at an average of 42.49, making an outstanding 19 hundreds and 35 half-centuries after making his debut in 2010.
The classy right-hander, whose highest score was a magnificent 302 not out against West Indies in 2016, captained his country in nine Tests during two tenures.
Azhar said: "It has been a great honour and privilege for me to represent my country at the highest level. Deciding on when to call it a day is always tough, but, after contemplating deeply, I realised that this is the right time for me to retire from Test cricket.
"There are many people who I am grateful to in this strenuous, yet beautiful journey. I want to make a special mention of my family without whose sacrifices; I would not have been where I am today. My parents, wife, siblings, and children have been my strength throughout.
"I have been blessed to share a dressing room with some of the most outstanding cricketers with whom I share a strong bond. I feel much richer by calling these people my friends. I am also blessed to have played under some wonderful coaches to whom I will always remain grateful.
"I retire from international cricket as a fulfilled cricketer who ticked most of the goals he had set for himself. Not many cricketers go on to lead their countries, and that I was able to captain Pakistan is a matter of great pride for me.
"From being a kid who started as a leg-spinner to becoming a mainstay in the Test batting line-up, I had the loveliest moments of my life that I will cherish forever."
Chris Paul wants the Phoenix Suns to "keep this train moving" after they ended a five-match losing streak by beating the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Suns stopped the rot on their travels on Thursday, seeing off the depleted Clippers 111-95.
Los Angeles were without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Norman Powell, Reggie Jackson and Ivica Zubac as they were beaten in their own backyard.
Mikal Bridges scored 27 points, while Paul weighed in with 15 and also provided 13 assists in a win that moved them to 17-12.
Phoenix sit fourth in the Western Conference and point guard Paul is eager to get on a roll.
"I'm happy we finally got a win out of this road trip, and we're going to try to keep this train moving," he said.
Suns coach Monty Williams praised Bridges for the manner in which he responded to an off day against the Houston Rockets.
"He's a prideful player," Williams said. "He needed a forklift to get his lip off the ground the other night, he was so down about his performance.
"When he's shooting the ball like (tonight), we're a pretty good team."
The Clippers are 17-14 and occupy eighth spot in the Western Conference.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
