Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr looks likely to bring the curtain down on one of the greatest careers in the history of European football.

While writing off Ronaldo is always unwise, a combination of the striker's age and the unsavoury nature of his second spell at Manchester United make a return to elite European football seem improbable.

As a five-time Champions League winner and the top scorer in the history of European football's premier club competition, Ronaldo's legacy as one of the all-time greats is secure.

However, with seven top-flight league titles and a plethora of other trophies to his name, Ronaldo's impact on the continental game went beyond his goals on the grandest club stage.

With the five-time Ballon d'Or winner heading to Riyadh after penning a reported two-and-a-half-year deal with Al Nassr, Stats Perform looks back on his seismic impact in European club football.

Ronaldo's Premier League emergence

Ronaldo's return to the Premier League may not have gone to plan – the 37-year-old only scored once in the competition this term before an explosive interview with Piers Morgan led to his Old Trafford exit.

However, the three-time Premier League winner certainly made his mark in England, scoring 103 goals in 236 top-flight games for United.

Having burst onto the scene as a tricky winger, Ronaldo recorded 37 assists in the competition for the Red Devils, who he also helped to their third European title in 2008.

He also claimed his first Ballon d'Or while in Manchester in 2008 after scoring 31 goals in their title-winning 2007-08 campaign – that single-season tally has only been bettered by three players in the competition's history.

Making history with Madrid in LaLiga

Ronaldo may be treated as a legend at United, but it was at Real Madrid where he really made his name as one of football's greatest, becoming Los Blancos' top scorer with 450 goals in all competitions.

Incredibly, the Portugal forward averaged over a goal per game throughout his trophy-laden spell in Spain, hitting the net 311 times in 292 appearances in LaLiga.

Ronaldo scored with 16 per cent of his shots for Madrid, a higher percentage than he managed in the Premier League, Serie A or the Champions League. 

Madrid may be famed for their Champions League accomplishments, but Ronaldo also helped them to two domestic title triumphs in 2011-12 and 2016-17, netting 46 times as Jose Mourinho's side earned 100 points in the first of those campaigns.

Serie A success with the Bianconeri

Given Juventus' failure to win the Champions League, few consider Ronaldo's time in Turin to be an unmitigated success. The raw numbers, however, suggest otherwise.

Managing 81 goals in 98 league appearances for a club in perpetual crisis – with a conversion rate of 15 per cent – tells the story of how Ronaldo evolved in Serie A, honing his game as the ultimate penalty-box forward in his advancing years.

Despite a tumultuous period which saw Maurizio Sarri replace Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus stretched their incredible run of Scudetto success to nine consecutive seasons.

That stint ended in Ronaldo's final full campaign at the Allianz Stadium, though he still finished as Serie A's top scorer with 29 goals. 

The Champions League master

For those who believe Ronaldo to be the greatest to have played the game, the Portugal forward's exploits in the Champions League are always the crucial factor, the trump card.

Ronaldo's record of 140 goals in the competition is unmatched, though his great rival Lionel Messi (129) may have something to say about that if he declines to follow his fellow forward's lead in exiting Europe.

Averaging almost a goal contribution per game (180 in 183 appearances), Ronaldo won an astonishing 115 games in the Champions League, lifting the trophy five times – a joint-high tally.

As Madrid cemented their status as European masters by winning three consecutive titles between the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons, Ronaldo top-scored in the competition every season, cementing his legacy as the ultimate big-game player.

Virgil van Dijk felt Liverpool got away with being "very poor" in a 2-1 Premier League victory over Leicester City at Anfield.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall took advantage of some slack Reds defending to give the Foxes an early lead, but Wout Faes gifted the Reds a fourth consecutive win on Friday.

The Leicester centre-back scored two first-half own goals to give Jurgen Klopp's side a victory that moves them just two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Liverpool were not at their fluent best, with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah wasteful in front of goal.

Reds centre-back Van Dijk offered a frank assessment of the performance in their final match of 2022, which was watched by new signing Cody Gakpo on Merseyside.

The Netherlands defender told Sky Sports: "We were very poor today but it's just good to get the three points, very important to win these type of games, that's the positive.

"Now we have to recover, improve and prepare for Brentford [on Monday]. We tried to get in the game, it wasn't good enough and we all know that. There are plenty of things we have to improve."

He added: "At times we were maybe too quick and then we lose the ball and it’s a bit too open, and they can play, but we have to take the three points and on to the next one."

Liverpool head into 2023 in sixth spot with momentum after a disappointing start to the season.

Karim Benzema scored a late double as Real Madrid snatched a 2-0 victory at 10-man Real Valladolid on Friday to leapfrog Barcelona at the top of LaLiga.

Carlo Ancelotti's side looked set to be frustrated at the Jose Zorrilla Stadium in their first game after the World Cup, with Benzema squandering a gilt-edged first-half chance.

However, the France international – who missed Qatar 2022 through injury – made amends after the interval as he converted from the penalty spot with seven minutes remaining before sealing victory six minutes later.

Valladolid saw forward Sergio Leon sent off for dissent after the award of Benzema's penalty as Madrid dug deep to go one point clear of Barca, who play their game in hand at home to Espanyol on Saturday.

The Philadelphia Eagles will likely be without quarterback Jalen Hurts for a second straight week after listing the NFL MVP candidate as doubtful for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.

Gardner Minshew is set to make a second consecutive start in place of Hurts, who sprained his right shoulder in Philadelphia’s 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears on December 18, as the 13-2 Eagles try to secure the NFC's number one seed and home-field advantage for the conference playoffs.

Hurts did return to practice Thursday and took part in Friday's session on a limited basis as well. However, ESPN reported that the Eagles decided to give the 2022 Pro Bowler an additional week of rest to ensure he can be healthy for the upcoming playoffs.

"Obviously the first and foremost thing that’s most important for Jalen is that his health is always taken into consideration first and if it’s safe for him to be out there," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on Friday.

"Then from there, then you do what’s best for the team, but you first do what’s best for the individual."

Minshew also filled in for Hurts last week against the Dallas Cowboys, throwing for 355 yards and two touchdowns, including a fourth-quarter strike to Devonta Smith that briefly gave the Eagles a 34-27 lead.

The former Jacksonville Jaguars starter was intercepted twice as well, with the last leading to a tie-breaking field goal by Dallas in a game the rival Cowboys ultimately won 40-34.

"Gardner has been in this position where he has to do everything he has to do to prepare, on limited reps, on a lot of reps – all those different things," Sirianni said. "That’s why Gardner is a great pro.

"We have a lot of confidence in him that he’s going to be ready no matter what the scenario is."

The Eagles enter Week 17 with a one-game lead on the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC’s best record and are one-and-half games ahead of second-place Dallas in the NFC East. Philadelphia will clinch the conference’s top seed with a win in one of their two remaining regular-season games.

The Philadelphia Eagles will likely be without quarterback Jalen Hurts for a second straight week after listing the NFL MVP candidate as doubtful for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.

Gardner Minshew is set to make a second consecutive start in place of Hurts, who sprained his right shoulder in Philadelphia’s 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears on December 18, as the 13-2 Eagles try to secure the NFC's number one seed and home-field advantage for the conference playoffs.

Hurts did return to practice Thursday and took part in Friday's session on a limited basis as well. However, ESPN reported that the Eagles decided to give the 2022 Pro Bowler an additional week of rest to ensure he can be healthy for the upcoming playoffs.

"Obviously the first and foremost thing that’s most important for Jalen is that his health is always taken into consideration first and if it’s safe for him to be out there," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on Friday.

"Then from there, then you do what’s best for the team, but you first do what’s best for the individual."

Minshew also filled in for Hurts last week against the Dallas Cowboys, throwing for 355 yards and two touchdowns, including a fourth-quarter strike to Devonta Smith that briefly gave the Eagles a 34-27 lead.

The former Jacksonville Jaguars starter was intercepted twice as well, with the last leading to a tie-breaking field goal by Dallas in a game the rival Cowboys ultimately won 40-34.

"Gardner has been in this position where he has to do everything he has to do to prepare, on limited reps, on a lot of reps – all those different things," Sirianni said. "That’s why Gardner is a great pro.

"We have a lot of confidence in him that he’s going to be ready no matter what the scenario is."

The Eagles enter Week 17 with a one-game lead on the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC’s best record and are one-and-half games ahead of second-place Dallas in the NFC East. Philadelphia will clinch the conference’s top seed with a win in one of their two remaining regular-season games.

Wout Faes scored two own goals as Liverpool came from behind to beat Leicester City 2-1 at Anfield.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall capitalised on poor defending to give Liverpool an early lead but Jurgen Klopp's side were gifted a fourth consecutive Premier League win by Faes.

The defender inexplicably hit the target at the wrong end twice in the first half on Friday to put Liverpool in front.

Liverpool were not at their fluent best, but moved just two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a win from their final match of 2022, with new signing Cody Gakpo watching on.

Dewsbury-Hall caught the Reds napping in the fourth minute, bursting through the middle unchallenged into a huge hole at the heart of the back four appeared and beating Alisson with a composed left-foot finish.

Leicester continued to look dangerous after Jamie Vardy replaced the injured Patson Daka, but Faes gifted Liverpool an equaliser when he attempted to deal with Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross, only to slice the ball over Danny Ward into the far corner.

Matters went from bad to worse for Faes on the stroke of half-time as he calamitously lashed the ball into his own net after Darwin Nunez's effort hit the post and rebounded into his path.

Jordan Henderson fired just wide early in the second half and Mohamed Salah struck off target after he was brilliantly set up by the dangerous Nunez.

Harvey Barnes almost equalised at the culmination of a fine run before an unmarked Dewsbury-Hall made a mess of a header in an increasingly open contest.

Nunez and Salah squandered further chances to extend Liverpool’s lead yet it mattered not, as Faes proved to be Liverpool's unlikely match-winner.

The Arizona Cardinals will have their fourth starting quarterback this season after coach Kliff Kingsbury announced that David Blough will get the nod for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

Blough, signed off the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad on December 14, will fill in for a still-injured Colt McCoy.

McCoy had cleared the NFL's concussion protocol earlier this week but reported a recurrence of symptoms following Thursday's practice.

Kingsbury told reporters on Friday that McCoy, who inherited the starting job after Kyler Murray tore his ACL in Week 14, will likely be held out of Arizona's final game of the season at San Francisco as well.

McCoy also missed the Cardinals' 19-16 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Christmas Day. Trace McSorley made his first NFL start and threw for 217 yards with one interception while completing 24 of 45 passes.

Kingsbury said the Cardinals want to get a further look at Blough, a five-game starter for the Detroit Lions in 2019, and then will decide between his options as to who will start on Week 18.

"We'll give him a chance, evaluate him, and see how that goes," Kingsbury said of Blough.

"The last week, we'll see where we're at and name a starter then.

"[Trace] is a competitor, but he understands the situation we are in and where we are at. There is some evaluation that needs to be done at this point."

Blough went 0-5 when pressed into duty as a rookie for the Lions. The 27-year-old threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in his NFL debut on Thanksgiving Day of 2019, but completed just 52.9 per cent of his passes with five interceptions over his four subsequent starts.

He will be taking the field on Sunday for a Cardinals team that has lost five straight games and sits last in the NFC West at 4-11, one year after finishing 11-6 and reaching the playoffs. 

Enzo Fernandez was named in Benfica's starting XI to face Braga despite the mounting speculation that he will join Chelsea in January.

Fernandez was a breakout star at the World Cup, playing in all seven of Argentina's matches as they went on to claim the title in Qatar.

The 21-year-old, who joined Benfica from River Plate last year, was rewarded for his efforts by being named as the Young Player of the Tournament.

His performances have piqued the interest of some of Europe's elite sides, however, and Chelsea are reportedly frontrunners. 

Indeed, reports on Friday claimed Fernandez had already agreed to join the Premier League side, with the ball now in Benfica's court as to whether they accept a bid.

However, the speculation did not stop Benfica coach Roger Schmidt calling on the midfielder to start against Braga in Benfica's first league game back after the World Cup.

When asked about Fernandez at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Schmidt acknowledged it was natural for a player to have their head turned by huge offers.

"These young players sometimes have opportunities," he said. "It's not just Enzo, it's all the players.

"It's part of the football business. If they have opportunities, they have to make decisions. I can give them advice and recommendations.

"But I always respected the players' decisions, because they only have one career."

Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to complete his move to Al Nassr.

The Portugal forward saw his second stint at Manchester United brought to an early conclusion last month following an inflammatory interview with Piers Morgan, in which he revealed his unhappiness with the Red Devils and their manager Erik ten Hag.

Ronaldo has been a free agent since United terminated his deal shortly after the start of the World Cup, at which he scored one goal and was reduced to the role of substitute for Portugal's two knockout games.

Having revealed he rejected a move to the Saudi Pro League ahead of this season, Ronaldo had been strongly linked with Al Nassr since leaving Old Trafford.

While Ronaldo denied a deal had been agreed earlier this month, Al Nassr sporting director Marcelo Salazar said the club would remain patient in their attempts to take him to Riyadh – and that approach looks to have paid off.

On Friday, widespread reports suggested Ronaldo had agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Al Nassr, where it is suggested he will earn £62million (€69.9m) per season.

Those reports also claimed Ronaldo had already undergone one part of his medical.

Ronaldo's move will bring the curtain down on his remarkable stint at the top of the European game.

Ronaldo could potentially be available to make his Al Nassr debut on Thursday, when Rudi Garcia's side host Al Ta'ee.

Al Nassr are second in the Saudi Pro League after losing just one of their first 10 games this season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert assisted in a water rescue after a helicopter crash near the Florida city.

Gabbert and his brothers were riding jet skis nearby when they saw a helicopter with four passengers make an emergency water landing near the Davis Islands.

Tampa police said that the chopper had been on an aerial tour and was returning to Peter O. Knight Airport when it lost power, forcing the pilot to attempt a water landing.

No one was injured in the crash, although one passenger, 28-year-old Hunter Rapp, said that he was trapped underwater for nearly a minute.

"I vaguely remember seeing two yellow life jackets, so I was like, 'We've got to go check this out,'" Gabbert recalled to reporters Friday.

"They looked like they were in duress; we raced over there.

"The youngest kid had just come up and said he was pinned in there, and I asked if anyone else was trapped. Then I called 9-1-1 and tried to remain as calm as possible, but it all turned positive."

Gabbert credited the first responders on the scene for the rescue and their quick response.

"I was just in the right place, right time, I guess," Gabbert said.

"I got two on my jet ski and my brothers got one. The pilot was still in the water, and that's when [Tampa police] pulled up, and I dragged him a little towards the boat.

"It was a pretty crappy situation that turned good in the end."

Gabbert was drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and is in his 12th professional season, his third backing up Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. 

Unai Emery believes Emiliano Martinez's World Cup-winning mentality will push Aston Villa on for the rest of the Premier League season.

Martinez helped guide Argentina to glory at Qatar 2022, with his penalty shoot-out heroics in the final against France, and a brilliant save in extra time, key to ensuring La Albiceleste ended their 36-year wait for a third world title.

Having helped Lionel Messi get his clutches on football's biggest prize, Martinez has courted controversy for his post-tournament celebrations, including mocking France star Kylian Mbappe, whose hat-trick at Lusail Stadium proved fruitless.

Emery, who had previously promised he would speak to Martinez about his antics, believes Martinez's mentality is an example his club-mates must follow.

"Hopefully he is coming [in] 100 per cent focused on Aston Villa," Emery told reporters ahead of Villa's trip to Tottenham.

"Of course, he needs to adapt quickly again. Every Aston Villa supporter must be proud of him.

"We have, in our team and our squad, a winner of a World Cup, which he deserves. He is pushing his team-mates on the training ground every day.

"When he is coming back we have to try to introduce him again into and to be positive to use his energy and try to use his mentality to help us."

Villa are perched in mid-table in the Premier League, having lost on their return to action against Liverpool on Boxing Day.

Felix Sanchez has left his position as Qatar head coach after the World Cup hosts failed to collect a point in front of home fans.

A long career in Qatari football has ended with former Barcelona youth coach Sanchez saying he hopes to find a new challenge.

Qatar's performance was the worst statistically of any host nation in World Cup history. No other home side had ever lost as many as three matches or conceded as many as seven group-stage goals, which is what happened to Qatar.

Spaniard Sanchez took up an academy job in Qatar in 2006 before becoming directly involved with the national set-up at youth levels, later being appointed boss of the national team in 2017, with an Asian Cup triumph in 2019 marking the peak of his achievement in the job.

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) said Sanchez's departure was "mutually decided", with his contract having been due to expire on Saturday.

QFA president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said: "The football family of Qatar will always be grateful for the success he has brought to Qatari football over the years."

Sanchez said: "The past five years with Qatar's senior national team have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I can only thank the QFA, Sheikh Hamad the president, and the country's leaders for their trust and support during a period in which we achieved a lot together. Qatar, its people, and its football will always be in my heart. Now is a good time to let others take on the responsibility of the team and for me to explore new challenges."

At the end of Qatar's World Cup campaign, which saw them lose to Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands, Sanchez bristled at the mention of his team's record in the group.

He said: "We never thought at any time to set a goal of reaching the last 16 or the quarter-finals. The goal was to get here, compete and see what we could do. Now we've seen.

"You can use statistics as you please, but we have to make our own assessment. That's what really matters to us."

Jesse Marsch lamented the way the absence of a Premier League salary cap limits Leeds United's ambitions ahead of their trip to top-four contenders Newcastle United.

Leeds sit just two points clear of the relegation zone after Wednesday's 3-1 defeat to Manchester City, while their next opponents are third after enjoying an 11-match unbeaten run (W8 D3).

Newcastle have been rejuvenated since a 2021 takeover led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, staving off the threat of relegation last season following the January arrivals of Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Tripper and others.

The Magpies then broke their transfer record with a £60million (€71.1m) move for Alexander Isak in August, while Leeds turned a profit in the last transfer window after selling Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.

Marsch – who spent his entire playing career with Major League Soccer teams, who adhere to a strict salary cap – discussed Leeds' financial disadvantage ahead of Saturday's game. 

"We all know in this world of football it's something that's different from American sports," Marsch said at Friday's pre-match press conference.

"We [in the United States] have salary caps and everyone has a chance when the season starts. I'm sorry, but the way European football works, that's just not the case.

"I would love to say we want to win every match and we are in a position to do that. But we know in the reality of who we are right now, that is not realistic.

"I know we are tasked in this league to compete with teams such as Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, but our true competitors are the mid-table, bottom-of-the-table teams.

"That's the reality and there's a bunch of us in this same category. It's not just about money, but certainly it's a factor."

While Marsch was keen to credit the fine work done by Eddie Howe at St James' Park, he acknowledged Leeds are forced to conduct their business in a different way.

"I don't want to slight Newcastle at all, financially," Marsch said. "They have done a great job regardless, and it [money] can make things easier, but that's not the only job.

"Take Chelsea 25 years ago, take Newcastle now, take Man City 15 years ago. It's a difference-maker for every phase of what you are doing as a club; manager, players, everything.

"But we like us. We like who we are, we like our identity, we like the mentality that we have created. We are going to keep building in our own way."