Cristiano Ronaldo's scathing criticism of Manchester United will not have an impact on Portugal's quest for World Cup glory in Qatar, insists midfielder Joao Mario.
Ronaldo has endured a torrid season after reportedly expressing his desire to leave Old Trafford in the transfer window, making just four Premier League starts and only scoring once in the competition.
Having been temporarily exiled from first-team activities by Erik ten Hag after refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham last month, Ronaldo's United future is again in doubt following his decision to grant an explosive interview to Piers Morgan.
In early excerpts published from the interview, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner claimed to have been "betrayed" by United and said he has no respect for Ten Hag.
Ronaldo is set to begin his fifth and likely final World Cup campaign this month, and international team-mate Joao Mario does not believe Portugal will suffer for the 37-year-old's actions.
"I don't see a problem with the timing, so it's fine for us," Joao Mario said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"I don't think it puts further pressure on him or on us. We're used to dealing with great pressure.
"It's not the first time that a player comes to the national team having a problem with his club. One of the advantages is that we put everything to the side when we are here.
"When we get to the national team, it's another working group and we try to focus on what's most important.
"The headlines are always about him. Honestly, every time we come to the national team, the first questions asked are always about Ronaldo. The focus is always on him, and we are used to that.
"He is always happy when he is with national team. I saw him yesterday and he is fine, as always when he arrives here.
"He is totally focused on the national team and he is going to be a big help for us at the World Cup."
Portugal will begin their Group H campaign against Ghana on November 24 after taking on Nigeria in a pre-tournament friendly on Thursday.
Having scored at the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups, Ronaldo could become the first player to score in five different editions of the tournament when he takes to the field in Qatar.
However, all seven of his World Cup goals to date have come in the group stage – no player has scored more goals at the tournament without finding the net in a knockout game.
Kane determined to continue for England beyond 2026 World Cup
Harry Kane does not expect the 2026 World Cup to be his final major tournament with England.
Kane scored his 69th senior goal for the Three Lions as they crushed the Republic of Ireland 5-0 on Sunday to seal automatic promotion back to the top tier of the Nations League.
However, interim coach Lee Carsley benched Kane for England's previous game, a 3-0 victory in Greece on Thursday, and the striker was roundly criticised for his performances at Euro 2024 despite earning a share of the Golden Boot with three goals as his team reached the final.
Now 31 years old, Kane does not expect the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada to be his final shot at international glory and is holding out hope of featuring on home soil at Euro 2028.
Asked if the 2026 tournament could represent his international swansong, Kane told PA: "I don't think so.
"I think there's a perception when you get to your 30s that you're coming to an end, but for me, I'm performing at the highest level I've ever performed and feel as good as I've ever felt, so it's about taking in the moment.
"I don't like to look too far ahead and in my career, I never have. The World Cup is going to be exciting.
"In America it will be an incredible occasion and ultimately it's about trying to win that, looking at where you are, where to improve and it will be no different in a couple of years."
Kane has scored 61 goals in all competitions since joining Bayern Munich last August, at least eight more than any other player from Europe's top five leagues (Erling Haaland has 53).
Kane scored 44 of those goals under former Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, who will take charge of England on January 1.
Only Haaland under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City (53) has more under a single manager in that span across Europe's big five leagues.
Kane was speaking at the unveiling of a statue in his honour at the Peter May Sports Centre in east London, where he represented his first team as a five-year-old.
"It's pretty special to be honest," Kane told BBC Newsround. "I played on these pitches as a five-year-old with dreams of playing for England, and I've been lucky enough to achieve that.
"Hopefully the boys and girls will walk past and be inspired by the story of my journey, my life and hard work."
Germany's focus on developing for 2026 World Cup, says Nagelsmann
Nagelsmann will use Germany's final Nations League match against Hungary as the start of their 2026 World Cup preparation.
Germany had already qualified for the quarter-finals of the Nations League coming into this international break, but a 7-0 thrashing of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday ensured they would top the pile in Group A3.
In fact, that victory was the biggest by a team in the Nations League, while their 3.4 goals-per-game average in the current campaign is also the best by a team in a season in the competition.
Though qualification for the World Cup has not yet started, Nagelsmann is keen to maintain their momentum in their bid to book a place at the tournament.
"There is no great motivation as far as the group is concerned. We won the group. We get the motivation from wanting to develop," he told a press conference on Monday.
"We do not have many matches until the World Cup but just a few. Little time to develop until the World Cup qualification and little time, if hopefully qualified, until the World Cup. So, there is limited time tolerance in terms of development."
Germany enter the last eight of the Nations League hoping to win their first silverware since their World Cup win in 2014.
They have exited the last two such tournaments in the group stage after disappointing campaigns, while they were knocked out of Euro 2024 at the quarter-finals stage on home soil.
However, they have impressed in the Nations League, going unbeaten across their first five games with four wins and a draw. Their 17 goals scored is a competition high, while only Spain (two) have conceded fewer than their three goals in League A.
"We don't have time to waste," Nagelsmann added. "That does not mean that everything has to work perfectly every time.
"Wins are always important for us. Nothing will collapse if we don't win [on Tuesday]. The result is not as important as the way we will play.
"We don't have the time we would like to develop, so we have to use it wisely."
'Nothing concrete' - Gyokeres brushes off Man Utd transfer links
Viktor Gyokeres says the rumours linking him with a January move to Manchester United are "nothing concrete".
The Sporting CP forward has been the subject of speculation following United's appointment of Ruben Amorim, though he has also been linked with the likes of Bayern Munich and Arsenal after his sensational form since moving to Portugal.
He has scored 34 goals in the Portuguese top-flight this calendar year, more than double the figure managed by the competition's next-most prolific player, Galeno, who has netted 16 times for Porto.
Gyokeres' haul has come from an expected goals (xG) figure of 28.18, while his shot conversion rate sits at 27.64% in 2024 (123 shots).
Amorim, who signed a contract at Old Trafford until June 2027, signed Gyokeres from Coventry City in July 2023, though he has suggested he will not buy any Sporting players in the upcoming transfer window.
Asked about a potential move to the Premier League, Gyokeres told Fotbollskanalen: "It's fun, but not something I attach any importance to because it's talk.
"These are rumours, nothing concrete. Of course, I want to finish the season at Sporting. I enjoy my time there. I don't feel stressed about making a change in the future. We'll see when the time comes.
"He [Amorim] probably already has strikers there. It's very sad that he left [Sporting], but of course, we understand the decision. He meant a lot to me, as he gave me an opportunity and helped me evolve a lot.
"Now we are looking forward to working with the new coach [Joao Pereira]."
The 26-year-old, who scored a league-high 29 goals last campaign, has netted 23 goals in 18 appearances in all competitions this term, with 16 of those coming in the Primeira Liga.
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