England will play their first match without Gareth Southgate in the dugout when they take on the Republic of Ireland.

Southgate quit his post in the wake of England's 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024 in July.

That ended a hugely successful eight-year stint for Southgate when it came to turning around the fortunes of the Three Lions, and restoring England's pride in the national team.

Yet for all the promise and potential, England could not get over the line when it truly mattered, falling short in two Euros finals, and a World Cup semi-final.

England had endured a miserable Nations League campaign before their exploits in Germany, and in hindsight, it showed that perhaps Southgate's magic was wearing off.

Now in League B, having been relegated from League A, England's first match after Southgate sees them face an old rival, as former Ireland international Lee Carsley aims to prove his credentials to the Football Association (FA).

Having won last year's Under-21 Euros, Carsley will surely be hoping he can follow in Southgate's footsteps in transferring from the youth set up to the senior side.

Here, using Opta data, we delve into the key talking points ahead of Saturday's clash in Dublin.

What's expected?

It's always hard to fully gauge what a team will look like under a new manager, especially in international football. 

That being said, while we do not quite know what Carsley's England will look like, we can be sure that they are the favourites for this one, with Opta's supercomputer handing them a 70.4% win probability.

Ireland, on the other hand, have been given just a 13.2% win likelihood, while the threat of a draw is 16.5%.

This is England's first game without Southgate in charge since a 1-0 win over Slovakia in September 2016 in Sam Allardyce's one and only game.

Including caretakers, only four managers have lost their first game in charge of the Three Lions: Alf Ramsey (2-5 vs France in 1963), Howard Wilkinson (0-2 vs France in 1999), Peter Taylor (0-1 vs Italy in 2000) and Stuart Pearce (2-3 vs Netherlands at the 2012 Olympics when coaching Team GB).

It is fair to say Carsley, who played 40 times for Ireland between 1997 and 2008, has history on his side. Will he continue those strong records?

New blood

Carsley, as expected, freshened up his squad with some new faces. Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Tino Livramento and Noni Madueke all made the cut.

Gomes, Gibbs-White and Madueke made 50 appearances combined for Carsley in the U21s, so it is not a huge surprise to see the trio given a shot, while Livramento has usurped Kieran Trippier, who has now retired from international football, at Newcastle United this season.

At last year's U21 Euros, Carsley's team scored 11 goals in six games, outperforming their 8.5 expected goals (xG) and, despite not dominating possession, averaging 56.4%, they scored the most build-up goals at the tournament (seven) - a build-up goal is an open play sequence that features 10+ passes and ends in a goal.

Given England performed so poorly, relative to the quality at their disposal, in attack at Euro 2024, perhaps Carsley's approach can help get the best out of that star-studded frontline, albeit Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer have all withdrawn from the squad.

Indeed, England have scored just 13 goals in 11 games in 2024, having netted 26 in 10 games in 2023. Their 2024 average of 1.2 goals per game is their lowest in a year since 2000 (exactly one per game, 11 goals in 11 games), so Carsley has a relatively low bar to improve on.

What about the defence, though? Southgate was a pragmatic manager, and in fairness, England only allowed 7.3 xG against through their seven matches at Euro 2024.

However, they have shipped the opening goal in each of their last four matches, all in the knockout stages in Germany (W2 D1 L1). The Three Lions have not conceded the opener in five games in a row since between November 1953 and June 1954.

And going back to that U21 Euros, Carsley's side did not concede a single goal, albeit the xGA metric suggests they should have conceded at least seven.

While the fresh faces in England's squad will be looking to stake a claim, Jack Grealish has been handed a reprieve after missing out on Euro 2024. And, right at the top of the pitch, there is the experience and world-class finishing ability of Harry Kane, who is closing in on his 100th cap - should he play in Dublin, that will be appearance number 99 for his country.

Ireland's new era

It is not just Carsley that is making his bow in the dugout on Saturday. Heimir Hallgrimsson is Ireland's new boss, with the former Jamaica and Iceland coach having been appointed earlier in the summer.

Hallgrimsson has previous with England, of course. He was in joint charge of Iceland when they knocked Roy Hodgson's Three Lions out of Euro 2016.

The only manager to defeat England with two different nations is Bora Milutinovic, in 1985 with Mexico and in 1993 with the United States.

And what better way to start a new era than a big win over a big rival?

This is the first time Ireland will host England since a goalless draw in a friendly in June 2015. In a competitive match, it is the first time since a November 1990 European Championship qualifier, drawn 1-1 with Tony Cascarino cancelling out David Platt's opener for the Three Lions.

England also won their last meeting with Ireland in November 2020 – they have not won consecutive games against them since doing so with wins in 1980 and 1985.

Ireland last beat England in 1995, though the sides have only met each other three times since, with two draws and one win for England: that 3-0 triumph in 2020.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Republic of Ireland - Evan Ferguson

Ferguson could not quite get going last season after a bright start for Brighton, but he is still one of the Premier League's most exciting youngsters.

The striker is Ireland's big hope going forward and will be out to make his mark against one of the best teams in the world.

England - Harry Kane

Kane ranks 10th on the all-time list of England caps and has made 85 starts, playing 7,616 minutes, directly contributing to 83 goals (66 goals – an England record – and 17 assists). He averages 0.78 goals per 90, and 0.98 goal contributions per 90.

Indeed, Kane averages a goal every 115 minutes for his country, and he will surely be the key man for Carsley as the interim manager looks to capitalise on this audition.

Argentina cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Chile in their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier, thanks to Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez and Paulo Dybala.

In their first match since winning the Copa America in July, the Albiceleste showed no signs of missing talisman Lionel Messi, still out with an ankle injury, or the now-retired Angel Di Maria, who received a tribute pre-match.

Argentina were on top from the first whistle but struggled to find a breakthrough. However, they received a scare on the stroke of half-time, with Matias Catalan striking the post.

Just three minutes after the break, Mac Allister finally broke the deadlock, finishing off a lovely team move with a low finish.

The hosts' dominance was further rewarded in the 84th minute, with Alvarez rifling a powerful long-range shot in off the underside of the bar, giving Gabriel Arias no chance.

Paulo Dybala added some gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time, marking his return to the national team by beating the goalkeeper at his near post.

Argentina remain top of the qualifying with 18 points, while Chile sit second-from-bottom with just five. 

Data Debrief: Argentina stay on top

Argentina won all seven matches played at the Monumental during Lionel Scaloni's tenure as coach. During that time, the Albiceleste scored 14 goals and conceded none, averaging 17.7 shots per game and 69% possession.

In this game alone, Argentina had 16 shots, their highest total in World Cup qualifying so far, with eight of those on target, while they also had 65% possession.

Scotland are falling short in big matches due to the finer details, said Scott McTominay after a "self-inflicted" defeat to Poland.

McTominay scored a 76th-minute equaliser at Hampden Park on Thursday, as Scotland looked all set to take a 2-2 draw from their Nations League opener.

Yet deep in stoppage time, Nicola Zalewski put away Poland's second penalty of the night to condemn Steve Clarke's team to defeat.

Scotland, who crashed out of Euro 2024 with a whimper, are now winless in their last five home games, their longest such run in 16 years.

"It's a difficult one to be honest," McTominay, who has now scored nine in his last 16 appearances for Scotland, told ITV Sport.

"I thought we were good in the game, I felt like at half-time when we were 2-0 down it was unjustified. That's football, it's cruel at times.

"We had a lot of box entries from our sides. It's disappointing but we showed great character to get back into the game and we can take belief from that. We really came back well and didn't give up.

"The goals are self-inflicted from the collective, we all know that. It's those little details that are making us fall short in bigger games. We can go back and look at little tweaks to hopefully improve.

"Every single game of football has mistakes and sometimes you get punished and sometimes you don't. It's something we as a group need to take ownership of.

"You can't do anything but do your best on the pitch and hopefully score the next goal and against Portugal [on Sunday] we can be the ones who come out winning."

Scotland went 2-0 down in the first half, with Robert Lewandowski teeing up Sebastian Szymanski's early opener before netting from the penalty spot.

Lewandowski has been involved in 10 goals in his last 10 starts for Poland (six goals, four assists), while the Barcelona forward has scored each of his last four penalties since failing to do so against Mexico at the 2022 World Cup.

Poland, meanwhile, converted two spot-kicks in a game for the first time since June 2017 in a World Cup qualifier against Romania. Though with Lewandowski off the pitch late on, the responsibility for the second fell to Zalewski.

Billy Gilmour, who, like McTominay, joined Napoli last week, got Scotland back into it just after half-time, though the comeback efforts ultimately proved fruitless.

"We're disappointed. We felt we were the better team," the midfielder said. "In the second half we felt we showed that and went for it.

"Getting two goals back and then to concede another penalty was tough. We'll go back and look at it and make it right.

"There was good stuff there as well, but ultimately the final result wasn't good.

"It's a tough one, we really felt like we should have got the win. We leave it out there all the time, we're a group of boys proud to represent our country."

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his 900th career goal, but the Portugal captain claimed he is "haunted" by records.

Ronaldo scored his landmark goal in the 34th minute of Thursday's Nations League contest between Portugal and Croatia in Lisbon.

The 39-year-old's close-range finish, his 131st goal for Portugal, was enough to secure a 2-1 win for Roberto Martinez's team, who went ahead through Diogo Dalot, although the full-back then scored an own goal that dragged Croatia back into proceedings.

Ronaldo was taken off late on to a standing ovation, and speaking to Portuguese media, he said: "It was an exciting goal for me. It's a round number.

"Only I know how hard it is to work every day to score your 900th goal.

"It's a unique milestone in my career. I don't break records… they haunt me!"

Ronaldo let the emotions out after scoring, and seemed to be in tears of joy while celebrating.

"As you know, I'm already 39 and a half years old and so you have to be very focused for things to go well," he explained. "To be at this level requires a lot of dedication.

"So, when these little records happen, small, big, I get emotional because I know and value what I do, and my teammates, because obviously without my team-mates this would be unthinkable."

Ronaldo endured a difficult Euro 2024 campaign, failing to score from 24 shots, including a penalty that was saved by Jan Oblak.

Portugal eventually crashed out to France on penalties, and Ronaldo stressed the importance of getting off to a good start, and complimented Martinez's change in approach.

"After what happened in the European Championship, we had to give a good response and that's what happened," he said.

"We played well. Croatia fought really well and I think it was a spectacular game.

"I felt freer than usual in this game. The coach also gave me that opportunity and we also played, in my opinion, a little differently to how we played in the European Championship.

"We made a lot of changes, the players were freer on the pitch and when that happens, it's better for me, I'll be honest.

"I feel better, I feel more involved in the game and I can enjoy football more. It's not that I didn't enjoy it at the Euros, but I like being a free player, I like to make space for my team-mates too and today was a performance that the team performed very well."

Real Madrid centre-back Eder Militao has left Brazil's training camp ahead of World Cup qualifiers versus Ecuador and Paraguay due to a leg injury.

Brazil have made a dismal start to their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign and sit sixth in the 10-team CONMEBOL group after six games, with two wins, one draw and three defeats.

Dorival Junior's side will have to cope without key defender Militao for the first international break of the season, after the Brazilian FA (CBF) confirmed he had suffered an injury.

"Defender Eder Militao complained of muscle pain in his right thigh after training on Wednesday and after medical exams carried out on Thursday, it was identified a small muscle injury in his right thigh," the CBF said in a statement.

"The player has been ruled out of Brazil's next two qualifying matches and the CBF expresses its solidarity with the player at this time and wishes him a speedy recovery."

Militao, who missed most of last season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, is the latest Madrid player to suffer injury problems at the start of this season.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and left-back Ferland Mendy both left France's camp ahead of their Nations League clashes against Italy and Belgium due to injuries sustained in Los Blancos' 2-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday.

Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos and Jude Bellingham have also suffered from injuries in the last few weeks, while David Alaba is still recovering from an ACL tear suffered last term.

San Marino clinched their first-ever competitive win, and their first victory in over 20 years, by beating Liechtenstein 1-0 in their Nations League opener on Thursday.

San Marino, whose only previous victory came in a friendly against the same opponents in April 2004, sealed the historic result courtesy of Nicko Sensoli's 53rd-minute strike.

Sensoli pounced on a defensive mix-up to prod into an unguarded net and spark wild celebrations in Serravalle, then the hosts held on through seven anxious minutes of second-half stoppage time to go top of Nations League Group D1.

The team, who sit 210th in the FIFA World Rankings, had previously won just one of 205 full internationals, and the full-time whistle sparked joyous celebrations as coach Roberto Cevoli and his staff ran onto the pitch.

San Marino are next in action in a friendly on Tuesday, when they visit Moldova.

Spain were frustrated on their first outing as European Champions as their Nations League Group A4 campaign began with a goalless draw with Serbia in Belgrade.

Luis de la Fuente's side, who also won the last edition of the Nations League in 2022-23, dominated for long spells and twice saw Lamine Yamal go close in the second half, but were unable to find a way past Al-Ittihad goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.

Playing in the top tier of the Nations League for the first time after clinching promotion two years ago, Serbia made a solid start and should have gone ahead after 34 minutes. 

Andrija Zivkovic slipped a delightful ball in behind the Spanish backline for former Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic, but he somehow blasted his effort wide of the left-hand post with only David Raya to beat.

Dani Carvajal volleyed over as Spain upped the ante after the break, but still the Serbian clean sheet remained intact, with Rajkovic called upon to claw Alejandro Grimaldo's dipping free-kick away from the top-right corner.

Yamal curled an effort agonisingly wide just seconds later, and the Barcelona winger would have one final chance to win it with 15 minutes left, jinking into the area and firing goalwards only to see Rajkovic push his effort to safety.

Data Debrief: Serbia stand firm

It was all hands on deck for Serbia at times on Thursday, as every single Spain outfield starter – with the exception of Ayoze Perez – created at least one chance.

Given La Roja racked up 21 shots, however, they will be disappointed with their total expected goals (xG) figure of 1.37, compared to 1.16 from just eight shots for Serbia.

Spain's failure to add penetration to their patient build-up play ensured their nine-match winning run (including one extra-time triumph over Germany at Euro 2024) came to a halt.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal as Portugal edged Croatia 2-1 in Thursday's Nations League clash at Estadio da Luz.

Ronaldo's 34th-minute goal proved the winner, as the Portugal captain turned in Nuno Mendes' cross for his milestone goal.

Roberto Martinez's side led inside seven minutes through Diogo Dalot, and 39-year-old Ronaldo forced a brilliant reflex save out of Dominik Livakovic 15 minutes later.

Livakovic was helpless to prevent Ronaldo putting Portugal ahead, though Dalot's own goal four minutes before half-time set up an exciting second period in the League A Group 1 contest.

Yet despite shading the expected goals (xG) value in the second half, with 0.44 to Portugal's 0.36, Croatia found no way through, with Ronaldo going off to a standing ovation when he was substituted late on.

Portugal, the 2019 Nations League winners, will remain in Lisbon to welcome Scotland on Sunday while Zlatko Dalic's Croatia side will look to bounce back against Poland in Osijek on the second matchday. 

Data Debrief: Nine hundred not out 

Ronaldo was already the top scorer in the history of the game, and international football's record goalscorer added another to his remarkable tally to hit the 900 mark.

It was his 131st for his country, on a night he had a joint team-high four shots, along with Bruno Fernandes.

The rest of his goals have been split across his clubs: 450 for Real Madrid, 145 for Manchester United, 131 at Juventus, 68 for Al-Nassr, and five when he played for Sporting CP at the start of his career.

Kevin De Bruyne has stressed he remains committed to Belgium, ending speculation over his international future following their underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign.

Belgium were beaten 1-0 by France in the last 16 at the European Championships in Germany, having barely scraped through a group containing Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine.

That was De Bruyne's sixth tournament with the Red Devils, who came closest to glory when they made the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup, only to again lose to France.

Many believed the Manchester City star might retire from international football following yet another failure to deliver silverware, but he was included in Domenico Tedesco's squad for their opening Nations League fixtures versus Israel and France.

Speaking at a press conference to preview Friday's meeting with Israel – to be played behind closed doors in Hungary – the 33-year-old reiterated his commitment to the Red Devils.

"I want to continue with the Red Devils and that's why I'm here," De Bruyne told reporters at Thursday's pre-match press conference.

"The season has started well for me. It's going to be a tough season. If there comes a time when it becomes too much, then I'll talk to the coach.

"I'm mainly looking ahead. I was a bit disappointed after the European Championships, but that was for a few days and then a new season starts again."

Tedesco left fellow Belgium stalwart Romelu Lukaku out of his latest squad, and De Bruyne believes it is right the coach looks to blood young players in the next cycle.

"As always, we want to play the best football possible. There are some new guys and the coach wants to give them the chance to grow," De Bruyne said.

"We are not the favourites for the Nations League in this group with France."

Marc-Andre ter Stegen dismissed the suggestion he could soon join Bayern Munich after he replaced Manuel Neuer as Germany's first-choice goalkeeper.

Neuer retired from international football over the summer, meaning long-time back-up Ter Stegen, who has been one of Europe's best-performing shot-stoppers over the past decade, finally gets his shot.

Julian Nagelsmann confirmed on Monday that the 32-year-old, who made his Germany debut in 2012, would now be his number one between the sticks, starting with Friday's Nations League contest against Hungary.

But when asked if he could possibly follow up replacing Neuer in the national team by also replacing him at club level, Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen said: "I still have a long contract with my club and am very happy with my family in Catalonia."

He is delighted to finally get the chance to show what he can do for his country, though.

"It is a different feeling altogether," Ter Stegen said. "My aim has always been to be number one.

"I am happy that the spell of waiting is now over. I am happy about the new task, about what is to come.

"To be honest, there were always these moments when you say: 'Wow, that was another blow.' The decision mostly went in Manu's favour.

"It was disappointing, of course, but you have to live with it. You should have this experience and accept it. In the end, it was worth it."

Excluding own goals, Ter Stegen has conceded 30 goals from 30.3 expected goals on target (xGoT) since the start of last season in LaLiga, from 110 shots on target faced.

That means Ter Stegen has prevented 0.3 goals, suggesting he has performed about on track based on the quality of attempts that he has gone up against.

As Jamaica's Reggae Boyz prepare to face Cuba in their opening League A match of the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League, newly appointed head coach Steve McClaren is brimming with optimism.

The former England manager has wasted no time setting his sights on long-term goals for the Reggae Boyz team, with a clear vision to elevate the country to new heights in international football.

For McClaren, the journey begins with a solid start in the Nations League, and he has been vocal about his expectations for the team to secure a win in his debut match as head coach. However, while results matter, McClaren is equally focused on developing a cohesive, competitive unit that can compete on the world stage.

Kick off for Friday's Group B encounter is 7:00pm at the National Stadium. 

A win for the Boyz would put them in a good position to secure one of two spots from the group to the quarterfinals, as they seek to better their third-place finish from the last edition of the tournament. 

"The first expectation is like every game, we plan to win and we expect to win. So that's the first message to them and then go out and win. That's basically it," McClaren stated confidently.

He continued: "It is a test, but it is more a focus on the performance. It won't be perfect; I know that over 90 minutes there will be ups and downs, good spells and bad spells, but I want to see just some of the things that we've worked on to know that the players are taking that on board and the team is developing in that, but also keeping the structure that they've had for the last two years and just help them develop from that. 

"Because I think if you want to compete, if you want to stay number one in the Caribbean, and you want to get in the top three of the Concacaf rankings, then you have to develop your game. We've worked with the players; we've talked with the players in terms of how we develop. So tomorrow is the first step and it's a big step, one in which we need to find a way to win but also show signs of the performance which we've worked on."

McClaren's emphasis on growth and development has resonated throughout the camp, where players have embraced his forward-thinking approach. The Englishman stressed that, while talent is crucial, the mindset and application of each player will also be integral under his tenure.

"We've introduced one or two small things—principles, non-negotiables—that we must have in a game, and it's not going to be easy. It's not going to happen straight away. We're going to have spells where maybe we try to build up, but we make mistakes, but we want the players to play; we want them to be able to deal with the ball and control the game in possession. So not just have a transition game, but to try and have some control, which is in possession, and also control the game out of possession. Once you're in good shape and maintain a good formation, you'll be hard to beat," McClaren noted.

"This is what I said to the squad, football is not about eleven players, it's about the starters and the finishers, and the finishers have a more important job than the starters because they have to finish the game. So subs are important. So in a situation where you're winning a game or you're losing a game, it's important that the squad, the players on the bench, also impact the game when they get a chance to, and that's also what I'm looking for. The sign of a good team is to stay in the game, finish the game, and score a winning goal, but also ensure we don't lose the game," the tactician reasoned.

"Everybody must be able to deal with the ball and take the ball in modern-day football, and if you want to go higher, you have to have players who can deal with that to get out of tight areas, pass through the lines, change play, switch play, and are comfortable on the ball. That's one thing. We attack with eleven; we defend with eleven. No more is the one where we leave the nine up front...he doesn't have to work or the eleven can cheat. Everybody has to work together in terms of that and I think the key thing is consistency. If we get consistency in those areas, then you get results on a more level basis. But as I said, it's a process," he added.

Since taking the reins, McClaren has beamed about the team's culture, lauding the camaraderie and spirit that exists among the players. He believes that this unity is key to Jamaica’s success and sees it as one of the team's greatest assets.

"I like the spirit. I like the energy. I like them smiling. They enjoy being around each other, and they put everything into the training session—the intensity, the desire to work. That's what I've liked. We've tried to introduce one or two things, but I think we need to keep things simple. I think the style of play had success, and I want to keep that. 

"I want to keep the foundation, keep the basics, and keep what they've had for the last two years where they've developed. They finished third in the last Nation's League; we want to continue that, but also we want to improve it. So I'm here to help the players go to the next level in which we can stay number one in the Caribbean, but also get up the rankings in Concacaf and the ultimate goal, which is qualification for the 2026 World Cup," McClaren shared.

While exuding confidence amidst the sense of excitement around what lies ahead under his leadership, McClaren is also mindful of Cuba's growth and, as such, warned against complacency.

"Cuba will be a difficult team. They performed very well in the Under-20 Concacaf tournament; they're developing, and they've got quite a few resources now. So the game is developing, their coaching is developing, and you can see that from the team's shape and structure, they're organised, they're disciplined, and I think the key thing is the coach who was leading the Under-20 team has now been moved to the senior team.

"So we have to make sure that we take the game to Cuba, use our individual talent in the final third, create and score chances, but also to make sure we're very dangerous on the transition, that our defence is right, and we get the balance between attacking and defence and demanding that we win," he ended.

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.

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."

Head coach of the Jamaica Men’s National Football Team, commonly referred to as the “Reggae Boyz,” Steve McClaren, spoke glowingly of his squad’s energy and enthusiasm ahead of their 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League opener against Cuba at the National Stadium in Kingston on Friday.

McClaren, who was most recently part of Manchester United as a first team coach, was hired by Jamaica in July to replace Heimir Hallgrimsson, who has since taken up the role as manager of the Republic of Ireland.

The 63-year-old former Newcastle United and FC Twente coach will open his stint as manager of a Reggae Boyz unit who finished third in last season’s Nations League under Hallgrimsson, their best ever finish in the competition.

“Looking forward to it,” McClaren said in a pre-match press conference on Thursday.

“It’s been a long build-up since I first came over to Jamaica,” he added.

One thing that McClaren spoke glowingly of about his players is the energy and spirit he’s seen amongst the group ahead of Friday’s game, an important factor in any winning unit.

“It was nice to get into camp, meet the players, get on the grass and lose my voice from shouting too much. It’s been great. From the first day the players came in, it’s been great energy and spirit amongst them. They’ve shown that on the training field and we need to transfer what we’ve done this week onto the field tomorrow to get a result against Cuba,” he said.

Ahead of his first game in charge of the Reggae Boyz at home, McClaren, despite his 23 years of managerial experience, is feeling the nerves as is customary with anyone starting a new job in any profession.

“Always. I like that. It means you’re ready for the game. That’s what football is all about, doesn’t matter what level. When you play, you don’t quite know what’s going to happen. It’s football,” he said.

“We can control the controllable which we’ve tried to do. We just have to keep things simple. I’m going to concentrate tomorrow on the performance. If we get the performance from the players, normally you get the win,” he added.

When questioned about the style of coaching fans can expect to see from him going forward, apart from jokingly saying a “winning” coach, McClaren emphasized a focus on the basics and building on what has been done over the last two years.

“I’m quite a flexible, adaptable coach. I like the fundamentals. I like the basics. I like people knowing and doing their jobs, working hard, having a good attitude and being hard to beat. I think that’s the platform of all performances,” he said.

“If you’re easy to beat, too stretched and can’t defend, you don’t win football matches. That is what the team have developed over the last two years and I like that. It gives us a platform. We need to build from that platform now,” he added.