Al Nassr advances without Cristiano Ronaldo in the Asian Champions League

Al Nassr advances without his star, while the press speculates about the reason for his absence in a key match.

Publicado 18 febrero, 2026 el 18 de febrero a las 20:45 | 2 mins reading |4,998 vistas | por Miguel Torres

The Saudi team goes to the quarterfinals, but without their figure

Al Nassr sealed his place in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League this Wednesday. They did so with a tight 1-0 victory over Arkadag Turkmen, which gave them a 2-0 aggregate. But it did so without its main attraction.

From the stands, Cristiano Ronaldo watched the match. The Portuguese, who has just returned after missing three games in a row, did not take to the pitch. His absence immediately raised questions.

‘Cristiano, 41, who returned on Saturday after missing three consecutive games amid reports of discontent with the club’s leadership, watched from the stands.’

Why was crack kept?

According to local media, the decision has a clear sporting logic. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is being preserved for the most decisive commitments: the fight for the Saudi Pro League and the final phases of this Champions League.

The next challenge is already on the table. On March 3, Al Nassr will face Emirati team Al Wasl in the first leg of the quarterfinals. A duel where CR7 will surely want to be.

Meanwhile, the outlook for the tournament is being defined. In the western zone, Saudi clubs with large investments dominate: Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad advanced to the top. Iranian and Qatari teams also passed.

The round of 16 is scheduled for early March. The race for the Asian title is heating up, and everyone is hoping to see Cristiano Ronaldo take center stage when push comes to shove.

Sports

Mexico clashes with Ecuador in the Round of 32 of the World Cup

Mexico will face Ecuador in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup at the Mexico City Stadium.

Publicado 21 minutes ago el 28 de junio a las 12:24 | 1 min reading

Mexico vs Ecuador: the Round of 32 duel

The Mexican National Team already knows its next rival in the 2026 World Cup. Ecuador will be the team it will face in the Round of 32, a direct elimination phase where there is no margin for error.

The match will be played on Tuesday, June 30 at 8:00 p.m. at the Mexico City Stadium. There, the Tricolor has never lost a World Cup match; In the current fair he has three consecutive victories.

Ecuador arrives with four points, after a campaign where it beat Germany, tied with Curacao and lost to Ivory Coast. He is a rival who already knows the taste of beating a world champion.

The only World Cup history between both teams dates back to Korea-Japan 2002. That time, Mexico won 2-1 with goals from Jared Borgetti and Gerardo Torrado.

Details of the meeting

Date: Tuesday, June 30
Time: 8:00 p.m. (central Mexico)
Transmission: Channel 5, TUDN, Azteca 7 and ViX World Pass

The match will define who advances to the second round. There is no tomorrow for either team.

Sports

DR Congo comes back and beats Uzbekistan 3-1 in qualifying rounds

Congo comes back against Uzbekistan and has four points in Group K.

Publicado 35 minutes ago el 28 de junio a las 12:10 | 1 min reading

Congolese comeback in Group K

The DR Congo team gave a surprise by winning 3-1 against Uzbekistan, in a match where they managed to reverse the adverse score. With this result, the African team has four points in Group K of the World Cup qualifiers.

Uzbekistan started strongly. At minute 10, Eldor Shomurodov scored an early goal that excited his fans. The Central Asian team retreated after the lead, waiting for the African rival.

The Congolese reaction lasted until the second half. In the 68th minute, Yoane Wissa converted a penalty that tied the score. The forward took the ball and scored for the momentary tie.

Just ten minutes later, Fiston Mayele made it 2-1 with excellent anticipation to goalkeeper Nematov, who went wrong on the play.

In the final stretch, Yoane Wissa sealed his double with a precise shot between a sea of legs, sending the ball into the corner of the rival goal. The final 3-1 confirmed the Congolese comeback.

Sports

England defeats Panama 2-0 and advances as group leader

England beats Panama 2-0 with goals from Bellingham and Kane. Croatia also wins.

Publicado 51 minutes ago el 28 de junio a las 11:54 | 2 mins reading

England secure first place

England needed an hour to open the scoring, but then finished the game in six minutes. Jude Bellingham, at 61′, broke the tie with a shot that beat goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera. Six minutes later, Harry Kane extended the lead with an accurate header.

The 2-0 victory against Panama gave England the lead in Group L. Croatia, by beating Ghana 2-1 in the other match of the day, took second place. The African team, despite the defeat, secured its place among the best eight third parties.

Panama resisted with order for much of the first half. Mosquera was a figure until Bellingham found the space. In the second half, the Panamanians tried to respond, but Jordan Pickford avoided the tie with a key save. José Fajardo scored a goal in injury time, but it was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

England left behind the doubts of the goalless draw against Ghana and showed solvency. Thomas Tuchel’s team now awaits a rival for the round of 16, who will emerge from the group of the best third parties. For the moment, the opponent would be Senegal, although the definition will depend on the closing of the group stage.

Croatia, with Luka Modric as a leader, beat Ghana with goals from Petar Sucic and Nikola Vlasic. Derrick Luckassen temporarily tied for the African team, but the Europeans imposed their hierarchy and took the victory.