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A new chapter in the celebrated rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will unfurl on Thursday when they meet in an exhibition match as the Portugal forward gears up for his first game in Saudi Arabia since joining Al Nassr.

After a glittering career in Europe that saw him win four Champions League titles with Real Madrid and two Scudettos at Juventus, Ronaldo signed for Al Nassr, describing it as the "right moment" to share his experience in Asia.

Chelsea announced Mykhailo Mudryk as their fifth signing of the January transfer window on Sunday, after the Ukrainian winger completed his move from Shakhtar Donetsk to the Premier League club.

In a statement, Shakhtar said they "will receive $76 million for the player and another $33 million is envisaged as a bonus payment."

The 22-year-old has signed on an eight-and-a-half-year contract.

After filing a federal lawsuit against Virginia Tech women's soccer coach Charles "Chugger" Adair back in 2021 for an alleged benching stemming from a refusal to kneel in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before a match the previous year, former Hokies player Kiersten Hening received a $100,000 payout from the school to drop the suit.

It'd been 18 long years since Newcastle United had advanced to the semifinals in one of England's cup competitions, but their supporters can once again dream of breaking a major trophy curse that's lasted since 1955 after beating Leicester City 2-0 in the League Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday night at St James' Park.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will become a part owner of a third sports franchise in Kansas City.

Mahomes is joining his wife, Brittany, as part of the ownership group of the Kansas City Current, the National Women's Soccer League team announced Tuesday. Brittany Mahomes already was part of the ownership group alongside Angie and Chris Long.

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has handed lifetime bans to four former coaches and fined the Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns $1.5 million and $1 million respectively, part of sweeping sanctions from a misconduct inquiry.

An independent investigator brought in by U.S. Soccer found last year that abuse and misconduct "had become systemic" in the NWSL.

RIYADH - Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo said his "work is done" in Europe, adding that he is relishing new challenges both on and off the pitch after being unveiled as a player of Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on Tuesday.

Ronaldo, who was a free agent following his acrimonious split with Manchester United in November, joined Al Nassr last week on a two-and-a-half-year deal estimated by media to be worth more than $210.94 million.

He was greeted by a sea of yellow and blue at Al Nassr's home ground Mrsool Park, where thousands of fans turned up to witness his unveiling.

When Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two and a half year deal with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on Friday, the Portuguese legend put pen to paper on a contract worth $75 million annually, meaning he'll almost certainly still be the world's highest paid footballer when he turns 40 on Feb. 5, 2025.