Transfers

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.

LOS ANGELES — Angel City FC on Thursday selected 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson with the first pick of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) draft, making the Los Angeles native the first player in league history drafted directly out of high school.

"Alyssa Thompson, for us, is a phenom and generational player," said Angel City general manager Angela Hucles Mangano.

"She's a player who can make an immediate impact, but she's also young and can develop and look to be a player that we're building a future off of, too."

When Chelsea signed Portuguese talent João Félix from Atlético Madrid on loan I don’t think they imagined his debut would have gone as poorly as it did during Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat against Fulham on Wednesday.

Félix joined the Blues just 30 hours before he was given his first start. With Christian Pulisic, Raheem Sterling and a litany of injuries plaguing the Blues they really didn’t have a choice.

There were glimpses of talent from the 23-year-old as he recorded six shots and four on target. His finishing wasn’t up to snuff but at least he was creating chances.

According to the latest reports, Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp are leading the race to sign 20-year-old USMNT and Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah for a modest transfer fee of just over $20 million.

On Wednesday in Valencia's Supercopa de España semifinal against Real Madrid, Musah only added to his value with a defensive performance not unlike the rousing displays he gave against England and Iran in Qatar. 

OL Reign re-signed captain and USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe through the 2023 NWSL season.

The deal was announced Wednesday, the 10th anniversary of her joining the club as an original member in 2013. Financial terms were not disclosed.

OL Reign Re-Signs Forward Megan Rapinoe Through 2023 Season

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.