World Football

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Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior criticized La Liga on Saturday for its inaction toward addressing racist behavior.

"Racists continue to go to stadiums and watch the biggest club in the world up close and La Liga continues to do nothing..." he wrote on Twitter (h/t The Athletic's Jacob Whitehead).

"I will continue with my head held high and celebrating my victories and those of Madrid. In the end it's MY fault."

His comments came after he was the target of racist abuse during a 2-0 win over Real Valladolid on Friday.

La Liga issued a statement to Whitehead defending its handing of racism allegations, saying, "Hate speech has no place in LaLiga."

"We are investigating last night's match and will work with the clubs and appropriate authorities to identify and prosecute anyone guilty of hate speech," the league stated.

"As for yesterday's events, LaLiga is still investigating but has already identified racist insults from some individuals (not groups) in videos uploaded to social media, which will be the subject of an official complaint as in previous cases."

Racist abuse by fans isn't a problem isolated to Spain, but it has remained a persistent issue for years. This isn't the first time Vinicius has been victimized, either. Prior to Madrid's 2-1 win over rival Atlético Madrid in September, Atlético supporters chanted, "Vinicius is a monkey" as they entered Cívitas Metropolitano.

La Liga's approach to addressing allegations of racist abuse also came into sharp focus in April 2021, when Valencia defender Mouctar Diakhaby said he had been racially abused by Cádiz defender Juan Cala. Diakhaby's teammates walked off the pitch in solidarity, and he didn't return to the match when it restarted.

La Liga said days later it didn't find evidence that Cala used a racist slur toward Diakhaby.

In a statement, Valencia said, "The fact that no evidence has been found does not mean that it didn't happen."

"Our aim is to see a change, to see an appropriate response to such a grave incident, to see a movement to change the regulations and attitudes when facing these types of problems that may arise," the club stated. "It was an unprecedented episode in football, but we are convinced that it will serve to promote a real change in the regulations."

The Athletic's Dermot Corrigan and Adam Crafton laid out how the incident was emblematic of structural issues within La Liga and Spain.

Sporting KC was reportedly the closest MLS club to signing Cristiano Ronaldo, per multiple reports, before the veteran striker signed with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr on Friday.

"I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia," Ronaldo said on Friday after making the decision to continue his club career in Saudi Arabia.

The 37-year-old went scorched earth at Manchester United in an effort to depart the club, going so far as to rip ownership and manager Erik ten Hag in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

Manchester United responded by terminating his contract.

The original belief was that Ronaldo was seeking a move to a Champions League club. But when no such move materialized, likely because of Ronaldo's waning impact but massive wages, he instead joined Al-Nassr on what are reportedly astronomical wages:

"I'm thrilled for a new experience in a different league and a different country, the vision that Al-Nassr has is very inspiring," Ronaldo said. "I'm very excited to join my teammates, and to help the team to achieve more success."

It's somewhat hard to imagine that an MLS club could have offered a similar deal to the one Ronaldo received in Saudi Arabia, though a number of older stars have made their way to the MLS in the past, including David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Wayne Rooney, Kaká, Andrea Pirlo, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, among others.

But none are a global icon the likes of Ronaldo, who has the most Instagram followers among individuals in the world. Without question, he would have been the biggest star in the history of MLS, and would have drawn major attention to the league.

Instead, Ronaldo fans from around the world might have to find ways to stream Saudi Pro League matches to keep up with the Portuguese dynamo.

Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a contract with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, the club confirmed Friday.

The agreement is worth $75 million annually over two-and-a-half years, according to Ben Jacobs and James Benge of CBS Sports. Fabrizio Romano added Ronaldo can earn at least $200 million per season through commercial deals with the club.

Ronaldo's contract with the Riyadh club effectively ends his career at the top level. The Portuguese superstar had reportedly been eyeing a move to a club that plays in the UEFA Champions League, but a deal never materialized.

Ronaldo and Manchester United mutually agreed to part ways in November just before the beginning of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, making him a free agent.

The move came after he heavily criticized the club in a candid interview with Piers Morgan, saying he felt "betrayed" by the way the Red Devils had treated him in his return to Old Trafford. He added that he felt United was trying to force him out.

Ronaldo returned to Manchester United during the 2021-22 campaign after spending 2018 through 2021 with Serie A side Juventus. He left United in 2009 in a move to La Liga's Real Madrid.

The 37-year-old's return to the Premier League was tumultuous, to say the least. While he scored 24 goals across all competitions during the 2021-22 season, the Red Devils finished sixth in the Premier League and were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16.

Manchester United failed to qualify for this season's Champions League, and it's fifth in the Premier League table with a 9-2-4 record.

Ronaldo appeared in 10 Premier League games for the Red Devils this season, making four starts, and had been playing off the bench for Erik ten Hag. With little sign of progress, it became clear Ronaldo wanted out.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner confirmed he was unhappy with the lack of progress at the English side during his interview with Morgan.

"The progress was zero," Ronaldo said. "Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed."

Ronaldo's downfall continued at the World Cup, where he scored just one goal in five matches (three starts) for a Portuguese team that was upset by Morocco in the quarterfinals.

Now at Al Nassr, Ronaldo will look to rejuvenate his career, possibly in hopes of returning to the top level.

Brazilian and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar was among the many prominent footballers to post tributes to the legendary Pelé following the news of his death Thursday. Pelé was 82.

Neymar wrote on Instagram (translation via IG):

Before Pelé, 10 was just a number. I've read this phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But this sentence, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say before Pelé football was just a sport. Pelé has changed it all. He turned football into art, into entertainment. Gave voice to the poor, blacks and mostly: Gave visibility to Brazil. Soccer and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He's gone but his magic remains. Pelé is FOREVER!!

Argentine superstar and Neymar's PSG teammate, Lionel Messi—fresh off his World Cup triumph—posted several pictures of Pelé throughout the years, writing on Instagram: "Rest in peace, Pelé."

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo also wrote a tribute to Pelé on Instagram:

My deep condolences to all of Brazil, and in particular to the family of Edson Arantes do Nascimento. A mere 'goodbye' to the eternal King Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that the entire football world is currently embracing. An inspiration to so many millions, a reference yesterday, today and forever. The love you always showed me was reciprocated in every moment we shared even from distance. He will never be forgotten and his memory will live forever in each and every one of us football lovers. Rest in peace King Pelé.

They were among a number of footballers, past and present, to pay their tributes to Pelé on Thursday:

Pelé's achievements speak for themselves:

• He was the only player in history to win three World Cup titles. 
• He scored 643 goals for Santos during his club career, the most for any player at an individual club until Messi broke the record with Barcelona in 2020. 
• He spent three years at the NASL's New York Cosmos, posting 37 goals and 30 assists during that period while winning league MVP in 1976, helping to put the short-lived league (1968-84) and the club on the map.

He became a global icon in the process and was the original GOAT, though players such as Diego Maradona, Messi and Ronaldo have since made their case. But there is no denying that Pelé is a legend of legends, and a player who the game's current stars admired greatly.

Like the rest of the soccer community, Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé is mourning Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, who died Thursday because of complications from colon cancer.

In a statement released on his social media accounts, Mbappé called Pelé the "king of football," adding that "his legacy will never be forgotten."

Pelé, born as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, had a tumor removed from his colon in September 2021. He was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo on Nov. 29 for reevaluation of his cancer treatment.

When news that Pelé was in the hospital spread, Mbappé was one of the first players to wish him well with a social media post on Dec. 3. At the time, he was playing for France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Pelé responded thanking the Frenchman for his well wishes, adding that he was "happy" to see him break one of his World Cup records.

With two goals in France's quarterfinals victory over Poland, Mbappé brought his World Cup goal total to nine, becoming the first player to score nine in the tournament before reaching age 24, passing record holder Pelé.

On Dec. 12, a medical report indicated that Pelé's condition was improving. However, he was never discharged from the hospital, and Mauricio Savarese of the Associated Press reported on Dec. 21 that his cancer had advanced and that he was under "elevated care" because of kidney and heart issues.

Pelé, a three-time World Cup winner, is tied with Neymar (124 games) as Brazil's all-time men's leading goal scorer with 77 goals in 92 games. He led the country to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and will be remembered as one of the greatest soccer players of all time.

Soccer legend Pelé died Thursday at the age of 82, his manager confirmed.

Pelé was hospitalized in November for complications related to his colon cancer, and his health steadily worsened in the ensuing weeks. The Guardian's Andrew Downie reported on Dec. 24 that his family members had arrived at the São Paulo hospital where he was being treated.

The three-time World Cup winner is universally regarded as one of the greatest male players in the sport's history. For years, Diego Maradona was arguably his closest competition, with the discussion having since expanded to include Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The numbers alone speak to Pelé's dominance on the pitch.

His 643 goals for Santos had been the all-time single-club record until Messi notched his 644th goal for Barcelona last December. However, Santos historian Odir Cunha told ESPN FC's Andrew Cesare Richardson that the former Brazil international actually tallied 1,091 goals for Santos, with a high volume coming in non-official friendlies that were far more competitive than their designation indicated.

With Pelé at the fore, Santos won the Copa Libertadores in 1962 and 1963 and was crowned the champion of Brazil's first division on six occasions.

For the majority of soccer fans, his time with the Brazil national team created the most enduring memories.

Pelé's first World Cup medal came in 1958, when he was just 17. He was named the tournament's Best Young Player after scoring six goals in four matches.

The Seleção successfully defended their title in 1962, but a thigh injury limited Pelé to two appearances in the tournament. Four years later, he and Brazil failed to advance out of the group stage as they struggled to cope with the physicality of Bulgaria and Portugal.

Pelé had been so disenchanted by the style of play that he contemplated walking away from World Cup competition altogether.

Luckily for fans, he was back in the fold in time for the 1970 edition and played a key role in what many believe to be the best men's team in the sport's history.

Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 4-1 in its opening game before taking down reigning champion England 1-0 in its second fixture. The run culminated in a 4-1 demolition of Italy in the final. Pelé netted the opener in the 18th minute and Carlos Alberto capped off a brilliant collective effort in the 86th minute for the country's fourth goal.

Jonathan Wilson wrote for Sports Illustrated how the 1970 Brazil squad took on an added importance because soccer in general was entering a time when pragmatism superseded aesthetics. Brazil that summer "was a final celebration of the old football":

In Mexico, where the heat and the altitude made pressing impossible, where the game was slowed down so that artistry emerged again, Brazil, elevated by intense preparation, won a victory for the artistic football of the past. Even it, by 1974, had switched to something more physical, less full of flair. There were flickers of the old school under Tele Santana in the 1980s, but by the time Brazil next won the World Cup in 1994, the heart of its midfield was not a player of the elegance of Gerson, but the dogged spoiler, Dunga. In 1958, Brazil had Didi and Zito in the middle of midfield; by 2010 it had Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo.

With his club and international career seemingly over, Pelé padded his legacy by signing with the New York Cosmos in 1975. He helped briefly put soccer on the map in the United States and laid the groundwork for the sport's explosion stateside decades later.

Both on the pitch and in retirement, Pelé was one of soccer's most influential figures.

Add another twist to the memorable World Cup final between Argentina and France.

FIFA is investigating how Nusret Gokce, who is better known as celebrity chef Salt Bae, gained "undue access" to the field as Lionel Messi and Argentina players were celebrating their dramatic penalty shootout win, per BBC.

Gokce was pictured on the field with players and even held and kissed the World Cup trophy during the celebration.

The BBC explained that FIFA rules limit the ability to hold the trophy to a "very select" group of people. The players who win the tournament, heads of state and FIFA officials are on the list, but celebrity chefs don't exactly make the cut.

"Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail stadium on 18 December," a FIFA spokesperson said. "The appropriate internal action will be taken."

Salt Bae became an internet meme for how he prepared and seasoned meat and owns a chain of steakhouses.

While his presence on the field turned some heads, it didn't overshadow the incredible game.

It seemed like Argentina would cruise to a victory with a 2-0 lead through the first 80 minutes, but Kylian Mbappé buried two quick goals to tie the game and force extra time. Messi then appeared to win it with a goal in the 108th minute, but Mbappé once again answered and clinched a hat trick.

Both stars scored in the penalty shootout, but Messi's teammates came through and helped Argentina win their first World Cup since 1986.

It was also the first World Cup title for Messi in his legendary career.