Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to help Al Nassr secure their first Saudi Pro League title since his arrival following a 4-1 final-day victory over Damac on Thursday.

The decisive victory ensured the club finished two points clear of fierce rivals Al Hilal at the summit of the table.

It marks an 11th domestic crown in the history of the side, but their first since the former Manchester United forward arrived in January 2023.

A glittering career continues

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has now claimed top-flight league championships across Portugal, England, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia.

He surpassed the 100-goal milestone for his current employers during a prolific three-season spell in the Middle East.

Prior to this triumph, the veteran attacker’s only silverware with the team came via the non-FIFA sanctioned Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.

Star-studded supporting cast

The Portuguese icon was joined on the scoresheet by former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane during the title-clinching fixture.

Ex-Chelsea and Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix also featured for Jorge Jesus’ triumphant side as they navigated a tense final matchday.

Attention will eventually turn to the international stage, with the prolific goalscorer preparing for a record-breaking sixth World Cup appearance with Portugal in 2026.

Chelsea duo Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill are set to be left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup in the United States.

The highly anticipated travelling party will be officially confirmed by the national team manager on Friday, 22 May.

Both Blues players have endured difficult domestic campaigns hampered by severe fitness issues.

Injury setbacks halt Colwill’s progress

Colwill ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during pre-season training last summer.

That devastating blow limited the promising 23-year-old to just three first-team appearances across the entire season.

The central defender did manage to complete the full 90 minutes during his club’s recent FA Cup final defeat against Manchester City.

However, he was subsequently rested for a midweek victory over Tottenham Hotspur as coaching staff carefully managed his returning workload.

Despite showing flashes of his immense potential since returning to the pitch, the five-cap international will not travel to North America.

Palmer struggles to replicate European heroics

Palmer has also suffered a frustrating year marred by persistent niggling injuries.

The attacking midfielder has managed a modest return of 13 goal contributions in 33 appearances across all competitions.

It is a stark contrast to his previous heroics, which included scoring a dramatic last-gasp equaliser in the final of the 2024 European Championship.

Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White are now expected to be selected ahead of the 14-cap playmaker.

Wharton and United duo face exclusion

Beyond the Stamford Bridge pair, Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is also anticipating a surprise omission despite enjoying a stellar domestic campaign.

These high-profile exclusions follow news that Manchester United defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw will remain at home.

Reacting to the managerial decision, the veteran centre-back expressed his profound disappointment.

“Shocked and gutted.”

Harry Maguire

Tuchel must now finalise his defensive options, with Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah potentially stepping up after recently moving ahead of Maguire in the manager’s pecking order.

The Three Lions will face Croatia, Ghana, and Panama in the group stages of the expanded tournament.

Before their campaign officially begins, the national side will stage vital preparation friendlies in Florida.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence has suffered a broken jaw but remains in contention for their crucial Premier League survival clash against Everton.

The 23-year-old sustained the severe facial injury during a heavy collision with Liam Delap in Spurs’ previous fixture against Chelsea.

Despite the daunting nature of the setback, reports indicate he will not miss the decisive final day of the season.

The English full-back is fully expected to take to the pitch wearing a custom protective medical mask.

Tense fight for top-flight survival

The North London outfit are currently locked in a desperate battle with West Ham United to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Spurs know that securing all three points against Everton on home soil will guarantee their top-flight status for another campaign.

Boasting a superior goal difference over the Hammers, a solitary point against the Toffees should also prove sufficient to ensure safety.

Having their robust defender available will serve as a vital boost for the Tottenham camp ahead of this defining weekend fixture.

The Scottish FA has confirmed that referee Don Robertson took the correct action in ending the Premiership title decider at Parkhead after Celtic fans invaded the pitch.

The governing body released audio revealing the decision to conclude the match was made cooperatively with Hearts manager Derek McInnes.

The Edinburgh club had previously written to the authorities to question the allegedly premature conclusion to the game.

The visitors entered the final day of the season holding a narrow one-point advantage over their Glasgow rivals.

Late drama sparks controversy

Callum Osmand scored a late goal to secure a 3-1 victory for the home side, sealing the championship in dramatic fashion.

This decisive strike prompted a large number of supporters to flood onto the playing surface in premature celebration.

Hearts chair Calum Paterson had raised public concerns about a troubling precedent being set by the sudden termination of the contest.

SFA releases official audio

In response to these complaints, the SFA chose to publish the relevant audio-visual footage from the chaotic closing stages.

Key officials, including Head of Refereeing William Collum, reviewed the recordings on Monday at the request of the Tynecastle side.

The audio clearly indicates that a match official stated McInnes was happy to finish the game amidst the crowd disturbances.

A statement from the governing body explained that the initial review meeting was intended to be conducted privately.

“It was made clear at that meeting that the match official, Don Robertson, took the correct action in ending the game.”

Clarification on the final whistle

The official statement also addressed widespread speculation surrounding the lack of a traditional final whistle being blown.

It clarified that the Laws of the Game require the match official to signal the end of the fixture but do not prescribe a specific method.

According to the published incident report, Robertson clearly communicated that the fixture was concluded rather than abandoned.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill successfully guided his newly-crowned champions from chaos to glory this season, with the club recently apologising to their opponents for the post-match scenes.

Eberechi Eze returns to Crystal Palace this Sunday as a newly crowned Premier League champion with Arsenal.

The former Eagles playmaker is expected to receive a guard of honour at Selhurst Park following a dream debut season in north London.

Arsenal secured the title ahead of the final weekend, vindicating the attacker’s decision to join Mikel Arteta’s side last August.

A returning hero

The 27-year-old remains fondly remembered in south London after scoring the winning goal for Palace in last year’s FA Cup final against Manchester City.

However, he is now firmly established as a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium.

The versatile forward contributed five crucial goals in two appearances against former suitors Tottenham Hotspur during the tense title run-in.

He also found the net against Newcastle United and delivered a decisive strike against Palace themselves back in October.

Overcoming initial challenges

The transition to a title-winning team was not entirely seamless for the England international.

He initially required time to adapt to the rigorous off-the-ball demands implemented by his meticulous Spanish manager.

Despite those early hurdles, the dynamic midfielder brought a crucial psychological lightness to a squad previously burdened by near misses.

This fearless attitude was perfectly encapsulated during a viral press conference in April when questioned about rival supporters willing his team to fail.

“I don’t care,” he stated.
“If I’m honest I’m not too interested in what people think or how they feel about us winning.”
“I just know that we’ve got a team that is more than capable and has proven that we are of the highest level, and when we do win, it will be down to everyone else to deal with it.”

Relegation battle goes to the wire

While Arsenal celebrate their domestic triumph, the fight for top-flight survival remains fiercely contested at the bottom of the table.

West Ham United have been handed a final-day lifeline following Tottenham’s recent defeat to Chelsea.

The Hammers will now rely heavily on the goalscoring prowess of Taty Castellanos to preserve their Premier League status.

Meanwhile, the Gunners still have the monumental task of a Champions League final on the horizon once the domestic campaign officially concludes.

Defending champions Barcelona will face eight-time winners Olympique Lyonnais in the Uefa Women’s Champions League final in Oslo on 23 May.

The highly anticipated showpiece is a direct rematch of the 2024 final.

The Catalan giants triumphed 2-0 on that occasion to claim the trophy, thanks to goals from Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas.

To reach the Norwegian capital this season, the Spanish title holders overcame Bayern Munich in their semi-final tie.

Meanwhile, the French powerhouse secured their spot by defeating Women’s Super League side Arsenal.

Logistical challenges for travelling fans

The choice of host city has drawn widespread criticism due to a reduced stadium capacity and difficult travel arrangements.

Uefa allocated just 2,500 tickets to each club for the 28,000-seater venue in Scandinavia.

This represents a significant downsize from recent finals, which saw vast crowds flock to major stadiums in Lisbon, Bilbao and Turin.

“After playing in huge stadiums, going to Norway and playing in a smaller venue than usual is a step backwards. Travel isn’t easy either, there aren’t many convenient options to get there and you leave people out.”

Aitana Bonmati, Barcelona midfielder

Removing the historic fear factor

Despite lifting the European trophy in 2021 and 2023, the Blaugrana had historically struggled against their upcoming French opponents.

Last year’s momentous victory marked the first time the Spanish side had ever beaten the dominant force of European women’s football.

Goalkeeper Cata Coll believes that landmark win has permanently shifted the psychological balance between the two European heavyweights.

“It was a point of inflexion, above all for our confidence. You know you can beat them because you’ve done it, and it removes the fear.”

Cata Coll, Barcelona goalkeeper

Liverpool are reportedly considering a move for Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as uncertainty surrounds the future of current boss Arne Slot.

The Anfield hierarchy are understood to be privately evaluating their managerial options ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Sporting director Richard Hughes is reportedly driving the pursuit of the highly-rated Spanish tactician.

Hughes targets familiar face

Iraola is already confirmed to be leaving the Vitality Stadium at the conclusion of the current season.

The former Rayo Vallecano boss has drawn widespread praise for transforming the south-coast club into a dynamic, pressing outfit.

Hughes knows the Basque coach intimately, having originally been instrumental in bringing him to English football before making his own move to Merseyside.

Alonso heads to Chelsea

The Reds had initially explored the possibility of appointing former midfielder Xabi Alonso to take the reins at Anfield.

However, the highly sought-after manager has instead opted to join Premier League rivals Chelsea.

This dramatic development leaves current head coach Slot in a precarious position as the season draws to a close.

Fulham manager Marco Silva is in talks to become the new head coach of Benfica following the expiration of his contract at Craven Cottage this summer.

The Portuguese club are searching for a new manager after Jose Mourinho departed the Estadio da Luz for a second spell at Real Madrid.

The West London side remain desperate to retain their current boss and have offered him a new three-year deal worth £8m annually.

Fulham executives previously believed the danger of his departure had passed when Chelsea opted to appoint Xabi Alonso rather than poaching their local rival.

Return to Portugal appeals

A move back to his homeland is now emerging as a serious possibility for the tactician.

The Eagles finished third in the Portuguese top flight this season, trailing champions Porto and runners-up Sporting.

Consequently, the Lisbon outfit face a challenging route through the Europa League qualifying rounds before the new campaign begins.

The former Everton and Watford manager has enjoyed a highly successful tenure by the Thames since arriving in 2021.

He guided the Cottagers to the Championship title in his debut season before establishing them firmly in the Premier League mid-table.

Amorim rejects Benfica approach

Benfica initially identified Ruben Amorim as their preferred candidate to replace the outgoing Mourinho.

Despite local media speculation suggesting a deal was close, the highly-rated coach decisively rejected the exploratory approach.

His representatives, the AS1 agency, firmly denied any negotiations with domestic rivals had taken place.

“Ruben Amorim made the decision a long time ago to pursue his career abroad.”

“Therefore, he has not met with any Portuguese clubs to discuss working conditions, structure, squad, salary, or anything else.”

“Anything said beyond this is mere speculation and does not correspond to reality.”