Category Uncategorized

Check out the best players from the Saudi Pro League in EA Sports FC 24!

EA Sports FC 24 is gearing up for a grand launch in September 2023. Fans are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to take control of their beloved teams and play as the world's most prominent football superstars on their gaming screens.

Find the best EA Sports FC 24 deals on Amazon USPre-order nowFind the best EA Sports FC 24 deals on Amazon UKPre-order now

With plenty of top football talent and big stars making the switch to the Saudi Pro League this summer, it is worth checking out how the footballers currently playing in Saudi Arabia, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema, are rated in the game.

In this article, GOAL provides you with the details about the top football stars from the Saudi Pro League.

Read more EA Sports FC 24 newsEA Sports FC 24: Release date, price & complete guideEA Sports FC 24 web app: How to get early start on Ultimate TeamList of teams, competitions & licences on EA Sports FC 24EA Sports FC 24: How standard & Ultimate editions compareHow to get Early Access to EA Sports FC 24GettyKarim Benzema | Al-Ittihad | 90

Attribute Rating

PAC79SHO88PAS83DRI87DEF39PHY78

Benzema's 19 goals for Real Madrid last season were only four goals short of that of league-top scorer Robert Lewandowski. Interestingly, despite a good season in front of goal, his overall rating has fallen slightly, from 91 to 90, in this year's EA Sports FC 24.

AdvertisementVitor Silva/CBFNeymar | Al-Hilal | 89

Attribute Rating

PAC86SHO83PAS85DRI93DEF37PHY61

Neymar's sensational move to Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain attracted headlines and fans will be glad to know that he has retained his rating of 89. His five-star skill moves will once again be a sight to behold during gameplay.

GettyCristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr | 86

Attribute Rating

PAC77SHO88PAS75DRI80DEF34PHY74

Ronaldo has made a big impact with his move to Saudi Pro League. He has already scored 23 league goals since joining the new club, but his player rating has suffered a big dip. He was rated 91 in FIFA 22, 90 in FIFA 23 and it has now come down to 86.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyN'Golo Kante | Al-Ittihad | 86

Attribute Rating

PAC69SHO65PAS73DRI80DEF85PHY77

N'Golo Kante struggled towards the end of his long stint with Chelsea and finally landed a move to Al-Ittihad in the summer. As a result, his overall rating has dropped from 89 to 86.

Ronaldo made his international debut against arch-rivals Argentina

Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers to have ever graced the game, legendary Brazilian footballer Ronaldo made his international debut on March 23, 1994, against arch-rivals Argentina in an international friendly.

The Selecao won the game 2-0 as Ronaldo started on the bench. He came on as a substitute in the 80th minute.

, as he was fondly known, has played for 17 years donning the famous yellow shirt. He scored 62 international goals in 98 appearances.

So who were his teammates on his international debut and where are they now?

• fifa.com
  

  Zetti – Goalkeeper

  Zetti had a 18-year long professional career spanning between 1983 to 2001 where he played for clubs like Palmeiras, Santos and Sao Paulo. He represented the Brazil national team for four years from 1993 to 1997 and played 17 international matches for the Selecao. He was part of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning squad.

  After retirement, he managed several Brazilian top division clubs like Bahia, Atletico Mineiro and Parana.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Cafu – Right-Back

  The legendary defender played for clubs like AS Roma and AC Milan. At Milan, Cafu had won the Champions League in the 2006-07 season. With Brazil, Cafu won the World Cup twice (1994 and 2002) and was the captain of the Brazilian side at the 2002 World Cup. Cafu retired from professional football in 2008. He is currently one of the legacy ambassadors of the Qatar World Cup 2022.

• Getty Images
  

  Ricardo Gomes – Centre-Back

  The former PSG and Benfica centre-back represented Brazil in 45 international matches between 1984 to 1994. Post-retirement, Gomes managed clubs like PSG, Fluminense and AS Monaco. He last managed Bordeaux in the Ligue 1 during the 2018-19 season. He had also worked as Santos’ director of football.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Ricardo Rocha – Centre-Back

  Rocha played for several South American and European clubs including LaLiga giants Real Madrid during his professional career. He played in 38 international matches donning the Brazil shirt. After retiring in 1999, he took up coaching and managed Santa Cruz and CRB.

MatériaMais Notícias

A tarde de terça-feira foi agitada no CT Luiz Carvalho. De uma só vez, o Grêmio apresentou a dupla Thiago Neves e Diego Souza, os dois últimos reforços que foram anunciados nesta semana para a temporada 2020.

RelacionadasBotafogoDanilo Barcelos treina pela primeira vez e é anunciado pelo BotafogoBotafogo28/01/2020Futebol NacionalJucilei explica negociação frustrada e diz: ‘Vasco tinha que me agradecer’Futebol Nacional28/01/2020Futebol InternacionalDo desconhecimento a estabilização, lateral brasileiro fala sobre a vida na BulgáriaFutebol Internacional28/01/2020

Ciente que a torcida do Tricolor está de olho em sua vida fora dos gramados, Thiago Neves promete dar a volta por cima dentro das quatro linhas. Na coletiva, o novo camisa 10 falou que gostaria de ser lembrado pelo desempenho em campo.

‘O ano de 2019 foi muito ruim, que me marcou muito. Mas venho confiante, querendo jogar, espero corresponder dentro de campo. Estou vendo que o torcedor está incentivando. Mas este ano quero que seja de poucas palavras e muito futebol’, projetou o armador.

Pouco depois foi a hora de Diego Souza brilhar. De volta ao clube gaúcho após 13 anos, o meio-campista falou sobre a sensação de reescrever a sua história no Tricolor.

‘Tive uma passagem muito boa, fui bem quisto. Depois de um certo tempo eu volto com a mesma motivação, com sentimento maravilhoso de poder ajudar da melhor maneira possível. A gente só consegue responder centro de campo. Estou ansioso mais do que nunca para vestir essa camisa e mostrar meu valor’, declarou Diego.

Somerset have signed Yasir Arafat on a season-long loan deal from Hampshire as a non-overseas player.Arafat, 34, returns to the county where he became a firm favourite with Somerset fans in 2013. He will also be available for all white ball cricket this season, although it remains to be seen if Somerset will also make demands in the four-day competition and further limit opportunities for home-produced players.Matt Maynard, Somerset’s director of cricket, billed Arafat’s loan deal highly by saying: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured the services of another world class player. He is a proven performer in white ball cricket and is one of the best in the business in terms of bowling at the end of an innings.”The departure of Alfonso Thomas, for so long the mainstay of Somerset’s attack, has persuaded them to seek solace in Arafat’s experience.”Following the departure of Alfonso at the end of last season it was felt that we lacked a little bit of experience in our bowling attack and Yasir will certainly bring that,” Maynard said. “He also made quite an impression when he was last here and we are looking forward to seeing him do what he does best in a Somerset shirt.”Arafat, a limited-overs specialist, made 22 first-team appearances for Hampshire last season, in what was his first year at the Ageas Bowl, but the county feels he is dispensable after the signing of the England T20 quick bowler Reece Topley, calculating that Topley is not about to extend his England career by breaking into the Test side..Hampshire Director of Cricket, Giles White said: “Reece Topley will be bowling our death overs in one day cricket and the opportunity for young bowlers to push for places will potentially narrow the playing prospects for Yasir. It seems right to allow a player of his experience to play at a club that can guarantee him game time.”

Rajiv Shukla, the IPL chairman, has said the BCCI is looking to scrap the Champions League Twenty20 in favour of an alternative tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-20151:13

Kalra: Alternative option required to protect sponsorship interests

Rajiv Shukla, the IPL chairman, has said the BCCI is looking to scrap the Champions League Twenty20. The issue was discussed at the board’s governing council meeting in April as a result of limited interest from fans and sponsors.Shukla said there are thoughts of conducting a different tournament in its place, and that he and BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur are weighing possible options.”Yes, we are planning to do away with the Champions League T20,” he told . “In place of that, we are considering an alternative league. But at the moment all this is at the planning stage.”Several ideas are coming and honourable secretary and myself are considering those ideas. We will sit together after the IPL gets over and try and plan out something.”At the moment we don’t have anything in hand, but yes we are in the process of bouncing off ideas. When something concrete comes up, we will certainly bring it to everyone’s notice.”There have been six editions of the CLT20 so far pitting the top teams of various countries against each other. India, Australia and South Africa are the primary stakeholders of the tournament, while teams from West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been regular competitors.The major fallout for the teams would be the loss of monetary benefits. CLT20 appearances are included in IPL teams’ sponsorship deals and the non-Indian teams receive $200,000.There have been reports of the top-four IPL teams who make the playoffs this season to play a league-based event leading into a knockout stage to be played in the UAE.

Bandula de Silva, who died in Colombo on Tuesday, was a former cricket secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, as it was known then, and belonged to an era when Sri Lanka were struggling to obtain full membership of the ICC.De Silva, who was in his late seventies, served as secretary to two former board presidents NM Perera, in 1978-79, and TB Werapitiya, in 1979-80. His assistant on both occasions was Michael de Zoysa, the manager of the Sri Lanka team currently in Australia and New Zealand for the World Cup.”Bandula was a very relaxed person full of fun and jokes. He never got angry with anyone,” De Zoysa said. “One thing that stands out was that he got everybody to do the work delegated to them. He was secretary at a time when cricket was broadened in the country, when the doors were open for cricketers outside Colombo to compete for places in the national team.”The board had no headquarters at the time, and meetings were held in de Silva’s residence on Gregory’s Road in Colombo. His private phone was used as the board’s telephone and he bore the cost of all international calls.”During those days only those with sufficient license, resources and understanding of the subtle nuances of the game came forward for BCCSL posts, which were normally uncontested,” de Silva once said in an interview. “The posts were accepted with a great degree of cordiality, camaraderie and trust.”De Silva could be considered an unsung hero of Sri Lanka Cricket. “What Sri Lanka cricket requires now are not personality cult pushers but stalwarts who personify Sri Lanka’s dream,” he said without fear or favour.A cricket aficionado all his life, de Silva represented Nalanda College, one of the leading schools in the country, Peradeniya University and Catamarans SC in club cricket. He continued to serve the game different capacities after his playing days. As Director of Small Industries and vice-president of the State Services Cricket Association he was elected as a member of the BCCSL’s tournament committee in 1975 and three years later became its secretary.De Silva was founder-editor of the cricket magazine and a recipient of an ICC Medal of Honour for his services to cricket.

Australia had a near-perfect day in their endeavor to be in a position to push hard for victory on Saturday in Adelaide

The Report by George Binoy12-Dec-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
3:04

Match point – Australia batted too long

Australia had a near-perfect day in their endeavour to be in a position to push hard for victory on Saturday in Adelaide. Offspinner Nathan Lyon used the considerable bounce in the pitch to hasten the end of the Indian innings during an extended first session, securing a 73-run lead for his side, after which David Warner scored a second hundred in the Test – for the second time in 2014 – to help stretch that advantage to 363 at stumps.Another overnight declaration is inevitable, which means India will have at least 98 overs to survive if they are to leave for Brisbane with the series still level. One day of batting might not seem improbable, but the last time India batted at least that many overs in the final innings of an away Test was at Lord’s in 2002, a match they still lost. Before that, it was in Colombo in 1997, and then in Adelaide in 1992. Such is the magnitude of the task ahead of Virat Kohli’s men.That Australia had so much time to try to force a win in this most emotional of Tests, despite losing most of the second day to rain, was down to Lyon and Warner. Lyon claimed three of the last five wickets to become only the second Australian spinner to take a five-for at home against India, after Bob Simpson in 1968.India had resumed on 5 for 369, and Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha had survived opening spells from Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson without much trouble. Michael Clarke made his bowling changes after the first half hour and wickets came quickly. Rohit had just stepped out to loft Lyon for a boundary over mid-on, but when he advanced again next ball he wasn’t to the pitch of it and chipped a return catch. India’s tail was exposed early.Peter Siddle was unwell and expensive on the third day but his pace was up on Friday and he swiftly breached the debutant Karn Sharma’s defences. And had Siddle not dropped Mohammed Shami off Lyon on the deep midwicket boundary, Australia would have been batting sooner.Though he had Saha for company, Shami slogged with abandon. His initial approach was questionable, but it brought valuable runs after Saha’s dismissal – caught at slip off bat and pad, though replays indicated the decision was also questionable. Two balls later Lyon had Ishant at bat-pad to complete his five.India’s last wicket added 22 as Shami slogged between deep square leg and long-on. Siddle eventually found the toe end of his bat, and Shane Watson took a low catch at first slip to end the innings on 444.Warner then got cracking. Not in the 45 minutes before lunch, when he was sussing how different batting conditions were from the first innings, but after the break, when he laid into India’s specialist spinner and part-timer. He lofted Karn Sharma and M Vijay repeatedly over their heads, slapped through cover when their lengths were short, and reverse swept too. He hit Australia’s first six of the Test – a towering blow over midwicket off Vijay.Warner brought up his half-century off 63 balls, and then stopped by Phillip Hughes’ final score of 63 for the second time in the match. With his spinners proving ineffective – their ends had been swapped immediately after Karn dismissed Chris Rogers – Virat Kohli turned to Ishant Sharma but Watson glanced and flicked leg-side offerings to the boundary.Varun Aaron had not been used until the 32nd over – presumably to keep fresh for any reverse swing – and in his second over he bowled Warner. The contest heated up instantly. Aaron and Kohli celebrated aggressively, but replays revealed a no-ball. Warner returned the cries of “come on,” more than once as he returned to the pitch, and a ball later there were confrontations involving several Indians and the batsmen. The umpires intervened and Kohli had to calm his own emotions to rein in his players.Aaron revved it up, but a bouncer deflected off Watson for four leg byes, a leg-side wide went to the boundary, and the batsman flicked to the midwicket boundary off consecutive deliveries.At tea, with Australia ahead by 212 and a host of aggressive batsmen to follow Warner and Watson, a declaration before stumps seemed likely. But Watson and Clarke fell in quick succession and Warner slowed down. His second 50 took 91 deliveries and Warner celebrated the landmark with his customary leap and a gaze up at the skies.There was another flashpoint soon after. Steven Smith reacted to an absurd appeal, prompting the bowler Rohit to exclaim, “What? What?” Several exchanges were made between players and there was a long conversation between Kohli and umpire Ian Gould.There was no aggression in India’s cricket, though, as Smith and Mitchell Marsh clobbered the bowling in the last half hour of the day. Marsh clubbed 40 off 26 balls and Smith was unbeaten on 52 at stumps. It is unlikely Australia will bat on Saturday.

Hobart Hurricanes, Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers have been fined for breaching the BBL’s guidelines by entering into agreements with players during the competition’s Contracting Embargo Period.Hurricanes were fined AUD 20,000 for their agreements with Ben Dunk and Alex Hales, with “50% suspended for three years in recognition of the club’s full cooperation with the Integrity Unit’s investigation,” Cricket Australia said. Sixers were penalised AUD 10,000 for entering into an agreement with Moises Henriques during the embargo, while Heat was also fined the same amount for a similar offence with a yet-to-be-announced player for the 2014-15 season.According to the rules, “During the contracting embargo period, BBL teams must not enter into any agreements, including renewals of existing agreements, arrangements or understandings, with any player in relation to or in any way in connection with the BBL.” The embargo period in question began on February 7 and ended on May 19.”While we recognise that in each case these were not flagrant breaches, we remain committed to ensuring clubs fully adhere to the competition’s contracting guidelines at all times,” CA’s Senior Manager – Integrity, Iain Roy, said. “The penalties handed down today reflect the need to uphold the integrity of the league. We acknowledge each club’s assistance during the course of our investigations and now consider each matter closed.CA said that no other investigations were ongoing in connection with the contracting process ahead of the 2014-15 season of the BBL.

A defiant century from Hashim Amla was not enough for South Africa as Tillakaratne Dilshan took Sri Lanka to a competitive total and helped defend it by causing a mini collapse in the middle order

The Report by Firdose Moonda09-Jul-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Hashim Amla became the fastest to 14 ODI centuries•Associated Press

Thirteen is thought to be the number of misfortune. For Hashim Amla and South Africa, it was the opposite until today.On the 13 occasions before this one when Amla has scored an ODI century, South Africa have emerged victorious. He recorded his 14th century – becoming the quickest to the mark – in Pallekele but the result was not in his team’s favour.Tillakaratne Dilshan’s enterprise in the first ten overs and wickets in the middle and latter portions of the South African chase bookended a the Sri Lankan comeback and ensured the three-match series will go to a decider on Saturday. Dilshan raced to a half-century in 40 balls to set Sri Lanka up for a competitive total and then ended South Africa’s biggest partnership – 75 between Amla and AB de Villiers – to clear Sri Lanka’s path to victory.South Africa were 101 for 2 in the 20th over when Dilshan lured de Villiers forward with a flighted delivery but the South African captain could not clear long-on. He was comfortably caught by the substitute fielder Thisara Perera well inside the field to spark a mini-collapse. South Africa lost five wickets for 26 runs with Dilshan claiming three of those and the gash was too big for even Amla, who scored his second successive ODI century, his third in four matches and his third on this tour so far, to mend.The visitors’ shortcomings were further highlighted by a much improved Lasith Malinga, who took wickets at the top and tail of the South African innings, and the loss Dale Steyn. The pace spearhead had bowled 2.2 overs when he was struck on the right thumb after Dilshan drilled the ball back at him. Steyn was taken for an x-ray which revealed severe bruising. Though there wasn’t a fracture, he will need to be monitored over the next few days to determine his availability for the rest of the tour.What will hearten South Africa is that Steyn batted for 35 minutes. He appeared in discomfort at times but scored 23 runs and starred in a 53-run stand with Amla that almost gave South Africa the unlikeliest of resurgences.Steyn batted with a resolve that was absent in some of his team-mates, most worryingly Jacques Kallis. After Quinton de Kock was bowled by Malinga from around the wicket, it was up to Kallis to build a foundation in the chase but he lasted only seven balls before being bounced out by the same bowler.Despite Steyn’s injury, Kallis did not bowl either, which has left his contribution in the series to just one run in two matches and he has been thoroughly outplayed by his competitor in the all-rounders department, Ryan McLaren. Although McLaren was dismissed cheaply, overcome by the pressure created by the spinners, he dismissed four batsmen at the death of the Sri Lankan innings, including three in one over, to curb their charge.Sri Lanka’s lower order implosion – five wickets for 11 runs – was sparked by Mathews edging McLaren to the keeper. The Sri Lankan captain had contributed to his team’s highest stand of the innings, 71-runs with Mahela Jayawardene which ensured the efforts of Dilshan upfront were not squandered.Jayawardene had battled through the stranglehold Imran Tahir and JP Duminy created and the trouble he had with legspinner’s googly. He eventually fell to a wrong ‘un but ushered Mathews through a tricky middle-overs period to help build a competitive total in the same mentoring way as Dilshan had handled his stand with Lahiru Thirimanne.By the time Thirimanne, who was promoted to No. 4 arrived at the crease, Dilshan already had a half-century, had single-handedly got Sri Lanka’s scoring rate above six an over before South Africa began to rein Sri Lanka in. Tahir, Duminy, McLaren and Morne Morkel conceded only 44 runs between the 10th and 19th overs. Thirimanne could only score slowly and eventually succumbed to frustration when he hit Tahir straight to mid-wicket but the 62 runs he put on with Dilshan were crucial to Sri Lanka’s chances.Soft dismissals aside, Sri Lanka batted with a good enough understanding of the surface to ensure they would not have to rue mistakes. Similarly, their lapses in the field which included two dropped catches – Amla on 67 and Miller on 0 – can be overlooked because they did not prove too costly even though Amla moved on to a three-figures. Instead they will focus on the advantage their spinners gave them. Dilshan, Sachitra Senanayake and Ajantha Mendis bowled 24.1 overs between them and their six wickets cost only 102 runs. The Sri Lankan performance was not perfect but it did not have to be.

Super Kings need their bowlers to stage a comeback after getting hammered in their opening game. Daredevils will wait on Kevin Pietersen’s fitness

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran20-Apr-2014Match facts Monday, April 21, 2014
Start time 1830 local (1430 GMT, 2000 IST)5:19

Hattangadi: Super Kings should play Badree

Big PictureWhen Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni was asked after the Kings XI Punjab game if he thought 205 was a winning score, he replied matter-of-factly: “Well even if you score 205 you also have to take into account that the other team can beat it.” On most days, teams would back themselves to defend 205 but Super Kings were vanquished with such force that the game did not go into the final over. Super Kings should not be too hard on themselves though, for they were beaten by an incredible and audacious innings from Glenn Maxwell and a clinical fifty from David Miller. The bowlers could do little to stop Maxwell’s reverse sweeps, switch-hits and lap shots; Super Kings would have needed five more fielders to plug those boundaries. Not every team has a batsman who can play such blinders.Having said that, there are weaknesses in the Super Kings’ bowling. Save for Ashish Nehra, who bowled three overs, the rest conceded more than ten an over. That should call for the inclusion of the West Indies legspinner Samuel Badree, who has a miserly T20 economy rate of 5.08. Super Kings may not let go of Dwayne Smith or Brendon McCullum to accommodate him, which means that one of Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo will have to make way.Delhi Daredevils are still waiting on Kevin Pietersen’s fitness. Pietersen was missed in the opening game when the top order fell early. In both matches, they have depended on JP Duminy to shore up the batting. Their seam bowlers made early inroads against Kolkata Knight Riders, and with the next game being played under lights, they could have more assistance from the conditions. Their win over Knight Riders should be a morale booster after a listless opening game.Watch out forRavindra Jadeja leaked 43 off four overs against Kings XI and in his last five competitive games (from the World T20), he has picked up only one wicket. He has also played just one innings since the start of the World T20. With Super Kings possessing a strong top order, he may not get too many opportunities to bat, which means that he has only his bowling to fall back on. The lack of wickets might worry him.Jimmy Neesham was expensive in both games for Daredevils, bowling two overs in each and going for 0 for 26 and 0 for 22. Neesham had a good Champions League in 2013, but hasn’t made an impact yet in the IPL. Should Pietersen be fit, one of the overseas players will have to make way so there is pressure on him to keep his place.Stats and trivia The last time Daredevils beat Super Kings in the IPL was in 2012. They have lost four matches to Super Kings since then. M Vijay, now with the Daredevils, is the only Indian batsman to have scored more than one century in the IPL – he has two.