Sports

Why Cristiano Ronaldo Was Absent From Diogo Jota’s Funeral

Published

2 weeks ago

July 6, 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence at the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva has sparked headlines across Portugal, but sources close to the Al-Nassr forward have revealed that his decision was made out of respect for the grieving family’s need for privacy.

The emotional funeral service was held on Saturday in Gondomar, the hometown of the late Portugal international and his brother, who both passed away in a tragic incident.

While many of Jota’s Portugal teammates made the journey to pay their final respects, Ronaldo remained in Mallorca, choosing to grieve away from the public eye.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Ronaldo personally reached out to Jota’s partner, Rute Cardoso, and also contacted the Jota family.

The report states that the decision to stay away was mutually understood as “the best option” due to the potential media frenzy his presence could have triggered. It was agreed that his attendance could have drawn “excessive attention” and overshadowed the solemnity of the occasion.

His absence, they noted, was a gesture “meant to show empathy and solidarity without igniting a potential media frenzy that would have been more harmful than beneficial.”

Despite Ronaldo’s absence, several members of the Portugal squad were present. Rúben Neves and João Cancelo travelled from the United States shortly after Al Hilal’s Club World Cup exit.

Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot also attended the ceremony held at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, although not physically present, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, “Usually, I post things that make sense, but today, nothing makes sense! Once again, an ocean separates me from ‘saying goodbye’ to someone I love! But I know that I am well represented by my club mates! To you, my friend @rutecfcardoso14, just know that you will never walk alone, we will be with you as soon as possible! In a moment like this, all we can do is bow down before the Sovereignty of God, and receive grace and help in this time! I’ll remember Diogo as a great friend, father and husband!”

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez was also in attendance and delivered a moving tribute, saying,
“Today was a day that we showed we are a very, very large, but close family. We are Portugal, and it was essential for us, Andre Silva and Diogo Jota, that we [were] together.”

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Sports

Ex-Super Eagles Coach, Monday Sinclair, Is Dead

Published

1 day ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

Former Super Eagles interim head coach, Monday Sinclair, is dead.

Sinclair died at the age of 88.

His death was confirmed on Wednesday by former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peterside Idah, who played under him at Sharks FC and considered him a mentor.

Peterside wrote in a tribute shared via Facebook on Wednesday, “Our daddy is gone. What a man.

“He signed me to play for Sharks. Gave me my first match against Niger Tornadoes of Minna.

“The first day he saw me come to train with Sharks, he said, ‘My friend, are you a boxer?’

“He said I was built like Tyson. From that day, I found me a football father. I became very close to him and his family, with Puppa K as a very close brother.”

Sinclair, who featured for the Green Eagles in the 1960s, was widely respected for his sharp eye for talent and enduring contribution to football development in Nigeria.

He began his coaching career with the now-defunct Sharks FC of Rivers State, before going on to handle Niger Tornadoes, Enugu Rangers, and Bayelsa United.

In 1997, he was appointed interim coach of the Super Eagles and later served as head coach of the Equatorial Guinea national team.

Sinclair was credited with mentoring some of Nigeria’s most iconic footballers, including Peter Rufai, Taribo West, Finidi George, and Peterside himself.

His grassroots influence left an enduring legacy on Nigerian football.

His passing comes just days after the death of another football legend, Peter Rufai, who battled a long-term illness.

Sports

Messi’s Multi-goal Streak Ends As Cincinnati Beats Miami 3-0

Published

2 days ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

Lionel Messi’s Major League Soccer-record streak of multi-goal games ended at five on Wednesday as his Inter Miami squad was blanked 3-0 at FC Cincinnati.

The 38-year-old Argentine star forward had scored a brace, two goals, in five consecutive matches for Miami, giving him 16 goals on the season as Inter managed four wins and a draw in the run.

Not since 2012 when he played for Barcelona had Messi netted a brace or more in five consecutive matches.

But Cincinnati kept Miami to only two shots on goal in the contest.

“Clearly today we were outplayed from the beginning of the match,” Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said through a translator.

“It was very difficult for us to win the individual duels. Maybe one of the reasons is that physically we come with a very big hustle and bustle and in the long run we end up paying.

“Leo suffered a knock at the end but it ended well.”

US 20-year-old midfielder Gerardo Valenzuela opened the scoring for Cincinnati in the 16th minute.

Brazilian striker Evander followed with a goal in the 50th minute and struck again in the 70th to provide all the scoring the hosts needed.

“We didn’t play the game we wanted. They put us under pressure all the time, we weren’t fresh or lucid and they beat us very well,” Mascherano said.

Miami fell to 11-4 with five drawn for 38 points, fifth in the Eastern Conference and eight points adrift of first-place Philadelphia, the overall MLS leader which beat Montreal to stay one point ahead of Cincinnati in the overall MLS standings.

Inter Miami has three games in hand on both clubs but would need to win them all to overtake their rivals for the overall league lead.

“The opponent outplayed us from start to finish,” Mascherano said. “The result and the way they beat us obviously worries us. Now we have to rest and think about the next game.”

That will come on Saturday when Miami will visit the New York Red Bulls, who got two goals each from Cameroon’s Eric Choupo-Moting and Sweden’s Emil Forsberg in a 5-3 home win over New England on Wednesday.

– De Paul to join Miami –

A source close to negotiations told AFP on Wednesday that Inter Miami has agreed on terms with Argentine international Rodrigo De Paul, a midfielder for Atletico Madrid.

The deal is for the next four seasons with De Paul to play the remainder of 2025 in Miami on loan from Atletico Madrid with a subsequent purchase option for Inter worth more than $12 million.

De Paul could play for Miami for the first time on July 30 against Mexican side Atlas in Inter’s debut match in the Leagues Cup, a tournament between MLS and Mexican League clubs.

He will leave Europe after four seasons in Madrid to join countryman Messi 11 months before the World Cup to be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

Messi has not said if he will play in the World Cup.

De Paul and Messi were teammates on Argentina’s 2022 World Cup champions and reuniting them could help entice Messi to sign a new contract with Inter, whose deal with the superstar expires at the end of this year.

The club wants Messi to stay for the 2026 season, in which Inter will open a new stadium in Miami.

DePaul, 31, joins a Miami core that includes Messi, Uruguayan Luis Suarez and Spaniards Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

Charlotte was named host city for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday. This year’s all-star matchup will be in Austin, Texas, next Wednesday with the MLS All-Stars facing the Mexican League All-Stars.

Sports

Nigeria Crash Out Of FIBA U19 World Cup

Published

2 days ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

The Hungary basketball team on Wednesday defeated Junior D’Tigress, 77-51, to send Nigeria packing from the ongoing FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Czechia.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian girls were completely overwhelmed by their opponents as they struggled throughout the encounter.

They started on a good note, recording a 9-9 scoreline in the first quarter of the game, but fell apart in the second quarter, losing 12-30.

The team fought back in the third quarter but could only make 15-16 points, which was not good enough to pressure the European team.

Hungary took the 4th quarter more seriously and recorded a 16-15 score to keep their lead and eventually coasted home to victory.

Hungary’s Kinga Jisepovits led the floor for her team with 19 points, while her teammate Eliza Farbas recorded 13 rebounds.

Nigeria’s Tobenna Nweke led the floor with 12 points as Francis Chukwu recorded 9 rebounds to their credit.

The Nigerian girls crashed out of the competition but became the first African team to win a match in the history of the competition and also play in the round of 16.
(NAN)