Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d Or for 2016, the fourth time he has been named the world s best player.

The 31-year-old started the year with critics claiming he was past his best, but went on to win the Champions League with Real Madrid and Euro 2016 with Portugal.

The Club World Cup could still follow before the end of the calendar year.

Here, we look at the best numbers from Ronaldo s year, with the help of Opta data:
 

51 – Ronaldo has scored 51 times for club and country in 2016 from a total of 55 appearances.

38 – Of those 51 goals, 38 were scored from 42 matches at club level – 31 in LaLiga and seven in the Champions League.

13 – He netted 13 times in as many games for Portugal in 2016 – his best goalscoring year…

Robin van Persie scored a brace in Manchester United s 4-0 in at Wigan

The Premier League games on New Year’s Day produced a host of goals as usual.

Manchester United remained seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table, after winning 4-0 at Wigan. Javier Hernandez fired the visitors in front in the 35th minute from inside the penalty box, after Ali Al Habsi had saved Patrice Evra’s low effort.

United doubled their lead in the 43rd minute, Robin Van Persie turning Ivan Ramis before curling the ball into the top corner.

Javier Hernandez scored his brace in the 63rd minute, pouncing on a Robin Van Persie free-kick to fire home inside the penalty area.

Van Persie made it four in the 88th minute, when he was left completely unmarked…

With Premier League clubs travelling far and wide to fulfil commercial commitments as well as prepare for the upcoming campaign, the 2023-24 pre-season diary is packed full of fixtures across the globe.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what the top teams will be doing, who they will face and how they will be ramping up to challenge for honours.

Arsenal

D.C. United s Wayne Rooney will coach MLS All-Stars against Arsenal

— B/R Football (@brfootball)

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners will head off to a training camp at adidas headquarters in Nurnberg on July 9 and will face the second-tier side as part of their preparations before travelling to the United States.

The trip includes high-profile friendlies against the MLS All-Stars, managed by Wayne Roone…

Liverpool struck a world-record deal to sign defender Virgil van Dijk from Southampton on this day six years ago.

It was announced on December 27, 2017 that the sought-after Dutchman would move to Anfield on January 1 in a transfer understood to be worth £75million, the highest price ever paid for a defender at that time.

A Southampton statement read: “Southampton Football Club can confirm it has reached an agreement with Liverpool over the transfer of Virgil van Dijk.

— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk)

“Southampton have agreed a fee that will set a new world-record for a defender. The club wishes Virgil well in his future when the deal is completed on January 1, 2018.”

Van Dijk had handed in a transfer request during the summer o…

The NFL season is a grueling marathon, which is why the schedule makers hand out bye weeks, giving teams a chance to rest up, get ready for the home stretch, or even reset.

These breaks in the schedule come with advantages and disadvantages for those betting on NFL action each week. Here are some tips for handicapping bye weeks in 2021.

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As the NFL’s preseason schedule gets underway this weekend, we get a meeting between NFC contenders with the Green Bay Packers visiting the San Francisco 49ers on Friday night. 

Those hoping to see two-time reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers take the field will be disappointed, as he won’t put on the pads until Week 3 of the preseason at the earliest. That said, the Trey Lance era gets underway, as the former No. 3 overall pick is expected to be under center at the start of this one.

Does that make the Niners an easy play here? Find out in our free NFL picks and predictions for Packers vs. 49ers.

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We are now just a few weeks away from April’s NFL Draft, and as the big day draws near, that means a few things. More rumors will be swirling than ever. Rumors which can impact the NFL Draft odds and expanded NFL Draft betting markets.

This year it feels like we’ve seen more odds movement than ever when it comes to the first overall pick. When the Carolina Panthers first acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the Chicago Bears, C.J. Stroud became the big favorite to be the first player selected. However, recent reports have Bryce Young as the Panthers’ preferred choice and the market quickly shifted.

In Version 3.0 of my 2023 NFL mock draft the Panthers get their guy — but is it Stroud or Yo…

All eyes will be on Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis tonight as he gets the second start of his young career. The Kentucky product dazzled in his pro debut on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, tying a rookie record by throwing four touchdown passes. He’ll hope to capture that same magic this evening on Thursday Night Football as the 3-4 Titans battle the 4-3 Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.

While there are a number of different subscription-based TV channels and streaming services available to watch this game, did you know that you can also live stream Titans vs. Steelers directly from legal sports betting sites?

Caesars, BetRivers, and Fanatics Sportsbook are three of our most trusted NFL betting sites — and the only platforms that offe…

It’s the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs and I’m digging deep to find the best betting value on the defensive player props board. While the Over is often the sexy bet, sometimes betting the Under on player props has the most value in NFL odds.

That’s what I’m expecting this weekend as I fade a pair of players on their tackles prop and expect two others to get held off the sack sheet.

Here are my best free sack and tackle NFL picks for the Divisional Round odds.

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The Baltimore Ravens are hosting the Buffalo Bills in Sunday Night Football action this week. The Bills have been destroying opponents but oddsmakers are expecting a close contest this week, and that’s shaping my NFL picks for this Week 4 showdown.

With what should be a largely neutral game-script, I’m expecting a heavy dose of Derrick Henry while also backing Dalton Kincaid and James Cook in my favorite SNF props for Bills vs. Ravens on September 29.

Don’t miss Josh Inglis’ full-game breakdown in his Bills vs. Ravens predictions.

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