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LONDON: Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo wished Ruben Amorim the best of luck who is now settling in as a new manager at Old Trafford.

Amorim, who was appointed to replace Erik ten Hag on November 1, arrived in England last Monday, less than 24 hours after coaching Sporting Lisbon for the last time.

Amorim, 39, who is awaiting work permit approval, was greeted by United officials upon his arrival at Carrington.

He was also given the opportunity to visit Old Trafford and hold his first interview as United head coach.

Amorim is expected to take charge of his first game when United travel to Portman Road against Ipswich Town in the Premier League next week.

He takes over a team currently 13th in the league, with a tough task to ensure they finish in the top four this season.

For Ronaldo, the Portuguese legend who was born just a week after Amorim, the club needed a bit of ‘luck’ after the failure of several previous managers.

“I wish Ruben Amorim luck in the world because Manchester (United) really needs him,” said Ronaldo.

Ronaldo made the comments after helping Portugal to a convincing 5-1 win over Poland in the UEFA Nations League, where he contributed two second-half goals.

London: Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted he was not surprised by his team’s excellent start to the season, as he was already aware of the strength of the team he inherited when he arrived at Anfield as Juergen Klopp’s replacement.

Slott’s side, who have won 14 out of 16 games in all competitions since he took over, are expected to remain at the top of the Premier League when they host Aston Villa in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Liverpool now have a two-point lead over defending champions Manchester City.

They are also top of the Champions League group as the only team to win four games from all meetings.

“I think ‘surprised’ is not the right word because I know the quality of our team.

“But quality is one thing and consistency is another. I’m not surprised because I see the energy my players give every day.

“Sometimes, a bit of luck helps. Most of our results were deserved but there were a few close matches,” he added.

“(Also) when I started working with them, I saw how hard they worked to achieve this result,” Slot told reporters.

Slot does not expect striker Diogo Jota, who has been sidelined since Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on October 20 due to injury, to return until after the international break.

Slot did not elaborate on Jota’s injury and stated that it had to keep the cause a secret.

“He will be back one or two games after the international break,” he said.

Curtis Jones, named in interim England manager Lee Carsley’s squad for the upcoming internationals, has been in excellent form in recent weeks.

Jones created a beautiful pass for Luis Diaz to score in Liverpool’s 4-0 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

Slot said Jones has stepped her game up a notch since the birth of her daughter, Giselle, on Oct. 13.

“Since becoming a father, he’s started to perform really well,” Slot said.

ASUNCION, Paraguay: Brazil lost for the fourth time in five World Cup qualifiers after Diego Gomez’s goal gave Paraguay a 1-0 win in Asuncion.

Five-time world champions Brazil, who beat Ecuador 1-0 last Friday, are now fifth in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup on 10 points, ahead of Venezuela on goal difference.

Only the top six teams will qualify for the World Cup held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with the seventh-placed team having to go through another qualifying round.

Dorival Jr, who took over the Brazil squad from Tite after the team was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, saw his side overcome by Gomez’s 20th-minute goal.

“The coach is still looking for the best way for us to play and it is evident in the results of the matches.

“A lot of new players, we’re not confident enough. It’s not easy to qualify, it’s a difficult period and we have to know how to deal with it.

“Now the phase of change, we are not confident enough. We have to work hard, getting results on the field is the best answer,” said Brazilian defender Marquinhos.

Brazil will continue their qualifying campaign next month against Chile and Peru.

LONDON: Liverpool opened the curtain on the Premier League with the goal of striker Mohamed Salah, which is a routine matter for the Anfield club.

At 32 and out of contract next summer, the Egyptian forward is still a revelation at Anfield.

Salah has now scored the most goals in a first game in Premier League history, with his second-half goal against Ipswich the ninth time he has started a campaign with a goal.

Salah also helped Diogo Jota’s goal to complete Liverpool’s 300th goal in 350 appearances.

“Every year he comes back in better shape than the season before. He’s one of those players who has a longer summer break and he takes advantage of it.

“He was brilliant, especially in the second half when he helped us win.

“Mo looks after his body very well. He is a professional who needs to be emulated. If our main players play like that, he will help the team,” said defender Andy Robertson.

LONDON: Chelsea are closing in on signing Brazilian teenage sensation Gabriel Mec from Gremio.

The London club has begun scouting talented players since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over the club in 2022, with the aim of building a long-lasting squad.

The Blues have signed seven players in this transfer window, hoping to improve on last season’s achievements after a big spending spree.

According to Brazilian media, Chelsea have reached an agreement with Gremio to sign the 16-year-old.

The midfielder is worth 20.5 million pounds and Mec agreed to sign a five-year contract with the option of a further two years.

The teenager is yet to feature for Gremio’s main squad but has made an impact in the Brazilian Under-20 Championship – scoring once in six appearances.

If he manages to sign for Mec, he will only join the Stamford Bridge club after turning 18, in line with international transfer regulations for underage players.

Mec will be the 17th teenager signed by Chelsea since Boehly took over the club in 2022.

Ecuador striker Kendry Paez, 17, will also sign a contract at Stamford Bridge after turning 18 in May 2025.