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Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus will have a revitalising effect on Italian football, according to former Madrid and AC Milan playmaker Kaka.

The Bianconeri persuaded Madrid to part ways with their all-time leading goal-scorer, agreeing a €100 million (£88m/$117m) deal, and the five-time Ballon d’Or winning forward completed his medical in Turin on Monday.

Former Brazil international Kaka, who moved from Sao Paulo to Milan in 2003 and then spent four years at Madrid before returning to San Siro, believes the presence of Ronaldo in Serie A could help to restore the country’s sporting reputation, referencing the Italian football scandal of 2006 that saw Juventus relegated to Serie B.

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“Ronaldo to Juventus is a good thing for whole of Serie A,” Kaka told Omnisport, speaking courtesy of Adidas.

“Playing for Juventus is great.

“Italian football had difficult moments in the past but Juventus survived and became great again in Italy and Europe after a negative period.

“They’ve restarted after Serie B and they are a great team in Italy and Europe now. They signed one of the most important players and are bringing him to Italy.”

Ronaldo will aim to help Juventus win their eighth consecutive Serie A title in 2018-19, and the club’s supporters will hope he can bring their long wait for a third Champions League trophy to an end.

Juve last won Europe’s premier club competition in 1996, but lost the final in 2015 to Barcelona and to Madrid in 2017, Los Blancos and Ronaldo also knocking them out in the quarter-finals last season.

But Kaka feels the Ronaldo effect will be not just in Turin, but throughout Serie A and Italy’s lower leagues.

“All the other teams will have an advantage thanks to this big name,” said the 36-year-old.

“In my opinion, as an Italian football lover and Milan supporter, it’s going to be a nice thing for Italian football.”

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After a month of scintillating football and storylines, the 2018 World Cup has now come to a close. According to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, “It’s been the best World Cup” in history.

One of the most interesting developments in Russia this summer was the implementation of VAR. This addition had a decided impact both on the pitch and in the Fantasy sphere as more penalties were given in this tournament (29) than the previous two World Cup’s combined.

The impact of this is evident as England and France were awarded and scored the most penalty goals (3) while their forwards, Harry Kane and Antoine Griezmann respectively, finished one-two in both the Golden Boot race and points in the Goal game . Unsurprisingly, those penalty goals also helped propel both players to the semi-finals.

Speaking of semi-finalists, eight of the 11 highest scoring players in the Goal game made it to that stage. It’s not exactly a shock that players that played more matches scored more points, but it’s still a little surprising that players that had big performances in the early stages (Cristiano Ronaldo, Artem Dzyuba, Philippe Coutinho, etc) failed to make the cut. 

The Premier League edition of Goal Fantasy Football is now available so select your team ahead of the new campaign.

GK: Thibaut Courtois – Belgium – 7 Starts, 27 Saves, 3 Clean Sheets, 6 Goals Conceded = 34 Points

The Belgian arguably had his worst campaign at Chelsea this season but, fortunately for his national team, he was back at his best this summer. Courtois ended up capturing the Golden Glove as he finished with the most clean sheets at his position (three) while also topping the heap in saves as well (27). With an ageing defence in front of him, it’s hard to not think that Belgium’s window is closing quickly, but Courtois should yet have another two World Cups in him.

DEF: Yerry Mina – Colombia – 3 Starts, 3 Goals, 2 Clean Sheets, 1 Goal Conceded = 36 Points

DEF: Raphael Varane – France – 7 Starts, 1 Goal, 4 Clean Sheets, 6 Goals Conceded = 35 Points

The past few months have gone about as perfectly as possible for Varane who has now won both the Champions League and the World Cup in 2018. In fact, the majority of his career has been like that as the Real Madrid defender has already won 16 trophies despite being just 25 years old. As for this tournament, Varane was tied for first in clean sheets (four) which, along with his goal, made him the best Fantasy defender in Russia.

DEF: Andreas Granqvist – Sweden – 5 Starts, 2 Goals, 4 Goals Conceded, 3 Clean Sheets = 35 Points

DEF: Lucas Hernandez – France – 7 Starts, 2 Assists, 4 Clean Sheets, 6 Goals Conceded = 34 Points

MID: Eden Hazard – Belgium – 6 Starts, 3 Goals, 2 Assists = 36 Points

Hazard was both fantastic and consistent at this tournament and helped guide Belgium to a respectable third-place finish. Individually he took part in more goals (five) than any other midfielder and finished the World Cup top five in both chances created and touches in the box. Still just 27 years old, we should get to see Hazard at at least one more World Cup and he should be just as good of a Fantasy option than as he was this year.

MID: Ivan Perisic – Croatia – 7 Starts, 3 Goals, 1 Assist = 35 Points

MF: Denis Cheryshev – Russia – 3 Starts, 4 Goals = 32 Points

FOR: Antoine Griezmann – France – 7 Starts, 4 Goals, 3 Assists = 43 Points

He started the tournament having just confirmed that he would stay at Atletico Madrid and ended it as a world champion. As for the Goal Fantasy game , Griezmann’s 43 points were enough for him to be crowned our Fantasy Player of the Tournament. The forward actually scored two fewer goals than Golden Boot Winner Harry Kane, but the Frenchman’s creativity made enough of a difference to see him finish with the most combined goals (goals + assists) and therefore the most Fantasy points.

FOR: Harry Kane – England – 6 Starts, 6 Goals = 42 Points

FOR: Mario Mandzukic – Croatia – 6 Starts, 3 Goals, 3 Assists = 36 Points

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World Cup winner Steven N’Zonzi will not be leaving Sevilla for less than the €40 million (£35m/$47m) stated in his buyout clause, according to the club’s director of football Joaquin Caparros.

N’Zonzi, who played the last 35 minutes of France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in the World Cup final on Sunday, has been linked with a transfer to Arsenal or Barcelona but Caparros claimed no offers were on the table for the 29-year-old.

The former Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City midfielder joined Sevilla in 2015 and has made 90 La Liga appearances in three seasons at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and Caparros said he hoped N’Zonzi would remain at the club for at least two more years.

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Caparros told Cadena Ser that clubs with an interest in N’Zonzi would be told to meet the player’s buyout clause, in the same way Sevilla insisted Barcelona met their €35.9 million valuation of Clement Lenglet, who moved to Camp Nou last week.

“Steven has two years remaining on his contract,” said Caparros. “We have texted each other during the World Cup and I have congratulated him on his achievements with France, of course.

“We have not received any offers for him and I will say the same to any clubs who may be interested as what we said with Lenglet – he has a buyout clause, and it’s €40m.”

Caparros played down suggestions that Sevilla were in the market to sign Barcelona full-back Aleix Vidal, saying that he already had enough cover on the right side of defence.

Along with Carlos Bacca and Vicente Iborra, Vidal is one of a handful of former Sevilla players who have been linked with a return to Pablo Machin’s side.

On Vidal, Caparros said: “He has been linked to us but we already have players in his position.

“It is the same with Bacca and Iborra.

“These are players at other clubs who all left their mark at Sevilla but are earning more elsewhere and now we have our own players.”

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From Malaysia to Argentina, 16 national champions from around the world came together in Moscow to contest the Kia Champ into the Arena tournament finals on June 30, 2018. 

National pride was on the line, along with the chance to get into a 2018 FIFA World Cup clash from Kia’s skybox! 

The competition in the group stages was intense, and there was no shortage of surprises as Panama and Kyrgyzstan progressed into the knockout stages. The Latin American sides also performed strongly – with Mexico, Argentina and Colombia all joining Panama in the quarter-finals.

With the temperature soaring, the action in the elimination stages stepped up again, with a brilliant range of skills on display.

The Russian team matched the brilliant performances of their national side as they triumphed over Argentina and South Africa to reach the final. But there could only be one winner – Colombia saw off Poland and Mexico in the knockout stages, before a superb performance saw them past Russia, becoming the world champions in the Kia Champ into the Arena Final! 

With the players celebrating wildly, Kia had one final surprise left for the teams: 2010 FIFA World Cup-Winner and Spain legend Cesc Fabregas arrived to meet them and present the winners with the Kia Champ into the Arena Final trophy!

Relive all the festivities and Champ Into the Arena with Kia.

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World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus does not believe that a French era of dominance is near despite Les Bleus lifting a second world crown on Sunday.

France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow to add 2018 success to their 1998 triumph, while banishing the memories of defeat to Portugal in the European Championship final two years ago.

Nineteen-year-old Kylian Mbappe was named the tournament’s best young player, while 15 of the 23-man squad are 25 and younger giving France the second youngest squad in the tournament.

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Many have suggested France can dominate world football in years to come but, writing in Bild , Matthaus disagreed.

He wrote: ”I do not believe that the French will establish an era.

”The team did not adopt any style or convince with fascinating football.

“They did not push their opponents to the edge.”

Matthaus’ criticism is nothing new for Didier Deschamps’ side, who were criticised by some for a perceived lack of adventure.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibault Courtois accused them of playing “anti-football” during the semi-final, while Croatia’s Dejan Lovren said they “did not play football” in Sunday’s showpiece.

There is, however, a general consensus that Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe is a superstar of the future.

Matthaus is prepared to agree with that, with a man who helped Germany to World Cup glory in 1990 of the opinion that the teenager could be challenging for Ballon d’Or honours later in the year.

He said: “He plays with a tremendous ease, but is also down to earth. Mbappe plays seriously, he does not play for show.

 “He now as a world title and is certainly a hot tip for the World Player of the Year award for 2018.”

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