Ronaldo on target, Hong Kong heartache, what happened overnight in the world of sport

Cristiano Ronaldo scores goal No 906, South Africa wait to learn World Cup fate, Scotland find new way to suffer, Hong Kong hopes dashed

Choosing the right time to walk away is one of the toughest tasks for any sportsperson. Adding to the complexity of the decision for those individuals is that their retirement date is a matter for public discussion. If someone is comfortable with when they choose to bow out, though, who are we to tell them otherwise? Selfishly, we might want our enduring memories of our heroes to be of them in their pomp, duking with fellow greats and winning much more than they lose. But if they want to hang around for an encore, why not?

Was Andy Murray's valedictory tour not uplifting and, perhaps, an even more compelling exhibition of one man's courage and tenacity than anything he showed in winning three grand slam titles during men's tennis's most formidable era. As long as nobody is getting hurt, why not carry on? This is evidently the view of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is showing no signs of wanting to hang up his boots more than 22 years after making his professional debut for Sporting Lisbon in August 2002.

Ronaldo has been roundly pilloried for his international performances over the past few years and he, unarguably, looked a husk of his former self at this summer's European Championship.

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If he wants to keep going and people want to keep picking him, though, that is his call. Footballers are routinely told they do not care enough and that is never an accusation you could level at a player who has won seven domestic titles, four Uefa Champions Leagues and one European Championship, but still looks happy as a sandboy when he scores for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. You cannot keep the 39-year-old out of the news and that is where we begin, as we recap what happened while you were sleeping.

Ronaldo's goals race

If his advancing years cannot get in the way of Cristiano Ronaldo's quest for 1,000 career goals, then what were the chances for a defender from the heart of Premier League Southampton's leaky backline?

Jan Bednarek and his Poland teammates resisted Ronaldo for 37 minutes in a Nations League match in Warsaw, but, as sure as night follows day, when Rafael Leao's shot thudded back off a post, the 39-year-old was on hand to slot home the rebound. Bernardo Silva had already given Portugal the lead by this point, as the visitors eased to their third straight Nations League victory. There was a fright late on when Piotr Zielinski netted after 78 minutes, but Portugal wrapped up their 3-1 win when the luckless Bednarek diverted a Nuno Mendes delivery into his own net.

Whether he likes it or not, though, it was the bashful Ronaldo who stole the headlines. He extended his record international goals tally to 133 and moved 94 away from the magical four-figure mark he is evidently pursuing.

Is he likely to get there? Well, Roberto Martinez, the Portugal boss, would be no more likely to fly to the moon than leave Ronaldo out of his starting line-up, while the former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward has scored 72 times in 22 months with Al Nassr. If that chiselled body continues cooperating with a singularity driven mind, then, we reckon the 41-year-old Ronaldo might reach the 1,000 mark around two years from now, but not before he is widely derided for a string of underwhelming performances as Portugal limp out of the 2026 World Cup finals. Please do not bookmark this.

Scotland suffer

In the other Nations League Group 1 match, Croatia overturned a 1-0 deficit to beat hapless Scotland 2-1.

The Scots are never going to be mistaken for a lucky bunch and they came into this game in Zagreb after losing their past three matches in minutes 100, 97 and 88. No late concession this time, but there was heartache at the death for Scotland, nonetheless.

Head coach Steve Clarke's team thought they had salvaged a draw when Kristijan Jakic put through his own net, only for the VAR to stick his nose in and point out that Che Adams was in an offside position.

Ryan Christie's 32nd-minute goal was cancelled out four minutes later by Igor Matanovic, before Andre Kramaric completed the turnaround with 20 minutes remaining.

Eubank Jr Euphoria

We brought you news yesterday that while Chris Eubank Jr was weighing in for his fight with Kamil Szeremeta in Saudi Arabia, Conor Benn showed up to weigh in with his thoughts on Eubank Jr as a boxer and a human being.

Benn is in Riyadh, it seems, to whip up public appetite for a fight between the pair, two years after a planned bout was cancelled because the 28-year-old failed two voluntary drugs tests. Eubank Jr marmalised Szeremeta, dropping his opponent four times before the referee saved the Pole from himself in round seven.

That was the cue for Benn to leap into the ring and butt heads with Eubank Jr, after wasting his ringside ticket by plugging into his phone to type on social media, "I promise you, I will chin this idiot inside 3 rounds." We assume he meant Eubank Jr, not the guy who got his drinks order wrong.

If a fight between the pair is going to happen, it is unlikely to be in their native England, as it stands. Benn's doping failures cost him his licence with the British Boxing Board of Control.

Wigan stake greatness claim

Rugby League is not a regular feature in these pages, but if not now when? Wigan Warriors won the Super League Grand Final 9-2 following a war of attrition with opponents Hull KR.

The victory solidifies Wigan's claims as one of the greatest of all rugby league teams, as they became the first side of the 28-year-old Super League era to complete the quadruple of World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup, League Leaders' Shield and Grand Final.

Bevan French scored the only try of the match at Old Trafford, where the locals savoured the opportunity to watch some top-level sport close up, before Harry Smith's drop goal gave Wigan a 7-0 half-time lead.

Mikey Lewis's penalty brought Hull KR within a converted try of seizing the advantage, but Adam Keighran ignored the Hull fans behind the posts desperately trying to unsettle him, to nail a penalty kick and move Wigan out of sight and, ultimately, into a league of their own.

South Africa's fate in English hands

South Africa must sit tight and hope for the best after a curate's egg of a performance in their seven-wicket T20 World Cup victory over Bangladesh in Dubai.

Nigar Sultana Joty's jaunty 32 from 38 balls was the pick of it for Bangladesh as, batting first, they posted a miserly 106 for three from their 20 overs. South Africa needed 17.2 overs to reach their 107 target, opener Tazmin Brits top scoring with 42, and the pedestrian chase might harm the Proteas' chances of progressing to the last four.

Their net run rate decreased and is not inferior to that of West Indies, who are two points behind South Africa at the top of Group B, but with one match remaining. The South Africans, then, are crossing everything that England, who will move joint-top as and when they beat Scotland later today, overcome West Indies on Tuesday.

All clear? If not, everything will be resolved one way or another after that England versus West Indies match, then the semi-finals take place on Thursday and Friday.

Hong Kong World Cup heartbreak

Hong Kong women's hopes of returning to the Rugby World Cup, eight years after their sole appearance in 2017, have been extinguished following a humbling 33-3 loss to Netherlands in Dubai.

The match was Hong Kong's final fixture of the WXV3 tournament, the third tier of the recently introduced annual global competition. Following one win and one defeat from their opening two matches, head coach Andew Douglas's team needed a handsome victory over Netherlands, coupled with a Fiji victory over Spain, for any hope of reaching next year's global showpiece in England.

As it transpired, they got neither. Netherlands were too strong and too savvy for a Hong Kong side that lost Fion Got to a red card after 16 minutes and finished up conceding five tries.

Spain then nicked a 10-8 victory over Fiji, whose World Cup place was already secured, to qualify for England, along with Samoa, who brushed aside Madagascar 46-15 on Friday.

Xiao breaks duck

Xiao Guodong beat fellow Chinese Si Jiahui 10-7 in the Wuhan Open final for a first title of the 35-year-old's 17-year professional career.

This was a third running final for Xiao, who would not be human if he did not experience a rush of butterflies when Si, who compiled a maximum 147 break in his semi-final victory over Judd Trump, cut his compatriot's 9-4 lead to 9-7.

Xiao held his nerve, however, to bank GBP140,000 (HK$1.42 million) and jump 11 places to No 18 in the world.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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