Ronaldo opens door to Real as he ponders United future

Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday sparked what is likely to be a summer of feverish speculation over his future when he left the door open to a potential move to Spain, and Real Madrid in particular.

Carlisle United 0 Leeds United 2 (Leeds win 3-2 on agg): Local hero Howson sends Leeds on trip to Wembley

Leeds United may well have bottomed out. There remains a play-off final at Wembley against either Doncaster Rovers or Southend United on Sunday week, but Leeds head to London with a sense of renewal.

Inside Sport

Nwankwo Kanu: 'For years African players have been exploited...'

Portsmouth's Nigerian centre-forward knows better than most how badly treated footballers from his continent have been. He tells Jason Burt why he is establishing a foundation to help them do something about it

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The Champions League prize competition
The Champions League is fast approaching its conclusion and to coincide with the build-up to the all-English final we're giving you the chance to win some great prizes courtesy of Carlton Books

How was it for you?
How did your lot do: Who was the best player? The worst? And who do you fancy in the summer? A club-by-club guide to the 2007-08 Premier League season by those who know: the fans

England v New Zealand
Angus Fraser and Stephen Brenkley are at Lord's for Day One of the Tests and are asking: Is there anything like the first day of an authentic Test match series?

Premier League or proper football? It's no contest
Mark Steel: 'Soon a season will end with commentators shrieking: "What an extraordinary year – who could ever have predicted West Ham would end up eleventh instead of ninth"'

Keep your dignity Sven - and let Thaksin have it
'He will do the soul of football a mighty favour if he cuts the pleasantries and lets Thaksin have both barrels before he finally walks away'

James Lawton: Sports Writer of the Year
"Grant's brief opening of a window into some of his deepest feelings, in the end told us more about a source of his perspective than any possible attempt to wrong foot his most dismissive critics."

Murray crumbles in face of Nadal's fiery onslaught

Happy returns were in short supply for Andy Murray at the Hamburg Masters yesterday as he was predictably outclassed 6-3, 6-2 by an imperious Rafael Nadal on his 21st birthday.

Tartan Bearer destroys Cecil's Derby dream

Vexing creatures, horses. Vexing, bloody-minded, perverse even. Or do they merely absorb and amplify the foibles of their masters?

Borthwick eager to avoid setting sights too far ahead

Martin Johnson's choice of a second-row forward to shoulder the burden of the England captaincy may have had a whiff of clich� about it, given that the World Cup-winning captain spent his entire career looking at life from the darkest recesses of the scrum.

New Zealand 208-6 v England: McCullum fireworks add to his star status

International cricket has lost too many of its superstars in the last 18 months but in Brendon McCullum New Zealand appear to have unearthed a new one.

Hamilton shuns safety organisation

Heikki Kovalainen’s escape from serious injury during his high-speed accident in the recent Spanish Grand Prix highlighted the progress that has been made on the safety front, but the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association is nevertheless going through turmoil.

Mean Machine into first place

A third win in four races, this time scoring double points, catapulted Peter de Ridder and his Dutch Mean Machine team up to first place from fifth overall after the two halves of the 25-mile coastal race of the opening Audi Medcup grand prix yesterday.

Sorenstam earns player praise

Laura Davies was just one of many golfers queuing up yesterday to pay tribute to Annika Sorenstam. "We owe a debt to Annika," said Davies, about her long-time rival and friend who announced on Tuesday that she is to retire at the end of this season. "What she did for the women's game can never be repaid."