WASHINGTON SPIRIT SIGNS TANZANIAN STAR CLARA LUVANGA

Standout forward inks four-year contract in transfer from Al–Nassr FC

Washington, D.C. – The Washington Spirit has signed Tanzanian national team forward Clara Luvanga to a four-year contract through the 2029 season, the club announced today. The striker is set to be the first player from Tanzania in NWSL history. As part of the move, the Spirit will pay a transfer fee to Luvanga’s former club Al-Nassr FC of Saudi Arabia’s top-flight Saudi Women’s Premier League.

“I am very excited to join the Washington Spirit and to take on this new challenge in the NWSL,” said Luvanga. “I know I am arriving with the season already underway, but I’m really excited to play in a new league and a new country. The team is in a strong position and I want to help in whatever way I can between now and the playoffs. Go Spirit!” 

Luvanga joins the Spirit after three illustrious seasons in Saudi Arabia. Upon joining Al-Nassr FC in 2023, the striker led her side to three straight Saudi Women’s Premier League titles, a Saudi Women’s Cup title, a Saudi Women’s Super Cup title and the 2026 WAFF Women’s Clubs Championship title. Individually, Luvanga earned the Saudi Women’s Premier League Golden Boot award this past season as the league’s top scorer with 24 goals. The 21-year-old also collected a hat trick in this year’s Saudi Women’s Super Cup final. 

“Clara adds an exciting new dimension to our attack as we head toward the playoffs,” said Sporting Director James Hocken. “Despite her young age, she has demonstrated the ability to score goals in different ways and has the profile to be very successful in this league.”

Originally from Tanzania on the east coast of Africa, Luvanga made her debut for the Tanzanian senior team in 2024. Prior to joining Al-Nassr FC in 2023, she competed for DUX Logroño in Spain after spending her youth development years with Tanzanian club Yanga Princess.

The Spirit will take the pitch at Audi Field next on Sunday, September 13 when the side hosts expansion side Boston Legacy FC. Kicking off at 1 p.m. EDT, the match will be Washington’s annual Spirit & Paws Day as the club welcomes fans and their furry friends. Tickets are available at WashingtonSpirit.com/tickets. 

About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

- Washington Spirit

CRISTIANO RONALDO FINALLY BREAKS SILENCE ON FUTURE IN SAUDI ARABIA AFTER £488K-PER-DAY STAR SCORES BRACE FOLLOWING SHOCKING STRIKE

Cristiano Ronaldo has finally broken his silence on his dramatic Saudi strike. 

The 41-year-old returned to action last week for Al-Nassr and scored a brace in their 4-0 victory over Al-Hazem on Saturday having previously made major waves with his high-profile strop. 

Ronaldo, who earns £488,000-a-day, had been furious with what he perceived to be a lack of transfer backing for Al-Nassr from PIF compared to their rivals.

The situation was exacerbated further when Karim Benzema was granted a transfer to Al-Hilal and Ronaldo went on strike for three games. 

His behaviour led to serious questions over his future in the league - despite his position as the biggest and most marketable name. 

But when asked about the situation on Saturday, Ronaldo said: 'I’m very happy. As I say so many times, I belong to Saudi Arabia.

'It’s a country that welcomed me, my family and my friends very well. I’m happy here. I want to continue here.

'And the most important thing, it’s we keep pushing. We are there at the top.

'Our job is to win, make pressure [on our title rivals], and let’s see. We are on track.

'We’re back, we are good, we are confident. Game by game. We are in good shape. Let’s see what’s going to happen.'

Ronaldo's actions had irritated the Saudi Pro League, with the top flight releasing a statement warning 'no individual determines decisions beyond their own club'. 

Title rivals Al-Hilal have a net spend £180million higher than that of his own team since the 2022-23 season, when he arrived. 

And that's despite both clubs, as well as Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli, all being majority owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

But Ronaldo is in an eye-watering wage and many feel he is in no position to complain about the finances of his opponents. 

A recent statement shared with Daily Mail Sport from the league suggested that Ronaldo's grievances were unfounded.

'The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules,' they said.

'Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.

'Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club's growth and ambition. Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual - however significant - determines decisions beyond their own club.'

The spokesperson added that recent transfer activity had 'demonstrated that independence clearly'.

Ronaldo wore the captain's armband on his return to action last week and is still popular with the club's fanbase despite his three-game exile; they were waving flags in his honour in his absence. 

Al-Nassr are now top of the league by one point and Ronaldo will be desperate for his side to achieve glory this season, especially given that he is yet to win the title in Saudi Arabia. 

- WILL GRIFFEE

CRISTIANO RONALDO JR SCORED 5 GOALS PLAYING FOR AL NASSR U-15 VS. AL- ITTIHAD

 

FORMER MAN UNITED STAR SEES £135,000-A-WEEK SAUDI CONTRACT TERMINATED JUST ONE YEAR AFTER JOINING CRISTIANO RONALDO'S AL-NASSR

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Al-Nassr and former Manchester United full-back Alex Telles have mutually decided to part ways after just one year together.

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WHAT HAPPENED?

Telles joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr last season for a measly figure of £4 million ($5.2m) from Manchester United after having fallen down the pecking order for Erik ten Hag. The Brazilian star signed a contract with the Saudi Pro League side last July that reportedly saw him earn £7m-a-year ($9.2m).

THE BIGGER PICTURE

As per The Sun, Al-Nassr and Telles have now decided to mutually terminate the contract this summer, which still has another year left. He has reportedly received several approaches but has yet to decide upon what the future holds for him.

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DID YOU KNOW?

During the last year, Telles has made a total of 38 appearances for Al-Nassr and bagged five assists while scoring thrice. However, the Saudi Pro League boss Luis Castro believes the Brazilian will be a surplus to the squad for this season and has allowed the termination to go through.

WHAT NEXT FOR TELLES?

The 31-year-old full-back can join a club of his choice as a free-agent despite the summer transfer window having closed in some European countries.

- Aditya Gokhale

SENEGALESE 🇸🇳 STAR SADIO MANE JOINS SAUDI 🇸🇦 SIDE AL NASSR FROM BAYERN MUNICH

Bayern Munich's Senegal forward Sadio Mane has joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr after one season with the Bundesliga champions, both clubs said on Tuesday.

Mane has signed a four-year contract, Al-Nassr added on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Financial details were not disclosed but media reports said the Saudis paid 40 million euros ($43.85 million) for the 31-year-old who had two more years left on his Bayern contract.

SADIO MANE IS OFFICIALLY A PLAYER OF AL-NASSR

 

GEORGINA RODRIGUEZ

Photo: Twitter

PSG 5-4 AL-NASSR | ALL GOALS & HIGHLIGHTS

 

CRISTIANO RONALDO ON JOINING AL-NASSR