What could be Cristiano Ronaldo's last chance to win a first Asian Champions League title for his Saudi club will get underway next week.

Ronaldo's Al-Nassr is one of five Saudi Pro League teams in the tournament. Combined, they've spent more than $2 billion on foreign players since 2023, with Al-Ahli lifting the continental trophy in each of the last two seasons.

First it was a defensive turnover that led to a Kylian Mbappé score, then an embarrassing blunder by Spanish goalkeeper Josep Martínez that gifted Federico Valverde another score.

Just like that, in less than 25 minutes, Real Madrid had a two-goal lead on its way to an opening win in the league phase of the Champions League on Tuesday.

There were goals for Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland; and wins for Real Madrid and Manchester City as the Champions League returned Tuesday for a new season.

Mbappe gave record 15-time champion Madrid an early lead en route to 2-1 victory over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Paris Saint-Germain enters the Champions League arena Wednesday as the two-time title holder heads a heavyweight lineup of six games.

PSG hosts Slovan Bratislava one day after 10 players in coach Luis Enrique's squad were nominated on the shortlist of 30 for the Ballon d'Or award.

Ben Shelton had gone toe-to-toe with Carlos Alcaraz for five exhausting sets and finally at 3:33 a.m. Wednesday came the chance to end the U.S. Open champion's title reign.

Shelton fired an ace at 146 mph, a ball that Alcaraz couldn't have gotten back even with fresh legs.

Kylian Mbappé believes this could be the year he wins the Ballon d'Or for the first time.

He's optimistic after winning his second consecutive World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals, the most in 56 years. He also overtook Lionel Messi for the most all-time World Cup goals with 22. There were also 42 goals in 44 matches for Real Madrid, although the club finished last season without a major trophy.

Two members of the Iranian women's soccer team who claimed asylum in Australia have confirmed their pivotal refusal to sing the national anthem during the Women's Asian Cup in March was a protest against Tehran.

The first media interview with Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, 34, and Fatemeh Pasandideh, 22, since they abandoned their team to become refugees was broadcast Sunday on Australia's "60 Minutes" current affairs program.

The Champions League starts this week with five Premier League clubs in the 36-team lineup, chasing a first title for England in four seasons after yet another transfer window of heavy spending amid an affordability crisis for most of European soccer.

Two-time defending title holder Paris Saint-Germain and record 15-time European champion Real Madrid each has lifted the trophy as many times this decade, twice, as Premier League clubs have combined.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has defended the wait for clarity over how this year's Formula 1 season will end amid uncertainty over the Middle East security situation but tells The Associated Press that drivers and team staff will not be put "at risk."

The F1 season is still scheduled to end Qatar Grand Prix on Nov. 29 and the season finale in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 6, but F1 has been examining potential alternative venues. A replacement finale at the Imola circuit in Italy is widely considered the likeliest option.

France's financial prosecutor's office has asked that four people, including disgraced former Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam, be sent to trial for corruption in connection with the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.