Costa Rican international scoops award

Sporting CP's Bryan Ruiz has been named as the CONCACAF Player of the Year for 2016. The Costa Rican international also features in the Confederation's XI for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The creative forward used his Facebook page to speak about the award: "I want to say that I am really proud and happy for being names the CONCACAF Player of the Year 2016. I want to thank all of the fans, coaches and directors for voting for me. Hopefully I will carry on enjoying their support and I want to carry on making people happy, both in Costa Rica and Sporting CP."

Shotstopper tallies 50 votes, bettered only by Neuer and Buffon

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics named Rui Patricio as the 3rd best Goalkeeper of the Year for 2016, in a vote announced this week.

The Euro 2016 winner received 50 points, beaten only by the goalkeeping legends Gianluigi Buffon (91) and Manuel Neuer (156).

France Football awards Cristiano Ronaldo a 4th Ballon d'Or

The Alvalade shotstopper Rui Patrício was named as the world's 12th best player this week by France Football.

The Portuguese international, who was also named as the Euro 2016 Goalkeeper of the Tournament, tallied a total of 6 points and finished ahead of the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba, Robert Lewandowski, Dimitri Payet, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the overall winner of the prestigious Ballon d'Or, with the Alvalade prodigy winning the award for a 4th time.

Alvalade table tennis sensation looking to renew his 2014 title

The Sporting table tennis star Aruna Quadri is once again in the running for the International Table Tennis Federation's Player of the Year award, after scooping the prize in 2014.

The nomination, in recognition of his brilliant performances this year, comes on the back of a quarter-final finish at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where he was stopped by the world number 1, Ma Long.

The winners (male and female) will be announced in Doha on the 8th of December.

FC Porto visit Alvalade on matchday 3, before matchday 13 trip to Benfica

The official fixture list for the 2016/17 National Championship campaign was released this Saturday. Sporting will open with a hosting of Marítimo on August the 14th, before visiting Paços de Ferreira on matchday 2. A hosting of FC Porto awaits on matchday three.

Rui Patrício was named as Goalkeeper of the Season at the draw and the Alvalade shotstopper couldn't be happier: "I want to thank everyone for this trophy, but to also say that it isn't only mine. It is for the whole squad

Fixture list in full:

Matchday 1 (14/8): Sporting CP - Marítimo (22/1) matchday 18

Matchday 2 (21/8): Paços de Ferreira - Sporting CP (28/1) matchday 19

Matchday 3 (28/8): Sporting CP - FC Porto (5/2) matchday 20

Matchday 4 (11/9): Sporting CP - Moreirense (12/2) matchday 21

Matchday 5 (18/9): Rio Ave - Sporting CP (19/2) matchday 22

Matchday 6 (25/9): Sporting CP - Estoril (26/2) matchday 23

Matchday 7 (2/10): V. Guimarães - Sporting CP (5/3) matchday 24

Matchday 8 (23/10): Sporting CP - Tondela (11/3) matchday 25

Matchday 9 (30/10): Nacional - Sporting CP (19/2) matchday 26

Matchday 10 (6/11): Sporting CP - Arouca (2/4) matchday 27

Matchday 11 (27/11): Boavista - Sporting CP (9/4) matchday 28

Matchday 12 (4/12): Sporting CP - V. Setúbal (15/4) matchday 29

Matchday 13 (11/12): Benfica - Sporting CP (23/4) matchday 30

Matchday 14 (18/12): Sporting CP - Sp. Braga (30/4) matchday 31

Matchday 15 (21/12): Belenenses - Sporting CP (7/5) matchday 32

Matchday 16 (8/1): Sporting CP - Feirense (14/5) matchday 33

Matchday 17 (15/1): Chaves - Sporting CP (21/5) matchday 34

Costa Rican forward bettered only by Chicharito Hernandez

Bryan Ruiz has finished runner-up in the election for CONCACAF Player of the Year, missing out only to the Mexican Javier Chicharito Hernandez, who curiously will face the Costa Rican in Sporting's coming Europa League encounter with Bayer Leverkusen.

PSV's Andrés Guardado finished in third in voting that also included Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Oribe Peralta (America), Rodolph Austin (Brondby), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Hirving Lozano (Pachuca), Jesús Corona (FC Porto) and Cyle Larin (Orlando City).

Bryan Ruiz was also named for the CONCACAF Best XI, in a group which also includes Tim Howard, Chicharito, Joel Campbell, Hector Moreno and Andrés Guardado.

Alvalade winger wins 2015 nomination

Alex Merlim has been named Italian futsal's Player of the Year for 2015, in a vote through the Italian Football Federation's Vivo Azzurro website.

The Sporting winger tallied 40% of voted cast, beating the Acqua&Sapone goalkeeper Stefano Mammarella by 2%. The 2014 winner, El Pozo Murcia's Gabriel Lima, finished in third with 12% of the vote.

Alex Merlim signed in at Alvalade this season from Luparense, where he won two Italian Championships, an Italian Cup and a Super Cup. For Italy the 29-year old winger won the European Championships in 2014, after finishing third in the 2012 World Cup hosted in Thailand.