Football latest: Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal honour fire victims at Confederations Cup

Portugal's Ricardo Quaresma Cristiano Ronaldo. AFP

Portugal’s team wore black armbands for Sunday’s Confederations Cup match against Mexico in honour of the victims of one of the country’s deadliest forest fires.

At least 62 people are thought to have died trying to flee the flames which engulfed the central forested region of Pedrogao Grande, officials said Sunday.

The fire broke out on Saturday and spread furiously with many victims having been found in their cars, trying to escape the blaze.

Portugal has declared three days of mourning.

Price is right for Pickford

England Under-21 goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has dismissed the pressure over his £30 million (Dh141m) price tag to refocus on Euro 2017.

The 23-year-old became the world’s third most expensive shot-stopper when he completed his move to Everton from Sunderland on Thursday.

He capped a stunning week with a penalty save in the Young Lions’ opening 0-0 draw with Sweden at Euro 2017 in Poland on Friday.

Pickford is also now the most expensive British goalkeeper but insisted his record-breaking fee will not faze him.

He said: “It’s just a number isn’t it? It’s my job to be a goalkeeper and keep the ball out of the net and that’s what I’ve done. I’ve kept a clean sheet. It’s just a number, it doesn’t affect me.

“I got the deal out of the way and over the line so I could focus on the Euros. I didn’t know too much about it until I came out here but got that done so I could focus on trying to win the Euros.

“When I heard about it and they said they were sorting the medical so it could go through, it’s nice to get it out of the way.”

Manager Kurz joins Adelaide

German Marco Kurz has been appointed the new head coach of Adelaide United for the next two Australian A-League seasons, the club said on Sunday.

Kurz, 48, replaces championship-winning Spanish coach Guillermo Amor at the Reds.

Kurz made 299 Bundesliga appearances as a player with VfB Stuttgart, FC Nurnberg, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04 and 1860 Munich.

His most successful coaching spell came in charge of FC Kaiserslautern, first guiding them to promotion to the Bundesliga and then finishing seventh in the 2010/11 Bundesliga season.

“We’re delighted, he’s the man we have been pursuing relentlessly,” Reds chairman Greg Griffin said.

“For the last month we have left no stone unturned to convince him that Adelaide is a genuine football community.

“He will be given the budget to spend on potential new players including three imports.”

Maldini returns to action

For more than a quarter-of-a-century he starred for AC Milan on the football pitch, now at 49 Paolo Maldini has qualified for a tennis tournament in Milan.

Maldini, now working as a director at Miami FC, qualified by wild card in the doubles in the Aspria Tennis Cup, part of the challenger circuit, the level below the ATP.

“He’s got a good service, he doesn’t have a speciality shot but he has no weak points either,” his partner and coach Stefano Landonio said.

Maldini won 26 trophies with AC Milan including five Champions Leagues before finally hanging up his boots in 2009 aged 41. He also played 126 times for Italy.

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