CELEBRITY
MARADONA ‘JOKING’ WITH VISITORS, RECOVERING WELL FROM BRAIN SURGERY
Argentinian football great Diego Maradona is cracking jokes as he makes an “amazing” recovery following surgery for a brain clot, his personal physician has told reporters.
Leopoldo Luque, also Maradona’s neurosurgeon, said the 60-year-old had “no neurological damage” and he was “amazed by his recovery” at the Olivos Clinic in Buenos Aires province where he underwent the operation on Tuesday.
“Diego joked, made jokes. I’m excited, I’m happy to see him like that,” Luque told reporters as fans gathered outside to chant the name of the man who led Argentina to victory at the 1986 World Cup.
His comments followed a similarly optimistic assessment by Maradona’s lawyer.
Matias Morla said Maradona was in “excellent” condition as he rejected speculation that he could go to Venezuela or Cuba to recuperate.
“The last medical report was excellent,” he said. “Let’s stay strong and we’ll get through this.”
Maradona has previously expressed his fondness for the two nations and he spent several years in Cuba undergoing drug rehabilitation at the start of this century.
But Morla said the former Napoli, Barcelona and Boca Juniors player would complete his recuperation in Argentina, where he is coach of first division side Gimmasia y Esfrima.
“Diego loves Cuba, yesterday I spoke with Fidel Castro’s son,” Morla told reporters as he left the clinic where Maradona was operated on for a subdural haematoma, a blood clot on the brain, on Monday.
“Venezuela, as well as Cuba, are friendly nations for Diego… but Diego’s head is with Gimnasia.”
Maradona, who is considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time, has spent frequent periods in hospital over the years, often due to his extravagant lifestyle.
Dozens of Gimnasia fans have converged on the hospital since Monday evening, waving flags and holding posters with messages of support as they waited for news.
-Reuters
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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