CELEBRITY
Massive pay cut for Manchester United – bound Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly agreed a £6m pay cut to join Manchester United as details of his salary emerged.
According to UK’s Mirror, the Portuguese superstar will nevertheless be the highest-paid player at United, on a staggering £385,000-per-week.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have made one of the most sensational moves of the transfer window, with the imminent signing of Ronaldo rivalling PSG’s capture of Lionel Messi.
The Red Devils announced on Friday they had reached an agreement for the Juventus forward to return to Old Trafford.
Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes set his client’s wage demands at £20m per year, according to the Mail on Sunday.
The publication says super agent Mendes slashed the 36-year-old’s pay requirements in order to secure a move before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
Ronaldo had entered the final 12 months of his Juve contract – believed to be worth £500,000 a week, which equates to £26m per year.
So the forward appears to have sacrificed £6m in potential earnings to return to the club where established himself as a world-class talent, winning three Premier League titles, the Club World Cup and the first of his five Champions League triumphs.
He will still be the Red Devils’ top earner ahead of goalkeeper David de Gea, who earns £375,000-per-week according to Spotrac.
United appear to have pulled off a coup by landing Ronaldo from under the noses of Manchester City, after he was also linked with a move to PSG.
But Gary Neville stands by his prediction that his former club will finish third this season despite signing the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“No one can complain at Manchester United about the players they’ve signed this summer,” he said on Sky Sports, with Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane having also joined the Red Devils.
“I made the predictions that it would be Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United – I’m not going to change that because of the signing of Ronaldo.
CELEBRITY
Ronaldo reaches one billion followers on social media
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
CELEBRITY
Over a million subscribe as Ronaldo launches YouTube channel
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
CELEBRITY
Lionel Messi set to hang boots
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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