CELEBRITY
Cristiano Ronaldo’s second Man Utd debut may be delayed
Manchester United fans are eagerly awaiting the Portuguese icon’s second Old Trafford debut – but they may be left to wait a little longer to see the star’s return
There have been few debuts that have generated more excitement than Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s second coming at Manchester United.
But Red Devils supporters could be forced to wait a little longer to watch the Portuguese icon make his Old Trafford return after his sensational transfer from Juventus.
Ronaldo has arrived in Manchester following his exploits during the international break and is preparing to return for the club he left as a world superstar for a record £80million fee to Real Madrid 12 years ago.
It has been confirmed that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will wear his old No 7 shirt for United after Edinson Cavani gave the iconic shirt number up.
And millions of fans worldwide have been expecting Ronaldo to walk out for his second Old Trafford debut in Saturday’s 3pm Premier League fixture against Newcastle.
But according to The Sun, Ronaldo may not return for the Red Devils until next Tuesday.
After returning to England following international duty with Portugal, Ronaldo has had to isolate due to coronavirus rules, giving him only one day to train with his new team-mates ahead of their home game.
The report claims that United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is therefore unlikely to start Ronaldo against Newcastle due to the restricted preparation time.
That means he could wait to make his full second debut for the Champions League group stage clash away to Young Boys in Switzerland next Tuesday.
United fans were already bellowing the name of Ronaldo in their last Premier League victory against Wolves and Solskjaer understands the excitement around the dramatic signing from Juventus.
“He is going to make us a better team,” the Norwegian said. “He’s a special boy, or man now. He was a boy when I played with him.
“Of course, the players are excited, some have played with him in their national team. You see the fans – they are excited. That’s what he does – he is a special player.”
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is also looking forward to his return and has already spoken of his positive relationship with former United teammate Solskjaer.
–Mirror
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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