CELEBRITY
Messi and Mbappe lead PSG to Champions League victory against Leipzig
Lionel Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappe played a starring role but later missed a penalty as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat RB Leipzig 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday (Oct 19).
Mbappe had given PSG the lead at the Parc des Princes but a Leipzig side beaten 6-3 at Manchester City earlier in the competition did not crumble in the French capital.
Instead goals from Andre Silva and Nordi Mukiele had them in front, and at that point PSG looked as if they might pay the price for another occasionally disjointed display.
However, they were rescued by Mbappe and Messi. The Argentinian was set up by the France star for the equaliser and then coolly chipped in a 74th-minute penalty awarded for a foul on Mbappe.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team, who also saw Mbappe miss from the spot in injury time, are now top of Group A at the halfway stage, a point above City, who won 5-1 at Club Brugge earlier.
Leipzig, beaten by PSG in the semi-finals in 2020, are bottom without a point to their name.
For PSG, the win was achieved without Neymar, sidelined by an adductor muscle injury.
In any case, the world’s most expensive player has not really been himself this season, his one goal so far coming from the penalty spot.
While Messi has been settling in to his new surroundings, Mbappe has been the main man for PSG.
Glitz and glamour
Those two were joined in the Paris attack by Julian Draxler, making a rare start with Angel di Maria suspended and Mauro Icardi missing for family reasons amid reports of relationship troubles with his wife Wanda Nara, who is also his agent and an Instagram celebrity.
Adding to the glitz and glamour of the Parc des Princes was Ronaldinho, the former PSG player and later a team-mate of Messi’s at Barcelona. The Brazilian embraced Messi during the warm-up before performing a lap of honour.
Ronaldinho, for a brief period arguably the best player in the world, could not fail to have been impressed by Mbappe, who looked in the mood as he gave PSG the lead nine minutes in.
As Silva appealed in vain for a free-kick on the edge of the Paris box, the home side broke quickly and Draxler released Mbappe just inside the opposition half.
The France striker sped towards goal before unleashing a low shot past Peter Gulacsi for his sixth of the season, his first in the Champions League.
Yet Leipzig, who have been struggling for consistency in the Bundesliga under new coach Jesse Marsch, were a threat.
Silva hit the post with a shot on the turn, and moments later the German side were level in the 28th minute, Angelino with a low ball across goal for Portugal international Silva to turn it in.
Angelino was again the provider when Leipzig took the lead, crossing for French international Mukiele to stab the ball past Keylor Navas in the 57th minute.
-AFP
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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