CELEBRITY
Just imagine! A battle of GOATS: Cristiano Ronaldo reclaims Champions League record 24 hours after Lionel Messi equalled it
With 11 Ballon d’Ors between them, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi and Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo have set record after record every year for the past decade, each one is believed to be Greatest Of All Times (GOAT).
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are widely regarded as the two best footballers on the planet.
With 11 Ballons d’Or between them, the duo have set record after record every year for the past decade.
Their playing careers are starting to wind down now, with the pair both in their thirties.
But that doesn’t mean to say their rivalry isn’t as strong as it once was or that they’re suddenly incapable of taking centre stage at any given moment.
On Tuesday, Messi netted a brace as Paris Saint-Germain beat RB Leipzig 3-2 in the Champions League.
In doing so, Messi equalled Ronaldo’s record for goals scored against different clubs in the European competition (38)
With the Argentine breathing down his neck, Ronaldo knew he had to put in a performance against Atalanta on Wednesday night in Manchester United’s group game with the Italians.
Ronaldo had never scored against the Serie A club in the Champions League before, but that all changed as the striker reclaimed his record in typically empathic style.
He has now netted against 39 different teams in Europe, as first reported by the Manchester Evening News, one more than Messi.
Atalanta stormed into a two-goal lead against the Red Devils at Old Trafford on Wednesday, with United bottom of their group going in at half-time.
But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rallied his troops and they came out for the second half refreshed.
Marcus Rashford reduced the deficit before Harry Maguire found the target to draw the scores level.
Ronaldo then seized his moment to shine, latching onto a whipped Luke Shaw cross and heading home.
Solskjaer said of Ronaldo, after the result: “If anyone wants to criticise him for his work rate or attitude, just watch this game, watch how he runs around – he’s great in front of goal.
“I was really pleased with how he led the line. We asked him to run the channels and press more. We were at home and we wanted to get the crowd behind us.
“He did everything a centre-forward should do, leading the line and defending. The goal is just what he does better than most.”
-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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