CELEBRITY
Cristiano Ronaldo pumps up Manchester United after Liverpool thrashing
Cristiano Ronaldo issued a rallying call to his Manchester United side and their supporters in the wake of their dismal 5-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
The Red Devils could have reduced the deficit between themselves and the Reds to a point in the Premier League with victory at Old Trafford but were instead calamitous in defence, gifting the visitors two straightforward goals inside the opening 15 minutes.
Naby Keita and Diogo Jota’s goals were added to by Mohamed Salah, who scored twice before half time to give Liverpool a 4-0 lead at the break – leading to an exodus of home supporters before the second half. The Egyptian completed his hat trick five minutes into the second half before United substitute Paul Pogba got himself sent off for a terrible challenge on Keita.
In summary, it went just as badly as it could have for United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is now under massive pressure to salvage a season that has barely even got going.
Ronaldo, who actually had a goal disallowed and was also fortunate not to get sent off for an embarrassing kick out at Curtis Jones, posted on social media late on Sunday evening, thanking the United fans for their support.
“Sometimes the result is not the one we fight for. Sometimes the score is not the one we want. And this is on us, only on us, because there’s no one else to blame,” he posted on Instagram.
“Our fans were, once again, amazing in their constant support. They deserve better than this, much better, and it’s up to us to deliver. The time is now!”
Ronaldo’s kick at Jones sparked a mini brawl between the two teams, with Liverpool defenders Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate each giving the Portugal international an earful.
-90min
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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