CELEBRITY
Argentina spends weekend celebrating late hero Maradona
Argentine football is gearing up for a weekend of celebrations to mark the birthday of late soccer star Diego Maradona, with matches across the country being paused and clubs and fans dressing to remember the controversial superstar.
The former Boca Juniors, Napoli and Barcelona player died on Nov. 20 last year from a heart attack. His death was widely mourned in Argentina, which he led to triumph in the 1986 World Cup.
“Today, 61 years since his birth, his memory is more present than ever,” the Argentine Football Association wrote. “Because Diego is eternal.”
The AFA has told all professional clubs that players are to take the field wearing T-shirts with Maradona’s picture on the front and team captains are to wear a blue and white armband – Argentina’s national colours – with his silhouette on it.
All matches – including amateur and children’s matches – have been told to pause after 10 minutes for a minute’s applause.
The association hopes 1,000 games will be affected across the South American nation and asked fans to take pictures and upload them using the hashtag #1000PartidosPorEl10, or “1000 Matches for the 10”.
“Diego is in the hearts of all Argentines,” it said. “Don’t miss out.”
The first tributes took place in Friday night’s league matches with billboards outside stadiums showing pictures of the star.
A drone carrying a replica of Maradona’s No. 10 Argentina shirt flew over the stadium where Racing lost at home to Defensa y Justicia.
Songs recorded in tribute to Maradona were played as fans cheered and sang along.
- Reuters
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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