CELEBRITY
Ronaldo doubtful in Rangnick’s debut with Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly a major doubt for Manchester United‘s match against Crystal Palace on Sunday due to a knee injury. Therefore, he may be a glaring absentee in Ralf Rangnick’s debut as new manager of Manchester United.
The 36-year-old Portuguese scored twice on Thursday evening – including the winner from the penalty spot – as United beat Arsenal 3-2 at Old Trafford in Michael Carrick’s final game in charge as caretaker boss.
But The Sun claim Ronaldo may have injured his knee doing his trademark ‘siu’ celebration after smashing the penalty high into the net past Aaron Ramsdale with twenty minutes remaining.
The Portugal international demonstrated no immediate ill-effects, running the length of the pitch in 12 seconds to support a late counter attack in the 87th minute.
However, he was substituted for Anthony Martial with two minutes of the 90 remaining, and was seen walking awkwardly off the pitch.
If he is ruled out, it will come as a big blow to interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who is set to take charge of his first game against Patrick Vieira’s men on Sunday afternoon.
Rangnick was at Old Trafford on Thursday night to see Cristiano Ronaldo score twice in a 3-2 win over Arsenal, and insisted that it will not be a problem adapting the Portugal star into his fabled gegenpressing approach.
‘You always have to adapt your style or idea of football to the players you have available, not vice versa,’ he said.
‘Having seen Cristiano yesterday, at his age I’ve never seen a player who is still that physically fit. He’s still a player who can easily make the difference.
‘So it’s about how we can develop the whole team, not only Cristiano. What I saw from Cristiano, he is more than willing to do that, to put his input into the team. His team-mates will have to do the same.
‘It’s not about pressing for pressing’s sake, it’s about control. This is the major target.’
The German boss, 63, also saw Ronaldo reach another milestone while he was sat in the stands, with his first goal to put United 2-1 in front the 800th goal of his professional career.
It was the first time ever a male or female professional footballer in history had scored 800 competitive goals, and his penalty soon after took his tally to 801.
And less than 24 hours after breaking the 800-goal barrier, the Portuguese posted a video on Twitter paying tribute to his record, with a number of still images scattered in the background among replays of his many goals and celebrations during his career.
In his tweet, he added: ‘Very happy to become the first football player to score more than 800 official goals.
‘What an amazing and unforgettable run this is becoming… Thank you to all my supporters for always standing by my side. 801 and still counting!’
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
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Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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