CELEBRITY
Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire in new Man Utd row 
Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire are embroiled in a power struggle over the Manchester United captaincy.
It is understood interim boss Ralph Rangnick, Ronaldo and Maguire have had conversations about the latter relinquishing the armband for the rest of the season, to take the pressure off him as he wrestles with his own loss of form.
But Maguire is reluctant to do that, for fear of losing the captaincy on a permanent basis.
Interim boss Ralf Rangnick has called on Ronaldo to mentor the young players within the squad, which is understood to have led to further friction with Maguire.
United skipper Maguire is said to feel increasingly undermined by the 37-year-old superstar’s huge influence within the dressing-room, particularly with the younger players. Ronaldo has positioned himself as the one setting the example for younger players and the need for one figure – himself – to get everyone pulling in the same direction.
Maguire is said to feel marginalised in terms of his authority within the United dressing-room, leading to him thinking some of the players are losing respect for him.
There is now a growing belief within the Old Trafford dressing-room that it is inevitable Ronaldo will replace Maguire – who has been struggling for form – as captain.
Rangnick’s decision to ask Ronaldo to guide United’s younger players, including Jadon Sancho, Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford, has been seen as a direct challenge to Maguire’s status as skipper.
Some of United’s younger players are said to be conflicted by the situation, feeling they should remain loyal to Maguire, as captain, despite Ronaldo’s huge presence and influence within the dressing-room.
Although Ronaldo has steadfastly backed Maguire as captain and urged United’s players to get behind him, sources claim that vocal support is said to have lessened in recent weeks.
A United source said: “Originally, Ronaldo was asking players to back Harry. But the problem is the manager now wants Ronaldo to mentor all these younger players.
“That’s left Harry in no man’s land, as he’s the captain and having to say and follow whatever Ronaldo says, to keep everything sweet.”
Maguire, signed from Leicester for £80million in 2019, was handed the United captain’s armband two years ago by former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Although questions have been raised about Maguire’s captaincy, United and England striker Rashford hit back at suggestions of a dressing-room divide.
Responding to claims he and Maguire were unhappy with Ronaldo wanting greater power within the United dressing-room, Rashford took to Twitter.
Rashford wrote: “Are we just making it up as we go along now then? Please stop looking for divides.”
-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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