CELEBRITY
Exit doors open for Ronaldo at Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo is thought to be ready to quit Old Trafford if United miss out on Champions League football, and the Red Devils would not stand in the 37-year-old’s way
According to Mirror, Manchester United will not stand in Ronaldo’s way if their Portuguese superstar demands to leave Old Trafford.
Ronaldo, 37, is believed to be ready to quit the Reds again in the summer if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
And Sunday Mirror Sport understands that United will allow him to walk out if he makes it clear he wants to go.
There is now a growing acceptance inside the club that bringing Ronaldo back after 11 years spent with Real Madrid and Juventus was an error of judgement driven by both commercial factors and the determination to stop him joining rivals Manchester City.
Ronaldo was expected to transform the Reds into contenders for the Premier League and Champions League. Instead, he has become a sideshow.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked and interim manager Ralf Rangnick inherited a squad unable to deliver on his high-energy demands for 90 minutes.
Despite topping United’s scoring charts with 15 goals, Ronaldo is showing signs of wear and tear after playing almost 19 seasons at the top level.
His flashes of petulance have undermined both Solskjaer and Rangnick in the dressing room.
But the clock is now ticking on the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s stellar playing career.
Ronaldo will not want to miss out on the Champions League – but finding another top club might be a problem.
City’s interest in signing him was driven by their belief that Juventus were ready to allow him to leave for free to get him off their payroll.
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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