CELEBRITY
Manchester United set to offload Ronaldo
A Pharaoh who does not know Joseph is about to reign at Old Trafford as in-coming coach, Erik ten Hag has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of his plans when he takes over Manchester United in about two months from now.
The Dutchman, Ten Hag is set to take charge of Manchester United in June once he finishes the current season with Ajax Amsterdam having agreeing a deal in principle with the fallen giants.
And the Dutchman has given the green light for Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford after making it clear the United legend will not figure in his long-term plans at Old Trafford.
The news will upset United supporters, who still regard Ronaldo as an iconic figure at the club despite his ongoing difficulties this season. Fans went into meltdown last summer when Ronaldo, 37, snubbed neighbours Manchester City to make a shock return to United from Juventus in a £12million transfer.
Ronaldo was expected to help United challenge for trophies again, but his Old Trafford comeback has become a nightmare.
The Red Devils have never been in the title race, and will finish the season without a trophy for the fifth consecutive campaign.
Ronaldo does have the option to extend his contract by a further 12 months, but the forward has been considering his future since the turn of the year after becoming disillusioned with the reality of life at United.
Ronaldo is United’s top scorer this season with 18 goals, but he has only netted four times in his last 13 games and has struggled at times to make Ralf Rangnick’s starting XI despite his reputation.
It is understood Ronaldo met his agent, Jorge Mendes, in Portugal at the end of March to assess his options ahead of next season, and multiple offers are expected.
While Ronaldo will not be short of suitor, it appears his fate at United has now been decided for him, with Ten Hag telling United chiefs that the veteran’s age and luxury status mean he is not suited to the style of play and approach he will look to implement moving forward, once he takes charge in June
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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