CELEBRITY
Maradona tribute plane unveiled in Argentina
An aeroplane dedicated to Argentine great Diego Maradona was unveiled on Wednesday ahead of a journey that will end at the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
The Tango D10S – a 12-seater financed by an Argentine fintech company – is designed as a flying museum in tribute to the former World Cup winner, who died of a heart attack in November 2020.
It features a picture of Maradona kissing the World Cup trophy on the fuselage, while his face is also on the tail.
The wings feature both of his goals from Argentina’s 2-1 victory over England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final: the ‘Hand of God’ goal on the left wing and the winner, a goal widely regarded as the greatest of all time, on the right.
“I am mad about Maradona, one of those people who still watch videos of Diego before I go to sleep at night,” Gaston Kolker, CEO of fintech company Give and Get, told Reuters
“This is the first World Cup without Maradona and maybe the last with (Lionel) Messi. I said, I want to make Diego’s plane, I want to make Diego’s plane. And so we launched Tango D10S.
“When Maradona’s team mates saw it, the World Cup winners from 1986, they were amazed, they were hypnotized by the aircraft,” Kolker said at an unveiling with other members from that World Cup winning side.
The plan is to fly the plane around Argentina and eventually to Qatar for the World Cup in November.
Fans will be able to board the aircraft and leave a message for Maradona in the cockpit, ‘interact’ with the late player through artificial intelligence, and see memorabilia from him and others players from the 1986 team.
It will also be available for private hire before being auctioned for charity.
“We can’t believe or understand this craziness, the love involved,” Maradona’s daughter Dalma said. “How far will fans go? As far as a plane.”
-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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