CELEBRITY
Let me go! Ronaldo pleads with Man Utd 
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Manchester United legend is keen on ending his second stint at Old Trafford sooner than originally expected after a disastrous collective campaign last time of asking.
He has left little doubt over what he wants to do in the minds of the Manchester United hierarchy after pleading to be allowed to leave the club once again.
The 37-year-old finally returned to United’s Carrington training base this week after an extended summer break due to ‘family reasons’ with his agent Jorge Mendes in tow.
Together, the pair held talks with United’s board, including Sir Alex Ferguson, as they bid to come to a solution on his future.
United’s stance from the outset has been that Ronaldo is not for sale and their position has been made easier by the lack of interest in the striker.
But Ronaldo reportedly threw United a curveball by asking to be released from his lucrative contract a year before it expires.
According to The Mail, United swiftly rejected Ronaldo’s wishes and reminded him that he remains part of their plans, as well as the fact that they are yet to actually receive any concrete offers for him from any other side.
Upon his return after a lengthier break than expected, Ronaldo was subject to extensive medical tests before watching on as United made light work of National League outfit Wrexham in a pre-season friendly that saw Erik ten Hag’s side run out 4-1 winners.
United now have two games in two days this coming weekend, the first against Atletico Madrid before Sunday afternoon presents the test of Rayo Vallecano.
There is a slim chance the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could feature in the second clash against familiar opposition from his Real Madrid days.
Ronaldo may take time to get up to speed with Ten Hag’s new training methods given he is yet to actually participate in a session led by the Dutchman. The former Juventus striker cut a serious figure as he made his way back into the training ground alongside Mendes on Tuesday.
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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