CELEBRITY
Merciless Messi powers Argentina past Honduras in Miami
Lionel Messi scored twice and Argentina dominated Honduras 3-0 on Friday in Miami as the World Cup-bound team continues to fine-tune its game ahead of the upcoming international tournament in Qatar.
Messi was at the center of the action from the opening whistle, lobbing a pass to the charging Papu Gomez who found Lautaro Martinez for an early 1-0 lead.
The 35-year-old Messi was on the receiving end of a hard foul in the 39th minute when Deybi Flores of Honduras slammed into him, sending him face down onto the turf and drawing a yellow card.
Messi’s team mates immediately got in the faces of the Honduras players and the teams exchanged words but stopped short of trading blows. The Argentina captain remained in the game.
Near the end of the half Marcelo Santos fouled Argentina’s Giovani Lo Celso and Messi coolly slotted home the penalty for a 2-0 advantage.
Argentina kept its foot on the gas in the second half, extending their unbeaten streak to 34 matches.
Enzo Fernandez stole the ball in the 69th minute and it fell perfectly to Messi, who chipped it over the goalkeeper’s head to the delight of the partisan crowd at Hard Rock Stadium.
Determined to continue putting on a show for his fans, Messi tried a difficult leaping shot in the waning minutes of the match but it missed the target. The crowd roared in approval nonetheless.
Next up for Argentina is another friendly, this time against Jamaica on Tuesday in New Jersey.
-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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