CELEBRITY
At World Cup, Argentina pay tribute to Maradona on anniversary of his death
Former team mates of Diego Maradona gathered at the World Cup in Qatar on Friday to pay tribute to the icon on the second anniversary of his death, reminiscing about brighter days as Argentina recover from their stinging upset by Saudi Arabia.
Considered one of the greatest soccer players in history, Maradona died aged 60 on Nov. 25, 2020, after battling drug and alcohol abuse for years.
Despite his passing, Maradona remains very much present in the minds of Argentina fans. Scores still wear his jersey, sing about his “Hand of God” goal against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup and furiously debate whether comparisons to Lionel Messi are even appropriate.
At the CONMEBOL Tree of Dreams in central Doha, an area celebrating South American soccer, FIFA president Gianni Infantino greeted former team mates of Maradona, who took turns describing his greatness on and off the pitch.
“We don’t only need to pay tribute but to celebrate Diego,” Infantino said. “I would like there to be a day to celebrate Diego Armando Maradona at every World Cup in the future.”
Richard Giusti, who played with Maradona at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, said it was impossible to compare him to Messi, who with his goal in the 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia became the first Argentine to score at four different World Cups.
“We cannot compare them. We cannot say whether one is better than the other,” Giusti said. “They are different. They are both geniuses. And Argentinian. We have to enjoy it.”
Messi, possibly in his final World Cup at 35, converted on a penalty kick in the Saudi Arabia defeat. The Argentina captain described it as a huge blow and pledged that they would regroup for their Group C match against Mexico on Saturday.
Jorge Burruchaga, who got winner in the 1986 World Cup final, said Argentina had no room for error in their next fixtures.
“Hopefully tomorrow Leo (Messi) will have the game that everyone wants,” he told Reuters. “And the tribute we are paying to Diego today, that’s the least we can do for a soccer genius, for someone who touched so many people.”
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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