CELEBRITY
At Pele museum, fans proud of ailing football icon’s legacy
On a visit to the Pele Museum in Brazil’s seaside city of Santos, Sergio Murillo Junior said he was sad to see the football legend’s health deteriorate, but added, “I am proud of the legacy he left us”.
For the 53-year-old lawyer, Pele is above all “an example of perseverance and resilience, for all generations”.
The museum in Santos is full of memorabilia from the man dubbed “The King” – jerseys and boots he wore, balls from key matches, and numerous trophies, including the honorary Fifa Golden Ball he received in 2014.
Pele, 82, is battling worsening cancer as well as kidney and heart problems at a Sao Paulo hospital 80km inland.
Family members spent Christmas last Sunday with him in the hospital, according to social media posts by his children.
Flores Araujo Hermes, an 82-year-old Peruvian tourist, told AFP he remembered seeing the football legend play in Lima like it was yesterday.
“Chest, shot and goal! Magnificent!” he recalled, sports commentator-style.
“It was the best. People keep comparing him to others, but no one has surpassed him yet,” Hermes added.
While known globally as the only player in history to have led his country to three World Cup wins (1958, 1962 and 1970), Pele also had great success with his Santos team, including back-to-back Intercontinental Cup wins in 1962 and 1963.
He took the 1958 World Cup by storm when he was 17 years old, netting a hat-trick in the semi-finals and two more goals in the final, catapulting his own career and launching the dynasty of the Brazilian national team.
Born in the neighbouring state of Minas Gerais, Pele spent almost all of his career at Santos, before a few final seasons in the 1970s with the New York Cosmos.
Santos’ jerseys this season will feature a golden crown above the club’s crest, a tribute to the team’s eternal No. 10.
“Pele will always be our king, the great king of football,” said Murillo Junior.
AFP/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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