CELEBRITY
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi set to clash in January
If the plans go on as scheduled, Paris Saint-Germain could make a trip to Saudi Arabia for a friendly match that will reignite a Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi battle.
Just on Friday, Ronaldo’s move to Ahmed Musa’s former club, Al-Nassr on a two-and-a-half year deal was announced with Ronaldo set to earn around £373million-a-year.
It is a mouthwatering amount as Ronaldo ventures out of Europe for the first time in his 21-year career since starting out at Sporting Lisbon, before going onto play for Manchester United, Real madrid, Juventus and then a second spell at the Red Devils.
During his time at Los Blancos, however, Ronaldo was in constant battle with Lionel Messi as the pair pushed each other all the way for individual and team honours with the latter at Barcelona Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 matches for Real, winning the Champions League on four occasions, while Messi reached similar heights at Barca where he won countless major trophies, netting over 500 times.
The duo have played against each other on 34 occasions in their careers, and Ronaldo and Messi could be set for one last reunion next month. According to Moroccan journalist Achraf Ben Ayad, via the Daily Star, PSG will play against a combined XI from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal on January 19.
The news was greeted with excitement by fans, with one tweeting: “Wow! One last time.” A second wrote: “It’s like a Disney film this stuff.” And a third said: “I can’t wait for this!” Others were all left making the same joke as one posted: “Assuming Ronaldo makes the starting squad is bold.”
“Cristiano won’t make the XI,” commented one, while another echoed: “Ronaldo won’t get into the eleven.” Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are arguably the two most well-known teams in the Saudi Pro League and they met on Boxing Day as it finished as as 2-2 draw.
Former Manchester United forward Odion Ighalo is amongst the Al-Hilal squad, with ex-Benfica man Anderson Talisca and Vincent Aboubakar in the ranks of Al-Nassr.
The two sides are set to put a team together and it is likely that Ronaldo will feature given his stature in the game.
Ronaldo’s proposed switch to Al-Nassr was announced on Friday in a statement on the club’s website. It read: “This is more than history in the making.
This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome, Cristiano, to your new home.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner added: “Al Nassr’s vision is very inspiring and impressive. I look forward to a different league experience in a different country. I am excited to join my team-mates as soon as possible.”
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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