CELEBRITY
Cristiano Ronaldo set to captain Al Nassr-Al Hilal combined XI for friendly vs Messi’s PSG
Former Manchester United attacker Cristiano Ronaldo will play his first match on Saudi Arabian soil later this week.
Former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo is set to captain the Al Nassr-Al Hilal combined XI for the friendly against Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday.
The Portuguese ace, who left Old Trafford in November following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, will play his first match on Saudi Arabian later this week, with an All-Star XI, consisting of players from Al-Nassr and Al Hilal, taking on French giants PSG at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
Al-Nassr manager Rudi Garcia recently confirmed that the 37-year-old would feature in the friendly, before making his competitive debut for the Saudi Pro League outfit against Ettifaq on Sunday.
It has since emerged that Ronaldo will also captain the All-Star XI against PSG, with the former Real Madrid attacker set to come up against long-time rival Lionel Messi.
Turki Al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Entertainment, confirmed the news on Twitter – posting a video of himself handing the armband to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo is yet to make his competitive debut for Al-Nassr, despite joining the club towards the end of December. He has missed the Saudi Arabian side’s last two matches through suspension, which came as a result of him smashing an Everton fan’s phone last April.
The Portugal captain parted company with United following his explosive interview with Morgan prior to the World Cup in Qatar, with the forward having criticised his then manager Erik ten Hag, the club’s owners and several of his former teammates.
He left Old Trafford having registered 145 goals and 64 assists across his two spells in Manchester. He also won three Premier League titles and the Champions League.
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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