CELEBRITY
Pele ‘would have been sad’ at state of Brazil team, says son
Pele “would have been sad” at the state of the current Brazil national team, his son Edinho told AFP in an interview days before the first anniversary of his death on Dec 29.
Brazil have struggled in their campaign to reach the 2026 World Cup, with three losses in six matches, including a first-ever qualifying loss on home soil to arch-rivals Argentina in November. They are sixth in the South American table, the last spot that affords direct qualification.
The Selecao have struggled without their biggest star Neymar, who will be back only after the 2024 Copa America due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee.
“This crisis didn’t appear overnight, there are big and complex problems,” said Edinho, 53, who is one of Pele’s seven children.
“We are experiencing a decline… we still have great players but in previous times we had more high-level players than we do today.”
“There is no doubt, if (Pele) had been there this year, he would have been very sad,” added Edinho, who was raised by his mother as Pele and her separated shortly after Pele’s move to the United States to play for New York Cosmos in 1975, but grew closer to him in later life.
Santos, the Brazilian club where Pele spent most of his career, are also going through a tough period after they were relegated to the second division for the first time in their 111-year history.
The club are wrecked by financial problems and boardroom rifts.
“Unfortunately, this is no surprise. Anyone who has followed the daily life of the club could have anticipated such a scenario, and it has ended up happening,” said Edinho, who was Santos’ goalkeeper for several seasons.
The ceremonies to mark the first anniversary of Pele’s death from cancer at the age of 82 are expected to be low-key.
The six surviving children of the man widely considered the greatest footballer in history will hold a virtual meeting to mark the moment as several live in the US, while a ceremony is scheduled to be held at the mausoleum in Santos, the final resting place for “The King” which was opened to the public in May.
Edinho, whose life has been far from smooth, having served time for money laundering and drug trafficking, said the loss of the charismatic man who scored 77 goals in 92 appearances for Brazil had left a huge hole in the family’s life.
“He was exceptional, we miss him a lot,” Edinho said. “He carried our country’s name through football, which we are very proud of.”
–AFP
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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