CELEBRITY
BARCELONA FANS HAPPY THEIR HERO MESSI IS STAYING
Barcelona fans breathed a sigh of relief on Friday (Sept 4), after Lionel Messi ended weeks of speculation by announcing he had decided, with reluctance, to stay at the club.
Messi, who made a shock announcement that he wanted to leave his lifelong club last month, said he would see out his contract until 2021 in order to avoid taking Barca to court.
“If he can stay for one more year and we can make the most of him and go see him play at the stadium, for me it’s very positive,” said FC Barcelona fan Oriol Vives, 31.
Jorge Sos, 39, added: “I think it’s good news for Barcelona because he is the best player in the world.”
Yet some fans felt the saga had soured Messi’s relationship with the club.
“I think it’s good he isn’t leaving but with all the mess he has created, to be honest, it is not good for Barcelona because he doesn’t give the impression he wants to play for the team,” said Sergi Roda, 24.
The 33-year-old Argentine forward took a swipe at the club’s leadership during the announcement that he would stay.
“The management of the club led by (president Josep Maria) Bartomeu is a disaster,” he was quoted as saying on Goal.com.
It was a sentiment echoed by some Barca fans on Friday.
“The whole situation has been very unpleasant,” said Jordi Marti, 43. “I think that the majority of the fault is the management’s.”
Spanish media focused on Messi’s reluctance, with headlines including El Mundo’s “Messi stays at Barcelona against his will” and sports daily Marca’s “Messi stays… but with lots of ‘buts’”.
-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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