CELEBRITY
Messi begins contract talks at Barcelona
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Monday (May 31) that talks over a new deal with forward Lionel Messi are progressing well, and that the club will be announcing more new signings shortly.
Messi’s current contract expires at the end of June and he is free to discuss a move to another club, but media reports on Tuesday suggested an agreement was imminent.
“We’re talking and it’s going well. It doesn’t depend on the audit,” Laporta told a news conference.
“Talks are ongoing with Messi’s people and, as I said, they’re going well. We hope to keep making progress. It’s not done but we know that Leo wants to stay.
“We’ll have more economic information when the audit is finished, but we had this operation in mind before that. I’m sure, as (new signing Sergio) Aguero said, that he wants to play with him.”
Laporta was talking at the presentation of Eric Garcia, a second new arrival at the Camp Nou this week from Manchester City following Aguero.
Both players will join when their contracts expires at the end of June.
He also said that more arrivals were imminent, and that the squad overhaul was designed to show Messi they can compete.
“It’s not a question of money for Messi, and he’s showing a lot of understanding. What he wants is a competitive team capable of winning the Champions League and La Liga,” Laporta said.
“We need to have big refresh and we’re working on it. There will be more presentations of players, we’re working to sign players that improve the first team.
“We need to balance the squad, you will see what’s being worked on. Next week there will be more news.”
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and Lyon striker Memphis Depay – both out of contract this summer – have been heavily linked to Barcelona.
-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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