CELEBRITY
Despite pay-cut, Ronaldo to become highest earner in Premier League history
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to become the highest-paid player in Premier League history, following his shock return to Manchester United in the summer transfer window.
The 36-year-old seemed nailed on to join rivals Manchester City after announcing his intention to leave Juventus, but the Red Devils hijacked the deal at the last second to bring the former fan favourite back to Old Trafford.
However, Ronaldo will still earn considerably less than fellow football icon Lionel Messi, who penned a mind-blowing £1m-a-week deal when joining Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona this summer.
Man Utd’s out of the blue swoop to re-sign Ronaldo has stunned the football world after they agreed to offer Juventus an initial £12.85m, which could rise to a potential £19.7m transfer fee in bonuses and add-ons.
The former Real Madrid star was signed by the Bianconeri for €100m in 2018, with the aim of ending their Champions League drought by recruiting the king of the European competition. The plan ultimately failed as Juve never got close to lifting the big trophy.
Ronaldo won two Serie A titles during his three years in Italy, but he became disenchanted with the project towards the end of his time there and informed Massimiliano Allegri of his desire for a new challenge.
Juve were willing to sell the superstar, as they didn’t want to hold onto an unhappy player who was burning a €31m-a-year hole in their wage bill.
Manchester City were set to shock the world by bringing the former Red Devil back to Manchester, but the Glazer family decided to hijack the move at the last second.
Manchester United had been presented with the opportunity to sign Ronaldo earlier in the summer but rejected the prospect in order to focus on their main targets, but the thought of him joining their rivals forced the Glazers’ hand.
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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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