CELEBRITY
Cristiano Ronaldo drops hint on Manchester United future
Cristiano Ronaldo made it clear that he isn’t thinking of hanging his boots up any time soon after yet another excellent display for Manchester United on Monday.
United managed to create a positive end to a dreary campaign as they defeated Brentford 3-0 in their final match at Old Trafford. It was one of United’s best attacking displays of the entire season and Ronaldo was, of course, at the heart of it.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is in incredible form at present and notched his sixth goal in just four games against the Bees as he fired home from the penalty spot to double United’s lead in the second half. Ronaldo had been furious after he saw a goal chalked off for off-side in the opening 45 minutes but a smile was soon back on his face.
Gary Neville was on commentary duty and handed his former teammate the Man of the Match award for his committed display and, afterwards, Ronaldo provided a hint on what his future plans are.
As he began a lap around the Old Trafford pitch to show appreciation to the home crowd, the Sky Sports cameras zoomed in on him and he appeared to say “I’m not finished.”
It’s also been speculated that the No.7 appeared to suggest that he would be staying at Old Trafford in the celebration of his goal.
Ronaldo’s future has been cast into doubt due to United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, with the Portuguese having not played in the Europa League since it was called the UEFA Cup and he was a teenager at Sporting.
Now 37, Ronaldo doesn’t have too many years at the top level left and it remains to be seen if he wants to spend one of them playing on Thursday nights.
However, he has been United’s best performer this season having now scored 24 goals and the club will likely be desperate to keep him. His contract runs until 2023 and also has the option for another 12 months.
Bruno Fernandes got the scoring underway against Brentford and Raphael Varane rounded out the match with his first goal since arriving in the summer.
-MEN
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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