CELEBRITY
Let me go! Ronaldo pleads with Man Utd 
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Manchester United legend is keen on ending his second stint at Old Trafford sooner than originally expected after a disastrous collective campaign last time of asking.
He has left little doubt over what he wants to do in the minds of the Manchester United hierarchy after pleading to be allowed to leave the club once again.
The 37-year-old finally returned to United’s Carrington training base this week after an extended summer break due to ‘family reasons’ with his agent Jorge Mendes in tow.
Together, the pair held talks with United’s board, including Sir Alex Ferguson, as they bid to come to a solution on his future.
United’s stance from the outset has been that Ronaldo is not for sale and their position has been made easier by the lack of interest in the striker.
But Ronaldo reportedly threw United a curveball by asking to be released from his lucrative contract a year before it expires.
According to The Mail, United swiftly rejected Ronaldo’s wishes and reminded him that he remains part of their plans, as well as the fact that they are yet to actually receive any concrete offers for him from any other side.
Upon his return after a lengthier break than expected, Ronaldo was subject to extensive medical tests before watching on as United made light work of National League outfit Wrexham in a pre-season friendly that saw Erik ten Hag’s side run out 4-1 winners.
United now have two games in two days this coming weekend, the first against Atletico Madrid before Sunday afternoon presents the test of Rayo Vallecano.
There is a slim chance the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could feature in the second clash against familiar opposition from his Real Madrid days.
Ronaldo may take time to get up to speed with Ten Hag’s new training methods given he is yet to actually participate in a session led by the Dutchman. The former Juventus striker cut a serious figure as he made his way back into the training ground alongside Mendes on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
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Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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