Even as Juventus prepare for their second Serie A match against Empoli in Turin, speculation about the future of Cristiano Ronaldo's club has dominated the world headlines. Things have changed dramatically compared to last week, as coach Massimiliano Allegri said that Cristiano Ronaldo had promised to stay in Turin and lead his Serie A campaign. Media reports in Italy have claimed that Ronaldo is looking to get away from Juventus and has told the club that he wants to leave before the summer transfer window closes on August 31. In fact, Ronaldo himself denied the rumors about the future of his club, calling the speculation disrespectful towards him and the clubs involved in the rumors. However, Manchester City have become the favorites to sign Ronaldo even as the transfer window comes to an end. According to the report, Juventus have not yet received any official offer, but Pep Guardiola's team in the Premier League could make an offer. It was also reported that Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes met with Juventus officials earlier this week to design a transfer. It is said that Juventus wants fees and that could be a problem because the money is around 25 million euros.Also Read- IPL 2021: Pandya brothers Kunal and Hardik join Mumbai Indian camp in Abu Dhabi AFP cited media reports in Italy that Ronaldo has cleaned up his locker dressing room at juventus and is reluctant to prepare to face Empoli this weekend. In fact, it was also rumored that Ronaldo would return to Real Madrid, but the Portugal star confirmed in his Instagram message that his real chapter has been written. In endless speculation, Ronaldo was also tipped to return to Manchester United and even unite with Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain. Even Ronaldo's teammates say they have no idea if Ronaldo will be with them after that date. "He hasn't told me anything about his future and we don't know if he will stay, but I hope he will stay for a long time," said 19-year-old Caio Jorge, who just joined from Brazil's Santos. "Cristiano Ronaldo has always been an inspiration to me. I will be by his side every day to learn as much as possible from him." Ronaldo didn't start in Juventus' opening game against Udinese last week, amid reports that he asked to be on the bench. When he participated in the second half, is injury-time goal was ruled out and the match ended 2-2. Both the club and coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted that it was the coach's decision to keep Ronaldo on the bench initially.Also Read- Headingley Test: Joe Root surpasses Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar with 8th hundred in India vs England Tests
Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty but nevertheless broke the men's international scoring record before scoring the second goal as Portugal's 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Ireland on Wednesday. Ronaldo scored his 110th goal in the 89th minute to move ahead of former Iran striker Ali Daei. Six minutes into stoppage time, Ronaldo scored the 111th goal in 180 games to break the hearts of the Irish after defender John Egan gave his nation the lead in the 45th minute. "I'm very happy, not only because I beat the record but for the special moments that we had," Ronaldo said. "Two goals at the end of the game is so tough, but I have to appreciate what the team did. We believed until the end." But Ronaldo, who has rejoined Manchester United, is still 76 goals behind the most productive international scorer in the game. Christine Sinclair 38 years old, scored her 187th goal for Canada last month at the Tokyo Olympics. Ronaldo's night was frustrating until the late heroics. His 15th-minute spot kick was well saved by goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who was just two years old when Ronaldo scored his first goal for Portugal as a skinny winger at European championship in 2004. Ronaldo's only title came with Portugal at Euro 2016. Although he was the top scorer at this year's Euro Cup with five goals in four games, his team's title defense ended in the round of 16. On that note, here are the best Twitter reactions after Ronaldo's historic goalscoring feat. He's done it! @Cristiano (110) Ali Daei (109) A phenomenal run of 49 goals in his last 47 Portugal appearances makes the monster from Madeira the outright leading scorer in men's international history. Take a bow, legend pic.twitter.com/WFO7XbuKr8— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) September 1, 2021BREAKING: @cristiano scores twice for Portugal and becomes the greatest goalscorer in international football history. He is, indisputably, the pic.twitter.com/tLXXVHwApx— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 1, 2021Congratulations @Cristiano https://t.co/MYMvPPJiqO— Guinness World Records (@GWR) September 1, 2021Man Utd's @Cristiano Ronaldo makes history!He nets twice for Portugal to break the men's international goalscoring record pic.twitter.com/ZSqfptGXWJ— Premier League (@premierleague) September 1, 2021Also Read- Taliban will never change, they treat women like zeroes: Former Afghanistan footballer Fanoos Basir
La Liga may be shorn of its biggest name in Lionel Messi who left FC Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain but former Real Madrid player Fernando Morientes feels the Spanish league would not be "weakened" by the exit of the Argentine maestro.Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain's club last month is not the only high-profile exit from La Liga. In the last five seasons, players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Sergio Ramos have left Real Madrid or Barcelona."La Liga throughout its history has lost players, just like any other league... It is nothing new. Cristiano left, Neymar left, Messi and Ramos have also left," Morientes, who is also the La Liga ambassador, said during a virtual media interaction."Footballers will eventually leave, but clubs will stay. La Liga doesn't sell itself through a single player. La Liga is never going to have a problem to sell itself as a competition"."La Liga has done a spectacular job attempting to attract the best players to make it as competitive as always been."Morientes said it's an opportunity for the Spanish clubs to prove themselves at the marquee Champions League.“I would like to see a Spanish final in fact, because there are many people who think that Messi's departure has weakened the league. We have to show that this is not the case.Also Read- Lionel Messi signs two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain after leaving Barcelona"In the last 10-15 years, La Liga teams have always been very competitive in all European competitions. And I'm convinced this coming season the Spanish teams will demonstrate their true potential in this competition," said the former Spanish center-forward.The 45-year-old said it was the responsibility of the clubs to change, adapt and sign great players."La Liga will continue to be a really attractive league that will bring in new players and I'm sure there are great players who will want to play here," said Morientes, who played 183 games for Real Madrid between 1997 and 2005."The Spanish league is strong enough to be attractive to everyone. I am convinced that you in India will continue to follow the league and continue to follow our teams as fans and not just as individual players."On the prospect of 'El Clasico' without Messi and Ronaldo, he said: "Real Madrid and Barcelona at the end of the day are much more than just two players. It's true that both Cristiano and Messi have made history in Spanish football."Obviously we would like to have players of this level. But we must remember that the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona goes back many years, and Messi and Ronaldo are not always at the club." Also Read- Cristiano Ronaldo becomes all-time highest goalscorer in international football with brace against Ireland
India on Wednesday confirmed their place in the final match against Nepal after 3-1 victory over Maldives at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives. Manvir Singh’s opener was cancelled by Ali Ashfaq in the first half before Sunil Chhetri scored a brace in the second half to confirm the spot for the Blue Tigers. Sunil Chhetri broke legendary football player Pele's record during the match against the Maldives in the ongoing 2021 SAFF Championship Pele had scored 77 goals for Brazil and Chhetri went past the Brazilian superstar when he scored a goal in the 62nd minute in the match against the Maldives. Chhetri further bettered his tally as he scored another one to have 79 international goals under his belt. The Indian captain is now the third-highest active international goalscorer. Lionel Messi (80) and Cristiano Ronaldo (115) are the two footballers who are ahead of Chhetri in the list of active international goalscorers. The Indian captain has also become the joint sixth-highest goalscorer in the world.123 Internationals 79 Goals @chetrisunil11 becomes the joint 6th highest goalscorer in the world! #INDMDV #SAFFChampionship2021 #BackTheBlue #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/Tg4UCTPAAE— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) October 13, 2021Although his team is going through a long lean phase, Chhetri's scoring prowess remains as good as ever, which is a testament to his consistency and dedication.A Wonderful Gesture Skipper @chetrisunil11 handed over his Man of the Match award to @apuiaralte45 for his brilliant performance today! #INDMDV #SAFFChampionship2021 #BackTheBlue #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/povTme0mZI— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) October 13, 2021Throughout his glorious journey, the deadly poacher from Delhi has played alongside former stars such as Bhaichung Bhutia and Renedy Singh in the national team, besides well-known international players in the ISL and I-League. Notwithstanding the occasional chatter around his age and his longevity, the Indian captain had said that he wanted to keep playing in top-flight and has not given his future any thought. India is undefeated in this edition, having drawn with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and then beating Nepal. The side will now look for its eight SAFF Championship title when it takes on first-time finalist Nepal in the final.Also Read- BCCI unveils Team India's new jersey ahead of T20 World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo headed in an 81st-minute winner as Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Atalanta 3-2 in a pulsating Champions League Group F match at Old Trafford on Wednesday. After a poor performance in the first half, with Atalanta leading 2-0 in at the break, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team turned the game and possibly their season around with a thunderous performance. The pressure was on Solskjaer after Saturday's 4-2 Premier League loss to Leicester Cit and he opted to drop Paul Pogba to the bench but there was little sign of improvement from that switch. Manchester United were disjointed and dispirited in the opening 45 minutes but raised their tempo and the volume from the Stretford End with a relentless push to victory that culminated in the Champions League's record scorer demonstrating his brilliance in front of goal yet again. Mario Pasalic put Atalanta ahead in the 15th minute, turning in Davide Zappacosta's low ball from close range and United, with just one win in their last five games in all competitions, looked drained of belief. It was no great surprise when the Italian team doubled their lead in the 29th minute with Merih Demiral rising at the near post to glance in an angled header from a Teun Koopmeiners corner. Fred and Marcus Rashford missed good chances for United before the break but the home side returned to the game in the 53rd minute. A clever ball from Bruno Fernandes allowed Rashford to cut in from the left and he picked his spot with a shot into the far corner. Scott McTominay struck the post after connecting with Christian Ronaldo cross but although United were pushing for a leveller, the Italians were still a threat and the hosts were thankful to keeper David De Gea for a superb double save to keep out a drive from Duvan Zapata and follow-up from Ruslan Malinovskyi. Cristiano Ronaldo in one word?#UCL pic.twitter.com/APwQcItPuh— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 20, 2021However, the pressure paid off for United when they drew level with Harry Maguire drilling the ball home at the back post after the static Atalanta defence failed to intercept a Fernandes ball across the box. Then came the winner as Luke Shaw whipped in a superb cross from the left and Ronaldo rose superbly, timing his jump and his header perfectly to power the ball past Musso. "I was right behind him. His leap, his timing, it was perfect right in the corner," Maguire said. "We see it day in, day out in training and in the goals he has scored throughout his career. He has come up with a massive goal for us again in the Champions League," he added. "We got the goals we needed and deserved and I think we deserved the win in the end. Yes, we made it difficult but it is a tremendous victory in the end." United leads the group after three games on six points with Atalanta and Villarreal two points behind.Also Read- Australia pacer James Pattinson retires from international cricket
Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed on social media on Thursday that his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez is pregnant with twins. The Manchester United winger took to Instagram to share the sports news for today with his fans and also posted pictures of their twins' ultrasounds. Ronaldo will become a father for the sixth time after the birth of twins. He already shared a three-year-old daughter Alana Martina with Argentine model Rodriguez. 36-year-old Ronaldo's first son, Cristiano Junior, was born in 2010 but the identity of the mother is unknown. A surrogate mother then gave birth to a pair of Ronaldo’s twins, daughter Eva and son Mateo, in 2017. "Delighted to announce we are expecting twins. Our hearts are full of love - we can’t wait to meet you," Ronaldo and Rodriguez wrote in similar posts on their Instagram accounts.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)Notably, Ronaldo's oldest son Cristiano Jr is also aspiring to be a footballer like his superstar father and joined the Manchester United academy alongside Wayne Rooney's son Kai in September this year. Ronaldo had admitted in 2017 that he wanted seven children while Rodriguez last year said: "My desire for motherhood is stronger than anything. I hope to have more children." christian ronaldo and Rodriguez have been dating since 2016 after they met at a Gucci store in Madrid, where she used to work as a shop assistant for £10 an hour. The Portugal captain was playing for Real Madrid at the time.Also Read- Neeraj Chopra, Ravi Dahiya, Lovlina Borgohain among 11 recommended for Khel Ratnas
Australian opener David Warner tried to recreate the ‘Cristiano Ronaldo Coke bottle moment’ in the post-match press conference after the match between Australia and Sri Lanka. Ronaldo had removed the Coke bottles from his table in the press conference earlier this year, and this resulted in a loss of $4 Billion for Coca Cola. Warner tried to do the same, but was asked to put the Coke bottles back on the table. In fact, Warner even asked whether he needs to put the Coke bottles back as well. The 35-year-old also cheekily stated ‘If it is good enough for Cristiano, it is good enough for me’..@davidwarner31 trying to be @Cristiano “if it’s good enough for Cristiano, it’s good enough for me” pic.twitter.com/Nyc7NfyKEs— Thakur (@hassam_sajjad) October 28, 2021David Warner’s superb half-century helps Australia trounce Sri LankaIn the encounter between Australia and Sri Lanka in t20 worldcup on October 28, 2021, Sri Lanka scored a decent total of 154/6 on the scoreboard. In reply, David Warner was in red hot form with the willow and scored a whirlwind 65 off 42 deliveries at the top of the order to help Australia breeze past the target with 7 wickets and 3 overs to spare. The left-handed batting dynamite struck 10 fours in his enterprising innings. Apart from Warner, Australian captain Aaron Finch and veteran hitter Steven Smith have also contributed useful runs. While Finch scored an impressive 23 balls 37, Smith stayed till the end and helped himself to a patient 28*. David Warner is one of the best hitters to ever play for the Australian team in the T20I format of the game. Warner is currently the second top scorer for the Australian team's in T20I cricket and has plundered 2344 runs in 83 innings at an average of 31.67 and a strike rate of close to 140. Warner has also scored 1 hundred and 19 fifties in T20I cricket as well. Warner will next take the field for the Australian side on 30th October 2021, when the kangaroos clash against their arch-rivals England at the Dubai International Cricket StadiumAlso Read- I believe that India can win the T20 World Cup: Virender Sehwag
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have produced some unforgettable moments on the football pitch and surprisingly they have been doing that consistently for more than 15 years now. The duo have won a combined total of 11 Ballon d'Or's, which is an award of high prestige, while numerous star footballers have missed out on the prestigious award because of the domination from Messi and Ronaldo. Interestingly, year 2021 has proved out to be full of surprises for both the footballing greats. Lionel Messi has left FC Barcelona and now plays for Paris Saint-Germain due to Barcelona's financial problems. The 33-year-old Argentine is currently struggling in his new club with injuries coming into play and a change of role in terms of positioning. No one deserved the 2021 Ballon d'Or more than Lionel Messi pic.twitter.com/1ZGJGsbVg0— Ishan (@LionelFutbol) November 5, 2021However, 2021 is not that bad season for Lionel Messi as before joining PSG, the little magician won Copa America with Argentina and scored 30 goals in 35 matches in La Liga for his former club FC Barcelona. However, Messi is yet to score a league goal for PSG, but has scored 3 goals for the French club in the Champions League. Messi won 34 club career trophies with FC Barcelona, including 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League titles. In addition, he has won the Ballon d'Or for a record six times which is the most by any player ever to play football. On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo once again impressed with his return to Manchester United new now, as the striker has time and again saved the Red Devils' blushes by scoring crucial goals. Cristiano Ronaldo ~ The Most Clutch Player this sport has ever witnessed pic.twitter.com/EYaSks49N4— Paarth (@paarthblanco) November 2, 2021Ronaldo took no time to get off the mark and after returning to England, the 36-year-old has so far scored 9 goals from the 11 matches he has played. In the process, he even became the top scorer in three different big leagues England, Spain and Italy, thus creating a new record. Christian Ronaldo scored 29 goals for Juventus in Serie A and also become Portugal's top scorer with 111 goals for his country in 2021. The rivalry between these two can define a whole era and decade of football. Who's better? It's an endless debate with too many opinions from too many people but one thing is for sure that Ronaldo and Messi will go down as two of the greatest footballers that the world has ever witnessed.Also Read- Rohit Sharma named India T20I captain for New Zealand series
The realm of football, also referred to as soccer, stands as the most widely played and viewed sport globally. It operates within a multi-billion-dollar industry, where top-tier players garner substantial earnings. The wealthiest footballers command millions of dollars annually, with certain individuals accumulating fortunes reaching into the billions.Various elements contribute to a footballer's financial success, encompassing salary, bonuses, endorsements, and investments. Additionally, some of the most affluent players have diversified their income streams through business ownership or other ventures.Top 5 richest football playersHere are the top 5 richest football or soccer players in the world. Brunei prince Faiq Bolkiah tops the list, with Messi and Ronaldo following in. 1. Faiq Bolkiah | $20 billionTeam: Chonburi F.C., ThailandRecords: Richest football player in the worldFaiq Bolkiah is a Bruneian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Chonburi F.C. in Thailand and the Brunei national team. Bolkiah is the richest footballer in the world, with an estimated net worth of $20 billion. He has been capped by the Brunei national team since 2014 and has captained the team since 2018. He is the Prince of Brunei. Bolkiah’s father is Jefri Bolkiah, the Prince of Brunei, and his uncle is Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei.2. Lionel Messi | $600 millionTeam: Paris Saint-GermainRecords: Most Balloon D’Or award winner, Most Liga goals, and many moreAwards: World Soccer Player of the Year, FIFA Balloon D’Or, and many moreBooks: The “GOAT” Messi and moreMovie: Lionel Messi: The GreatestWidely considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time, Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. He is the second-richest footballer in the world, with a net worth of $600 million. He has won eight Ballon d'Or awards, a record in itself. He is the player to have been awarded the coveted trophy the most number of times. He has also won six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 he was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.3. Cristiano Ronaldo | $500 millionTeam: Al NassarRecords: Highest goal-scorer in football and many moreAwards: European Golden Shoe, FIFA Balloon D’Or, and many moreBooks: Cristiano Ronaldo: The Rise of a WinnerMovie: Cristiano Ronaldo: The World at its FeetPortuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo captains the Portugal national team and plays as a forward for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. He has won five Ballon d'Or awards, the most by a European player.Ronaldo is the all-time leading goal scorer with the highest number of goals in international football. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest football players of all time and constantly pitted against fellow soccer legend Lionel Messi.4. David Beckham | $450 millionTeam: Manchester UnitedRecords: Only player to win League titles in 4 countries, and moreAwards: Premier League Player of the Month, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and moreBooks: Beckham: My World (autobiography)Movie: King Arthur, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.David Beckham was a professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is considered to be one of the best players of his generation and was one of the most popular athletes in the world. Beckham played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, the LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain. He won 19 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, one La Liga title, and one MLS Cup. Beckham retired from professional football in 2013. He is currently the fourth-richest football player, with a net worth of $450 million.5. Dave Whelan | $210 millionTeam: Blackburn Rovers and Crewe AlexandraAwards: Freedom of the BoroughBooks: David Whelan: Playing to Win - The Autobiography Dave Whelan is an English footballer who played as a winger. He was born in Bradford, England, on November 24, 1936, and played for Blackburn Rovers and Crewe Alexandra during his career. He won the Football League Third Division North title with Blackburn Rovers in 1959–60. He retired from professional football in 1966. He later became a successful businessman and founded the Wigan Athletic football club. His net worth is $210 million. Also Read: Argentina set to retire Lionel Messis No.10 jersey once he hangs up boots: Reports
