CELEBRITY
AMAZING! CRISTIANO RONALDO TO JOIN MESSI AT BARCELONA
The era of Ronaldo versus Messi may be over if the move to get the former out of Juventus comes to fruition.
Daily Mail has reported that Cristiano Ronaldo has been offered to Barcelona in a sensational move that would see him play alongside Lionel Messi.
Juventus are reportedly trying to relieve themselves of his £28m salary
The former Real Madrid talisman could be on his way out from Juventus, after two season with The Old Lady – who are trying to get his huge £28m-per-year salary off their books, according to Spanish journalist Guillem Balague.
He explained to the BBC that the Serie A champions are desperate to ship off Ronaldo due to his astronomical wages that they have been offering him out to Europe’s elite, including Barcelona.
He told 5 Live Sport: ‘He’s been offered everywhere, including Barcelona. I’m not sure if they can get rid of him easily with the kind of money he earns. Who is going to pay that kind of money?’
Barcelona have been hit hard financially by the coronavirus pandemic and look unable to make big money signings during the summer period, as they hope to bridge the gap to LaLiga champions Real Madrid.
Whilst an attacking duo of Lionel Messi and Ronaldo has been a spectacle football fans have been crying out for since they both announced themselves on the world stage around 15 years ago, it looks incredibly unlikely to become a reality this summer.
The two have been battling it out on the highest stage in football and dividing opinion amongst who is the better player for over a decade. They share eleven Balon d’Or awards between them; Messi with six and Ronaldo with five, and have a combined 1,272 career goals.
Ronaldo still has two years left on his deal with Juventus, as he penned a hugely lucrative four-year deal back in 2018. The player has made no comment or action to suggest he wants to leave the club, however, with the recent sacking of Maurizio Sarri his priorities for the future remain unknown.
Amid the arrival of new Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo, the club are looking to axe players such as Aaron Ramsey and potentially Paulo Dybala as they look to rebuild under the Italian. The Welshman’s reported £250,000-per-week salary would help fund a new-look team that the Serie A side want, after they crashed out of the Champions League to Lyon.
Whilst Ramsey has not featured much for Juve this season and his loss would not have much impact on the pitch, Ronaldo has been the club’s top goalscorer since his arrival and his presence would be sorely missed if he was to depart. He has scored 65 goals and managed 18 assists from 89 matches in a Juventus shirt.
Balague explained: ‘The reason why Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with PSG, it’s not so much because PSG are thinking of getting him, but because Jorge Mendes [Ronaldo’s agent] has been given instructions to actually find a team for Ronaldo.’
Whilst there has never been much interest from Les Parc des Princes for the talisman, a report from France football suggested that Ronaldo was considering a move to Paris Saint-Germain to form an attacking trio with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
The report claimed he dreamed of playing alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, having maintained a close bond with the Brazilian star while also reportedly ‘adoring’ the France World Cup winner.
The Portuguese attacker instead opted to join Juventus in July 2018 in a huge money move from LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
Ronaldo had a hugely successful career at the Bernabeu, winning two La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues. He completed a £90million move to Italy and continued his impressive scoring form inside his first two seasons, despite turning 35 years old back in February.
However, in the last few months the Portugal international has been rumoured with moves across the globe along with the team he used to play for.
Balague added: ‘We have seen this over the last months, we have seen links with Real Madrid, Madrid said ‘no chance! He’s not coming back.’
‘There have been talks about MLS etcetera, because Juventus wants to get rid of that wage. It’s as drastic as that.’
MESSI vs RONALDO
Balon d’Or wins: Messi 6, Ronaldo 5
Career goals: Messi 634, Ronaldo 638
Career assists: Messi 285, Ronaldo 223
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
For the third year in a row, and the fifth time overall, Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid athlete.
But at age 40, the Portuguese soccer superstar is reaching new highs.
Over the past 12 months, counting both his playing salary at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and his off-field business endeavors, Ronaldo collected an estimated $275 million before taxes and agent fees—the third-best year by an active athlete ever measured by Forbes.
On that all-time list, Ronaldo is surpassed only by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who earned $300 million in 2015 and $285 million in 2018.
And when it comes to the 2025 leaderboard, Ronaldo has a $119 million advantage over No. 2, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
The League of Wealthy Sportsmen
The gap is especially impressive considering that Curry’s $156 million total is also a record for his sport, beating the NBA mark of $128.2 million set last year by LeBron James.
And there are plenty of other eye-popping paydays among this year’s 10 highest-paid athletes, starting with James, who notched a personal-best $133.8 million to land at No. 6. Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (No. 4, $137million) and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (No. 7, $114 million) broke records for the NFL and MLB.
Combined, the 10 highest-paid athletes brought in $1.4 billion, up slightly from last year’s $1.38 billion and the largest total since Forbes began ranking athlete earnings in 1990.
This year is also only the second time, after 2024, that every member of the top 10 made at least $100 million.
In fact, heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk ($101 million) and golfer Jon Rahm ($100 million) reached the milestone, too, without managing to crack this list.
For the third year in a row, and the fifth time overall, Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid athlete.
But at age 40, the Portuguese soccer superstar is reaching new highs.
Over the past 12 months, counting both his playing salary at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and his off-field business endeavors, Ronaldo collected an estimated $275 million before taxes and agent fees—the third-best year by an active athlete ever measured by Forbes.
On that all-time list, Ronaldo is surpassed only by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who earned $300 million in 2015 and $285 million in 2018.
And when it comes to the 2025 leaderboard, Ronaldo has a $119 million advantage over No. 2, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
The gap is especially impressive considering that Curry’s $156 million total is also a record for his sport, beating the NBA mark of $128.2 million set last year by LeBron James.
And there are plenty of other eye-popping paydays among this year’s 10 highest-paid athletes, starting with James, who notched a personal-best $133.8 million to land at No. 6. Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (No. 4, $137million) and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (No. 7, $114 million) broke records for the NFL and MLB.
Combined, the 10 highest-paid athletes brought in $1.4 billion, up slightly from last year’s $1.38 billion and the largest total since Forbes began ranking athlete earnings in 1990.
This year is also only the second time, after 2024, that every member of the top 10 made at least $100 million.
In fact, heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk ($101 million) and golfer Jon Rahm ($100 million) reached the milestone, too, without managing to crack this list.
World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2025
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- OBITUARY5 days ago
BREAKING: Nigerian Goalkeeping Legend Peter Rufai is dead
- Nigerian Football4 days ago
Football Agent John Shittu Demands Retraction and ₦250 Million Damages from Samson Siasia Over Bribery Allegation
- FEDERATION CUP1 week ago
Kwara United Clinch Historic First Title as President Federation Cup Final Goes to Penalties for the 18th time
- FEDERATION CUP1 week ago
Rivers Angels Crowned 2025 Female Federation Cup Champions After Penalty Shootout Thriller
- WAFCON3 days ago
Nigeria, Tunisia Set for High-Stakes WAFCON 2024 Clash in Casablanca
- OBITUARY4 days ago
Peter Rufai looked lean when I last saw him, says mourning NFF President, Gusau
- OBITUARY4 days ago
Family issues statement on Peter Rufai
- IMMEMORIAL4 days ago
Peter Rufai’s Death Adds to Long List of July Tragedies in Nigerian Football