The News
Portuguese soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is leaving Manchester United “by mutual agreement, with immediate effect,” the club announced Tuesday.
“The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford,″ Manchester United tweeted, referencing the stadium where the team plays.
Step Back
Ronaldo played for the British club from 2003 to 2009, and again since 2021, scoring over 100 goals.
His relationship with Manchester United has been strained this year. In a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan last week, Ronaldo said he felt “betrayed” by club manager Erik ten Hag, and felt like club leaders were trying to force him out. He also said the team’s owners “did not care about the club.”
After the interview, Manchester United looked into whether they could take legal action against Ronaldo over a possible breach of contract, The Guardian reported.
Now What?
Ronaldo is currently playing in the World Cup for Portugal in Qatar. He’ll have to make a decision about his professional future when he returns home, ESPN reported, adding that he has already gotten interest from several clubs, including the Italian club Napoli and a Saudi Arabian team.
Know More
Ronaldo is also the most-followed person on Instagram. He surpassed 500 million followers on the platform Monday, following the debut of a new Louis Vuitton ad that also featured fellow soccer star Lionel Messi.
Only the official account for Instagram has more Instagram followers.