Legendary manager Fabio Capello, who led Real Madrid to glory twice, has once again sparked the everlasting debate betweenLionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The duo’s dominance is staggering, with an astonishing 13 Ballon d’Or awards shared between them, Messi clinching a record-breaking eight.
With such remarkable success, opinions have perpetually been split on who truly deserves the title of the greatest of all time.
Capello has now joined the ranks of high-profile figures to weigh in on the GOAT debate.
Capello chooses between Messi and Ronaldo
While acknowledging Ronaldo’s immense talent, the legendary manager does not place the Portuguese on the same pedestal as the Inter Miami star.
“Ronaldo’s a phenomenal player, a goal-scoring machine. He’s stacked trophies and Ballon d’Ors, but he hasn’t reached Messi’s level of genius,” Capello declared via Sportskeeda.
“I saw Messi at the Gamper trophy, and within 25 minutes, I was asking Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard if I could loan him! He was a genius on the pitch,” Capello reminisced.
A Marrakesh hotel, which happens to be owned by the renownedPortuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, has regrettably chosen not to provide refuge for victims affected by the catastrophic earthquake in Morocco.
The earthquake, measuring 6.8 in magnitude, struck the mountainous High Atlas region on Friday, resulting in the tragic loss of over 2,000 lives, along with numerous individuals being injured or still unaccounted for.
Prominent football figure Lionel Messi has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the affected region during this trying time.
In a statement to Liberation, a hotel spokesperson said, “This is false information. All the customers we have at the moment have made a reservation normally.”
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town of Marrakesh has suffered significant damage due to a powerful earthquake. Numerous structures and walls have crumbled, and the tight, winding streets are posing challenges for the safe evacuation of the injured.
In response to the crisis, town squares have been transformed into makeshift emergency shelters, offering provisions such as food, water, and sleeping accommodations.
Members of the Moroccan national football team are actively contributing to the rescue operations by generously donating blood to assist the earthquake victims.
In a daring move, Ronaldo departed Europe for the Middle East, signing a lucrative contract with Al-Nassr in January, following his controversial departure from Manchester United.
His transfer has generated unparalleled interest in Saudi football, with rumors suggesting that numerous European stars could follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps.
Speaking on the prospect of seeing big players switch to the Gulf state, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner – who has predicted the Saudi League to be among the best in the world in the coming years – suggested their presence in the competition will help in improving its quality.
“Life goes very well. The [Saudi] league is good. The big players are all welcome. If this happens, the league will improve,” he told SPL Chat, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.
CR7 in an interview with Piers Morgan
Ronaldo’s former teammate, Karim Benzema has been heavily linked with a move to reigning Saudi champions, Al-Ittihad, while PSG superstar, Lionel Messi has also been tipped to join Al-Hilal, per Football Espana.
Ronaldo ends Al-Nassr exit rumours
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has discussed his Saudi future with league side, Al-Nassr, amid speculation he is unhappy in the Gulf state, Sports Brief reported.
The Portuguese veteran’s Middle East sojourn ended on a disappointing note after failing to inspire the Knights of Nahd to silverware in his first season.
Ronaldo has since been linked with a return to Europe with Saudi-backed Premier League side, Newcastle United, but the veteran does not seem to agree.
The Frenchman’s future has been the subject of much speculation over the last few days, with many claiming he will join Ronaldo in the Middle East nation.
Real Madrid’s striker, Karim Benzema
Multiple reports have emerged suggesting Benzema is set to end his 14-year stay at Real Madrid this summer in favour of a move to the Saudi top flight.
After losing 1-0 to Morocco in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals in Qatar, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has remained vague about his future in the national team.
At Al Thumama Stadium, striker Youssef En-Nesyri scored the game-winning goal in the first half by leaping highest and outjumping goalkeeper Diogo Costa to the ball.
Ronaldo climbed off the bench in the 50th minute to equal the men’s all-time appearance record of 196 in international matches, but he could not find the equaliser as their last-four hopes were dashed.
“To win a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career,” he wrote on social media.
“Unfortunately, yesterday [Saturday] the dream ended.”
“I just want everyone to know that a lot was said, a lot was written, a lot was speculated, but my dedication to Portugal didn’t change for an instant,” the 37-year-old added.
“I was always one more player fighting for everyone’s goal and I would never turn my back on my team-mates and my country.
“For now, there’s not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted… Now, we have to let time be a good adviser and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions.”
Walid Regragui’s men will face holders France in the semifinals at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed an offer to play on into his 40s with Saudi Arabian giants Al Nassr ready to hand him a three year deal after the World Cup, according to CBS Sports sources.
Ronaldo is a free agent following the termination of his contract with Manchester United earlier this week, and he has long been of interest to Al Nassr, as well as other clubs in the Middle East. CBS Sports revealed in August that that interest would extend beyond the World Cup, with the 37-year-old having been keen to play at Europe’s highest level going into his fifth tournament. In Portugal’s opening game against Ghana Ronaldo set another record on the international stage, scoring in his fifth World Cup.
Al Nassr hope that following the tournament Ronaldo will be keen to break new ground and after extensive talks with his representatives sources close to the club say their interest is “stronger than ever.” The terms on offer to Ronaldo are understood to be worth $75 million a year.
Due to contact being initiated over the summer, it is believed talks are relatively advanced but awaiting Ronaldo’s final decision. Should he choose to accept the offer, sources tell CBS Sports a deal would not take long to finalize.
Ronaldo asked to leave Manchester United in the summer, but none of Europe’s biggest clubs were prepared to offer him the platform of Champions League football that he craved. Following an explosive interview with Talk TV in which he accused United of “betraying” him and said he did not respect head coach Erik ten Hag — statements which could have led to the club sacking him if a mutual termination had not been agreed — it appears unlikely that the market has grown among the continent’s elite.
Al Nassr are one of SaudI Arabia, and indeed Asia’s, most successful clubs, winning nine league titles and reaching the final of the AFC Champions League in 1995. Their great rivals Al Hilal have also been linked with a move for Ronaldo. Al Nassr’s offer is understood to be the only formal contract offered to the Portugal international, whose future is expected to remain unresolved until after the World Cup.
The record goalscorer in men’s international football, Ronaldo struggled to make a major impact to Manchester United’s success after joining them from Juventus in the summer of 2021. Though he was their top scorer last season with 24 goals in 38 games across all competitions, United slipped from second in the Premier League the previous season to sixth.
Erik ten Hag’s appointment saw Ronaldo confined to a fringe role, starting just four top flight matches. Prior to the interview that led to his departure the veteran striker had been involved in several other controversies, leaving the ground early during a pre-season friendly and refusing to enter the game as a substitute in a defeat to Tottenham.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been called a “total genius” by Fifafor the way in which he won a penalty for Portugal in their World Cup victory over Ghana.
The 37-year-old converted from the spot to become the first man to score at five different Fifa World Cups.
Portugal won 3-2, but the awarding of the spot-kick outraged Ghana boss Otto Addo, who said it was “not a penalty”.
At a briefing in Doha, Fifa technical study group (TSG) member Sunday Oliseh said strikers are “getting smarter”.
The TSG, which is led by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, looks at each match and provides analysis including performance data and trends.
After 20 games in this tournament, nine penalties have been awarded, which is on track to reach the previous record of 24 that were given in the group stages in Russia four years ago.
Poland’s Robert Lewandowski and Canada’s Alphonso Davies have seen their efforts saved, while the remaining seven have been scored.
This includes Ronaldo, who went down under a challenge from Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu. Former England defender Matt Upson, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, called it a “dive”.
Ghana boss Addo was left fuming after the defeat and told BeIN Sports: “The referee gave a penalty which was not a penalty – everyone saw that. Why? Because it’s Ronaldo or something?
“The referee was not in our favour.”
But former Nigeria international Oliseh, who played at the 1998 World Cup, feels Ronaldo was clever in his movement to win the penalty that allowed him to score his 118th international goal.
“Maybe the strikers are getting smarter?” said Oliseh.
“The Ronaldo penalty, people can say what they want about him, but the smartness to wait for that second, to touch the ball, continue his leg and then get the contact. That is total genius.
“Let’s give strikers the compliment for getting smarter. VAR is also a major reason why this (more penalties being awarded) is happening. Referees can look at it three or four times.”
‘Teams will become braver’
There were four goalless games in the opening 16 matches, which set a new record of 25% in the first round of group games.
A fifth followed on Friday as England and the United States played out a stalemate in their second game of the tournament in Qatar.
The record number of 0-0 draws at the World Cup stands at seven, which happened at four different editions of the tournament, but Qatar 2022 is already close to that tally with only 20 of the 64 scheduled games completed before Saturday’s matches.
At the last World Cup in Russia, there was one goalless draw, between Denmark and France in a group game.
“Teams have not wanted to take too much of a risk,” said Oliseh.
“Clearly many teams are relying on a cautious approach,” added colleague Alberto Zaccheroni, who won Serie A with AC Milan and the Asian Cup when he was the coach of Japan.
“But as the tournament progresses we will see teams become a bit braver.”
Players ‘feeling comfortable’ with matchball
A total of 49 goals have been scored in the 20 matches played by the end of Friday, 25 November.
The first round of 16 games did not see a single goal scored from outside the box. Two have been scored from distance in the four games so far played in the second round of matches, which is significantly fewer than at this stage in the past two tournaments.
Iran’s Roozbeh Cheshmi broke the trend on Friday with a rasping strike against Wales, while later in the day, the Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo scored in a 1-1 draw with Ecuador.
The ‘Al Rihla’ match ball developed for the World Cup is described by Fifa as “travelling faster than any ball” in the tournament’s history.
Global football’s governing also said the ball “provides the highest levels of accuracy and reliability on the field of play”.
TSG member Faryd Mondragon, who played in goal for Colombia at the 1998 World Cup, told BBC Sport: “Technology has improved the game, it is helping the ball, boots, gloves, data. Everything is for the improvement of the game.
“When you have good shooters, any kind of ball will be fast and dangerous. I have spoken with friends from all over the world, this is a ball they are all feeling comfortable with.
“Us goalkeepers are always talking about the fast-moving ball but everything is for the good of the game.”
There was an incident, according to Portugal’s head coach Fernando Santos, thus the American referee Ismail Elfath did not need to consult the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
In their Group H opener on Thursday, Portugal overcame Ghana 3-2. Ronaldo’s controversial dive for the opening goal was controversial.
Since the American referee purchased the dive that Cristiano Ronaldo offered him without checking the VAR, the Black Stars felt tricked.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal from the penalty spot, hammering in after the referee awarded a highly contentious penalty for Portugal after an apparent dive from the former Manchester United forward following a close incident with Mohammed Salisu.
The American referee immediately pointed to the spot resisting all attempts to have a second look at the incident on the video assistant referee despite protestation from the Ghanaian players.
“I think if the VAR team had felt the referee should consult the VAR, they would have prompted him. I also think Joao Felix was fouled at a point and I expected the referee to check the VAR but he didn’t. So I don’t think there was a call the VAR would have been necessary for the referee.”
The Black Stars improved in the second half as Mohammed Kudus’ shot went wide of the post after a decent build-up from midfield.
Ghana captain Andre Ayew equalized from close range as he tapped in a cross from Baba Abdul Rahman after the Portugal defense failed to deal with it.
A few minutes later, Portugal responded with two goals in two minutes to close the contest as Joao Felix converted a delightfully clipped finish and substitute Rafael Leao coolly stroked in just seconds after coming on.
With the heading to an end, Osman Bukhari headed in a late consolation for the lack of Stars and there could have been real drama in the ninth minute of stoppage time as Inaki Williams intercepted a ball from Diogo Costa but the Athletic Bilbao forward slipped at the crucial moment and a feeble shot was cleared off the line.
A viral video of Portugal forward, Ronaldo, has got social media talking. The footage shows Christiano Ronaldo pulling something from his shorts during Ghana’s match with Portugal and chewing it subsequently.
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has described the President’s visit to the Black Stars in Qatar as the best motivation offered to the players.
President Akufo Addo paid a visit to the National Football Team in Qatar ahead of their game with Portugal, which has been criticised by some Ghanaians.
But in a statement on the floor of Parliament, a day after the 3-2 defeat of the team by Portugal, the Minority Leader said the gesture by President Akufo-Addo was encouraging and showed the love of the country to the players.
“It was encouraging the president in camp with our players, that is that best motivation they could get,” Mr Haruna Iddrisu said on Friday.
Portugalbeat Ghana 3-2 in their World Cup opener, with Ronaldo netting from the spot after going down under a challenge from Mohammed Salisu.
Many viewers disagreed with the decision, thinking Salisu got the ball and that Ronaldo went down easily.
“The defender clearly plays the ball,” former Premier League referee Mike Dean said after the game adding, ‘Ronaldo then touches the back of the defender, goes down, instigated contact.
“It’s not the referee’s fault – he’s given the decision on the field of play. The VAR, in my opinion, should have got involved and invited the referee over to have a look at it.”
He added: “It’s scary, I have to say. I’m just astounded. I like to back referees all the time but you can’t support stuff like that. You can’t defend the indefensible.”
Retired English referee, Mike Dean, has questioned the officiating in Ghana’s 3-2 defeat to Portugal in the 2022 World Cup on Thursday.
American referee, Ismail Elfath, penalized Mohammed Salisu for the least contact with Cristiano Ronaldo to award the two-time World Cupsemi-finalists a penalty.
Mike Dean believes Elfath should have been invited to review the incident at the pitch side Video Assistant Referee (VAR) monitor, but that was not done.
He said the decision to give Portugal the penalty was something he cannot defend, though he usually tends to back referees.
“The VAR, in my opinion, should have gotten involved, should’ve invited the referee over to have a look at it,” Mike Dean told beIN Sports after the game.
He continued, “I like to back referees all the time, but you can’t support stuff like that. You can’t defend the undefendable.
“For me, it should’ve been overturned, he should’ve gone to the screen…100% it was wrong.”
Ghana head coach Otto Addo also described the penalty as a gift from Ismail Elfath while expressing his disappointment at the performance of the referee.
Joy Sports understands the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has petitioned FIFA over the key decisions of the referee that affected the outcome of the game.
Ghana will shift focus to Monday’s encounter against South Korea in their second Group H game.
Former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan says Cristiano Ronaldo befitted from a soft penalty against Ghana after becoming the first man to score at five World Cups.
After the goalless first half, Ronaldo opened the scoring for Portugal via the penalty spot but Ghana improved after the goal and scored the equalised through skipper Andre Ayew from close range.
Portugal responded with two goals in two minutes to seal the points – Joao Felix converting a delightfully clipped finish and substitute Rafael Leao coolly stroking in just seconds after coming on.
Osman Bukari headed in a late consolation for Ghana and there could have been real drama in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
“The penalty for me… I don’t agree, in my opinion because it was just a soft touch,” Gyan told SuperSport TV after the game.
“Although Ronaldo was a bit earlier, it wasn’t a touch that could be a penalty. The referee should have at least checked the video assistant referee and made his decision. For me, I think it was too soft.”
He added, “The change came in too early. Although Dede Ayew got the goal, he was visibly exhausted before then, but after scoring, he and the man of the moment, Kudu were taken off which I disagree with a bit.”
“But at the end of the day, the players stepped up to the plate. I think the second half is the best we have seen in this competition so far.”
The defeat means Black Stars are bottom of Group H after Uruguay and South Korea played out a goalless draw earlier on Thursday.
The Black Stars will now switch their attention to their attention to the match against South Korea on Monday before taking on Uruguay on December 2 at the Education City stadium.
The first time I gave a thought to the term socialite was back in the late 2000, when the British tabloid The Sun, splashed on its cover, photos of Paris Hilton and a smiling Cristiano Ronaldo.
The headline was: Madrid via Paris. Ronaldo had secured a move to Real Madrid worth £80m from Manchester United. He headed off to Los Angeles where the tabloid captured him and Ms. Hilton firmly tucked in his arm.
The two were rumored to be in a relationship, so the image of them storming out of a night club was always going to be a paparazzi’s dream. Though I knew about Paris Hilton because she was often the center of attention by most tabloids in the United States and even Britain.
Her alleged involvement with the Portuguese footballer excited me. I therefore did some reading about her background and what her story was. My initial thought was she may be an actress with lots of film credits to her name. But I discovered she was more than that; she was the great granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the man who established the Hilton Hotels.
She was coming from a background that is very much roiled in wealth. As at the time of my research, she was also connected to modeling, entrepreneurship and products associated with her name could be identified in high earned shops in Europe and the Americas i.e., from handbags to perfumes and branded items, Ms. Hilton was adding on to the family fortune. She was one of the most photographed women in showbiz and her business interests were very much known to almost everyone who operated within the showbusiness industry.
Then a writer with strong interest in the showbiz industry, I contemplated writing an article about some of the high-profile women in the Ghanaian entertainment and fashion space, who could be our own Paris Hilton, or may fit the socialite profile.
The two names that came to mind were Confidence Haugen and Sally Kanbonaba. Confidence was the founder of Aphrodisiac Nightclub and Sally owned Monte Carlo Grand Café. The two places were in Dzorwulu and Labone and played hosts to most of the major events in the industry. I did not write the article but in a conversation with some colleague writers at the time, they felt the two fitted into the socialite labeling, especially in the Ghanaian context.
Stories about their private lives in newspapers were never boring, no matter how many times they appeared; from which men they were hanging out to the cars they drove, as well as other business interests.
Social media had not come onto the scene, so the newspapers were always the space to get either Sally or Confidence related gossips.
Miss Haugen is now a Queenmother in the Anlo area in the Volta region and doing great work in humanitarian services. I am not too sure about the whereabouts of Sally, though several conspiracy theories continue to hang in the air about her whereabouts.
Th emergence of social media tools like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and then TikTok, have very much changed the showbiz industry.
These platforms have also led to the increasing numbers of bloggers who continue to cultivate new breed of celebrities and socialites.
I have even lost count of the number of persons labeled as ‘celebrities’’ in this country. The term appears sexy in the minds of bloggers, and they cannot resist the temptation of using them to reference characters, even if the said character does not have enough showbiz credits to the name.
I can however count on my fingertips the number of persons I have heard being described as socialites.
The famous among them is Hajia4Real, the musician who is locked up in the United Kingdom over fraud allegations. She is the only person I have read being described as a ‘socialite’ in writeups, or interviews posted on YouTube.
Her fleets of cars, designer clothing showoffs, open display of money at shops in Europe and opulence, have often generated gossips within the public. In most of the news articles written about her, she was often quoted as having attributed her wealth to endorsement deals, business partnerships with friends, business interests in the Northern region and other places.
However, in gossip chatrooms or WhatsApp platforms, not many believed her claim of rags to riches story; almost everyone knew what kind of business she was involved in, though they were often whispered in small groups.
The truth is, in Ghana, it is often seen as evil, trying to question where one gets his or her wealth. What is whispered in secrets is only spoken when the person has fallen foul of the law. It was therefore not surprising when rumors of Hajia4reall’s arrest dominated the headlines.
On Twitter, lots of people said they felt vindicated by what they had always suspected about her source of wealth.
She had not been convicted by any court yet. There is no public document detailing the exact crime she might have committed, but, in the eyes of the public, our most famous socialite turned musician, isn’t a Paris Hilton after all.
