Cristiano Ronaldo has become football’s first billionaire player, according to financial information and media firm Bloomberg.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index,, external which tracks the world’s richest people based on their net worth, has measured the 40-year-old Portugal and Al-Nassr striker’s wealth for the first time.
The valuation takes into account career earnings, investments and endorsements and says Ronaldo’s net worth is $1.4bn (£1.04bn).
It says he earned more than $550m (£410m) in salary between 2002 and 2023, and breaks down his reported earnings through deals and sponsorship, including a decade-long deal with Nike worth almost $18m (£13.4m) a year.
When Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League in 2022 he reportedly became the best-paid player in football history with an annual salary of £177m.
His contract was due to end in June 2025 but he signed a new two-year deal – reportedly worth more than $400m (£298m) – which will keep him at the club beyond his 42nd birthday.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, who played against Ronaldo for many years during their time in Spain, has earned more than $600m (£447m) in pre-tax salary during his career, according to Bloomberg.
That includes $20m (£15m) in guaranteed annual pay since 2023, which is about 10% of Ronaldo’s income during the same period.
When he retires, 38-year-old Messi is set to get a stake in Inter Miami. (BBC)
The leaders of six countries, including France, have moved to recognise Palestinian statehood at a high-level summit ahead of the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York.
Alongside France, which co-convened the meeting with Saudi Arabia on Monday in New York, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco said they were recognising a Palestinian state.
Leaders from Australia, Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom, which formally made the move to recognise Palestine a day earlier, also spoke at the meeting.
“We have gathered here because the time has come,” Emmanuel Macron said at the summit convened to revive the long-delayed two-state solution to end the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“It falls on us, this responsibility, to do everything in our power to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution,” Macron said.
“Today, I declare that France recognises the state of Palestine,” he said.
The additional countries recognising Palestine now join some 147 of the 193 UN member states that had already formally recognised Palestinian statehood as of April this year.
With more than 80 percent of the international community now recognising the state of Palestine, diplomatic pressure has ramped up on Israel as it continues its genocidal war on Gaza, where more than 65,300 Palestinians have been killed and the has been enclave turned into rubble.
Spain, Norway and Ireland recognised Palestinian statehood last year, with Madrid also imposing sanctions on Israel for its war on Gaza.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the summit on Monday that a two-state solution was not possible “when the population of one of those two states is the victim of a genocide”.
“The Palestinian people are being annihilated, [so] in the name of reason, in the name of international law and in the name of human dignity, we have to stop this slaughter,” Sanchez said.
Macron, in his speech to the summit, also outlined a framework for the creation of a “renewed Palestinian Authority”. The post-war framework envisages an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) that would assist in preparing the Palestinian Authority (PA) to take over governance in Gaza.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas commended the countries that had recognised Palestine. He made his statement to the conference by video because he was denied a visa by the administration of US President Donald Trump to attend the UNGA this week.
“We call on those that have not yet done so to do so to follow suit”, Abbas said, adding that the PA also demanded “support for Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations”.
Israel and the US, which are becoming increasingly isolated internationally on the issue, boycotted the summit, with Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, describing the event as a “circus”.
Although the vast majority of UN member states now recognise Palestinian statehood, new UN member states must have the support of the UN Security Council, where the US has used its veto to block Palestine from becoming a full UN member state.
Speaking at the summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his support for the two-state solution, framing it as the only viable path towards peace after years of failed negotiations and ongoing violence.
Guterres said that statehood for Palestinians “is a right, not a reward”, rejecting US and Israeli claims that it was a reward for Hamas.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, thanked Macron and the UN chief for their efforts towards a two-state solution, which he said is “the only way to achieve just and lasting peace”.
He said the conference comes at a time when “the Israeli occupation authorities continue their aggression and their brutal crimes” against Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel also continues its “violations in the West Bank, and its repeated attacks on Arab and Muslim countries, with the most recent attack on Qatar”, he said.
“These actions underline Israel’s insistence on continuing aggressive practices that threaten regional and international peace and stability and undermine efforts of peace in the region,” he added. (AlJazeera)
Britain, Australia and Canada on Sunday recognised a Palestinian state in a seismic shift in decades of western foreign policy, triggering swift Israeli anger.
Portugal was also to recognise Palestinian statehood later Sunday, as Israel came under huge international pressure over the war in Gaza triggered almost two years ago by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
“Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a message on X.
Britain and Canada became the first G7 countries to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly which opens Monday in New York.
“Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.
It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their decades-long ambitions for statehood, with the most powerful Western nations having long argued it should only come as part of a negotiated peace deal with Israel.
But the move puts those countries at odds with the United States and Israel, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacting angrily and vowing to oppose it at the UN talks.
Calls for a Palestinian state “would endanger our existence and serve as an absurd reward for terrorism,” Netanyahu said Sunday.
A growing number of longtime allies have shifted positions, as Israel has intensified its Gaza offensive, vowing to eliminate the Hamas Palestinian militants.
The Gaza Strip has suffered vast destruction, a spiralling death toll and a lack of food that has sparked a major humanitarian crisis since the start of the conflict which has drawn an international outcry
The UK government has come under increasing public pressure to act, with thousands rallying every month on the streets. A poll released by YouGov on Friday showed two-thirds of young Britons aged 18-25 supported Palestinian statehood.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy acknowledged at the UN in July that “Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution”.
Over a century ago, the UK was pivotal in laying the groundwork for the creation of the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.
Three-quarters of UN members already recognise Palestinian statehood, with over 140 of the 193 having taken the step.
Starmer said in July that his Labour government intended to recognise a Palestinian State unless Israel took “substantive” steps including reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, getting more aid into the territory and confirming it would not annex the West Bank.
Starmer has also repeatedly called on Hamas to release the remaining hostages they captured in the 2023 attack, and is expected to set out new sanctions on the Palestinian militants.
Lammy told the BBC on Sunday that the Palestinian Authority, the civilian body that governs in areas of the West Bank, had been calling for the move for some time “and I think a lot of that is wrapped up in hope”.
“Will this feed children? No it won’t, that’s down to humanitarian aid. Will this free hostages? That must be down to a ceasefire.”
But he said it was an attempt to “hold out for” a two-state solution.
Palestinian foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin told AFP last week: “Recognition is not symbolic.”
“It sends a very clear message to the Israelis on their illusions about continuing their occupation forever,” she added.
Hamas’s 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 65,208 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.
Portugal said that it would also formally declare its recognition in New York on Sunday.
“By acting now, as the Portuguese government has decided, we’re keeping alive the possibility of having two states,” Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said. (Punch)
Portuguese police have confirmed that three Britons were among the 16 people killed in Lisbon on Wednesday evening when one of the city’s funicular streetcars derailed and hurtled down a hill and into a building.
The accident, described by Portugal’s prime minister, Luís Montenegro, as “one of the biggest tragedies in our recent history”, also left 21 people injured, five of whom are in a serious condition.
A preliminary report on the crash on the Elevador da Glória is due to be released on Friday by the government’s office for air and rail accident investigations.
In a statement on Friday morning, police said the accident had killed five Portuguese citizens, three Britons, two South Koreans, two Canadians, one American, one Ukrainian, one Swiss citizen and one French person.
Police said that a German citizen thought to have died in the crash had been located alive in a hospital. Local media had reported that a German father had died and a mother was seriously hurt while their 3-year-old child suffered minor injuries.
The German foreign ministry said at least three German nationals were in hospital.
The injured also include Spanish, Israeli, Portuguese, Brazilian, Italian and French citizens, according to the executive director of Portugal’s national health service, Álvaro Santos Almeida.
Downing Street said Keir Starmer was deeply saddened to hear of the death of the three Britons.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister is deeply saddened to hear that three British nationals have died in the funicular crash in Lisbon. His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident. We stand united with Portugal during this difficult time.”
The wreckage of the Elevador da Glória vehicle was removed from the scene on Thursday night and taken by police for examination as a day of national mourning ended. The chief police investigator, Nelson Oliveira, said a preliminary police report, which would have a broader scope, was expected within 45 days.
Investigators have not found any evidence of sabotage, leaving mechanical failures or maintenance issues among the possible causes.
The Glória line carries about 3 million people, tourists and residents annually. Its two cars, each capable of carrying about 40 people, are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, with traction provided by electric motors on the cars.
On Thursday, the leader of the Fectrans union, Manuel Leal, told a local television station that workers had complained that problems with the tension of the cable that hauls the carriages had made braking difficult, but added it was too early to say if that had caused the crash.
Carris, the municipal public transport company that operates the service, said “all maintenance protocols” had been carried out, including monthly and weekly service programmes and daily inspections.
The president of Carris, Pedro de Brito Bogas, said the streetcar, which had been in service since 1914, underwent a scheduled full-maintenance programme last year and the company conducted a 30-minute visual inspection of it every day.
At a news conference, he said the streetcar had last been inspected nine hours before the derailment, but did not detail the visual inspection, nor specify when questioned whether all the cables had been tested.
Hundreds of people, including the prime minister, Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and Lisbon’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, attended a solemn mass at Lisbon’s church of Saint Dominic on Thursday evening.
On Thursday afternoon, the prime minister called the crash a “tragic accident that transcends borders and a pain that knows no nationality”, and promised a quick investigation to establish what had gone wrong.
“The competent authorities will swiftly carry out the necessary investigations to determine the cause of this tragic accident,” he said. “We will determine all responsibilities with a sense of respect for all those who suffered and are suffering the effects of this accident.”
Moedas said there were no words to describe the pain the city was feeling. “We’re gathering all the information to determine who is responsible. The city needs answers,” said Lisbon’s mayor. (Guardian)
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo says he will not play at this month’s Club World Cup after turning down offers from participating teams.
The 40-year-old is out of contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr at the end of June.
In May, Fifa president Gianni Infantino raised the prospect of Ronaldo joining a team involved at the Club World Cup after Al-Nassr’s failure to qualify.
“I will not be at the Club World Cup,” said Ronaldo.
“Some teams reached out to me. Some made sense and others did not, but you can’t try and do everything. You can’t catch every ball.”
Ronaldo posted on social media that “the chapter is over” following Al-Nassr’s final league game of the season in May, leading to speculation he was set for a move.
However, sources have told BBC Sport that the club are confident of extending Ronaldo’s deal.
Speaking before Portugal’s Nations League final against Spain on Sunday (20:00 BST), Ronaldo said a decision on his future was “almost final”.
The striker joined Al-Nassr in 2023 after the termination of his deal with Manchester United.
He has scored 99 goals in 111 appearances for the club, including 35 times in 41 matches last term.
Ronaldo scored the winner in a 2-1 victory against Germany on Wednesday to book Portugal’s spot in the Nations League final. (BBC)
Spain booked their place in the UEFA Nations League final with a dramatic 5-4 victory over France on Thursday in Stuttgart, setting up a clash with Portugal, who defeated Germany 2-1 a day earlier.
The Spaniards raced into an early lead with goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Merino in the 22nd and 25th minutes respectively, both assisted by Mikel Oyarzabal.
The momentum remained with Spain as 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal converted from the penalty spot in the 54th minute to make it 3-0.
Just a minute later, Pedri added a fourth goal after another fine move involving Williams, putting Spain in complete control of the semi-final.
Although Kylian Mbappé reduced the deficit with a penalty in the 59th minute, Yamal responded almost immediately with his second of the night in the 67th minute to restore Spain’s four-goal advantage at 5-1.
France, however, mounted a fierce late comeback. Rayan Cherki struck in the 79th minute, followed by an own goal from Dani Vivian in the 84th.
Substitute Randal Kolo Muani added a fourth in stoppage time, assisted by Cherki, but it proved too little too late for Didier Deschamps’ side.
Meanwhile, in Munich on Wednesday, Portugal came from behind to defeat Germany 2-1. Florian Wirtz opened the scoring for the hosts in the 48th minute, but Francisco Conceicao levelled for Portugal in the 63rd before Cristiano Ronaldo secured the win five minutes later with a decisive goal in the 68th.
Following their respective victories, Portugal and Spain will meet in the final on Sunday at the Allianz Arena in Munich by 1900 GMT, while Germany will face France in the third-place play-off at the MHPArena in Stuttgart by 1300 GMT. (Punch)
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