Cristiano Ronaldo will try to outshine Lionel Messi on his return to Old Trafford when the two best players in the world clash in a friendly between Portugal and Argentina on Tuesday.
Real Madrid forward Ronaldo and Barcelona striker Messi are locked in a battle to prove themselves the top player on the planet and their latest showdown comes on the former home turf of the Portugal icon.
Adding spice to their rivalry with Spain’s two superpowers is the speculation that they aren’t on good terms off the pitch either.
Whatever the status of their personal relationship, the duo have deservedly become serial trophy collectors over the last decade, with team and individual prizes hoovered up on a regular basis.
Messi has won the Champions League three times and Ronaldo twice, while Messi has six league titles in Spain and Ronaldo three with Manchester United and one with Real.
Between them they have won the past six coveted Ballon D’Or contests, awarded to the player voted the world’s best by managers, players and journalists.
Argentina star Messi has been voted the winner four times in that period and has come second to Ronaldo the other two years.
Ronaldo hopes to add a third gong this year, and few would disagree if he pipped Messi and several contenders from the German World Cup winning team.
Ronaldo has 18 league goals already this season, while Messi has – by his standards – a modest total of seven, although he was voted player of the tournament at this year’s World Cup
Also in Ronaldo’s favour, he became the record goalscorer in European Championship qualifying and tournament history with his strike in a 1-0 victory over Armenia at the weekend.
That was his 23rd goal in the competition, surpassing the previous high mark set by Jan Dahl Tomasson of Denmark, and his 57th in 117 caps for Portugal.
“I have done what I have to do. I have won major titles, I have beaten other records, and I now have to wait calmly for the votes,” he said.
Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford will be his second since he left United for Madrid in 2009.
In March 2013, he scored the goal that knocked his old club out of the Champions League in front of still-adoring United fans.
But poor ticket sales for this week’s friendly suggest United supporters aren’t quite so keen to pay tribute to their former idol on this occasion.
Ronaldo is still looking forward to the chance to return to Manchester however and he said: “It’s special going back to Old Trafford and I hope the stadium will be with me.”
There will also be a return to Manchester for former City and United striker Carlos Tevez.
Tevez, now with Juventus, came back into the Argentina squad last week after three years in exile and played in last week’s 2-1 friendly win over Croatia at West Ham’s Upton Park.
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
