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Football London
Football London
Sport
Kieran Horn

Cristiano Ronaldo gives Lionel Messi perfect gift after Saudi Arabia World Cup embarrassment

On a day where the biggest story in football looked set to be Lionel Messi's Argentina slumping to a shocking World Cup defeat against Saudi Arabia, his long-term foe Cristiano Ronaldo has likely trumped him following the decision made by the Portuguese star and his club Manchester United.

After an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, where the topics discussed ranged from his relationship with manager Erik ten Hag to his thoughts on the current state of the club, Ronaldo has seen his contract terminated at the club by mutual consent.

In a club statement United said: "The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.

READ MORE: 'Sign him' - Chelsea supporters make Cristiano Ronaldo plea to Todd Boehly after Man Utd exit

"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."

Ronaldo's controversial departure from United comes just a few days before Portugal's opening fixture in the World Cup where Manchester City star Bernardo Silva insisted the national team were only focused on the World Cup.

With Ronaldo's second spell at United now over, the topic of where he will be heading next is high on the agenda with Paris Saint-Germain and Premier League clubs Arsenal and Chelsea tipped to be interested.

Major footballing stories were highly prominent on Tuesday as earlier in the day, Argentina lost their opening game at the World Cup after Messi's penalty was cancelled out by Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari which saw Saudi Arabia as the architects of one of the most shocking World Cup moments in history.

Messi and Ronaldo, who are both at the forefront of top stories of the day, have enjoyed a historic rivalry for individual awards and domestic trophies with the duo representing Barcelona and Real Madrid for a number of years.

However, on a day where the embarrassment surrounding Messi and Argentina seemed destined to be the top story of the day, Ronaldo has gifted Messi a break from some scrutiny and spotlight by providing the most newsworthy moment of the day.

CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY ON WHETHER CHELSEA SHOULD SIGN RONALDO

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