Manchester United’s possible new owner worth 300 times more than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo combined - Reports
Manchester United’s potential new owner is worth 300 times more than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo combined. As reported by Express Sport, the Red Devils are possibly on the verge of being taken over by Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani.
The multi-billionaire - Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani - has forward a bid in the region of £4-5 billion to buy Manchester United from the Glazers. Hamad Al Thani and his family own a ridiculous amount of wealth, worth over 300 times more than the combined wealth of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Hamad Al Thani is the head of Qatar’s biggest bank and is also a member of the Gulf state’s ruling royal family. The tycoon is estimated to be worth around a staggering £278 billion. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, is currently worth £407 million, while Lionel Messi is worth £515 million.
The 41-year-old Al Thani studied at the Sandhurst military academy in Berkshire and claims to be a lifelong Manchester United fan. His father Hamad was Qatar’s prime minister between 2007 and 2013, and Hamad’s great uncle founded modern Qatar in 1971.
Manchester United have been up for sale since last autumn, with the current owners - the Glazer family - believed to be looking for either a complete or partial sale. Sheikh Jassim released a statement on Friday which read:
“The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and - above all - will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more."
It continued:
“The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports. The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.”
The Qatari billionaire, though, is set to face rival bids from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS group as well as Saudi Arabian and American investors.
Nicolas Pareja makes bold claim on GOAT debate involving Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Former Argentine international Nicolas Pareja has claimed that Lionel Messi would still be better than Cristiano Ronaldo even if he hadn’t won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He said in an interview with Telecom Asia Sport:
"Messi deserved to win the World Cup. It's the only title he was missing. For me, he is the best player in history, the best player in the world. I am very happy for him, for my former teammates, my friends. The Argentines really wanted this victory. It was an incredible joy for the whole country."
He continued:
"Even if Messi hadn't won the World Cup, he would still be the best player in the world for me. And now that he's won it, he's on a slightly different level."
The GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been raging on for more than a decade and a half now. The two iconic playeds have dominated the game for a long time now and have 12 Ballon d'Ors between themselves, with Messi accounting for seven.