&w=3840&q=100)
Magnus Carlsen has a message for Ronaldo ahead of Esports World Cup: 'Don't know what Ronaldo has done on chessboard'
Magnus Carlsen has thrown down a chess challenge to Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the Esports World Cup. Images: Reuters
World No.1 chess player Magnus Carlsen has expressed a desire to play a chess match against football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on the sidelines of the Esports World Cup, which is being held in Saudi Arabia. The Esports World Cup is taking place in Riyadh, which is also the home of Ronaldo's football club, Al Nassr.
Both Carlsen and Ronaldo are the global ambassadors for Esports World Cup and the five-time chess world champion Carlsen will take part in the inaugural EWC Chess Tournament from 29 to 31 July in Riyadh.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Carlsen hopes to play chess against Ronaldo
Speaking ahead of his tournament, Carlsen praised Ronaldo on a highly successful football career and hopes he gets to meet him or play chess with him during his time in Riyadh.
'I personally don't know what (Cristiano) Ronaldo has done on chess chessboard, but what he has done in his life, in his football career, is extremely impressive. So, I would certainly be very honoured if I could, you know, meet him or play chess while I'm here,' Carlsen said.
Carlsen is a massive football fan himself and regularly plays the English Premier League's official Fantasy Football (FPL) game. He topped the Fantasy Football list officially for a brief period in December 2019.
The 34-year-old Norwegian also played an exhibition chess match against former Liverpool and now Real Madrid defender Alexander-Arnold, beating the footballer in 17 moves. And also said earlier this year that he would want to play chess against Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
Ronaldo signs mega deal with Al Nassr
Coming to Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been at Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr since January 2023. He recently signed a that will keep him in the Middle Eastern country till 2027.
As per media reports, Ronaldo is set to rake in a lot of moolah with his new deal. The 40-year-old Ronaldo is set to earn nearly half a billion pounds (£492 million or US$677 million) with the new contract. It comes down to a mind-boggling earning of half a million pounds (£488,000 or US$671,898) per day until the age of 42.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Rebounds from penalties could be banned; one-shot rule might be implemented
Football could see one of its oldest rules abolished in time for the next World Cup. According to reports in Times London, proposals have been put forth to The International Football Association Board to disallow taking rebounds from penalty kicks. The suggestion, if ratified, means the penalty-taker or his teammate cannot have a second attempt on goal if the initial shot is saved or it cannons back from some part of the post. Basically, penalties would be one-shot affairs, as during shootouts in knockout games. One of its fiercest advocates has been the legendary Italian referee Pierluigi Collina. 'I believe there is an excessive gap between the opportunities available to the attacker and those of the goalkeeper,' Collina once told Repubblica. The rule has fashioned some of the most iconic moments in the game, like the Xabi Alonso's goal in Liverpool's Miracle of Istanbul, when AC Milan's goal goalkeeper Dida saved the Spaniard's first attempt but latched on to rebound, which completed the Reds' comeback from 3-0 to 3-3. The scoreline remained thus and Liverpool won in the shootout. He details the extra advantage the team gets. 'On average, 75% of penalties are already scored, and often, the penalty kick is a bigger chance than the one taken away by the foul. On top of that, the attacker is also given a chance to play the rebound off the goalkeeper. In my opinion, goalkeepers should be complaining. I've already mentioned this in discussions we've had at IFAB,' he elaborated. He floats one-shot-rule as the solution. 'One solution is the 'one shot' rule. Just like in penalty shootouts after extra time. No rebound. Either you score or play resumes with a goal kick, period. This would also eliminate the spectacle we see before a penalty is taken, with everyone crowding around the area. It looks like horses at the starting gates before the Palio di Siena,' he detailed. If the penalty taker misses, the ball will be assumed dead and the defending team would be awarded a goal-kick. The move, experts reckon, could prevent overcrowding, and thus time wasting, before the kick. But the rule-tweak would not be implemented straightaway. Usually, the proposal is placed during IFAB's annual business meeting in November and are then voted on at the AGM in March. Historically, the IFAB has been conservative and passes a rule after detailing trialling. But in recent times, it has been liberal with radical rule changes.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Liverpool eyes blockbuster bid for Newcastle's Isak — reports
Liverpool is considering a blockbuster £120 million ($160 million) bid for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak despite the Magpies' desire to hold onto the Sweden star, according to reports on Wednesday. The Premier League champion is yet to make a formal offer for Isak but he is believed to be high on its wanted list as boss Arne Slot looks for a new forward in the wake of Diogo Jota's death. Isak joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad for £63 million in 2022, emerging as a key player for Eddie Howe's team. He scored 23 Premier League goals last season to fire the club into the Champions League for the second time in three years. Isak also scored in Newcastle's League Cup final victory over Liverpool at Wembley, which ended the Magpies' 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy. ALSO READ | Cristiano Ronaldo wins Saudi Pro League fans' player of the season award The 25-year-old, who is currently at a pre-season training camp in Austria, still has three years remaining on his contract and Newcastle is understood to be trying to tie him to a new deal. It has reportedly put a value of around £150 million on Isak in an attempt to ward off potential suitors, with Arsenal also reportedly contemplating an offer. Newcastle's majority owner, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has the financial muscle to resist any approach for a player who is said not to be agitating for a move. Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa have also been linked with moves away from Anfield, which would increase their need to bring in a new striker. As well as its Isak interest, Liverpool has been linked with Eintracht Frankfurt's £70 million-rated forward Hugo Ekitike, who has also attracted attention from Newcastle.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Hans Niemann explains why Magnus Carlsen will be under more pressure while facing him over board
Hans Niemann has said that stars like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura will experience more pressure than he will when they face off across the board in a chess game. Niemann is one of the 16 players at the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, where Carlsen and Nakamura are also in the fray. Niemann and Nakamura are in eight-player Group Black while Carlsen headlines Group White. Niemann's group will also have players like Fabiano Caruana, Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujrathi while Praggnanandhaa is in Carslen's half. The Las Vegas event could see a rare, over-the-board clash between the outspoken American and Carlsen, who had accused him of cheating after losing to Niemann in a Sinquefield Cup game in 2022. That incident led to a $100 million lawsuit which was eventually settled. None of the cheating allegations were ever substantiated. Carlsen and Niemann have played against each other a couple of times over the board since then, most notably at the FIDE World Blitz Championship in New York in December last year. There, Carlsen defeated Niemann and then made a 'what's the fuss' gesture at the camera. Niemann, though, believes that the Norwegian world no 1 will experience more pressure than him if they meet again. 'I honestly think that more pressure is on them because they have much more to lose than me. For me, I'm 22 years old. I have 10 chances against them, right? If I lose to them, it's not something to be embarrassed about, right? They're great players, but for them, if they lose, considering the history, for them it would be quite devastating, you know? So, I think that they feel more pressure,' Niemann told Chessbase India in an interview. 'Even recently my results against Hikaru and Magnus online have been very good. I think against Hikaru this year I'm 5 ½ vs 1 ½ and all the wins I had were decisive to win the tournament. So Hikaru I'm out performing. I beat Magnus and Hikaru back to back. Even Alireza I'm 3-0 in the last. So I don't feel the same nerves that I used to feel against the top guys. I guess having opportunities to play them in blitz online helps you acclimatize to their level and to the potential stress that could incur throughout the game. They have much more to lose. So like I would say that they're stressed (facing me). Because if you saw in my rapid game against Hikaru he was completely winning, but then he blundered and so I've been tricking him a lot. So it's a sign of stress.'
