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Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United with immediate effect, the club has announced.

In a statement, the club said: “Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.

“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.

“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 added: “Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early.

“I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.

“I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future.”

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Reports last week claimed United‘s lawyers had been looking at ways to bring Ronaldo’s time at the club to an end in the wake of his interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV.

Ronaldo, who has been a regular on the bench this season – scoring three goals in 16 appearances – accused United of betraying him by trying to force him out of the club.

He also said he had “no respect” for boss Erik ten Hag, and alleged two senior figures at Old Trafford treated him with suspicion when he said his daughter Bella was sick with bronchitis, three months after her twin brother died.

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Ronaldo: ‘I felt betrayed’ by Man Utd

Ronaldo leaving United was ‘inevitable’

Rob Harris, Sky’s sports correspondent, said the news Ronaldo is leaving Manchester United was “inevitable” after the interview.

He added: “Once Cristiano Ronaldo gave that interview last week saying he felt betrayed by Manchester United, as well as criticising the club, the standards of coaching, criticising the methodology and the fabric of the club, it looked like his time at Manchester United was coming to an end.

“This is the end of his second period at the club. He’d barely been there a year or so. United thought he was heading to Manchester City when they signed him a year ago. They managed to convince him. Sir Alex Ferguson, the former manager, managed to convince him not to go to their arch-rivals, but it has been a souring of relations.”

Harris adds that Ronaldo is now 37 years old and has not had “the same impact” as before.

File photo dated 07-08-2022 of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham. Issue date: Friday October 21, 2022.
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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo

“He had not been a significant part of this season. Only one goal was scored and he’d even left some games early – which led to him one point being banished from the team for a while.

“But boy, United fans remember him for this second spell at the club over the first period when he really made his mark from 2003 to 2009, winning Champions League Premier titles and being part of that Alex Ferguson period of dominance.”

Ronaldo is now in Qatar, focusing on his Portugal team who start their World Cup campaign on Thursday against Ghana.

Harris says Ronaldo will not be looking for a new club – it is not known if United will have to pay up the rest of the contract.

Manchester United were understood to be “extremely disappointed” with Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan and initially said it would be “considering its response” to the interview.

After seeing the interview in full, the club’s lawyers were understood to be looking at how to bring his time at the club to an end.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo arrives with the Portuguese team at Lisbon airport to depart for the World Cup in Qatar. Pic: AP
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Ronaldo arrives with the Portuguese team at Lisbon airport to depart for the World Cup in Qatar. Pic: AP

Ronaldo claims he’s ‘bullet-proof’

The Portugal star responded to criticism of his comments after arriving in Qatar, and was defiant, telling a news conference: “I am bullet-proof, I wear an iron suit.

“From your side, it is easy to look at how we can choose timings. Sometimes you write truths, sometimes you write lies. I don’t have to worry about what others think.”

He also insisted that the awkward handshake between him and attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes following the interview was actually a joke between the teammates.

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Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has defended his explosive Manchester United interview, saying that it

Did Ronaldo ‘engineer’ his departure?

The Portuguese superstar earns a salary reported to be between £400,000 and £500,000 a week as part of a contract that runs until the end of the season, and he’s at an age where United couldn’t expect a big fee to buy him in the January transfer window.

Jamie Singer, a partner at sports law specialists Onside Law, told Sky News: “When you’re using language like ‘betrayal’ in respect of the club, it’s not going to be hard to demonstrate there’s been a breach of contract.”

But before Ronaldo had his contract ripped up, he speculated that: “You could have a situation where both parties would not be unhappy about a termination, and it appears that perhaps Ronaldo may be engineering that.”

In September, Ronaldo was charged with “improper and/or violent” conduct after a video emerged appearing to show him knocking a fan’s mobile phone to the ground.

In October, he was punished by his manager for refusing to play against Tottenham.

After that incident, Ronaldo later admitted on Instagram that “sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us”.

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Zelenskyy says he is ‘truly thankful’ to US after Trump row – as he arrives in UK for summit

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Zelenskyy says he is 'truly thankful' to US after Trump row - as he arrives in UK for summit

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the Ukrainian people “are truly thankful” for US support, hours after talks with Donald Trump descended into a row at the White House.

During a disastrous meeting with Mr Trump, the Ukrainian president was asked by vice president JD Vance, “have you said thank you once?”

In a lengthy social media post, Mr Zelenskyy said: “I always begin with words of gratitude from our nation to the American nation”.

The Ukrainian president insisted the US-Ukraine relationship “is more than just two leaders” but it was “crucial” for his country to have Mr Trump’s support.

He added: “American people helped save our people. Humans and human rights come first. We’re truly thankful. We want only strong relations with America, and I really hope we will have them.”

Ukraine latest: Zelenskyy says Ukraine should be ‘not forgotten’

Mr Zelenskyy will meet Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street on Saturday afternoon after his plane landed at Stansted Airport.

It comes ahead of a major summit hosted by the UK prime minister on Sunday, where more than a dozen European and EU leaders including Mr Zelenskyy will meet to discuss the Ukraine war and security.

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Zelenskyy’s plane lands in UK

The Ukrainian president had travelled to Washington DC to attempt to secure a ceasefire agreement after three years of war with Russia and a possible mineral deal with the US.

The meeting descended into a shouting match in front of cameras and journalists.

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Watch Trump and Zelenskyy clash

Mr Vance told Mr Zelenskyy: “I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.

“You should be thanking the President [Trump] for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”

The US and Ukrainian leaders find themselves further apart than ever.
Pic: Reuters/Brian Snyder
The US and Ukrainian presidents had a fiery row at the White House - in front of the world's media.
Pic: Reuters/Brian Snyder
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Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump clash. Pics: Reuters

‘You’re gambling with World War Three’

The Ukrainian president tried to object but Mr Trump spoke over him and told him: “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.

“You’re gambling with World War Three, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have.”

Mr Zelenskyy defended himself and his country, openly challenging Mr Trump on his softer approach to Vladimir Putin and urging him to make “no compromises with a killer”.

More from Sky News:
How Starmer secured wins at the White House
Inside the Oval Office with Trump and Starmer

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Trump and Zelenskyy’s body language analysed

European leaders express support for Zelenskyy

After the row, Mr Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart to leave the White House, according to a US official, leaving the minerals deal in limbo.

European leaders expressed their support for Mr Zelenskyy ahead of the UK summit on Sunday.

France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, and Poland’s Donald Tusk all shared social media posts expressing their support.

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BRIT Awards 2025: Who is performing, who’s nominated and how to watch

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BRIT Awards 2025: Who is performing, who's nominated and how to watch

Tonight’s BRIT Awards are shaping up to be a big night for female British artists, including Charli XCX and Dua Lipa.

The ceremony, which is taking place at London’s O2 Arena, will see artists who are currently dominating the charts come together to celebrate the best in popular music.

Leading nominations with five nods is Charli XCX, whose sixth album Brat was a viral hit last year.

Dua Lipa closely follows with four nominations – along with 2024 rising star winners The Last Dinner Party, and 2023 Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective.

Here is everything you can expect from the biggest night in British music.

Charli xcx. Pic: Harley Weir
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Charli XCX leads this year’s nominations. Pic: Harley Weir

What will happen?

Comedian Jack Whitehall is returning to host this year’s ceremony.

More on Brit Awards

It will be his first time at the helm in four years, but fifth in total, after taking on the role for four consecutive years from 2018 to 2021.

Pic: John Marshall/JMEnternational
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Host Jack Whitehall. Pic: John Marshall/JMEnternational

There are 16 categories for awards this year, including the big one – album of the year.

In the running for this is Charli XCX – BRAT, The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World, Dua Lipa – Radical Optimism, Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching and The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy.

Other awards up for grabs include: Artist of the year, group of the year, best new artist, song of the year, international artist of the year, international group of the year, international song of the year, alternative rock act, hip-hop/grime/rap act, dance act, pop act and R&B act.

Last year’s ceremony saw singer-songwriter Raye dominating, with a record number of six wins including a clean sweep of the big three; best artist, best song and best album.

This year, the trophy that winners will pick up on the night has been designed by artist Gabriel Moses.

This year's Brit award trophy designed by Gabriel Moses. Pic: BRITs
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This year’s Brit Award trophy designed by Gabriel Moses. Pic: Brit Awards

Who is nominated?

Before the awards have even begun, Charli XCX has been announced as the winner of this year’s songwriter of the year award.

Also recognised is her longtime collaborator AG Cook, winning BRITs producer of the year, reflecting the combined impact he and Charli XCX have had on music over the last 12 months.

The singer – whose real name is Charlotte Aitchison – could still pick up another five awards tonight including: pop act, dance act, song of the year, artist of the year and album of the year.

Behind Charli XCX, this year also sees The Beatles pick up a nomination for the song Now And Then.

The song, which was finished by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr with the help of audio restoration and released in November, is the band’s first nomination since 1977.

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The Brits go brat: 2025 nominations revealed

The Cure are also back with three nominations – following the release of their 14th album, Songs Of A Lost World, in 2024.

International artists such as Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Benson Boone, Chappell Roan and Kendrick Lamar have also all got nods, as well as homegrown talent such as Central Cee, Fred again.., Sam Fender and former Little Mix star JADE.

Dua Lipa. Pic: Oscar Douglas
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Dua Lipa is nominated for four awards. Pic: Oscar Douglas

Sabrina Carpenter will become the first international artist to receive the global success award after breaking records in the UK charts.

The pop star held the top spot on the Official UK Charts for a combined 21 weeks in 2024, the first artist to do so in 71 years.

Sabrina Carpenter, center, performs a medley during the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Sabrina Carpenter at the Grammys. Pic: AP/Chris Pizzello

Her mega-hits Taste, Please Please Please and Espresso held the top three spots simultaneously, making her the first female artist to do so.

Already named as this year’s rising star is British singer-songwriter Myles Smith, whose single Stargazing became one of the UK’s biggest hits of 2024.

You can read the full list of nominations ahead of tonight, right here.

The Cure. Pic: Andy Vella
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The Cure. Pic: Andy Vella

Who is performing?

Taking to the stage at this year’s ceremony is a mix of UK and US artists including Sam Fender, JADE, Teddy Swims and Myles Smith.

Off the back of winning the award for global success, Sabrina Carpenter, will also treat audiences to a performance.

It comes after Carpenter’s slapstick comedy mashup performance at the Grammy’s was dubbed “iconic” by fans.

The Last Dinner Party. Pic: Brit Awards
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The Last Dinner Party will take to the stage to perform. Pic: Brit Awards

It is the first year American artists Shaboozey, known for A Bar Song (Tipsy) and Teddy Swims, known for Lose Control, will also perform at the awards.

“I’m beyond grateful and humbled to not only be nominated for a BRIT Award but to take the stage,” Shaboozey said.

“This past year has been huge for me with my records getting love from all over the world and now I can celebrate with my friends and fans in London.”

Myles Smith is this year's Brit Awards rising star winner. Pic: JM Enternational
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Myles Smith is this year’s Brit Awards rising star winner. Pic: JM Enternational

Meanwhile, JADE, whose real name is Jade Thirlwall, said she “manifested” performing at the BRITs every day since the release of her debut solo single Angel Of My Dreams last year.

The singer already has three BRIT Awards to her name, winning best British single for Shout Out To My Ex, video of the year for Woman Like Me and best British group with Little Mix, but is nominated this year as a solo artist in the song of the year and pop act categories.

Former Little Mix star JADE. Pic: Flore Barbay
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Former Little Mix star JADE. Pic: Flore Barbay

Also performing on the night are Lola Young – who is nominated for best pop act – and The Last Dinner Party, who won the BRITs rising star award last year.

How to watch

Live coverage of the BRITs will start on ITV and ITVX from 8.15pm tonight.

You can also follow along with all the latest from the red carpet and ceremony on Sky News and our dedicated live blog.

For those outside the UK, the show is available to watch internationally on the BRITs YouTube channel.

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Three teenage girls charged with manslaughter after 75-year-old dies in London

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Three teenage girls charged with manslaughter after 75-year-old dies in London

Three teenage girls have been charged with manslaughter after a 75-year-old man died in north London.

The Metropolitan Police said the man, named as Fredi Reviro, was attacked on Seven Sisters Road in Islington around 11.35pm on Thursday.

He died in hospital the next day.

A special post-mortem examination will be held.

Seven Sisters Road, north London. Pic: Google Street View
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Seven Sisters Road, north London. Pic: Google Street View


The girls – aged 14, 16, and 17 – will appear at Highbury Magistrates’ Court on Monday, the force said.

They cannot be named because of their age.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

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