Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a 15-word message to his long-term football rival Lionel Messi following the devastating news that his father, Jorge, passed away last week.

Jorge, 68, was confirmed to have passed away on Saturday following a long illness. Just weeks after his son played in the 2026 World Cup final.

Messi was emotional after scoring in Argentina’s first group game against Algeria, with the Inter Miami star later confirming that he cried due to his father’s health issues.

Lionel Messi Breaks Silence After Jorge’s Passing

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Messi has already been back on the pitch since finishing second at the World Cup, playing for Inter Miami against Columbus and San Luis. It is now uncertain when he’ll return to action for his club after the devastating loss.

The 39-year-old has now paid an emotional tribute to his father, who always followed him throughout his career. He revealed that his dad wasn’t well enough to travel to the World Cup final to see Argentina vs Spain.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Classy Message to Messi

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Ronaldo, who has competed with Messi throughout his career to be recognised as the best on the pitch, showed the level of respect the two icons have for each other. He responded to Messi’s lengthy tribute on social media, wishing him and his family well in the tough time they are experiencing.

The Portugal international said: “Huge hug to you and your loved ones in this difficult moment, Leo. Stay strong.”

Messi’s future in football looks uncertain. At 39 years old, the iconic Argentine is already in the twilight of his career, but his letter included a hint that he may be closer to the end than some thought.

He signed off the emotional statement by simply saying: “I love you, Dad.”

Wrexham have had a rise up the leagues unparalleled by any side in recent memory. Backed by Hollywood icons Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the pair, along with a successful cohort of players and managerial staff, have taken the Welsh side from the National League all the way to the Championship. Doing so with scrutiny, with many criticising their spending habits, it is a game plan that has proved successful for the club.

Perhaps best known for their documentary that airs on Disney+, the club and its players are known all over the world. Due to the club’s immense popularity and ascension up the football pyramid, the club have been able to sign some of the best players available to them, putting them on wages that may make jaws drop. Hoping to go one step further and achieve Premier League status, they will hope their new signings can help achieve this goal.

With the help of Capology, and other sources where applicable, these are the reported wages for the Wrexham team of 2026/27.

Goalkeepers

Action Images/John Sibley

Wrexham recently shattered their transfer record by signing Anthony Patterson from Sunderland. The Englishman has joined the club in an £8 million move. He put pen-to-paper on a four-year deal, but it is currently unknown how much he is earning.

One of Wrexham’s first signings after earning promotion to the Championship was acquiring the services of Danny Ward. A keeper with Premier League experience, his arrival back in his home country was a real statement of intent. However, the Welshman, who earns £12,500-per-week, played just eight matches for the club in the 25/26 campaign as he had to settle for a backup role.

Arthur Okonkwo, who helped the Red Dragons get out of League Two and League One, is the club’s lowest-paid goalkeeper, with Ward possessing a weekly wage of £12,500 and Callum Burton on £5,000. The former Arsenal Academy player lives in Wales with a weekly income of £3,000. Despite impressing between the sticks, he could now be on the move following Patterson’s arrival.

Defenders

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As is the case with non-Premier League sides, incomings and departures are constant. With Wrexham having risen the ranks phenomenally, they have continued to invest and buy new players and reward performing ones, hence why seven of their first-team defenders were signed in the past year.

Leading the way is former Premier League defender Conor Coady, who, having had spells with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton, joined from Leicester City. The Englishman has not justified his £25,000-per-week wages at the time of writing, having spent the second half of the 2025/26 campaign on loan at Charlton Athletic.

Callum Doyle and Liberato Cacace joined the England international last summer. Both earn £15,000-per-week, as does Danny Imray, per SalaryLeaks. Dominic Hyam, Zak Vyner and academy graduate Max Cleworth are the three other defenders that earn £10,000 or more every seven days.

Midfielders

Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

An incredibly robust midfield to be operating with, all of Wrexham’s midfield contracts were signed from 2024 onwards. The leading two on the list, Lewis O’Brien and Ben Sheaf, were summer signings from the Red Dragons, with their incomings moving straight to the top of the list of highest earners in each position. O’Brien, who has spent time in the MLS and the Premier League, was an astute signing by Phil Parkinson, with Sheaf making the move from fellow Championship outfit, Coventry City.

O’Brien earns £17,500-per-week, while Sheaf, as well as former Leicester player Matty James, earns £15,000-per-week.

Oliver Rathbone and George Dobson, two players that were integral in Wrexham earning promotion from League One to the Championship, are earning £12,500-per-week, just more than George Thomason (£10,000-per-week) and Ryan Longman (£7,500-per-week).

Wrexham signed Preston North End captain Ben Whiteman in a £3m deal this summer. He signed a three-year deal but his weekly salary, at the time of writing, is unclear.

Attackers

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As has been the case with all of Wrexham’s contracts, five of their forwards put pen to paper in 2025, with a further two signing in 2026. Among those are two players with plenty of Premier League experience: Kieffer Moore and Jay Rodriguez.

Moore, a Welshman, is the club’s highest-paid player, earning £30,000-per-week. Former England International Rodriguez earns £25,000 every seven days.

Sam Smith earns £15,000-per-week, as does Josh Windass, son of Premier League cult hero, Dean. Elsewhere, Nathan Broadhead rakes in £12,500-per-week, while Davis Keillor-Dunn and youngster Bailey Cadamarteri earn £7,500 and £6,500-per-week respectively.

Tyson Fury has been sent a defiant message as Kristian Prenga has revealed how hard Anthony Joshua hits following their two-round clash.

Both Fury and Joshua emerged victorious from their respective tune-up fights ahead of their blockbuster showdown this year.

Fury beat Polish veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand, with Joshua surviving a huge scare against Prenga 24 hours later in Saudi Arabia.

‘AJ’ came off the canvas not once but twice in the first round before turning things around in the second round to secure a devastating knockout victory in his return bout following the fatal car accident that killed two of his close friends.

Kristian Prenga on Anthony Joshua’s Power

Credit: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

After getting off the floor and returning to his corner, Joshua buzzed Prenga with a big right hand before unleashing a flurry of shots to drop his opponent through the ropes.

Prenga failed to beat the count and subsequently suffered the first defeat of his professional career since 2017, having previously won 16 fights in a row.

Speaking after his defeat, Prenga hailed Joshua’s power, claiming he had never experienced anything like it before.

Joshua has won an impressive 27 fights inside the distance, stopping the likes of Dillian Whyte, Wladimir Klitschko and Francis Ngannou.

Given the nature of of his latest outing, fans and critics alike, including Lennox Lewis, believe the former world champion is past his best, but Prenga does not subscribe to that notion, saying: “It’s not true.”

Kristian Prenga: ‘Anthony Joshua is Not an Easy Fight for Tyson Fury’

Joshua is on a two-fight winning streak since being knocked out by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.

He defeated Jake Paul in a money-spinning showdown on Netflix before stopping Prenga in Jeddah last month.

Having shared the ring with Joshua, the Albanian knockout artist believes the 36-year-old Brit is still a great fighter and promised Fury it wouldn’t be an easy fight.

“Joshua is a great fighter. He has experience. He has power and I know he went through a lot in his life – as we all know,” he added. “But it’s not an easy fight for Tyson Fury. I promise you.”

Fury, meanwhile, has two wins under his belt since losing back-to-back world title bouts to Oleksandr Usyk.

The self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ returned to winning ways against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April before taking out Wach last month.

The all-British battle has yet to be officially announced but is set to take place in America, with New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden in line to host it.