Cristiano Ronaldo has left Manchester United, the club have announced. He exits the club via a mutual agreement.
United confirmed the news in a statement on Tuesday, 48 hours before his first World Cup game with Portugal against Ghana, that he would depart the club with immediate effect.
The Red Devils paid tribute to his "immense contribution" across his two different spells at Old Trafford.
They continued by saying: "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."
https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1595107357159297029?s=20&t=89V2qEC4ZEtLVFiUfyq8-g
Ronaldo's departure comes as no surprise following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan last week.
During the interview, Ronaldo revealed his true feelings about the club and gave damning assessments of members at the club such as Ten Hag and the owners, the Glazers.
Additionally, the 37-year-old hit out at the lack of progression since he first left back in 2009 and that he had felt "betrayed" by the club.
In his first season back at Old Trafford the forward scored 24 goals in all competitions however he looked to leave the club following United's failure to qualify for Champions League football.
He then missed the return to pre-season following the tragic news that his baby son had died shortly after he was born. The forward was still involved in controversy after he left a pre-season friendly early.
A few months later and Ronaldo did the same again, refusing to come on as a sub in a 2-0 win against Tottenham in October before leaving the stadium early.
The final straw for United was Ronaldo's latest interview with the Talk TV host and after waiting for the full release of the interview, have decided to terminate his contract with immediate effect.
Ronaldo himself has released a statement in which he thanked the fans and said his "love for them will never change."
"Following talks with Manchester United, we’ve mutually agreed to end our contract.
"I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. It feels like the right time to seek a new challenge. I wish Man Utd all the best."
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