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Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo is officially entering the Hollywood industry, joining the star-studded cast of the upcoming ‘Fast & Furious’ finale.

The announcement was made via Instagram by the franchise’s star and producer, Vin Diesel, who stated that a role was written specifically for the Portuguese legend.

Vin Diesel posted a picture of himself with Ronaldo and revealed that the football star will be a part of the next Fast & Furious film.

On the post, Vin Diesel wrote, “Everyone asked, would he be in the Fast mythology… I gotta tell you, he is a real one. We wrote a role for him.”

Soon after, co-star Tyrese Gibson joined Vin Diesel in announcing the plans to work with Ronaldo in the movie.

Gibson posted an AI-generated picture of himself with the Fast & Furious cast, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, on Instagram.

Gibson wrote, “Welcome to the Family! Cristiano Ronaldo. The Global Dance Just Went Into New Heights !!!!!!”

This move marks Ronaldo’s most significant step into the film industry, aligning with his recent ambition beyond the pitch.

In April 2025, he announced the launch of his own film studio, UR•MARV, in partnership with acclaimed director Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman). The studio has already financed several action films.

Vin Diesel has stated that the finale will return the series to its Los Angeles roots, refocus on street racing culture, and feature an emotional reunion between his character, Dom, and the late Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner.

While the nature of Ronaldo’s role is closely secret, his involvement adds a new layer of star power to a franchise already known for its sprawling ensemble.

The film is expected to feature the return of numerous franchise stars, including Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and Michelle Rodriguez.

Ronaldo, who at 40 continues his playing career with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, is also strategically building his post-football brand.

Former Nigerian international footballer, John Mikel Obi has revealed how he escalated the issue of unpaid bonuses owed to Super Eagles players during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel explained that the players were owed qualification bonuses for months, despite repeated assurances from officials of the Nigeria Football Federation that payment would be made once the team arrived in camp. As anxiety grew within the squad and delays continued, he decided to take the matter further.

Mikel disclosed that he contacted Abba Kyari, who was the Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari at the time. According to him, the situation was resolved swiftly, as a private plane reportedly delivered millions of dollars in cash directly to the team’s hotel within 24 hours.

“Talking about fighting for players’ bonuses, I went above the president of the NFF to get those bonuses, which is what I did a couple of times during the World Cup,” Mikel said.

He explained that the issue began well before the tournament, with players repeatedly asking about their unpaid bonuses. Officials assured him the matter would be resolved once the team assembled.

“Leading up to the World Cup, we were owed money. We had been asking for this money for months before the tournament. They kept telling me, ‘Oh, Mikel, don’t worry, the money will be sorted when you come to camp.’ I said, ‘Okay, no problem, but make sure the money is there because the players are asking me about their bonuses,’” he recounted.

After arriving in camp, Mikel said he followed up again with the team secretary and NFF president but received the same assurances. A week passed, and the players continued to express concern, fearing they might never receive the money once the World Cup ended.

“I called him and said, ‘Mr Chief of Staff, we have a serious issue in the national team. We need this money to settle the players. This is what was promised.’ Twenty-four hours later, a private plane arrived. The money was delivered to the hotel, hand to hand. Millions of dollars,” Mikel said.

He added that he personally handed the cash to the team secretary with strict instructions that it should not be diverted.

“I took the money and handed it to the team secretary and told him to hold it. I said, ‘Make sure this money does not go to the president or anyone else. This money belongs to the players.’”

The former Chelsea midfielder has long been praised for his leadership role with the Super Eagles, and his account highlights the behind-the-scenes challenges faced by players even at major international tournaments.

Nigeria stumble before the AFCON in friendly defeat to Egypt.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Nigeria were beaten in their AFCON 2025 preparatory friendly against Egypt. The Pharaohs edged the Super Eagles through a Mostafa Mohamed second-half strike to win 2–1.

Mahmoud Saber opened the scoring for Egypt before Chidozie Awaziem retired parity before half time. Mostafa’s goal was ultimately the winner condemning Eric Chelle’s side to consecutive defeats before the AFCON opener against Tanzania.

Key match details

Eric Chelle started with a second-string side, with heavy hitters like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi left out of the side.

Paul Onuachu led the line, with Sevilla’s Chidera Ejuke supporting him upfront. The centre-back pairing was also a new one, with Igoh Ogbu partnering Nantes Chidozie Awaziem.