Cristiano Ronaldo officially terminates contract of Ghana international

Cristiano Ronaldo has spent more than two decades at the top of football, yet few players have attracted as much criticism throughout their careers.

The Manchester United legend has still built a legacy that will be incredibly difficult to replicate.

Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards and became the first player to win the Champions League five times, while he remains the competition’s record goalscorer with 140 goals.

He also enjoyed two memorable spells at Old Trafford, winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League during his first stint.

Internationally, Ronaldo captained Portugal to Euro 2016 glory and has continued representing his country into his forties.

However, his final World Cup ended painfully this summer.

Portugal were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the Round of 16 after a late goal sealed a 1-0 defeat.

Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed afterwards that he had played his final World Cup.

The 41-year-old has since indicated that he is not necessarily finished with Portugal altogether, leaving uncertainty over exactly how the closing stages of his extraordinary career will unfold.

Away from playing, Ronaldo is also becoming increasingly involved in the business side of football.

That has now resulted in an interesting decision involving a Ghana international.

Earlier this year, Ronaldo purchased a 25 per cent stake in Spanish side UD Almeria, becoming a co-owner of the club.

UD Almeria have now officially announced they have reached an agreement with Iddrisu Baba to terminate his contract.

He has made 31 appearances for Ghana.

Baba will leave the Spanish side and join Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade.

Interestingly, Ronaldo has history against Ghana on the biggest stage.

He faced the Black Stars at both the 2014 and 2022 World Cups and scored in both matches, with Portugal winning on each occasion.

Iddrisu Baba, meanwhile, is an experienced defensive midfielder who spent several years playing in Spain.

He established himself with Mallorca before later joining Almeria, while also becoming a regular Ghana international.

The announcement represents another significant squad decision at the club just months after Ronaldo became one of its owners.