Photos of Ronaldo holidaying on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza appeared in the world’s media in July. The 32-year-old former world-class striker is currently recovering from a serious knee injury and looked chubbier than ever. He has been officially unemployed since 1 July but may be about to receive help from home. Brazilian giants Flamengo, from Rio de Janeiro, plan to offer the star a contract when he makes a full recovery, according to club president Marcio Braga.

Croatian Igor Tudor has ended his career on account of an ankle injury. The 30-year-old defender, formerly of Italian giants Juventus, gained 55 caps and scored nine goals for his country. The pinnacle of his career was Croatia’s third-place finish at the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™. Tudor had recently been playing for Hajduk Split.

There was a flurry of excitement in the Argentinian media in July when no other than Diego Maradona announced that he would soon be a grandfather. The big news was the identity of the father to be: Sergio Aguero, the Atletico Madrid and Argentina striker. Aguero, who was the top goalscorer in the FIFA U-20
World Cup Canada 2007 and was voted best player of the tournament by the experts from the technical study group, has been dating Maradona’s daughter Giannina for two years. All of Argentina is thrilled by the news because, with those genes alone, the child is bound to be a footballing genius – perhaps a new
Maradona or, should it be a girl, an Argentinian Marta.