"I'm crying": IShowSpeed devastated after learning Cristiano Ronaldo won't play in match he flew in to see

YouTube sensation Darren "IShowSpeed" was in Manchester on November 10. He was gearing up to realize his lifelong dream of watching Cristiano Ronaldo play in the upcoming Carabao Cup fixture between Manchester United and Aston Villa when the news stated that the Portuguese legend was too ill to play.

Known for his obsession with the soccer star, Darren was understandably heartbroken. His favorite player wouldn't be playing in the first game the streamer had gone to Old Trafford to see. Speed took to Twitter to express himself. He said:

IShowSpeed flies to Manchester to see Ronaldo, learns latter won't play

Manchester United is playing host to Aston Villa in the third round of the EFL Carabao cup tonight. It was not until the pre-match interviews that the manager, Erik ten Hag, revealed that Ronaldo would not be playing due to an illness. IShowSpeed had flown all the way from America to watch his idol do what he does best, and the news understandably saddened him.

His appearance before the match and outside Old Trafford had caused quite the commotion, as fans had been expecting the long-time fan to finally be able to at least witness Ronaldo play in real life after obsessing over him for years. Moreover, the YouTuber even got an honorable mention from the commentators.

In the clip, the streamer can be seen waving his hands around at Manchester United supporters at Old Trafford, smiling and interacting with his peers despite the lost opportunity. The commentator notes:

Mark Goldbridge and online community react as IShowSpeed misses out on watching Cristiano Ronaldo play

As one of the most popular streamers on the Google-owned platform, a lot of buzz was generated around his appearance. Almost all major sports outlets reported on the news. His tweet lamenting the fact that he won't be able to see his idol play has, of course, gone getting over 50,000 reactions within half an hour of being posted.

Fellow YouTuber and Manchester United fan Mark Goldberg was one of the thousands to express disappointment about the Ohio native not getting to watch Cristiano Ronaldo play. He collaborated with IShowSpeed during the widely watched Sidemen vs. YouTube All-Stars charity match in September.

Despite being from across the Pond, IShowSpeed is a big fan of soccer and Cristiano Ronaldo. This is somewhat evident to people, even to those with little knowledge of the FIFA and soccer-streaming space.

Before the match, he was streaming IRL to over 180,000 people on his YouTube. His fans hope that someday in the near future, the popular personality will be able to watch his star play live. Maybe during the World Cup, who knows?

About the author

Richik has been specializing in streamer content at Sportskeeda for over 2 years. He also manages a group of writers who craft relevant news and features about content creators on platforms like Twitch, Kick, and Rumble. Prior to Sportskeeda, he interned at The Ken and worked as a reviewer at Blacksof where he fact-checked educational content.

Richik’s love for writing, researching, and archiving, along with his inquisitive nature and longstanding love for video games led him to pursue a career as a gaming journalist. He relies on primary sources for accurate information and ensures that his drafts are proofread, fact-checked, and well-researched.

As a child, Richik spent many a summer vacation playing the 1994 Road Rash with his cousins. Although more of an FPS and open-world fiend now, Richik enjoys single-player RPGs with compelling storytelling, such as The Last of Us franchise, and regularly teams up with his friends to play multiplayer titles like Valorant on PC.

Richik enjoys watching streamer and former esports athlete Shroud, and also finds inspiration in MrBeast's journey to become one of the most well-known content creators worldwide. Interviewing English-Somali YouTuber Sharky, a member of the renowned Beta Squad, was a career highlight for him.

When not writing, Richik likes to read, watch a movie or a game of football.

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