90min

Twitter explodes as Cristiano Ronaldo starts for Manchester United

By Max Cooper

Ronaldo starts for Man Utd
Ronaldo starts for Man Utd / Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
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It's the news we've all been waiting for - Cristiano Ronaldo starts his first game as a Manchester United player against Newcastle United!

All the talk of the international break swirled around whether the 36-year-old would make his debut from the very beginning, or whether they'd have to wait patiently for a second-half cameo performance.

But at 2pm on Saturday afternoon, the news broke - as did the internet. Ronaldo starts!

Understandably, Twitter lost its mind, unable to comprehend the magnitude of what they were about to witness - one of the best players in the world back on home soil - and in red, not the enemy's blue.

Caveat! Not everyone has been super thrilled with the non-stop coverage of Ronaldo's imminent debut, but that did provide us with some decent comedy.

The majority of supporters just wanted to get a glimpse of their hero in his new colours, and they did so soon after the announcement, when he headed onto the pitch to warm up.

Ronaldo's shirt sales reached incredible heights upon being announced as the Red Devils' new number seven, and jersey-wearers were out in full force in and around Old Trafford.

It wasn't just shirts, though. Viva Ronaldo flags were selling like - well - like CR7 merchandise all around Manchester.

Even better news for the more critical Man Utd fans was that Fred had been left on the bench for Newcastle's visit, while Raphael Varane was also set to make his first start at the Theatre of Dreams.

As for the rest of the starting lineup, it was as exciting as Man Utd supporters could have hoped for. Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba accompanied the Portuguese forward, completing a list of all-star attackers.

Supporters expect big things from the football icon, and if he scores, they're all primed to replicate his celebration, which has become renowned all over the world.

And for those FPL managers out there who didn't risk squeezing him into their team for the first week back after the international break? Well, that's your loss.

Man Utd's GOAT is back!

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