Las Vegas Weekly

June 13, 2009 · 10 AM

Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho bring their game to Sin City

By Robin Leach

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Two of the world’s greatest soccer stars with similar names set off a massive trans-Atlantic media frenzy while celebrating in Las Vegas this weekend.

British and Hollywood paparazzi are hard on the tail of Manchester United footballer Cristiano Ronaldo at the Palms. He’s shaken the sports world with his decision this week to jump to Real Madrid for a mind-blowing $134 million contract, the richest ever in football history.

But photographers are chasing him because he’s being blamed for breaking up the Paris Hilton romance with baseball player and The Hills actor Doug Reinhardt. Ronaldo and Paris allegedly got kissy-kissy friendly this week at the L.A. nightclub My House. Hazy photos of the twosome were shot by paparazzi, and they then spent a second night together, first at a private dinner party Paris gave for Ronaldo in her guard-gated Beverly Hills estate and then inexplicably at midnight in sister Nicky Hilton’s home. Gossip sources there reported that he didn’t leave until past 4 a.m.!

It set off a firestorm of incredible headlines in British newspapers: Click HERE for the story in The Sun and HERE for the story in The Daily Mirror.

Ronaldo arrived yesterday at the Palms and was spotted in the casino, up in The Playboy Club, in the high-roller Mint Lounge, and then I was at N9NE Steakhouse while he had dinner before he went on to the adjoining Rain.

Amid Ronaldo’s contract celebration weekend here, Doug took the unprecedented step of issuing a public relations statement about the breakup. In a stinging rebuke to the socialite and reality TV star, he said that he wished her well in all her future romances and that he could no longer be part of her circus!

Ronaldo was with five male friends at Rain last night, but the wildly speculative British media are expecting Paris to arrive here today! The 24-year-old superstar was born in Portugal and captained the Portuguese national team while playing on the outside wing for Manchester United. With the $134 million payday that moves him to Real Madrid in the fiercely explosive and highly expensive European soccer battles, he became this week the all-time most expensive player in football history.

Milan star Ronaldinho

Meantime, another international soccer star, Ronaldinho, who plays for the competing Milan team, was with nightclub czar Victor Drai at Tryst in the Wynn on the first night of his visit. The FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 last night watched the Cirque du Soleil Beatles musical Loveat The Mirage.

Afterward, the Brazilian-born player went backstage to visit the members of the international cast and discovered five of his countrymen from Brazil. Ronaldinho signed soccer balls and sports jerseys and spoke in several languages to his fans among the performers. He wrapped up his night at XS, also owned by Victor.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter HERE.

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