Ronaldo, Johnson test positive for COVID-19

Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and men’s golf world No. 1 Dustin Johnson both tested positive for the coronavirus as a surge in cases cast a shadow over the return of professional sport.

Ronaldo, the 35-year-old five-time Ballon d’Or winner, is asymptomatic but has withdrawn from Portugal’s Nations League game against Sweden on Wednesday. He played in Sunday’s 0-0 draw against France.

“We have respected all the health measures...and yet it happened,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos told reporters. The rest of the Portugal squad, and France’s players, have all tested negative.

America’s Johnson, 36, was forced out of this week’s CJ Cup in Las Vegas as he became the highest-profile golfer to test positive for COVID-19. Johnson said he was “very disappointed”.

The positive tests by two of the world’s top athletes highlight a rash of cases coinciding with the return of many sports competitions in recent weeks, often in bio-secure “bubbles” and behind closed doors.

The cases, seen everywhere from football to cycling, rugby union, rugby league, American football and Formula One, also mirror a surge in COVID-19 across much of the world, including Europe and the United States.

Professional sport was brought to a halt worldwide as the pandemic advanced in March, threatening an industry estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. But many competitions have now emerged from their shutdowns.

Ronaldo, one of the world’s best paid athletes, was “fine and sunbathing” after his positive test, according to Juventus teammate Giorgio Chiellini.

However, the incident renews controversy over his departure from Turin, where health authorities said it was a breach of virus protocols, and underlines the difficulty of international competition.

Ronaldo and other Juventus stars left to join up with their national teams despite the Italian champions’ squad being in isolation after two staff members tested positive.