DOHA, Qatar—Few soccer players on the planet are famous enough, skillful enough, and prickly enough to upstage the World Cup. But only one soccer player is capable of doing it twice. Four years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo somehow managed to overshadow the semifinals of the World Cup by announcing his exit from Real Madrid hours before the kickoff of France vs. Belgium. This time around, as the soccer world gears up for the start of the Qatar World Cup on Sunday, Ronaldo has stolen the limelight again by sparking an ugly divorce with his current club, Manchester United .

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