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      Lionel Messi ‘could boot Cristiano Ronaldo from top of Instagram rich list’ as he earns over £9m from World Cup glory

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      LIONEL MESSI could replace Cristiano Ronaldo as sport’s top earner from Instagram after a £9million World Cup bonanza.Ronaldo netted £2m per branded post in 2022, ahead of football GOAT rival Messi on £1.5m and India cricketer Virat Kohli’s £902,000.
      Football legends Ronaldo and Messi lead the sporting earners on Instagram, in terms of amount per paid partnership
      Lionel Messi has raked in £9m from promotions like this for Call of DutyCredit: Instagram / @leomessi
      Cristiano Ronaldo has been quiet for paid promotions on Instagram since December 10 and was busy completing his move to Al-NassrCredit: Rex
      But the Argentina icon’s Qatar heroics have sparked a feeding frenzy from sponsors.
      Messi also picked up an Instagram record of 75m likes for a picture of the 35-year-old lifting the World Cup, as well as 50m hearts for a snap of the legend sleeping next to the trophy
      The PSG attacker has 414m Instagram followers, well behind Al-Nassr new boy Ronaldo’s 528m.
      But he’s gone into online overdrive since triumphing in an epic World Cup final against France on December 18, in which he scored twice.
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      Messi also won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
      In contrast, 37-year-old Ronaldo was only a sub for Portugal’s last two games as they slumped out with a shock 1-0 quarter-final loss to Morocco.
      And in the past three weeks, Messi’s account has promoted Budweiser beer, the Call of Duty and eFootball video games, energy drink Gatorade, crypto exchange Bitget and artificial eyewear firm Orcam.
      It all means Messi’s haul from paid partnerships has rocketed.
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      Ronaldo, on the other hand, has perhaps been distracted by his own woeful World Cup and the search for a new club that ended in the past week with a move to Saudi Arabia.
      It’s a massive new adventure that will spark worldwide curiosity, as well as earn him £173m a year from Al-Nassr.
      But for sporting publicity it might not match the global brand of Manchester United, who terminated his contract in November following his incendiary interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV.
      In fact, Ronaldo has not posted any paid partnerships since Portugal’s defeat by Morocco on December 10.
      Messi’s club-mate Neymar was fourth on the Instagram earners’ list at £784,000 for each branded post.
      Completing the top five is basketball icon LeBron James, on £545k.
      Ronaldo and Messi also lead the list for most Instagram followers.
      Next come American media personality Kylie Jenner on 377m, actress Selena Gomez with 367m and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson on 356m.
      Two other sportsmen sneak into the top 20.
      Kohli, in 17th, has 230m followers and Neymar’s in 20th place on 200m.
      LA Lakers legend James is 27th with 141m, with Kylian Mbappe in 36th spot on 93.3m.
      Real Madrid, on 130m, and Barcelona, with 115m, are the most followed sporting clubs.
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      eFootball 2023 is on Messi’s list of moneyspinnersCredit: Instagram / @leomessi
      Messi has also had a paid partnership with OrCam since glory in QatarCredit: Instagram / @leomessi More

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      Wales axe Kit Symons as assistant manager for Euro 2024 qualifiers in brutal phone call after World Cup flop

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      KIT SYMONS has been dumped as Wales assistant manager for the Euro 2024 qualifiers.The ex-Fulham boss, 51, received the news in a telephone call from manager Robert Page this week where he was told his contract would not be renewed.
      Symons will not have his Wales contract renewedCredit: Getty
      No2 Symons flanked Page during Wales’ disappointing World Cup 2022 showing in Qatar where the Dragons exited at the group stage.
      Page said in September before the winter finals that both Symons and fellow assistant Alan Knill would remain alongside him when he signed his new four-year deal but a U-turn has been performed.
      And it is clear that ex-Manchester City and Portsmouth centre-back Symons was not expecting to leave his post.
      Instead, SunSport understands Wales boss Page plans to bring in a new coach alongside Knill before their Euro opener against Croatia in Split on March 25.
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      Popular Symons had a successful and long-running association with Wales over the last decade, having been twice assistant to ex-national chief Chris Coleman. 
      Symons missed the run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals after taking the Fulham job on a full-time basis but, after getting the sack at Craven Cottage, helped Cookie out as an opposition scout.
      The pair still work together at Greek Super League club Atromitos in Athens.
      Defender Symons, who won 36 international caps, returned for a third coaching spell with his country when Page drafted him in ahead of the Euros finals in the summer of 2021.
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      Then he combined the two roles for club and country since moving with Coleman to Greece last January.
      SunSport also understands Wales’ head of performance Tony Strudwick is not expected to have his contract renewed too.
      Strudwick, who worked as a fitness coach under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and is now director of medical at West Brom, was appointed by then Wales manager Ryan Giggs in January 2018.
      But it is believed his deal expired at the end of the World Cup finals which saw Wales draw with USA before two defeats to Iran and England in November.
      The departures are the latest from the Football Association of Wales with more than 20 key staff leaving in recent months.
      SunSport understands there could be a financial aspect to the changes with budget cuts expected as part of a review from the finals. More

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      Fans spot Mbappe’s brother Ethan giving Messi ‘death stare’ as he receives guard of honour from PSG team-mates

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      LIONEL MESSI returned to Paris Saint-Germain training on Wednesday following Argentina’s World Cup triumph.The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, 35, received a hero’s welcome as he took to the club’s Camp des Loges training pitch for the first time since leading his country to an incredible World Cup final win over France.
      Messi received a guard of honour on his PSG returnCredit: Twitter
      But Ethan Mbappe didn’t appear happy to see himCredit: Twitter
      But, not everyone was thrilled to see him.
      While players and staff members lined up to perform a guard of honour for Messi as he made his way onto the pitch, Ethan Mbappe – brother of Kylian Mbappe – was seen giving the Argentina icon a “death stare”.
      Fans immediately picked up on the reaction, with one person tweeting: “Ethan Mbappe’s reaction is quite funny. He’s not here to shake hands with Messi.”
      Another added: “The way Ethan Mbappe is giving Messi death stares!”
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      And a third said: “Ethan Mbappe’s look at Messi during the guard of honour they gave him for his return…”
      Meanwhile, other fans were quick to question the whereabouts of Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi, who were not in attendance.
      Following PSG’s shock 3-1 defeat to Lens on Sunday, Mbappe and Hakimi were granted some time off by Christophe Galtier.
      The duo have since enjoyed a holiday to New York which included a trip to watch the Brooklyn Nets defeat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA.
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      Mbappe and Hakimi are in New YorkCredit: https://www.instagram.com/k.mbappe/
      The duo went to an NBA gameCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Both players have posted pictures of their time in the Big Apple on social media.
      But some supporters have joked that they only went in order to avoid Messi’s return.
      One person tweeted: “Did Mbappe and Hakimi jet off to watch Brooklyn Nets so they wouldn’t have to give Messi a Guard Of Honour?”
      Another added: “Mbappe knew Messi is coming back, he took Hakimi and went to New York City!”
      While a third said: “They gave Mbappe 10 days of vacation after the World Cup, he didn’t take it, he ran to train, the day Messi returns to train, he and Hakimi are not there.”
      Hakimi enjoyed a record-breaking World Cup campaign last year when Morocco became the first African team to reach the semi-final stage of the tournament.
      Meanwhile, Mbappe narrowly missed out on a second World Cup title when France suffered defeat to Argentina on penalties in the final.
      The Frenchman experienced trolling from Argentina fans in the wake of the final.
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      Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez also got involved, taunting Mbappe by clutching a baby doll with the striker’s face on during a victory parade.
      However, he did have something to cheer about as he outscored PSG teammate Messi to win the race for the golden boot. More

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      Lionel Messi got angry at me for boozing in World Cup celebrations and almost sent me to hospital, says Aguero

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      LIONEL MESSI got “angry” with Sergio Aguero for his boozing during Argentina’s World Cup celebrations, the former Manchester City striker has revealed.Aguero, 34, has been a stalwart for the Albiceleste before having to retire in 2021 due to a heart condition.
      Sergio Aguero lifted Lionel Messi on his shoulders after the matchCredit: Getty
      The former striker got right among the celebrationsCredit: Reuters
      Despite no longer playing, Aguero was invited to join the Argentina camp during the latter stages of the tournament.
      He even shared a room with Messi like they used to as team-mates, and was right in the thick of the celebrations after they beat France in the thrilling final.
      Chatting about the aftermath, during which he carried Messi on his shoulders in iconic images, Aguero revealed that his old pal is heavier than he looks.
      He told Argentine outlet TyC Sports: “I lifted the best in the world.
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      “Of course, my back hurt a lot. When I raised him I said: ‘S***. He weighs’.
      “I moved my shoulders so that he would jump, but they started to get some stitches in my back.
      “At one point I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t even turn around. If I turned around, I would end up in a hospital.
      “He realised it because I looked at him, we exchanged glances.
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      “I said: ‘All good, you’re world champion, but my back hurts.’ And there he got off. He was on his knees afterwards.”
      Aguero then added that his pal Messi got annoyed by his post-match boozing – but that he simply didn’t care.
      The former striker continued: “I drank a lot but I didn’t eat. We were world champions. If something were to happen to me, let it be there.
      “Leo got angry and told me ‘stop’. How [do I] stop? We are world champions, so happy.”
      After their initial celebrations in Qatar, Argentina stars returned to Buenos Aires for a huge parade.
      And they were determined to take Aguero with them.
      He added: “The boys wanted to take me with them to Argentina.
      “They told me to hurry up because the plane was leaving, saying ‘ Come on, come on. Let’s present the passport, everything’.
      “I was leaving with the national team and then I remembered that I had my son in the apartment, I couldn’t leave him lying around. I called Benja and told him I was going there. He was so primed that I forgot about everything.”
      It emerged after the match that Messi and Co were posing with a FAKE World Cup on the pitch, after the real one was quickly taken away by Fifa as is customary.

      Irrespective of which trophy he held, Aguero revealed it was heavy.
      He said: “It’s heavy, like six kilos. I had it for 15 minutes and my arm hurt afterwards. The one from the Europa League weighs 15 kilos, crazy.
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      “And the one from the Champions League, eight. I never had that, but hey, I lifted the Cup of the World!”
      Aguero, 34, kisses the World CupCredit: Getty More

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      World’s hottest fan Ivana Knoll ‘does her cardio workout’ with sexy dance in tiny Croatia bikini sending Instagram wild

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      IVANA KNOLL sent her fans wild with a sexy dance to work on her cardio.The World’s hottest football fan also represented her country Croatia once again with the colours on her skimpy bikini.
      Ivana Knoll danced for her followers in a skimpy Croatia bikiniCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      The influencer joked she was working on her cardioCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      Ivana shot to fame with her stunning outfits at the World CupCredit: PA
      The former Miss Croatia winner is no stranger to sharing revealing pics onlineCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Ivana has 3.6million followers on InstagramCredit: INSTAGRAM
      The World Cup’s ‘hottest fan’ is continuing to turn heads on InstagramCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Ivana gained huge popularity by wearing red and white chequered outfits at the World Cup in the style of her team.
      And her bikini fitted the same theme as she danced for her fans on Instagram.
      She joked that was her form of cardio exercise as she mesmerised fans with her hip and arm movements.
      Fans were quick to praise the social media sensation, who has 3.6million followers on Instagram.
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      One wrote: “How can someone be this beautiful.”
      Another added: “So gorgeous and sexy 🔥.”
      And a third said: “So beautiful my Queen 😍.”
      Another remarked: “I like your Goddess body.”
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      Ivana’s fame has skyrocketed since she stunned at the World Cup, with the Croatian gaining 2.6m followers in December alone.
      The former Miss Croatia winner recently partied with actor Jamie Foxx in Miami to see in the New Year and regularly wows her followers with stunning snaps on social media. More

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      Lionel Messi unknowingly lifted FAKE World Cup trophy in record Instagram post that beat ‘The Egg’

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      ICONIC pictures of Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup feature a FAKE trophy, it has emerged.The Argentine completed his incredible body of work last month when he won the World Cup in Qatar.
      Angel Di Maria points out that the trophy is a fakeCredit: Getty
      Messi, 35 posed for iconic photosCredit: Rex
      As captain of his country, Messi lifted the famous golden trophy aloft following his side’s thrilling win.
      But just minutes later the real cup was removed from the pitch by Fifa officials, as is customary, unbeknownst to some of the players at the time.
      A fake trophy made its way down to the pitch from fans in the crowd, with players including Messi posing with it for photos thinking it was the real thing.
      The 35-year-old posted a series of snaps of himself with the trophy to Instagram, even though it was a fake.
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      And the post went on to become the most liked in the website’s history, overtaking the egg and gathering nearly 75million likes.
      In another snap, Angel Di Maria can be seen noticing that the trophy is a fake by looking at the bottom of it.
      According to El Pais, Argentina fans Manuel and Paula had the cup made before the tournament, with the sole purpose of trying to get players to sign it.
      Explaining what happened, they said: “The idea was that the players could sign it, but in the end the Cup entered the field of play three times.
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      “The first one was taken by a relative of (Leandro) Paredes, and he signed it.
      “The second time they asked us for it and it was 45 minutes, it went from one player to another, from one family member to another, and they took photos.
      “In the stands they told me ‘you lost the Cup’. We had fun but we wanted him back.
      “There I yelled at a couple of players ‘if you see the Cup that Paredes has, it’s ours’, and in the end Lautaro Martínez brought it, who also signed it.
      “Fifa personnel came there and asked us to confirm that it was not the original.”
      Among those to hold the trophy thinking it was real was Messi’s wife Antonela.
      When Di Maria eventually pointed out to Messi that it was fake, the duo laughed together – showing no signs of irritation.
      Photographer Fernando de la Orden captured many of the snaps – and even went to visit Manuel and Paula once back in Argentina – where the fake trophy resides today.
      During the encounter, Manuel and Paula revealed: “Before the World Cup we contacted people who are dedicated to making cups and it took them six months to make it.
      “It has the weight of the original, it is made with resin and quartz inside and bathed with a gold-like paint.
      “There are some details, marks and reliefs that are not similar, but the difference is minimal.”
      Messi, 35, spent more than a fortnight celebrating his win back in Argentina – hosting parties attended by some of his team-mates.
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      He has now returned to PSG, however, touching down in France yesterday.
      The superstar is unlikely to feature in their Coupe de France clash with third-tier Chateauroux on Friday night, but could return against Ligue 1’s bottom side Angers next Wednesday.
      Manuel and Paula pose with the ‘Trout Cup’ alongside their childrenCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm7RVf1P3E-/
      Messi kisses the real World CupCredit: Rex More

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      USA manager Gregg Berhalter in World Cup BLACKMAIL plot over kicking his wife in drunken argument in 1991

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      USA manager Gregg Berhalter has revealed he has been embroiled in a BLACKMAIL plot dating back to 1991.Berhalter claimed he was blackmailed during the 2022 Qatar World Cup – and has been forced to go public about kicking his wife in 1991.
      Gregg Berhalter revealed he was embroiled in a blackmail plot dating back to 1991Credit: Reuters
      In a lengthy statement posted on his Twitter profile, the manager revealed a violent incident in 1991 involving his wife Rosalind and admitted to “kicking her in the legs”.
      The post read: “While we obviously would have wanted to advance further in the World Cup, I am very proud of and grateful for all our players, our staff, everyone at US Soccer, and all of the USMNT fans worldwide who supported us.
      “Our performance relied on hard work and extraordinary energy and commitment from those on and off the pitch during the years of preparation.
      “There are so many positive examples of how our squad came together, making so many different types of sacrifices all in pursuit of our group’s shared vision.
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      “I am looking forward to continuing my conversations with US Soccer about the future, but now is the time for me to publicly share some personal information which a third party has used against my family and me.”
      Berhalter continued: “During the World Cup, an individual contacted US Soccer, saying that they had information about me that would “take me down” – an apparent effort to leverage something very personal from long ago to bring about the end of my relationship with US Soccer.
      “This is a difficult step to take, but my wife, Rosalind, and I want to clearly and directly share the truth. This is a story that belongs to us, but hopefully there are lessons from our relationship that can be valuable to others.
      “In the fall of 1991, I met my soulmate. I had just turned 18 and was a freshman in college when I met Rosalind for the first time.
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      “There was a familiar feeling when we spoke. Rosalind was and is an amazing person – determined, empathetic, fun to be around – and we connected immediately.
      “It felt like we had known each other for years. We had been dating for four months when an incident happened between us that would shape the future of our relationship.
      “One night, while out drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I had a heated argument that continued outside. It became physical and I kicked her in the legs.
      “There are zero excuses for my actions that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day.
      “At that time, I immediately apologized to Rosalind, but understandably, she wanted nothing to do with me. I told my parents, family, and friends what happened because I wanted to take full responsibility for my behavior.
      “Rosalind also informed her parents, family, and friends. While the authorities were never involved in this matter, I voluntarily sought out counseling to help learn, grow and improve – one of the most valuable decisions that ever made.
      “To this day, that type of behavior has never been repeated.”
      During the World Cup, an individual contacted US Soccer, saying that they had information about me that would “take me down” – an apparent effort to leverage something very personal from long ago to bring about the end of my relationship with US Soccer.Gregg Berhalter
      The 49-year-old coach, a USA internaional from 1994 and 2006, met Rosalind, also 49, at the University of North Carolina.
      They both played football together and were a couple for six years before getting married in 1999 while now having four children together.
      Berhalter’s post furthered: “I feared that I lost my soulmate and then out of the blue, seven months later I received a call from Rosalind asking if we could speak in person.
      “We met and discussed how we had grown and decided to rebuild our relationship.
      “Rosalind shared that her family supported this decision and by working through what had happened, we both realized that our love, trust, and respect for each other was stronger than the incident that occurred months earlier.
      “Since then, Rosalind and I have lived together in five different countries, three different states and have met and remained friends with many wonderful people from around the world. All of these people have witnessed the strong relationship we have and the loving family we have built together.
      “The lessons learned from that night over three decades ago became the foundation for a loving, devoted, and supportive relationship, which we honored and celebrated with our 25th wedding anniversary this past weekend.
      ‘THIS IS OUR STORY’
      “I am sharing this story after 31 years because it’s important to understand it was an event that shaped me, but doesn’t define me.
      “It was a single, isolated event over three decades ago and a terrible decision made in a bad moment by an 18-year-old. Rosalind and I have been on an amazing journey together.
      “We have raised four wonderful children, who are aware of what happened. We are very proud of our marriage, our relationship, the family we have built, and the people we have become.
      “As a team we emphasize accountability, honesty, and growth. Those aren’t just principles we instill within the team; it is how I live my life. The foundation of any good team is using the past as an opportunity to learn and get better.
      “People can make mistakes and learn from them; people can also be forgiven for their mistakes. Thankfully, Rosalind forgave me.
      “The intention of this statement is to provide transparency and to reinforce that a single bad decision made by a teenager does not necessarily define him for the rest of his life. We will not hide from this. We didn’t then, and we won’t now.
      “This is our story. We have fully cooperated with the US Soccer investigation into this matter, and while we would prefer not to speak about something so personal from so long ago in such a public forum, we are embracing this opportunity to share what has shaped us and how much we have grown and learned from this over the past 31 years. Thank you.
      “Rosalind and Gregg Berhalter.”
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      Berhalter took charge of the USA in 2018 after starting his coaching career with LA Galaxy in 2011.
      His contract expired after the winter World Cup and the USA are still evaluating his performance in Qatar before offering a new deal.
      Gregg Berhalter and wife Rosalie during a visit to the Munich ‘Oktoberfest’Credit: Getty More

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      World Cup’s ‘hottest fan’ Ivana Knoll squeezes into tiny pink bikini as she relaxes after taking tournament by storm

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      THE WORLD CUP’S “hottest fan” is continuing to take social media by storm as she shared her latest sexy snaps.Croatia superfan Ivana Knoll has shot to stardom over the last few weeks after catching the eye in Qatar.
      Ivana Knoll raised eyebrows with her World Cup Instagram anticsCredit: INSTAGRAM
      The World Cup’s ‘hottest fan’ is continuing to turn heads on Instagram
      The Croatian’s Instagram followers have blown up since the tournament in QatarCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Ivana Knoll gained 2.6 million followers in December aloneCredit: INSTAGRAM
      The 30-year-old turned heads in the Middle East and her popularity skyrocketed on Instagram.
      In the last 30 days of 2022 the model gained 2.6million followers on Instagram.
      Knoll now has a total of 3.6m followers on the platform.
      And no doubt that they will continue to swell if she keeps posting photos like her latest snap.
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      Knoll squeezed into a tiny pink bikini to go for a dip as she managed to pull off the steamy pose that soon had the likes flooding in.
      The model was partying with Hollywood actor Jamie Foxx in Miami earlier this week.
      The model wowed supporters in Qatar last month with her bold outfit choices which went against their conservative dress codes.
      And she started off the New Year in equally eye-catching fashion as she attended a big party in Miami.
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      Former Miss Croatia winner Knoll kept fans up to date with her night with a series of Instagram posts.
      Before that, she gave followers a treat as she showed off her figure in a black bikini.
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      The star later videoed herself in a small and tight blue outfit as she prepared for a New Year’s bash.
      The busty influencer would have left jaws on the ground with the sizzling snap where she wore black heels and showed off a lot of leg.
      Knoll then arrived at her party and snapped herself with “friend” Foxx. More