Gary Lineker has disclosed that Cristiano Ronaldo declined to engage with him because of his stance on Lionel Messi. In recent years, the debate over whether Ronaldo or Messi deserves the title of the greatest footballer of all time (GOAT) has been a prominent topic among football enthusiasts.
Throughout their remarkable careers, both players have continually shattered records and often squared off during their tenures in La Liga, with Ronaldo representing Real Madrid and Messi donning the Barcelona jersey.
Reflecting on this rivalry, former Barcelona and England striker Lineker shared that Ronaldo had previously declined to communicate with him.
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During the BBC’s coverage of Portugal vs South Korea at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Rio Ferdinand spoke about Ronaldo.
He said: “It’s weird because he’s achieved so much so what more is there for him to aim at? But he’ll be scratching around so he’s got something to aim at because he needs that fuel. “He uses every single comment from a pundit, comment from the media, report or record that’s available as fuel.”
At this point, Lineker said: “I can tell you from my own experience that if you harbour the opinion that Lionel Messi is the better footballer, then he doesn’t want to speak to you.”
Ferdinand then joked:
“He doesn’t like you Gary.”
Lineker then continued:
“That’s okay. I understand that even though I have adored watching his career. He’s an incredible footballer but a bit touchy on that particular subject.”
As per The Express, Lineker said back in 2020: “People get very tribal in all sorts of ways in life, and Messi versus Ronaldo is one of them.
“I am a huge fan of Ronaldo too, but if you’re talking about the best player ever, there shouldn’t even be a debate that it is Messi. That’s just my opinion, but it’s not even close for me.”