When Ronaldo Liked Post Claiming Messi Doesn't Deserve Over 5 Ballon d'Ors

When Ronaldo Liked Post Claiming Messi Doesn't Deserve Over 5 Ballon d'Ors

  • Cristiano Ronaldo once reacted under a social media post criticising Lionel Messi following his eighth Ballon d'Or win
  • Spanish journalist Tomas Roncero hit out at the decision to award the Ballon d'Or to Messi in an Instagram post
  • Ronaldo liked Roncero's post and responded with four laughing emojis, indicating his disagreement with Messi's latest accolade

The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has been a cornerstone of football discussions for the past two decades.

These two football icons were the best players on the planet for a decade when they played in Spain for Real Madrid and Barcelona. Messi or Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or award from 2008 to 2017.

When Ronaldo Liked Post Claiming Messi Doesn't Deserve Over 5 Ballon d'Ors
Cristiano Ronaldo previously raised eyebrows with a reaction on Instagram after Lionel Messi won a record-breaking seventh Ballon d'Or award in 2023. Photos: Justin Setterfield/Franck Fife.
Source: UGC

While the two legends have often shown mutual respect, there have been moments of palpable tension.

In October 2023, Ronaldo stirred controversy by liking and commenting on an Instagram post that argued Messi did not deserve more than five Ballon d'Or awards.

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Ronaldo 'likes' criticism of Messi

This post emerged shortly after Messi secured his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or following his 2022 FIFA World Cup victory with Argentina.

The post's caption read: "Hello friends. As expected, they gave Messi another Ballon d'Or. He went to retire in Miami, having already looked retired at PSG while prepping for the World Cup. Yes, he won the World Cup, but with 6 penalties... The World Cup was 10 months ago. It's November. Messi now has 8 Ballon d'Ors, but he should have 5. He has Iniesta/Xavi's Ballon d'Or, Lewandowski's for his six-trophy season, and Haaland's for being the top scorer."

According to One Football via Sportskeeda, these words were from Tomas Roncero, the editor-in-chief of the Spanish newspaper AS.

Screenshots of Ronaldo's comment, featuring four laughing emojis, circulated widely on social media, suggesting he agreed and found the post amusing.

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This incident is not the first time Ronaldo has expressed his views on Messi's Ballon d'Or victories.

After Messi won his seventh Ballon d'Or in 2021 for leading Argentina to the Copa America title, Ronaldo agreed with an Instagram post questioning Messi's deservedness due to perceived poor performance.

Ronaldo's comment, "Factos," clearly aligned with the post's sentiment, causing a stir on social media, per Goal.

Ronaldinho names players better than Messi and Ronaldo

Legit.ng reported earlier that Ronaldinho rejected claims that Messi was the best-ever player.

The Brazil legend, who had the opportunity to see a young Messi develop at Barcelona, opined that there were better players than the Argentine and even Ronaldo.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Ibrahim Sofiyullaha avatar

Ibrahim Sofiyullaha (Editorial Assistant) Ibrahim Sofiyullaha is a graduate of First Technical University, Ibadan. He was the founder and pioneer Editor-in-Chief of a fast-rising campus journalism outfit at his university. Ibrahim is a coauthor of the book Julie, or Sylvia, written in collaboration with two prominent Western authors. He was ranked as the 9th best young writer in Africa by the International Sports Press Association. Ibrahim has contributed insightful articles for major platforms, including Sportskeeda in the UK and Motherly in the United States. Email: ibrahim.sofiyullaha@corp.legit.ng