Football

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

Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at 11:23 AM by Justin Williams 3 min read

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Reactions to the comment:

@ColonelRw:

"Top scorers get award of golden boot not ballon D'or."

@1AneeshKumar:

"Haters gonna hate."

@Sebastrigol:

"Man is mad that Messi accomplished what he never could."

@RMA_Aramis:

"But that’s the truth."

@11Rasmus11:

"Because he knows Messi is a fraud."

@AdithyaReddy_20:

"This is disgusting."

@visca_mateus:

"every day they add one more penalty."

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.

When Jose Mourinho settled the GOAT debate

For years, the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate has been a hot topic in barbershops, bars, and social media. Both football legends have amassed hundreds of goals, shattered numerous records, and claimed countless trophies.