"He unfollowed me on Instagram. I'll get over it." Gary Lineker, deadpan as ever, summing up exactly where he stands with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards — both apparently in fits of laughter — Lineker confirmed that his long-held view of Lionel Messi as the better player has cost him one high-profile follower. "He doesn't like me very much, Cristiano Ronaldo," he said. "I didn't upset him by anything I said about him... other than the fact I'm honest and think overall Messi's a better footballer."
To be clear: Lineker isn't burning bridges. "I will always like him. I've met him a lot of times. I know he's got the hump with me. But that's okay." He even signed off with a public olive branch: "Please Cristiano, give me a call. Let's be friends again."
The GOAT debate still has teeth
The Ronaldo vs. Messi argument has quietened since both moved away from Europe's top leagues, but it hasn't disappeared. Ronaldo is still producing at Al-Nassr — 25 goals and four assists in 29 matches this season — which keeps his name in the conversation. The 2026 FIFA World Cup could easily reignite things, with both players potentially making one last run at the one trophy that has defined their rivalry more than any other.
What's interesting is how polarising Ronaldo remains. Plenty of legends back him as the greatest. Just as many, like Lineker, don't. And clearly, he notices.
Why an MLS move could be the wrong call
Ex-Manchester City and New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips has weighed in on Ronaldo's future, and his verdict is blunt: stay away from MLS. "I don't want to see him in the MLS... it's too late in his career now," he told Covers.com. His concern isn't just about form — it's about legacy protection.
Wright-Phillips pointed to Olivier Giroud's stint at LAFC as a cautionary tale. "It was tough to watch as an Arsenal fan, because he wasn't getting the service he needed and he was a shadow of himself, which was kind of sad. I'd worry the same might happen to Cristiano."
That's a legitimate fear. Messi has made MLS work because he can still beat defenders one-on-one and drive plays himself. Ronaldo's game has always been more dependent on service and structure. Put him in a league that can't consistently provide either, and the goals dry up — and the highlights become the wrong kind.
For now, Al-Nassr remains his stage. But the Instagram situation? Apparently still unresolved.
