Lionel Messi clinched a record eighth Ballon d’Or on Monday and now Cristiano Ronaldo has responded on social media.
Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted to Lionel Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or win on social media.
On Monday, Messi clinched his eighth Ballon d’Or at the Theatre du Chatelet. Erling Haaland was the runner-up in the voting, with Kylian Mbappe third. The result in Paris added a new twist to the Messi vs. Ronaldo rivalry.
Ronaldo, who has won the Ballon d’Or five times, now trails Messi by three, leaving many to argue that the GOAT debate is over.
Yet, on Instagram, Spanish journalist Tomas Roncero argued that Messi deserved only five of his Ballon d’Ors. He claimed the other three – 2010, 2021, and 2023 – were gifted to him.
Roncero said the 2010 Ballon d’or should’ve gone to Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta. The AS reporter added that Robert Lewandowski was the deserving winner in 2021. He also suggested the 2023 award should have gone to Haaland.
In response, Ronaldo posted laughter emojis, showing his apparent agreement – as seen in the image below.
His close friend, Piers Morgan, another journalist, also expressed his dissatisfaction with Messi’s win on X.
Morgan insisted Ronaldo should be a seven-time winner and that the 2023 award was rightfully Haaland’s.
Messi preposterously winning the Ballon d’Or this year is yet more proof that the whole ‘Golden Ball’ system is rigged. He should have won 2 fewer, @Cristiano should have won 2 more, and Haaland should have won this year. End.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 31, 2023
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