Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most admired athletes in the world, with a large following behind him. The Portuguese striker is known for his abilities, achievements, and multiple trophies he has achieved in his career. However, he was always rivalled by the Argentine and Barcelona great Lionel Messi.
Both of their fans regularly clashed on social media to prove who was the actual GOAT. The two players also used to give their best every week to make sure one came out on top of the other. And sometimes it turns ugly off the pitch, unfortunately.
Cristiano Ronaldo allegedly involved in paid promotions to slander Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had a great rivalry on the pitch, but it was never in an ugly manner, with both respecting each other. But it seems that this is not actually the case, with some serious allegations against Ronaldo.
Recently, Ronaldo raised questions over the credibility of both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Best awards. Both of these awards were won by Messi, and many felt Erling Haaland deserved to win. Ronaldo was not even nominated for both awards, despite a great year with Al-Nassr.
Recently, a Facebook page named GOATnaldo Junction posted an image of Ronaldo winning the Ballon d’Or on a previous occassion. The caption was written, “The Ballon d’Or hits different when it’s earned.”
Ronaldo paye donc des comptes troll pour vanner Messi
— Konrad 🍁 (@Konrad__FCB) January 23, 2024
Perez avait raison ce mec est un malade mental pic.twitter.com/VcxaxUg5rL
The post was obviously made to mock Lionel Messi’s recent award wins and to protest the non-inclusion of Ronaldo in the awards. However, it was later pointed out by fans that the post was a paid promotion by none other than Cristiano Ronaldo himself.
This is a serious accusation, since it alleges that Ronaldo is using social media accounts to praise himself and mock Messi. While the page denied the case, many firmly believe that is the case, which is quite embarrassing for the Portuguese striker.
Real Madrid supremo once called Ronaldo a ‘sick man’
The recent allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo have led many fans to remind themselves of another incident. Some years ago, audio clips were released of current Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who Ronaldo himself played under. These date back to 2012, when the Portuguese sensation spent 3 years in the Spanish capital.
🗣️ Perez on Ronaldo: “This guy is an idiot, a sick man. You think this guy is normal, but he's not normal, otherwise, he wouldn't do all the things he does.”
— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) January 23, 2024
This makes even more sense now. pic.twitter.com/fYdeEpjKlq
Despite his many achievements for them, the audio clips showed him saying, “He’s crazy. This guy is an idiot, a sick man.” It is quite surprising to see the president of the club insult a big legend, but it does explain the rumors that he was behind the exit of Ronaldo from the club in 2018. This incident is now being used by many fans of Messi to explain why the five-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to undermine his rival’s success.
Cristiano Ronaldo is now enjoying his mid-season break in the Saudi Pro League but will soon return to action as his club takes on a number of friendlies before the restart of the season.
