Despite Messi’s World Cup success with Argentina, Piers Morgan insists CR7 has one-upped his rival by taking on a new challenge outside Europe.
Cristiano Ronaldo still has the edge over Lionel Messi in the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate, according to Piers Morgan.
For years, Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the GOAT debate amongst fans. The tide has swung has back and forth between the pair, although Morgan insists the mantle belongs to CR7.
“He’s also doing what he’s done throughout his career, which for me gives him the edge over Messi, and that is challenging himself in a new country, and new league, at a time when football in the Middle East is really taking off, as we saw at the Qatar World Cup where Morocco reached the semi-finals and Saudi Arabia beat the eventual winners, Messi’s Argentina,” Morgan told Tatler.
‘Ronaldo is definitely happy in Saudi Arabia’
It was Morgan’s TalkTV interview with Ronaldo last November that led to the star’s exit from Manchester United. The striker then signed for Al Nassr a month later, becoming the world’s highest-paid athlete. The Saudi Arabian club will pay him a reported $200 million per year.
“Thanks to the fall-out from our interview, Ronaldo signed the biggest transfer deal in football history, and is now the world’s highest-paid athlete, at the age of 37,” Morgan said.
“He wanted freedom from Manchester United, where he rightly felt he had been badly disrespected by both the manager and senior club executives.”
“Ideally, I think he’d have preferred to play for another top Champions League club for a year or two,” the British journalist added. “But Al Nassr made him a staggering offer.
“I think the fresh challenge of raising the profile of football in a new region of the world, at the twilight of his incredible career, really appealed to him.
“He’s definitely happy. I’ve swapped a few texts with him, and he’s absolutely loving it, on and off the pitch.”
Ronaldo and Al Nassr return to action on Friday evening for a trip to sixth place Al Fateh. The Saudi Pro League leaders need to win. Their local rivals, Al-Hilal, sit just a point behind in second place in the standings.