"Quits elite football at 35, three years earlier than Ronaldo" - Piers Morgan aims dig at Lionel Messi amid rumors of Inter Miami agreement
Lionel Messi's impending move to Inter Miami has been slammed by Piers Morgan with the British broadcaster comparing it to Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr.
The 35-year-old looks set to move to DRV PNK Stadium after his contract with PSG expires at the end of the month. The Argentine icon has been linked with Miami, Barcelona and Al Hilal.
Reports claim that Messi has chosen the Herons as his next club and will become the latest household name to arrive in the MLS. It will be the first time the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner steps outside Europe in his club career since starting at his boyhood Argentinian club Newell's Old Boys.
However, Lionel Messi's anticipated move to Miami has been criticised by Morgan. He said that Messi is not getting the same negative reaction Ronaldo did when joining Al Nassr, tweeting:
"So, Messi quits elite football at 35, three years earlier than Ronaldo. Presumably, we'll now read/hear all the same scathing, mocking pieces by sportswriters/pundits that they wrote/said about Cristiano - right? (Spoiler alert: we won't.)"
So, Messi quits elite football at 35, three years earlier than Ronaldo. Presumably, we'll now read/hear all the same scathing, mocking pieces by sportswriters/pundits that they wrote/said about Cristiano - right? (Spoiler alert: we won't.) twitter.com/BBCSport/statu…
Cristiano Ronaldo, 38, headed to the Saudi Pro League in January, joining Al-Alami on a two-year deal worth a reported €200 million per year. The Portuguese icon has impressed with 14 goals in 19 games across competitions.
However, when Ronaldo moved to Mrsool Park, many took aim at that move as the legendary striker moved to a league still growing in prominence. The Real Madrid icon has helped put Saudi football on the map, and Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante are set to follow him to the Middle Eastern league this summer.
Both the Saudi Pro League and MLS are not held in high regard by fans due to their lesser pedigree compared to Europe's top leagues. Hence, Morgan feels that the criticism that was aimed at Ronaldo should also be targeted at Messi.
Lionel Messi did want to return to Barcelona, with his father Jorge confirming that. However, the club's financial issues seemingly scuppered the operation, and Messi now looks set to become an Inter Miami player.
The Argentine will follow in the footsteps of the likes of David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. They're just four of the household names that moved to the MLS in the twilight of their career.
Ronaldo talked up Lionel Messi's potential arrival in Saudi Pro League
Lionel Messi was reportedly offered an astronomical €500 million per year deal to join Saudi giants Al Hilal this summer. Al-Za'eem were eager to make the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner the latest blockbuster name to arrive in the Middle East. They were willing to make him the highest-paid player in history.
That offer would have trumped the €200 million his longtime rival Ronaldo earns at Al Nassr. The Portuguese icon is the world's highest-paid player following his move to Mrsool Park in January.
Ronaldo was asked about potentially being joined by big names like Messi in the Saudi Pro League. He responded (via Arab News):
“If they are coming, big players and big names, young players, old players, they are very welcome because if that happens, the league will improve a little bit.”
The legendary duo have a storied rivalry that has dominated European football in the last two decades. The duo clashed in the El Clasico at Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. However, it appears that rivalry will not be reignited in Saudi Arabia.