“Siiiiuuuuuuu” - When Shubman Gill aimed dig at Cristiano Ronaldo with hilarious Lionel Messi tweet after 2022 FIFA World Cup final
Indian cricketer Shubman Gill aimed a cheeky dig at Cristiano Ronaldo when Lionel Messi led Argentina to 2022 FIFA World Cup glory last December.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, while leading Argentina, won the World Cup final against France in Qatar on December 18, 2022. Messi scored a brilliant brace as the scintillating clash ended 3-3 after 120 minutes. The final went into penalties, which Argentina won 4-2.
Lionel Messi lifted his maiden World Cup as a result, the one major trophy that had eluded him till then. He was also named the Player of the Tournament, winning the Golden Ball after scoring seven goals and providing three assists.
Indian batsman Shubman Gill, who is set to feature against Australia in the 2023 Cricket World Cup final on Sunday, took a dig at Cristiano Ronaldo by using his 'Siu' celebration to hail Messi as the GOAT. Gill tweeted (via X):
"The GREATEST of all time Leo Messi. SIIIIIIUUUUUUU"
On the other hand, Ronaldo had a World Cup to forget for Portugal. The 38-year-old scored just one goal before losing his place in the starting XI to Goncalo Ramos under former manager Fernando Santos. Portugal were eventually knocked out in the quarter-finals, losing 1-0 to Morocco.
Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland credits Cristiano Ronaldo for being main source of inspiration just weeks after praising Lionel Messi
Manchester City ace Erling Haaland revealed his admiration for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo a few weeks ago due to their longevity at the top. However, he recently admitted that the latter was his main source of inspiration, stemming from his Manchester United days.
In an interview with France Football, Haaland hailed both Messi and Ronaldo, saying:
"You have to emphasize the extent to which Messi and Cristiano have done crazy things and remember that they always do, because even if they get older, obviously, they are still fantastic."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been part of the GOAT debate for well over a decade, winning a total of 13 Ballons d'Or between them. Haaland may have inadvertently given his preference when he recently waxed lyrical about the Portugal icon, saying (via EssentiallySports):
“I remember always watching Cristiano Ronaldo. His movements… He was my main inspiration. How he managed to develop his game. I remember watching how he played at United and in his early years at Real Madrid, and then he became more of a centre-forward in his later years at Real Madrid.”
After a treble-winning 2022-23 season for Manchester City, Haaland has shown no signs of slowing down and has already netted 17 goals in 18 appearances across all competitions this term.