Gary Lineker snubs Cristiano Ronaldo with brutal four-word statement

Gary Lineker has settled the long-standing debate over who is the greatest footballer by stating "there isn't a comparison" between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The question of whether the Argentinian playmaker or the ex-Manchester United striker is the best player ever still splits football enthusiasts, reports the Mirror.

Ex-Premier League striker Lineker has consistently championed Messi throughout his career as a pundit. He disclosed in 2022 that Ronaldo, now playing for Al-Nassr, has since stopped speaking to him due to his stance, making it clear he's not Ronaldo's biggest admirer.

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Now, the Match of the Day presenter has reiterated his feelings and asserted that Messi is his choice for the title of Greatest Of All Time (GOAT), and that there's no longer any room for debate between the two.

Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast with colleagues Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, Lineker said: "The only debate for me in terms of GOAT status is whether it's him [Messi] or Diego Maradona. You can only really judge players you saw enough of in your lifetime. I didn't really see enough of Pele, but he would probably be the other.

"If you're talking about a debate between Messi and Cristiano, well, I'm sorry. As much as I admire Cristiano he's a wonderful, wonderful footballer and a truly brilliant goalscorer when it comes to actually comparing them as footballers, there isn't a comparison."

The slight chuckles from his fellow pundits led Lineker to expand, as he added: "Well, it's 'true'. Messi is probably