Lineker Reveals Ronaldo Unfollowed Him Over Messi Opinion

"He unfollowed me on Instagram. I'll get over it." With his trademark deadpan delivery, Gary Lineker perfectly summed up his current relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo in a single sentence.

During an appearance on The Rest Is Football podcast with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards — who reportedly struggled to contain their laughter — Lineker confirmed what many had suspected: his longstanding belief that Lionel Messi is the superior footballer hasn't sat well with Ronaldo. There was no argument, no public falling out. Simply a quiet unfollow and an awkward distance.

"I didn't upset him with anything I said about him personally... apart from being honest and believing that overall Messi's a better footballer," Lineker explained. He then attempted to mend fences: "Please Cristiano, give me a call. Let's be friends again."

The Never-Ending Debate

With 13 Ballon d'Or trophies between them since 2008, these two legends dominated world football for over a decade, their careers running in remarkable parallel. While the Messi versus Ronaldo discussion has quieted as both icons approach retirement, it never completely disappears — and the 2026 World Cup will undoubtedly reignite the conversation.

Ronaldo continues his career at Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, where he's registered an impressive 25 goals and four assists across 29 appearances this season. The statistics remain world-class by any measure. Whether this form can carry over to World Cup success for Portugal remains uncertain.

Why MLS Would Be the Wrong Move

Bradley Wright-Phillips, who gained extensive MLS experience during his time with New York Red Bulls, has strong opinions about where Ronaldo shouldn't play next. "I don't want to see him in MLS," he told Covers.com. "It's too late in his career now."

His reference to Olivier Giroud's struggles at LAFC provides the most compelling part of his reasoning. Giroud, an outstanding striker throughout most of his career, appeared out of place without proper service in Los Angeles. Wright-Phillips envisions similar difficulties for Ronaldo: "I'd worry the same might happen to Cristiano."

It's a legitimate worry. While MLS has improved significantly, it's still a league where consistent quality delivery into the attacking third can be unpredictable. At this stage of his career, Ronaldo relies heavily on excellent service and intelligent positioning — not the relentless pressing and explosive speed that defined his prime years. Without quality supply, the goals disappear, and that's not the legacy anyone wants for him.

For the time being, Al-Nassr provides his platform. The Instagram situation with Lineker, it seems, remains unresolved.