Cristiano Ronaldo

England icon Gary Lineker picked Lionel Messi as the greatest of all time and revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo did not take it well. The debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to determine the best player of this era—and arguably of all time—has lasted for more than a decade. Fans around the world, as well as numerous experts, have shared their opinions, including England legend Gary Lineker. “He doesn’t like me very much, Cristiano Ronaldo,” Lineker admitted during a recent appearance on The Rest Is Football podcast. “I didn’t upset him by anything I said about him, other than the fact I’m honest and think overall Messi’s a better footballer.” The former England forward, who was the top scorer at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, has always expressed his admiration for Messi, whom he has often placed at the top of the sport alongside another Argentina icon, Diego Maradona. Explaining how he noticed Ronaldo’s animosity toward him, Lineker said: “He unfollowed me on Instagram.” However, he did not take the setback too seriously and joked about it: “I’ll get over it. I will always like him. I’ve met him a lot of times. I know he’s got the hump with me. But that’s OK. And on that note… Please Cristiano… give me a call. Let’s be friends again.” England legend Gary Lineker. Lineker names his Mount Rushmore of soccer players In the same conversation, Gary Lineker praised Lionel Messi, placing him above other great stars of the sport. “He’s my favourite player of all time, quite simply because he’s the best player of all time, in my view,” said the former Barcelona, Leicester City and Tottenham forward. Lineker then explained that while other players deserve special mention, they fall just short of that level, which further highlights Messi’s greatness. “Even the difference between some of the real greats, the Cruyffs, Zidane, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, the fact that you can then have another level above them, quite clearly above them, is truly remarkable,” he said. “Without his injuries, I think we’d have had Brazilian Ronaldo in that conversation. But unfortunately, he did, but he still did incredible things, and he was joyous. So, if I had four, you know, the ‘Mount Rushmore’ thing, yeah, that would be my four. So, Pele, Maradona, Messi, Fenomeno (Ronaldo),” Lineker added.

PIF has changed his involvement in soccer by completing the sell of Al Hilal to their new owners, a situation Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr are watching closely. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has taken significant new steps toward the privatization of Saudi Arabian soccer clubs. As Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr watch the next moves closely, the PIF has officially announced the sale of Al Hilal to a new ownership group. In a press release issued on April 16, the PIF announced an agreement with Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) for the acquisition of a 70% stake in Al Hilal Club Company. The firm, led by Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud, will now serve as the club’s majority owner, while the PIF retains a 5% interest in the share capital. As a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s “Sports Clubs Investment and Privatization Project,” the PIF became the majority shareholder of Al Hilal, alongside Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad, in July 2023. This initial investment was designed to accelerate club growth and increase the sports sector’s overall contribution to the Saudi GDP. A new strategy is now taking shape with the completion of the first of these four sales, as the PIF seeks to maximize returns and redeploy capital within the domestic economy. This gradual exit from majority ownership aims to guide the clubs toward financial sustainability while the PIF maintains a role as a minority shareholder or strategic partner. PIF and Kingdom Holding Company’s representatives arrange deal over Al Hilal. In a statement released on PIF’s website, KHC Chairman Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud reflected on the landmark deal: “Al-Hilal is a national symbol and a source of pride for the Saudi people. This acquisition expresses our deep belief in the power of sports as a unifying force and a catalyst for national development. By applying our global investment standards and cultivating strategic partnerships, we will unlock Al-Hilal’s full potential while preserving its history and identity.“ Al Nassr, Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad up next Al Hilal represents only the first phase of this divestment process. Following this precedent, the PIF will move forward with the sales of Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli, seeking suitable suitors to continue the clubs’ professional development. Reports have already revealed that, alongside a new contract signed in June 2025, Cristiano Ronaldo acquired a 15% ownership stake in Al Nassr valued at £50 million (approximately $66.7 million). As the PIF actively pursues new majority owners for the club, the Portuguese legend is positioned to assume an even more significant role in the organization. According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Al Nassr is encouraging Ronaldo to increase his equity, further deepening his ties to the Saudi side’s ownership structure. With club sales expected to be phased over the coming years, the soccer icon could see his influence grow significantly in the near future.

Vinicius Junior surpassed a Lionel Messi assist record in the UEFA Champions League during Real Madrid’s loss to Bayern Munich, although Cristiano Ronaldo still leads the all-time list. Real Madrid were eliminated from the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League after falling to Bayern Munich on Wednesday in Germany. However, the match allowed Vinicius Junior to surpass a Lionel Messi mark and move closer to Cristiano Ronaldo. Vini produced a brilliant play and assisted Kylian Mbappe on Real Madrid’s third goal in the closing minutes of the first half, which temporarily put the Spanish side level in the tie. With that contribution, the Brazilian winger reached 13 assists in the knockout stages of the European competition. In doing so, Vinicius moved past Lionel Messi for second place in the all-time rankings in that category. The Argentine forward had recorded 12 assists in Champions League knockout matches during his time with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Cristiano Ronaldo remains at the top of the list, having recorded a total of 15 assists in the tournament’s knockout stages across his spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. No other player has come close to those numbers, but Vinicius, at just 25 years old, needs only three more to claim the all-time record. IT'S MBAPPE'S TURN! 😱 OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT A MATCH! #UCL pic.twitter.com/g0RYwP92aF — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) April 15, 2026 Vinicius also draws level with Neymar That assist to Mbappe at the Allianz Arena also helped Vinicius climb the all-time Champions League assist rankings, including both the knockout rounds and the group stage. Vini is now tied with Neymar for fourth place on the list with 33 assists, and he has strong prospects of closing in on the top spots in the near future. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, as expected, are also in the top three, with the Portuguese star leading the way. However, there is another somewhat unexpected name included: Angel Di Maria, who played alongside both legends at Real Madrid and PSG, respectively. All-time Champions League assist leaders: 1- Cristiano Ronaldo (42) 2- Angel Di Maria (41) 3- Lionel Messi (40) 4- Neymar (33) 4- Vinicius (33) 6- Kevin De Bruyne (31) 6- Ryan Giggs (31) 8- Xavi Hernandez (30) 8- Thomas Muller (30) 10- Karim Benzema (29) 10- Andres Iniesta (29)

The Portuguese star played despite severe stomach discomfort and ended up vomiting after the match, as confirmed by Jorge Jesus. Leer

Italian teams have shone in European competition in recent years. Current Serie A league leaders...

Nkota savours dream moment in Ronaldo showdown Kick Off

The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo continues to spark debate even off the field. Leer

Cristiano Ronaldo played through illness as Al-Nassr picked up an important win on Wednesday

April 16 - Cristiano Ronaldo played through illness and vomited after leaders Al-Nassr claimed a 15th straight Saudi Pro League victory with a 1-0 win over Al-Ettifaq, coach Jorge Jesus said.

Gary Lineker is one of English football's true greats, but that does not mean everybody is a fan of him, and with that in mind, Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly falls into the latter