Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Vinicius Jr changes his stance on GOAT debate

The Brazilian is currently favourite to win the Ballon d’Or.

Vinicius Junior has changed his mind on the question of who the greatest player of all time is between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

After leading his team to LaLiga and Champions League success last year, the Brazilian is one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in Paris on October 28.

Vinicius, who scored an incredible hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday to aid Los Blancos overcome a 2-0 deficit to triumph 5-2, has in fact maintained his form into the season.

It’s unclear how the player feels about the greatest player of all time, even if Vinicius is generally regarded as the finest player in the world right now.

Flamengo’s social media team invited a young Vinicius in 2017 to select between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest player in the world at the moment.

In response, the young sensation said: “Is it Messi or Cristiano? … Messi, Messi.

The winger was reportedly being considered by Barcelona at the moment, where he might play alongside Messi, but Real were quick to sign the forward from the Brazilian club.

There's just something about wearing the number 7 for Real Madrid 🙆‍♂️👕 pic.twitter.com/SvDZLesQQE

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) October 22, 2024

The comments went unanswered for years, causing a lot of internet discussion. However, after sharing a picture of himself with the Portuguese superstar on social media in 2023, Vinicius seemed to rethink his mind about the Messi vs. Ronaldo controversy.

In reference to Ronaldo’s reputation as the greatest of all time, or GOAT, Vinicius posted the picture along with the goat emoji.

Over the past 20 years, Messi and Ronaldo have reigned over the football world. Messi has won a record eight Ballon d’Ors, including the one from last year, while Ronaldo has won five.

However, neither of the stars made the shortlist this year for the first time since 2003. Right now, Vinicius and Rodri of Manchester City are the two front-runners for the prize.

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