Messi is taunted by 'Ronaldo' chants - and scores 14 seconds later (2024)

Lionel Messi issued the perfect put-down to Nashville fans chanting Cristiano Ronaldo's name - by scoring 14 seconds after they chirped up.

The Inter Miami forward struck from the edge of the penalty area to put Inter Miami 2-0 up and pulverise any 'Ronaldo, Ronaldo' chants as Nashville's rabble fell silent.

Messi had already assisted Luis Suarez and Robert Taylor would go on to add another as Inter Miami advanced to the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.


That 3-1 win (5-3 on aggregate) sees Messi's chances of lifting North America's version of the Champions League grow and they will face Mexicans Monterrey in the last eight.

The Argentine has made a seamless transition to football in the United States, scoring 16 goals in 19 games and establishing a fine partnership with Suarez.

Lionel Messi silenced chants of 'Ronaldo, Ronaldo' when he scored just 14 seconds after they started

Inter Miami went on to beat Nashville 3-1 and 5-3 on aggregate, reaching the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup

Inter Miami are top of the Eastern Conference with seven points after four games.

Messi's impact has been immeasurable for the team co-owned by David Beckham.

His debut in July was the most-watched match in MLS history and the club have a burgeoning global profile.

He is regularly subjected to 'Ronaldo' chants but brushes those off like a duck sailing through water.

In the MLS this season, he is the joint-top scorer in the league with three goals - although he will be hoping to get clear of Christian Benteke, who is one of the players with the same total.

It all marks a contrast to what was a dire pre-season for the Herons.

Coming into the season, they had won just once in 15 games.

The Herons endured a nightmare pre-season and Messi had to sit some of it out with injury issues.

Fans in America regularly taunt Messi with Cristiano Ronaldo chants but they don't work

Messi has scored 16 goals in 19 games since joining the club owned by David Beckham

Two Argentina friendlies were even cancelled in China after Messi sat out a match against a Hong Kong league XI.

Inter Miami kick-started their pre-season programme with a disappointing 0-0 draw with El Salvador.

Both Messi and Luis Suarez drew a blank on their Inter Miami reunion, with the attacking stars playing 45 minutes in the team's draw.

Following that game, Messiand his Inter Miami team-mates featured in front of a near-empty Cotton Bowl stadium for a drab friendly against FC Dallas.

Incredible images from the game in a rainy Texasshow the World Cup winner lining up alongside two fellow legends in Suarez and Sergio Busquets -- but the rare appearance of soccer royalty failed to create the sort of buzz MLS had hoped for.

There were just 32,211 fans in attendance - a third of the capacity of the huge venue - with large swathes of empty seats seen throughout the stadium. Dallas' Jesus Ferreira scored the only goal of the game inside three minutes.

Inter Miami then continued to clock up the miles during their off-season, flying to Saudi Arabia to face two more money-spinning games.

Their first match was a narrow 4-3 defeat to Al-Hilal, where Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Al-Hilal an early lead.

It follows a nightmare pre-season for Inter Miami. Messi was a late substitute as his side were thrashed 6-0 by Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr

Fans were left furious after Lionel Messi remained on the bench during a game in Hong Kong

Shortly afterwards, midfielder Ruben Neves turned away from Messi, leaving the Argentine icon in a heap on the floor.

Inter Miami then moved on to a blockbuster showdown against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, in a clash that had been billed as the 'Last Dance' between two great rivals.

However, the Portuguese striker was forced to pull out of the occasion with a muscle injury, while Messi took to the pitch for only seven minutes, with his side already 6-0 down by the time he was introduced.

After that, the MLS side headed out to Hong Kong, where things only went from bad to worse for Messi and his team-mates, as angry fans demanded a refund after paying up to £365 to watch the Argentine.

Their anger stemmed from the fact Messi, who featured prominently in the advertising ahead of the event, remained on the bench throughout Inter Miami's 4-1 win over a Hong Kong league XI.

Local fans couldn't hide their frustration after paying as much as £365 to watch Messi play

Some of the advertising boards at Hong Kong Stadium featuring Messi were damaged

Some 40,000 fans were furious and it even ended in a political dispute, with Hong Kong's government demanding an explanation from organisers, while they threatened to withdraw $2m (£1.6m) of funding to the organisers that helped bring Inter Miami to the city.'The organiser owes all football fans an explanation,' they said in a statement.

Hong Kong's sports minister also claimed that Messi had been contracted to play for at least 45 minutes.

Messi is taunted by 'Ronaldo' chants - and scores 14 seconds later (2024)

FAQs

Who is the goat of football? ›

Some of the biggest names in the sport have declared Lionel Messi as the GOAT – above Diego Maradona, Pele, and his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Who is better than Messi? ›

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Titles
Cristiano RonaldoCompetitionLionel Messi
5Champions League4
4Club World Cup3
4National Cups*7
22Total30
5 more rows
Jan 31, 2024

How many games has Messi won against Ronaldo? ›

Messi leads the head-to-head record with 16 wins in competitive matches to Ronaldo's 11, while there have been nine draws.

Who is the goat between Messi and Ronaldo? ›

Messi beats Ronaldo to GOAT status after data analysis, says Liverpool FC's research director. The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has riveted football pundits and primary schoolchildren alike, fuelling endless debates over who is the greatest player of modern times – or ever.

Who is Messi idol in football? ›

His goalscoring idol growing up was Brazilian striker Ronaldo, with Messi calling him "the best forward I've ever seen". Messi enrolled at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, aged 13. As the Messi family had relatives in Catalonia, they sought to arrange a trial with Barcelona in September 2000.

Why is cr7 the goat? ›

Ronaldo's winning mentality is unparalleled. Throughout his career, he has won multiple domestic league titles, UEFA Champions League trophies, and FIFA Club World Cups. His leadership skills and ability to inspire teammates contribute to his claim as the GOAT.

Who is best Messi or Mbappe? ›

Lionel Messi beats Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema to Best FIFA Men's Player award. Lionel Messi was named Best FIFA Men's Player at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, beating Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.

Who is faster Messi or Ronaldo? ›

Top Speed: Ronaldo wins with 34 km/h vs. Messi's 32.5 km/h. Acceleration: Messi takes the lead, reaching top speed quicker. Average Speed: They're close, with Messi slightly ahead at 23 km/h vs.

Why cr7 is better than Messi? ›

Ronaldo has more career goals on both the domestic and international stages, while Messi has more assists in both departments. But the major difference, statistically at least, is that Messi has played over 100 fewer games than his rival – not a surprise given he is two years younger than the Portuguese icon.

Will Ronaldo play 2026 World Cup? ›

The next World Cup may be three years away, but Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly plans to take part in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. He has apparently told Al Nassr that he'd like to extend his contract with the club until at least the beginning of 2027, when he is expected to hang up his boots.

Has Ronaldo won over Messi? ›

They are two of the most decorated footballers ever, having won a combined 79 official trophies (Messi 44, Ronaldo 35) during their senior careers thus far, and have regularly broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season.

Who is better after 1,000 games Messi or Ronaldo? ›

Both the star footballers have played 1,000 matches and football lovers have once again started making comparison. After playing 1,000 games, Messi has scored 789 goals, while Ronaldo has scored 725 goals. The Argentina great assisted in 348 goals. Meanwhile, Ronaldo assisted in 216 goals.

What is Messi net worth? ›

Messi is the second highest-paid athlete in the world as of 2023, and has earned an estimated $1.15 billion in his career so far, according to Forbes. Messi owns a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio, holds lucrative brand partnerships, and even owns a hotel chain.

Has Messi won Guinness world Record? ›

Lionel Messi is the footballer with the most Guinness World Records (GWR). In a Twitter post on Tuesday, the British reference book announced that the Argentine surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo on the log for the most record titles. Messi is said to have 41 records to his name, while Ronaldo falls just one short at 40.

Is Goat related to Messi? ›

The acronym GOAT stands for Greatest of All Time and Messi is unquestionably the greatest of all time when it comes to football in the modern era.

Is Ronaldo the goat of football? ›

GOAT is an acronym often used in sports. It stands for Greatest Of All Time. Many soccer fans view Ronaldo as the greatest player of all time, though Lionel Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona also feature regularly in soccer's GOAT debates.

Who is the goat of goals in football? ›

Both are football greats and they are still netting goals at unbelievable rates for Inter Miami and Al Nassr respectively. But it's Ronaldo who sits above his rival at the top of the all-time scoring table, with his records helping him to overtake Austria-Czech icon Josef Bican.

Who idolize Messi? ›

Youssoufa Moukoko. The Borussia Dortmund youngster is considered one of the top young talents in Europe and his brother Borel Moukoko revealed who the striker idolised when growing up. “Youssoufa has always liked Lionel Messi,” Borel told Goal.

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