Lyon use Lionel Messi to take dig at Cristiano Ronaldo while announcing an Argentine World Cup champion

In December, Cristiano Ronaldo sparked a heated debate on social media after he declared that the Saudi Pro League, in which he plays with Al Nassr, was better than the French league, Ligue 1. Seven-time domestic champion Lyon haven’t forgotten his comments, as they used Lionel Messi to “respond” in their announcement of Thiago Almada’s signing, who was part of Argentina’s World Cup winning squad.

In one frame of the video announcing Almada’s arrival, a message from “Lionel (goat emoji)” appears on the screen and it reads: “Don’t listen to Cristiano! Ligue 1 is amazing!”. Of course, it is a reference to Messi’s time with PSG (2021 to 2023), in which he won two domestic titles.

This is not the first time that Messi has been brought to resolve the drama. A day after Ronaldo’s comments, in which he also implied that the Saudi Pro League was more challenging due to the heat, the social media team of the Ligue 1 in Spanish responded with a picture of the Argentine star after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the caption: “Messi playing in 38 degrees.”

While Ronaldo’s words certainly were controversial, the Portuguese star also received support from Neymar, who also played in PSG. “I agree with Cristiano. Today, I think the Saudi League is above Ligue 1,” Neymar told CNN.

He added, “The level of the Saudi Pro League is increasing, and from what I see, it’s better than Ligue 1. Ligue 1 has its positives—it’s a strong league, and I know this well, having played there. But today, the players in the Saudi Pro League are better”.

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What were Ronaldo’s full comments?

During the Globe Soccer Awards, Ronaldo took the stage to receive the ‘Best Player of the Middle East’ and reflect on his career. On one occasion, he praised the Saudi Pro League’s competitive level, comparing it to the French league.

“Saudi Arabia’s league is much better than the French league. In France, there is only PSG, the rest don’t compete,” he said. Adding: “They should go and play there to see what it’s like—running in 39/40º (about 102.2 °F) heat and let them try it out.”

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Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr in December 2022, has helped the league attract more talent, including stars such as Neymar and Karim Benzema. As his contract with the Riyadh-based club is set to expire in June, Ronaldo is reportedly close to signing a lucrative renewal.