Is Cristiano Ronaldo’s new goatee a dig at Lionel Messi?
- Published
Ronaldo v Messi. The GOAT debate rages on
Ronaldo’s new facial hair has been attracting a lot of attention amongst fans and has reignited a long-time dispute over who is the greatest footballer of all time (GOAT).
We first spotted the normally clean-shaven 33-year-old’s goatee in Portugal’s World Cup opener against Spain, where he stroked his chin after grabbing the first of three goals on the day.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Portugal’s captain led his team to a 3-3 draw in the game against Spain however the coach dismissed rumours that Ronaldo’s celebration was him declaring himself as the ‘GOAT.’
"In Portugal, it is a common gesture to touch your chin. It means that you are satisfied," Portugal's coach Fernando Santos said.
"Football is not an individual sport, it is a team sport. It is not just about Cristiano Ronaldo," he added, but fans added more fuel to the fire when Portugal faced Morocco in their second game.
With the eyes of the world watching his every move, some suggested that Ronaldo’s goal celebration in the 1-0 win over Morocco saw him pointing towards his goatee yet again.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his goal against Morocco
Many argued that Ronaldo’s facial hair was in direct response to a viral photo shoot that was published ahead of the tournament featuring long-time rival Lionel Messi with a goat.
The player himself has said it's not a dig at his football nemesis and actually it's down to a joke he shared with team-mate Ricardo Quaresma. "We were in the sauna [before Portugal's game against Spain] and I started to shave and I left the goatee. I said if I score tomorrow, I would leave it for the rest of the tournament. And it gave me luck."
So there, you have it, part joke, part superstition. And the not-shaving routine seems to be working for the number seven.
Ronaldo’s been running riot at this year's tournament and has smashed four goals in just two games, becoming the highest scoring European player at international level., external
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi missed a penalty against Iceland and the Argentinian’s team has been criticised by Diego Maradona.
So it’s not been a dream start for Messi but the competition is just heating up and there’s plenty of time for Argentina's magician to turn things around, but try telling that to the devoted Ronaldo fans across the world.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Despite Ronaldo shutting down the suggestion that his facial hair is a dig at Messi, that's not stopped the conspiracy theorists...
“Ronaldo’s chin-beard is symbolism,” one Twitter user said. “He’s actually morphing into a goat.”
We're pretty certain that's not happening - though judging by the heat maps people have been posting, it could be a possibility.
However Messi’s die-hard fan-base were not about to let the Argentine down and supported him whilst the majority of people showered Ronaldo with praise.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Some claimed that Messi was targeted more by defenders in Argentina’s opening draw with Iceland which is why he didn’t perform as well as Ronaldo. Comedian Rob Beckett also threw his opinions into the mix.
Others claimed that both Ronaldo's goatee and Messi's recent photo shoot were both petty.
Maybe we’re just reading too much into these actions by the two footballing greats, but if this is a subtle war of gestures between Ronaldo and Messi, then we can’t wait for the next move.
