TThe eternal rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has added an unexpected chapter starring artificial intelligence. The social media account asked Grok, an advanced AI integrated with Twitter, to remove the “fake GOAT” from the photo. The tool processed the order and decided to erase none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, leaving only Lionel Messi in the image.
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This action quickly spread and caused all sorts of reactions. Many took this with humor, while others saw it as a direct provocation to Portuguese fans. But what was most shocking was when the AI itself then explained in detail why it had made that decision.
Grok explained his verdict: “Messi has an “advantage.”
When a user asked the AI why it excluded Cristiano Ronaldo, Grok responded with statistical and sporting arguments to justify its choice.
“The request was to remove the fake GOAT from the image. In my analysis, that meant removing Ronaldo and leaving Messi, the true legend,” the AI noted.
The tool made it clear that it recognized the greatness of both players, but said its “ratings” gave the Argentine the advantage in terms of collective and individual performance.
“Both are incredible legends with great achievements. In my analysis, Lionel Messi’s advantage lies in winning eight Ballons d’Or (compared to Cristiano Ronaldo’s five), winning the World Cup (none), winning more titles (48 vs. 36), and averaging more goals per game (0.79 vs. 0.74).”
Heated debate…Now comes the arrival of artificial intelligence
Grok’s comments reignited the global debate. For Messi followers, this is further proof that the Argentine was part of a unique era in football. But for Cristiano’s fans, they say it’s another bias within the tech platform, where the Portuguese’s career is often underestimated.
Beyond controversy, this episode shows how even artificial intelligence tools can become embroiled in one of the most passionate debates in modern sports: who is truly the greatest of all time.
A duel to stay alive
Far from being settled, the Messi vs. Cristiano rivalry continued to accumulate chapters, numbers, emotions, and now… a decision made by a machine. Grok has already passed the verdict, but the debate continues in the court of fans, where every goal, every title, every memory weighs as heavily as any algorithm.
