TThe eternal sports rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has entered a new chapter thanks to the NBA and Minnesota Timberwolves star. Anthony Edwards caused controversy by claiming he didn’t know CR7, but that wasn’t all.
However, the debate reignited when the player appeared wearing a special costume. Underneath his sweatshirt, he wore Argentina’s Lionel Messi’s jersey, indicating which side he was on.
Edwards ignores CR7 and chooses Albiceleste
On Sunday, February 15th, Ant-Man arrived at the NBA All-Star Game wearing black pants and a black sweatshirt, but underneath it was clear he was wearing the new Argentina jersey that Lionel Messi and others will wear to defend their title at the upcoming World Cup.
This should be a hint as to what will happen next. In an interview with @complexsports, Edwards was put to the test and had to choose between himself and a prominent star in the world of sports in general, not basketball in particular.
He competed against star players such as MLB’s Shohei Ohtani, golfer Tiger Woods, and table tennis player Han Ying. But when it came to comparing himself to Cristiano Ronaldo, he replied:
“Cristiano Ronaldo, who is that? I can’t hang out with him! Where does he play?” he answered.
His response provoked all sorts of reactions from football fans, with some claiming there was no way such a storied career as the 41-year-old Portuguese player could go unnoticed, and some even taking it humorously, drawing comparisons to Messi and claiming it was ironic. Other fans recall that perhaps that proximity and exposure brought him closer to Messi and his homeland, as Leo plays for Inter Miami in MLS in the United States.
That same night, Edwards was in the spotlight, but this time for another basketball-related reason. Anthony was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, after his team USA Stars defeated the USA Stripes 47-21.
Meanwhile, even though Lionel and Cristiano are nearing the end of their careers, there is no doubt that both soccer stars have entertained fans with their sporting rivalry, not only when they shined at Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, but even now, as the debate continues to rage over time.
Lionel, who has scored 896 goals (77 with Inter Miami), is preparing for the start of the new MLS season on February 21, when he will defend the MLS Cup title he won last December when he plays the visitors against Los Angeles FC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Meanwhile, Cristiano, who returned to Al Nasr after being absent due to a strike in the two games against FIP, scored his 962nd goal against Al Fateh in Round 22 of the Saudi Pro League. This leaves him 38 goals away from his next challenge, the incredible and unique milestone of 1,000 goals. He will aim to add to this record in the AFC Round of 16 match against FK Al-Khadag on Wednesday, February 18th, or against Al-Hazm on Saturday, February 21st.
Meanwhile, both stars are preparing for their sixth World Cup, becoming the only two players in history to reach that number of appearances in the tournament.
Argentina will be in Group J along with Austria, Algeria and Jordan. They will make their debut against Algeria on Tuesday, June 16, before playing against Austria (Monday, June 22) and Jordan (Friday, June 26). Despite this, Leo has not yet confirmed his participation in the tournament.
Meanwhile, in Group K, Portugal will face Colombia, Uzbekistan and the winner of the intercontinental play-off between Jamaica, Congo and New Caledonia. They will play their first game on Wednesday, June 17th, against the winner of the intercontinental play-off. After that, they will play against Uzbekistan (Tuesday, June 23rd) and Colombia (Saturday, June 27th).
