Cristiano Ronaldo won’t talk to Gary Lineker because one comment hurt his feelings.
Gary Lineker has lined up some exciting guests for his ‘The Rest is Football’ podcast during the World Cup – but it looks like Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be one of them.
The show, featuring Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards, will air on Netflix for the first time during the World Cup, thanks to a new deal with Lineker’s Goalhanger Podcasts. It will be a daily TV show starting Wednesday, June 10. Lineker, Shearer, and Richards (who also works for the BBC) will be based in the US for the whole tournament.
Some big football names joining the show include Manchester United’s Harry Maguire, who recently shared his thoughts on social media after missing out on England’s final squad. England legends Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard will also appear, along with Arsenal and France great Patrick Vieira and former Lionesses star Millie Bright, who won Euro 2022 with England before retiring from international football.
As for Ronaldo, he probably won’t be on the Netflix show, likely because he’ll be busy with Portugal during the World Cup. Plus, Lineker revealed before that Ronaldo unfollowed him on Instagram, possibly because Lineker once said Lionel Messi is the better player.
On a recent chat with Louis Theroux, Lineker opened up more about his “frosty” relationship with Ronaldo. He said he thought Diego Maradona was the best player until he saw Messi, who he believes has had greater longevity. Lineker praised Messi’s amazing skills, vision, and style, saying it’s almost unbelievable.
He also made it clear that Ronaldo is an incredible footballer, but different from Messi. Lineker admits he feels bad that some think he doesn’t like Ronaldo, but that’s not true. He has huge respect for Ronaldo’s drive and success, including his goal-scoring record.
Lineker said many people compare Ronaldo and Messi, which is a big compliment to Ronaldo because he’s achieved so much. But he also explained why fans get annoyed when he picks Messi as the better player. He shared that Ronaldo even stopped talking to him after that interview, which changed their friendship.
In short, while Lineker respects both stars, it seems Ronaldo won’t be joining the World Cup podcast this time around.