Why Lionel Messi Unfollowed Garnacho – Cristiano Ronaldo Involved 

Rio Ferdinand claims that Lionel Messi unfollowed Alejandro Garnacho on Instagram because of the Manchester United winger’s fondness for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The former Red Devils defender claims to have been told by the teenage forward that Argentina international team-mate Messi is no longer a fan of his on social media. That is because Garnacho, who briefly worked alongside Ronaldo at Old Trafford, has made no secret of the fact that he is a big admirer of CR7.

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Ferdinand revealed to his Vibe with Five YouTube channel about Garnacho, who even dons Nike Vapour 15 Mercurial Dream Speed boots that were inspired by Ronaldo: “You know what I like about him? He doesn’t give a f*ck. Garnacho told me that Messi unfollowed him just because he makes no secret of preferring Ronaldo. He comes out, don’t care, ‘I’m a Ronaldo man’. Who’s the GOAT? Ronaldo. (Even) when he’s in the Argentina squad.”

In April 2022, Messi unfollowed Garnacho, as fans noticed. At the time, the young player had posted a photo of Ronaldo with the caption, referring to the Portuguese legend as the greatest of all time. Messi and Garnacho are now colleagues in the senior Argentina squad, although Messi has not reciprocated Garnacho’s prior call of him as a “idol.”

Messi must have been impressed with Garnacho’s most recent United goal—a magnificent overhead kick against Everton. When asked if that attempt surpassed the historic bicycle kick Wayne Rooney scored during a City derby back in 2011: Ferdinand responded as follows: “Garnacho. One was off a shin pad, the other was off his boot. I’m sorry, Wazza. I was in my house in the front room with my family and we went ballistic. It was nuts. Even my little boy, his tooth had just fell out, he fell and his tooth just got knocked out, he was trying to do overhead kicks in the living room like probably millions of little kids around the world at the time. That goal is better than Rooney’s. He was running away from the goal, a bit further away from the goal, at an angle. It was unbelievable, breathtaking moment.”

In spite of head coach Erik ten Hag’s admission that overhead kicks are bad for the young player’s spine, Garnacho is expected to play a key role for United when they play Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday.