Cristiano Ronaldo’s ex-teammate Jesse Lingard has already voted on the GOAT debate as he trains with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami

Cristiano Ronaldo's former Manchester United teammate Jesse Lingard termed Lionel Messi the GOAT after Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Lingard took to social media to make a post on the matter. The player, who is currently a free agent after the expiration of his Nottingham Forest contract, wrote after Argentina won the World Cup (via Daily Express):

"Messi the [GOAT]."

Jesse Lingard played 13 matches with Cristiano Ronaldo during the Portuguese's second Manchester United spell. They combined for one goal as well.

The Englishman is currently without a club. He was recently spotted training with Inter Miami. Lionel Messi announced last month that he will be joining the MLS club as a free agent. Lingard's training could signal him making a move to the MLS.

The 30-year-old is best known for his Manchester United stint. He made a total of 232 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 35 goals and providing 21 assists. Fans might remember the time when Ronaldo gave a young Lingard a skill lesson after joining Manchester United back in 2003.

Watch the video here:

---

Ilkay Gundogan compared Erling Haaland to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are no longer in European football. Ronaldo currently plays for Al-Nassr and Messi is set to join Inter Miami. Hence, European football is in need of a new superstar who can match the two great's astonishing levels.

Ering Haaland is among the most likely candidates to do so. The Norwegian took English football by storm in his first season in the country. Haaland scored 52 goals across competitions as Pep Guardiola's side won the treble.

Ilkay Gundogan, who recently completed a move from Manchester City to Barcelona as a free agent, raved about his former teammate. Speaking about the Norwegian, Gundogan said (via Hindustan Times):

"Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when he came here. You see the goals and all the attention that he was getting at Dortmund, and you wonder if he’s going to fit with the group."

He further compared Haaland to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, saying:

"But when I got to know him, I was so surprised how someone could be that talented and still have the will to be even better every single day. He’s never satisfied. I feel like there are no limits for him. Messi and Ronaldo are the only comparison for the level he could reach."

Ronaldo and Messi are two of the greatest players to have ever touched a ball. However, their powers are on the wane. Haaland and Kylian Mbappe has the onus to set world football on fire in the coming years.