“He must’ve hated everything about Sunday’s final” - Pundit changes stance towards Messi in GOAT debate with emphatic Ronaldo claim

Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has explained why he changed his stance in the GOAT debate involving Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi led Argentina to their FIFA World Cup trophy in 36 years in Qatar on Sunday, December 18. This has led many football fans to re-evaluate their stance on who is better between him and Ronaldo.

Keys is among those who previously maintained that the Portuguese icon is the greatest of all time in football. However, it appears the BeIN Sports presenter has had a change of heart recently.

The Englishman admitted that Ronaldo's antics in recent months have tempted him to change his stance on the GOAT debate. He feels the Portuguese must have hated watching his arch-nemesis lift the World Cup at the weekend.

Keys went on to wax lyrical about Messi for leading La Albiceleste to glory in Qatar. However, he admitted that there is no definitive answer to the GOAT debate.

On this, he wrote in his personal blog:

"As for the debate about the modern-day GOAT. I’ve always said I preferred Cristiano, but his antics over the past few months have turned me right off.

"He must’ve hated everything about Sunday’s final. But let’s not dwell on him - let’s applaud Messi and say the debate will rage forever because there is no definitive answer."

Ronaldo has grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons and rubbed people up the wrong way in recent months. He notably refused to come on as a substitute and walked off the pitch during Manchester United's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in October.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner then launched a scathing attack on the Red Devils and manager Erik ten Hag in an interview with Piers Morgan. He eventually had his contract with the club terminated as a result.

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How did Messi and Ronaldo fare at the World Cup?

Ronaldo went into the World Cup with a point to prove after leaving Manchester United. He even got his campaign in Qatar off to a positive start, scoring in Portugal's 3-2 win against Ghana in their opener.

However, the 37-year-old was then relegated to the bench for Portugal's knockout matches. He thus ended what appeared to be his last World Cup with just a goal to his name.

Messi, on the other hand, was awarded the Golden Ball after he led Argentina to glory. He netted seven goals and provided three assists for his team in seven matches in Qatar.