“Probably so that Messi can’t catch him” - When Piers Morgan claimed Cristiano Ronaldo would’ve joined Rangers or Celtic to preserve record

Popular TV personality Piers Morgan once claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo would have preferred to remain in Europe to keep his records ahead of his rival Lionel Messi. The 39-year-old enjoyed a highly successful career with Europe's elite sides before moving to the Saudi Pro League to join Al-Nassr in 2023.

Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United in 2021, 12 years after leaving the Red Devils to join Real Madrid and become one of the greatest ever. His return to Old Trafford was short-lived, as he left the club in 2022 following an explosive interview with Morgan.

In the interview, the Portuguese icon was critical of the institution. He signed with Al-Nassr in January 2023 as a free agent, having had his contract mutually terminated with the Red Devils.

Speaking to talkSPORT ex-host Laura Woods in January 2023 about Cristiano Ronaldo, Piers Morgan claimed that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner would have preferred to stay in Europe. Woods had asked the senior journalist if Ronaldo would have considered moving to a country like Scotland if its clubs could afford his wages. Morgan replied in the affirmative, saying:

"Ronaldo would have gone anywhere that had Champions League football. I know for a fact because he repeatedly told me what he really wanted to do was extend his Champions League career."

"He has most of the records in the Champions League and he wants to extend them, probably so that Messi can’t catch him and that he ends up as the GOAT of Champions League football. That was his motivating factor. I do believe that he’s driven more by records and legacy than he is by money," he opined.

The media personality, a staunch Arsenal supporter, also pointed out that Ronaldo chose to move to Saudi in a bid to grow their football.

Morgan continued:

"He’s already got half a billion pounds so it’s not like he needs a few quid in Saudi Arabia; he just happens to be getting a stupendous payday to build football there from a very good platform of beating the World Champions (Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina in their opening game of the 2022 World Cup).

“So things did change a lot in the last few months in terms of the narrative of football in the Middle East," he concluded.

Cristiano Ronaldo's UEFA Champions League record remains safe from Lionel Messi despite the former leaving Europe six months earlier. The Argentine legend played for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) until July 2023. He then packed his bags and moved to Inter Miami in the MLS.

Ronaldo has scored 140 goals in the Champions League, 11 more than Messi. The Portuguese great has also won the competition five times, one more than his rival did with Barcelona. He also won the competition's Golden Boot seven times, one more than Messi's six.

Marca crowns Lionel Messi as the GOAT ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele

Spanish publication Marca recently named Lionel Messi as the Greatest of All Time. They chose the Argentine icon over rival Cristiano Ronaldo as he became the first player to receive such an honor.

Messi returned to Miami after scoring his 10th international hat-trick for Argentina to equal Ronaldo's record for most international hat-tricks. The 37-year-old, earlier this summer, led Argentina to a Copa America triumph before winning the Supporters Shield with his club.

Marca handed Messi a trophy at the Chase Stadium as he was ranked above Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, Diego Maradona, and Alfredo Di Stefano. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner holds the record for the most team trophies — 46.