Lionel Messi allegedly unfollowed Alejandro Garnacho on social media after he dubbed Cristiano Ronaldo the greatest of all time.

Rio Ferdinand shared the facts of a private conversation with the Argentine following his Manchester United wondergoal. Garnacho stunned the football world on Sunday with a magnificent overhead kick against Everton.

Many have already dismissed the Premier League’s Goal of the Season accolade, with some even claiming it is the best in the competition’s history. Only three minutes into what was thought to be a cauldron-like atmosphere on Merseyside, the goal startled Goodison Park into quiet.

While the strike was well praised, it was not enough to garner Garnacho a refollow from compatriot Messi. Garnacho called his then-club teammate the finest to ever do it in an Instagram post in April 2022, only months before Argentina’s World Cup triumphs. Ferdinand claims Messi spat his dummy and pushed the unfollow button because of this.

“You know what I like about him?” he said on his podcast Vibe with Five. “He couldn’t care less. Garnacho informed me Messi unfollowed him solely because he openly prefers Ronaldo. ‘I’m a Ronaldo man,’ he says as he walks out. Who is the greatest of all time? Ronaldo, even when he’s part of Argentina’s squad.”

The question of whether Garnacho’s shot was better than Wayne Rooney’s sensational late winner against Manchester City in February 2011 has also raged. Ferdinand, who was injured during that game, says the answer is obvious.

“Garnacho,” he answered when asked who had the better overhead kick. “One was from a shin pad, the other from his boot.” I apologize, Wazza. I was in my front room with my family when we went ballistic.

“It was insane. That goal is superior to Rooney’s. He was racing away from the goal, a little further away, at an angle. It was an incredible, magnificent experience.”