In a surprising turn of events, football legend Lionel Messi declined an invitation to appear on the CBS Sports Champions League show in Miami. The reason? The presence of former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher, according to show host Kate Abdo.
The incident came to light during a discussion about the age-old debate comparing Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Carragher had been arguing that while Ronaldo is arguably the greatest goalscorer of all time, Messi holds the title as the greatest player.
Messi holds a grudge over Carragher comments from a year ago
However, it seems that past disagreements have led to some tension between Carragher and Messi. Last year, after criticizing Messi's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Carragher revealed that he received a private message from the Argentine superstar on Instagram where he was allegedly referred to as a 'donkey'.
"I had a little pop at Ronaldo earlier in the season, didn’t think it was a great signing for United," said Carragher in January 2022. "Then I said the example of Messi; I didn’t think Messi's move was great for PSG."
Despite this incident occurring over a year ago, it appears that wounds have not yet healed for Lionel Messi, who is currently a member of the Inter Miami squad.
During the panel show 'Destination Miami' on CBS Sports, one of Carragher's colleagues addressed the elephant in the room.
CBS Sports host, Kate Abdo, said:
"You know we made an official invitation, extended one to Inter Miami and asked him to come on our show. Apparently, Lionel Messi will not be doing any television shows that Jamie Carragher is part of."
This revelation left many fans surprised as they were excited to see one of their soccer icons on the screen.
Carragher took the snub in his stride
Former Liverpool defender Carragher responded by saying that he considers this move by one of the world's greatest footballers as a "claim to fame". He even went on to ask the audience if they would have preferred him over Messi on the show.
Given Messi's global popularity and his recent move to Inter Miami, it was only logical for CBS Sports to extend an invitation for him to appear on their show. However, this incident has added another layer of intrigue to the world of sports broadcasting and soccer fandom.
While fans may be disappointed by Messi's absence from CBS Sports' broadcast due to Carragher's presence, it certainly adds a new dimension to understanding player dynamics off-field.
It also serves as a reminder that even legends like Lionel Messi can hold grudges when they feel slighted or disrespected.
