Shoaib Akhtar's football panel appearance leaves fans unimpressed

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar found himself at the centre of an online debate after appearing as a pundit on a popular TV channel for FIFA World Cup final coverage between Argentina and Spain. While it is unusual to see a former cricketer analysing football on such a stage, Akhtar’s candid views on the long-running Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT debate quickly went viral.

Akhtar drew a clear distinction between the two icons, describing Cristiano Ronaldo as the biggest commercial brand football has seen over the past decade while insisting that Lionel Messi stands alone when it comes to footballing ability.

“There has never been a bigger brand in football than Cristiano Ronaldo. Take it or leave it. He is probably the biggest brand FIFA has ever enjoyed. For the last 10 years, FIFA has sold him. Leagues have marketed themselves through him as well,” Akhtar said.

However, he was unequivocal when comparing their impact on the pitch.

“Now, if you look at Lionel Messi … I know I’m being a bit blunt here. But Messi is on another level. Ronaldo is nowhere close to Messi in terms of football. Just watch Messi’s gravitational pull on the pitch. He gets knocked down, gets back up, and keeps going. Ronaldo is incredible too, look at the work he has done. But again, Messi is different,” he added.

Akhtar also praised Messi’s competitive spirit, saying opponents only make life harder for themselves by provoking the Argentine.

“And even today he is still fighting and competing. Why do people keep provoking him? What’s the point? Once you get him going, he responds,” he said.

The former Pakistan speedster then recalled an observation made by former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola about Messi’s unique understanding of the game.

“His manager used to say something interesting … Guardiola. He used to say Messi spends the first 75 minutes just walking around and scanning the game. He maps everything out first. Then, once you disturb him around the 75th minute, he shows you what he’s really made of,” Akhtar explained.

His remarks quickly spread across social media, where football fans debated his take on the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry. At the same time, many cricket fans questioned PTV’s decision to feature a former cricketer on a football panel.