‘Messi better than me? I don’t agree’: Ronaldo tells Piers Morgan

Who is better between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of football's most enduring debates -- and this time, it's Ronaldo himself who has reignited it.

In a preview clip of what Piers Morgan has billed as "the biggest sit-down interview" of his life, set to air today, November 4, the Portuguese forward firmly rejected the idea that Messi surpasses him.

When Morgan asked, "They say Messi is better than you. What do you think?", Ronaldo responded: "Messi is better than me? I don't agree with that opinion. I don't want to be humble."

The teaser also shows Ronaldo addressing remarks from his former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney, who once said Messi was superior. The Al Nassr star brushed it off, saying such opinions "don't bother" him and that he prefers to focus on his own performances.

Ronaldo, who recently became the first footballer to cross the billionaire mark, even joked: "It's not true -- I became a billionaire many years ago."

The upcoming interview adds a fresh spark to a rivalry that has defined modern football, dividing fans and pundits alike for nearly two decades.

Their previous sit-down interview, nearly three years ago, proved dramatic. It ultimately led to Manchester United and Ronaldo mutually terminating his contract during the mid-season World Cup in Qatar -- a turning point that paved the way for his move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, where he continues to play.

That World Cup also marked a diverging path for football's two icons: Messi lifted the trophy with Argentina in a career-defining triumph, while Ronaldo left the tournament in tears after Portugal's quarterfinal defeat to Morocco.

In previous comments, Morgan insisted Ronaldo remains the greatest player of all time, writing in The Sun that "Messi is a genius, no question, but I've long suspected he's what cricket fans would call a 'flat-track bully'." Following Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr in late 2022, Morgan claimed the striker was "raising the profile of football in a new region" and "doing what he's always done -- challenging himself."