Football's governing body FIFA appeared to take a jab at Cristiano Ronaldo after Lionel Messi's recent World Cup triumph - before deleting the tweet in question.
In the eyes of many, the long-standing debate over who is the greatest player of them all was finally settled with Argentina's newfound status as world champions, an effort that was undeniably spearheaded by Messi. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner scored seven goals over the course of the tournament, including two in the final.
In stark contrast, Ronaldo bagged just once in the form of a penalty during Portugal's opening game of the tournament against Ghana. The 37-year-old was filmed leaving the pitch in floods of tears after his nation's exit at the hands of Morocco at the quarter-final stage.
FIFA sparked some social media controversy when they tweeted from their official World Cup account: “Thumbs up if you really enjoyed the #FIFAWorldCup” alongside a picture of Ronaldo with his thumb in the air.
It seems like the organisation may have it out for Ronaldo as this was not the first tweet that could have easily been interpret as a dig at the former Manchester United star. Shortly after Messi's heroics in the final, the same account wrote: “The GOAT debate is settled. The ultimate prize is now part of the collection. The legacy is complete.”
This has now also been deleted after significant backlash from Ronaldo's plethora of fans blasting the not-so-subtle jibe at the expense of the Portugal skipper.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Were the two FIFA tweets in question disrespectful? Comment below
Ronaldo is yet to issue any kind of update online since Argentina's victory, but it is likely that he is hurting both from Portugal falling short and his long-term rival Messi at long last conquering the trophy that evaded him for so long.
After appearing in a viral Louis Vuitton advert that showed both Messi and Ronaldo locked in a game of chess, the latter conceded he would love to "checkmate" the Argentine ahead of the tournament's start.
"Being honest I would like to be the one to give a checkmate against him (Messi)," Ronaldo admitted before Portugal's opening clash against Ghana.
"Let's see. It would be beautiful. As it happened in the chess (photo) it would be magic for it to happen in football as well."
Things didn't play out as Ronaldo was hoping and now the general consensus is he will forever play second fiddle to Paris Saint-Germain superstar Messi.
While Ronaldo may eventually come to terms with that fact, he could do without being the butt of jokes made by a footballing powerhouse like FIFA as he enters the last chapter of his illustrious career.
