Gary Lineker has been having some fun on social media after making light of the fact that he has a better disciplinary record than Lionel Messi.
Messi, 35, has now pretty much won all there is to win in football after guiding Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last month. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, who joined Paris Saint-Germain back in the summer of 2021, enjoyed a trophy-laden stint at Barcelona before making the switch to the French capital and has also landed scores of personal accolades and broken numerous records during his illustrious career.
However, Lineker, who also played for Barcelona, has highlighted one record he holds ahead of Messi with a mischievous Twitter post on Tuesday afternoon.
A social media account shared a throwback to when Messi received the first red card of his career back in 2021. The incident, which occurred before he left Barcelona, is the only blemish on his otherwise remarkable record, which spans over 830 senior games.
However, Lineker, who was previously honoured with the FIFA Fair Play award after never receiving a single red or yellow card during his 16-year playing career, was quick to chime in. Responding to the tweet, the Match of the Day host quipped: "I know of better disciplinary records."
Since returning from Qatar, speculation has ramped up over Messi's future. The PSG forward has just six months remaining on his current contract and would be an attractive acquisition for a host of clubs around the globe, while a romantic return to Barcelona has also been mooted.
More recently, Messi has been heavily linked with a move to the MLS in the United States and the Saudi Pro League in the Middle East: two leagues that are willing to pay big money for marquee signings that would raise their global profile.
Join the debate! Who do you think Messi will be playing for next season? Let us know here.
One recent report even claimed that Messi was being lined up by Al-Hilal, the rivals of Al-Nassr, as a direct response to the lucrative £173 million-a-year deal that saw Cristiano Ronaldo move to the Saudi Pro League.
During the World Cup, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi confirmed that Messi and the club had an agreement to continue talks over a new deal after the tournament had concluded, and BBC Sport are now claiming that Messi is leaning towards extending his stay with the French giants.
The same report outlines that Messi 'would not consider' an offer from Saudi Arabia as he has ambitions that would only be possible were he to stay in Europe, including another Ballon d'Or win and another Champions League triumph.
Messi has plundered 24 goals in 54 appearances for PSG and appears to have finally hit top form after enduring a difficult maiden season in Ligue 1.
