Zlatan Ibrahimovic didn't hesitate when asked to pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has weighed in on who out of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi deserves to win the greatest of all time debate, and fans are not happy.

The rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi is perhaps one of the most fierce in all of sports, as football fans across the world clash as they argue which of the pair is the greatest of all time.

While Ronaldo fans will argue that the Portuguese striker has more goals than his rival, many believe that the Argentine finally settled the debate by winning the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

However, perhaps the most qualified people to weigh in on this topic are former footballers, and who better than former Manchester United and Barcelona forward Ibrahimovic, a man who isn't one to shy away from controversial topics.

Speaking in 2022, Ibrahimovic responded in his typical controversial and confident style saying: "The only thing Ronaldo is ahead of Messi is the age".

Chelsea fan Frank Khalid stirred the pot on social media by sharing the quotes without context, and it predictably brought out the Ronaldo fans en mass.

One of the most liked replies read: "I've never seen a more jealous and egoist player than Ibrahimovic. Solomon Kalou had a better career than this fraud."

Another added: "Zlatan is only jealous that all and he can never achieve what Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved in the world of football."

A third person weighed in with: "Zlatan is turning out to be a comedian, he needs to respect CR7!"

However, not everyone in the replies merely went after the Swede. Instead, some spoke in defence of what he said, stating that Messi's World Cup triumph essentially ended the debate over who is the greatest of all time.

One user replied with: "Messi ended the debate. Nothing to talk about anymore", with a second saying "Zlatan is not wrong".

In the opinion of some, Ibra's comments actually speak to a hidden agenda against Ronaldo, rather than him just giving his objective opinion.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired from professional football in June 2023 at the age of 41. (Image: Getty)

Indeed, many in the replies pointed this out, tracing it back in a World Cup Qualifier in 2013.

According to the theorists, the origin of the Ronaldo-Ibra beef goes back to a clash between Portugal and Sweden, where a CR7 hat-trick that night prevented the Scandinavians from qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.

"Never thought a performance can rattle ur mental peace for 9 years", one person wrote on Twitter.

Whatever the truth behind the matter, this certainly won't be the last we hear from Ibrahimovic on the legendary duo.

Indeed, it is a debate which continues to split ex-footballers right down the middle, as stats, trophies and legacies get compared ad-nauseam.