Jamie Carragher was blanked by Cristiano Ronaldo before Manchester United's 2-1 win over Liverpool on Monday night.
In footage that spread across the internet like wildfire, Ronaldo briefly left his warm-up to make a cameo in Sky Sports' pre-match coverage by greeting his former teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane.
In the process of doing so, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner had to bypass Carragher, essentially ignoring the Liverpool legend as he instead turned his focus to Keane and then went back about his business.
Why did Ronaldo blank Carragher?
So, what's the beef? Well, while only Ronaldo himself can explain the motivations behind his viral moment with Carragher, it's fair to say that people have a pretty good idea of what might be behind it all.
We are, of course, talking about the fact that Carragher has been a vocal critic of Ronaldo's return to United over the last 12 months as well as opining on multiple occasions that Lionel Messi is in fact the GOAT.
And while Carragher obviously has no end of respect for Ronaldo to supplement those comments, praising him countless times also, you could understand why the Manchester United star wasn't in a hurry to shake his hand and give him a hug.
Rio Ferdinand's theory
In fact, the theory that Carragher's recent critiques of Ronaldo are the source of the cold shoulder has been given extra weight by a man incredibly close to the 37-year-old: Mr. Rio Ferdinand.
According to the Daily Mail, Ferdinand said on FIVE: "Knowing Cristiano Ronaldo, Jamie Carragher's been very vocal about Cristiano Ronaldo being the problem and stuff like that.
"Trust me, Cristiano would've seen those comments and would've been thinking walking over there: 'I'll just let this guy know with a little…,' he needs to kind of calm him down, humiliate him and show him up, whatever way you want to dress it up live on TV.
"Cristiano is very calculated, he's very aware of what's going on, he's not somebody who sits at home and switches off."
Football - Real Madrid v Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Second Round First Leg - Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - 13/2/13
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (L) talks with Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand at full time
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine
Livepic
What has Carragher said about Ronaldo?
So, seeing as we can feel fairly certain that Ronaldo snubbed Carragher because of some of the comments that he's made in recent years, it only makes sense that we take a look at them, right? Right.
As such, we've trawled through the archives and found 11 separate analyses that we think would rank amongst the comments that would have ground Ronaldo's gears the most, leading to what we saw on Monday.
Naturally, we don't have the slightest clue whether or not Ronaldo has read these quotes or not, but it nevertheless provides a smorgasbord of evidence as to why what happened, happened.
We've tried not to abridge Carragher's comments so much as to take them out of context, but do be sure to follow the relevant links if you want to get the full gist of what he's saying for each of the examples.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 15: Jamie Carragher of Liverpool skips around Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United during the Barclays Premiership match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on January 15, 2005 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
11 comments that might have annoyed Ronaldo
But without further ado, be sure to get a better idea than before as to why Carragher was snubbed by Ronaldo by checking out 11 sets of comments that he's made between 2020 and the present day.
1. "Better for Ronaldo to go." (2022)
Source: Sky Sports Football Podcast
"I think it’s better for him to go because he wants to go, he feels that himself, it’s pretty obvious.
"He said he’ll come out with a statement in maybe two weeks when the transfer window closes, but I just feel with Ronaldo, this big change of culture, quality, whatever Man United need to get on that path to chase down Liverpool and City over the last couple of years and start that building process, it feels like it can’t really start while Ronaldo’s there.
"Just because of the presence of the man, the age of him as well, it just feels like they need to be bringing in the next Ronaldo rather than the old Ronaldo."
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Liverpool - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - August 22, 2022 Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo with manager Erik ten Hag before coming on as a substitute REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
2. "Time beats us all." (2022)
Source: Telegraph
"Ronaldo is a phenomenon, but there is one unbeatable opponent in football. Time beats us all.
"He strikes me as a footballer who is refusing to accept the reality that - no matter how good you are and have been - powers dwindle with age. In his mind he is still the best, capable of winning the Champions League.
"The fact no elite teams want him should provide a reality check. Yes, Ronaldo can still score goals at the highest level - as he did at United last season - but a wise manager leading one of the top teams would see him as contributing as part of a squad and therefore too expensive."
3. "Ronaldo's not the same player" (2022)
Source: The Overlap
"The fact he's now 37, 38 this season, he's not the same player. He's still a great goal scorer but he's not the same player.
"No other club in Europe at this moment wants him. I might be wrong, but it doesn't look like United can get him out, so at the moment other club don't want him. And I think if you asked Ten Hag, I don't think he wants him. And I'm not quite sure the dressing room at Manchester United would want Cristiano Ronaldo right now."
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Liverpool - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - August 22, 2022 Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
4. "Ronaldo was not a good signing" (2022)
Source: The Mirror
"When Pep came into Man City he just went, ‘Joe Hart, no.’ And everyone was like, wow this is England’s keeper he’s been a great player for City, but it was like ‘No, you’re not here’. When Klopp came into Liverpool, they had brought in players under Brendan Rodgers that summer.
"I think Benteke cost £35-40m, he was a few quid but Klopp said, ‘You’re not for me, out.’ It was like making that big bold decision straight away that makes everyone sit up and take note.
"I’m convinced that Ten Hag has got to do it with Ronaldo, whether he’s allowed to or not. I’ve said this consistently throughout this season: that was not a good signing. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time and I’m seen as a guy who’s criticising Ronaldo.
"Ronaldo is a million times a better player than I ever was, I am not fit to lace his boots obviously but I’m not saying that to be disrespectful to him – he’s amazing – but Ronaldo has never played in a team this bad. He’s always played for great teams and his attitude of trying to be the main man, driving the team on, getting the goals, when you’re in a great team that is seen as a positive."
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - November 6, 2021 Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts REUTERS/Craig Brough EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
5. "I've been disappointed with Ronaldo (2022)
Source: Metro
"Where do you go right now if you’re Man United? You’ve got a 37-year-old Ronaldo, who’s still got another year to go, and a new manager is coming in who’s going to want to buy a new centre-forward.
"I think Ronaldo, for how great a professional he is and what a player he’s been, I think he could be a problem.
"I’ve been disappointed with Ronaldo, not about the goals – you know he gets goals – but I’d have liked him to be more of a leader if I’m being honest. I’m not really bothered if he gets the odd goal."
6. "Ronaldo is a passenger when he doesn't score." (2021)
Source: The Sun
"How can a club the size of Manchester United still rely on a guy who’s nearly 37?
"He was unbelievable, his goal record is unbelievable, but if he doesn’t score he is a passenger in the game. You have to accept that, that’s a fact.
"But he scores nearly every game so at the moment you can accept it. If Cristiano Ronaldo went four or five games without scoring, that’s a massive problem for Manchester United."
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - August 7, 2022 Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts REUTERS/Toby Melville EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
7. "Ronaldo may have a negative effect" (2021)
Source: Goal
"I've never seen so many ex-Manchester United players almost looking love-struck by the sign of Cristiano Ronaldo so it's a huge moment for them.
"He is one of the greatest players of all time, no doubt, but I actually think it may have a negative effect on Manchester United."
8. "Ronaldo causes as many problems as he solves." (2021)
Source: Telegraph
"For all the understandable euphoria at Old Trafford with the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, his signing causes as many problems as it solves for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Ronaldo could prove to be a better signing for the Premier League than for Manchester United."
And...
"If we are brutally honest about it, United only moved for Ronaldo once they heard Manchester City were going to buy him. If they had gone into the summer transfer window prioritising a centre-forward, they would have signed one before paying £72.9 million for Jadon Sancho."
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - November 6, 2021 Manchester United's Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo before the start of the second half REUTERS/Craig Brough EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
9. "No way Ronaldo is the GOAT." (2021)
Source: Sky Sports
"Messi has a better goal record than Ronaldo. Messi is also a playmaker. Messi can run a game. Ronaldo cannot do that. Again, not a criticism. But there is no way in the world he is the greatest player of all time.
"You talk about who you would want coming off the bench. Messi has scored double the amount of goals coming off the bench. It is a ridiculous thing to say. It does not matter if Messi's goals all come with his left foot, the stats prove he has more chance of scoring."
10. "Ronaldo does things that other players can do." (2021)
Source: Pure Football Podcast
"What I would say is Ronaldo does things that other players can do but he does them more often. He scores more goals but I think Messi does things that other players can't do.
"So you see Ronaldo score a great goal and you think, 'Okay, well I've seen that before.' Ronaldo does it so often but Messi, the way he dribbles and runs with the ball, you very rarely see that in football now."
11. "Ronaldo couldn't run a game" (2020)
Source: CaughtOffside
“He (Messi) does things that other people can’t do. He had a performance at Tottenham I think, last season, where he almost played centre-midfield and he ran the game. Ronaldo couldn’t do that, really.
"I think Messi can dictate a game, the pace of a game, everything. He can score goals… Sometimes the games are not just about the stats and the goals and the assists."
Football Soccer - Barcelona v Real Madrid - Spanish La Liga Santander- Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona, Spain - 3/12/16. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi in action during the "Clasico". REUTERS/Sergio Perez (SPAIN - Tags: SOCCER SPORT)
We know what Ronaldo's like, you know what Ronaldo's like, so let's be honest here: it's easy to see why he wanted to snub Carragher regardless of how fair or not you think the comments were.
But even if we are wrong and the reasons lie elsewhere, at least we'll always be able to enjoy a viral clip we never knew we needed for years and years to come.
Click to follow GiveMeSport on Instagram for more Man United content!