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Fans are backing Lionel Messi to catch up with Cristiano Ronaldo's goalscoring record after his goal for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) against Gamba Osaka on July 25.
The legendary forward has scored two goals in three pre-season games so far.
He scored a superb first-time strike against Gamba Osaka, which was superbly setup by a pinpoint Neymar cross. The Argentine laid off Neymar before sprinting into the area to finish off an excellent move as the Ligue 1 side won 6-2.
The 35-year-old started the encounter in a more central role under Christophe Galtier to what he played under former coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Following the strike from the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, fans predictably made comparisons to his great rival Ronaldo. The Portuguese is yet to play any part in Manchester United's pre-season.
Some have even suggested that the 37-year-old's all-time goalscoring record of 815 goals in his 1,121 games could be under threat.
Messi remains 46 goals behind that record.
Following the Argentine's goal against the J-League outfit, PSG fans took to Twitter to heap praise on the superstar forward:
Pundit claims Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo don't owe clubs anything
The iconic duo endured difficult seasons with their teams last season following blockbuster moves last summer.
Messi scored just 11 times in 34 appearances across a disappointing campaign. He was even booed by his own supporters following PSG's humiliating exit from the Champions League against Real Madrid.
Ronaldo fared slightly better from a personal viewpoint as he bagged 24 goals in 38 games for Manchester United, becoming the side's top goalscorer. However, his team failed to reach the Champions League following a miserable season.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Dean Saunders believes the pair have earned the right to do what's best for their own careers. The former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker proclaimed:
“He (Saunders' colleague Crook) said ‘Do you think Ronaldo owes Man United because we started his career off?’ And I said no, he’s done so much in the game that he owes nobody nothing. Neither does Messi.”
Saunders further added:
“I don’t think he (Ronaldo) owes anybody any loyalty. He’s just given us so much pleasure over the years and he’s achieved so much in his career, he doesn’t he can do whatever he wants.”
