'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Canadian and US rappers Drake and J Cole have sent football fans into hysteria by recreating Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic chess photo.
Messi and Ronaldo broke the internet just prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup last year. The legendary duo took part in a promotional campaign for Louis Vuitton and were pictured playing chess.
The longtime rivals posted the snap on their Instagram accounts. Both posts have conjured up an astounding joint 75.5 million likes. Ronaldo's post is the fourth most liked in Instagram history with 42.7 million likes to date.
Drake has regularly shown his love for the sport with several football-related lyrics in his tracks. However, the 'God's Plan' rapper went one step further when releasing the music video for his new single 'First Person Shooter' featuring J Cole.
The Canadian and the American rappers put together a brilliant recreation of that iconic chess photo. The thumbnail for the video on YouTube shows the duo sat similarly to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The video itself shows the pair playing a game of chess throughout as the duo goes back and forth with their verses. Drake perhaps makes a nod to the footballing heroes in one verse as he raps:
"Who the G.O.A.T.? Who the G.O.A.T.? Who the G.O.A.T.?"
One fan reckons the chess photo is goated:
"Nah man that is goated."
However, one fan wasn't too impressed to see the two rappers try and replicate Messi and Ronaldo:
"The original still stands out . They don’t have the aura."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Drake and J Cole's recreation of the iconic chess photo:
Drake gave his take on the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT debate
Drake sided with Cristiano Ronaldo in the never-ending debate between himself and Lionel Messi as to who is the greatest player of all time. 'Drizzy' stated (via Manchester Evening News):
“Ah man, that's a sticky one. For me, probably Ronaldo, to be honest. But I know that’s probably not gonna go over well. I know it’s Messi’s moment right now, but for me, I’ve just always been a Ronaldo fan. I’m like you.”
The Canadian was speaking in February, just two months following Messi's FIFA World Cup heroics in Qatar. The Inter Miami superstar captained Argentina to glory, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in seven games.
Many conclude that this has ended the debate given Ronaldo has never won international football's most prestigious trophy. He has won the European Championships, doing so in 2016.
There can be no argument that the duo are two of the greatest players to ever grace the game. Lionel Messi is ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Ballon d'Or tussle between the pair as he sits on eight to the Al-Nassr superstar's five.
Messi has bagged 721 goals and 344 assists in 889 club games for the likes of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. Ronaldo is club football's all-time top goalscorer with 731 goals and 234 assists in 985 games.
