2 Years After Lauding Lionel Messi as the “GOAT”, NBA MVP’s Latest Admission Might Upset the Inter Miami Star

The Greatest of All Time or better known as the GOAT debate has dominated both soccer and basketball. It is one of the most polarizing debates that one can engage in. In NBA, it usually boils down to Michael Jordan and LeBron James, two players who played in different eras. On the other hand, in football, it is down to two players who are in the same era, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In the global sports world, the athletes from both basketball and football are well-connected.

Active NBA players also engage in the GOAT debate between Messi and Ronaldo. One of the active players who is himself Great in his own right seems to have a lot of opinions on soccer.

Messi, the GOAT?

When a fan prefers one player over the other and calls him the GOAT, especially in the case of Messi or Ronaldo, there is a tendency to support the team that the athlete plays for. This is in contrast to dedicated football fandoms that root for a particular team and can even physically fight others to defend the honor.

There are also cases when a fan is more interested in international proceedings and despite considering a soccer phenom the best overall, there can be support for a club that the athlete doesn’t play for.

This is the case with avid football fan Joel Embiid. After Lionel Messi and Argentina beat Brazil during the 2021 CoppaAmerica, he made a huge proclamation about the current Inter Miami star.

This proclamation isn’t in line with whom the current NBA MVP supports as a team. Since 2014, he has maintained a similar position. While he adores Arsenal, his real affinity lies with Real Madrid.

So when Maverick Carter asked him, “Who do you support in soccer?”, the brilliant Center replied, ”Real Madrid”. 

Carter stated he “hates Real Madrid”, to which Embiid also quipped that he “hates Liverpool“, which is Carter’s favorite.

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The businessman had to acknowledge that Madrid had indeed beaten Liverpool twice.

Embiid and his love for soccer

This banter is the mildest version possible of the heated debates among soccer fans. For Embiid, football is much more than supporting a specific team. He has played the game all his life and has played as a striker since he was a kid. He goes back to his native country Cameroon every year and has a lot of fun playing street football.  

From revealing that he wants to be a football player for at least a day, listing Real Madrid, Arsenal, Lyon, Inter Milan, or Bayern Munich, to watching international games, football is in his veins. Messi is his favorite player but his club loyalties differ altogether.

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It is always fun to follow what Embiid has to say. Are there any takers for him on the football field after he signs off from the NBA?