Now, this is a matchup that deserves public attention.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the highest-paid athletes in the game, have gone viral playing not football—but chess.
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Ahead of any official FIFA World Cup 2022 match, the pair has already broken the internet thanks to a photo that they posted online.
The picture in question is none other than a marketing photo by Louis Vuitton. This has quickly become one of the most-liked posts in Instagram history.
In lieu of football, Messi and Ronaldo simply face off in chess on a chequered Louis Vuitton suitcase.
Both football superstars posted the Louis Vuitton-sponsored photo on their respective Instagram handles on November 19. It has since gone viral with over 29 million likes on Ronaldo’s page and over 23 million likes on Messi’s.
Ronaldo (499 million followers) and Messi (375 million followers) are the most-followed Instagram celebrities. Collectively, they earn at least $250 million on and off the field.
Photo by Annie Liebovitz / Louis Vuitton via Olympics website.
