Ilia Topuria, the Spanish-Georgian UFC featherweight champion, faced backlash from Real Madrid fans following his recent comments during an interview. Known as a Real Madrid supporter, Topuria had earlier confidently predicted a victory for Madrid over Barcelona in the El Clásico matchup. However, his football opinions in the interview stirred controversy among fellow Real Madrid fans, who were upset with his choices in a “GOAT” selection game where he was asked to choose one football legend over another.
During this game, Topuria made several unexpected choices, like selecting Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal over Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, and choosing Andres Iniesta over Luka Modric. But his most divisive choice came when he picked Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane over Cristiano Ronaldo, and eventually named Barcelona’s Lionel Messi as the ultimate “GOAT” of football.
While many soccer fans globally see Messi’s accomplishments, including his 2022 FIFA World Cup win, as sealing his place as one of the greatest of all time, choosing him over Ronaldo was controversial within the Madrid fanbase. Real Madrid fans voiced their disappointment, with some even questioning Topuria’s knowledge of football or suggesting he might secretly support Barcelona instead of Real Madrid. Many pointed out that even Zidane himself has publicly acknowledged Ronaldo as a phenomenal player, and that choosing Messi over Ronaldo was particularly upsetting given the intense rivalry between the two players and their clubs.
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In the wake of these comments, Topuria’s popularity among Real Madrid supporters seems to have taken a hit, with fans questioning his loyalty to the club. However, Topuria’s respect for Spanish players may have influenced his selections, favoring them in a way that stirred mixed reactions among soccer fans. Whether Topuria’s picks were driven by a personal preference or a strategic choice, the UFC star has found himself at odds with part of his own fanbase due to his controversial picks.