“I’ve had 8 years to think about it” - Piers Morgan addresses backlash from fans about his old comment on Cristiano Ronaldo

English broadcaster Piers Morgan joked that he had changed his views on Cristiano Ronaldo's goals for Real Madrid against Bayern Munich in 2017. He made the comment with respect to his criticism of the Portuguese superstar, a view which he later changed in 2019.

Taking to Twitter (now X) in 2017, Morgan claimed that Bayern Munich were robbed of a place in the UEFA Champions League semifinal. He pointed out that Ronaldo's goals should have been chalked off for offside, while Arturo Vidal should not have been sent off. He posted:

"Vidal wrongly sent off, Ronaldo 2nd goal miles offside. Bayern have been robbed if they lose this."

With fans constantly resurfacing the old post, Morgan has now quoted it and said that he had changed his views on the goal as well. He joked that Ronaldo was onside, and his views changed after they became friends. He posted:

"People keep sending me this as evidence that I used to criticize Ronaldo before we became friends, so let me address it: I’ve had 8 yrs to think about it, and I was wrong - his goal was definitely onside."

Piers Morgan used to be a Lionel Messi fan and heavily criticized Cristiano Ronaldo. However, his views on the Portuguese superstar changed in 2019 after he interviewed the then-Juventus forward.

Piers Morgan names the one sportsperson he would pick over Cristiano Ronaldo

Piers Morgan was talking to Betfair in October 2025 when he was asked to pick between Shane Warne, his favorite cricketer, and Cristiano Ronaldo, his favorite footballer. The British broadcaster opted for the former Australian cricketer and said (via GOAL):

“Well, if it’s for a night out - Warney! In terms of sporting greatness, Warney, to me, is the greatest cricketer that’s ever lived and the reason I say that is, I just felt that he was a master bowler, but also, the mental dominance he used to have over people.. the mental strength, resilience, character and fun.. the whole package with Warney.

“I could choose a batsman or an all-rounder of course, but if I could have someone to win a game for my life, and that’s why the parallel is quite interesting, if I could choose a footballer to score a goal on a wet Wednesday in Stoke to save my life, I’d choose Cristiano Ronaldo. And if it was to win a cricket match on any surface, it’d be Shane Warne. If I have to choose one over the other, I’m going with Shane Warne. I love Ronaldo, but he would understand!”

Piers Morgan interviewed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2022, which led to the Portuguese superstar's exit from Manchester United. He also interviewed him earlier this month for his and the footballer's YouTube channels.