There are few rivalries in sport that can survive the passage of time quite like Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo.
For nearly two decades, football fans have measured one against the other. Goals, trophies, Ballon d’Ors, records and influence have all been turned into chapters of a debate that refuses to fade away, even as both men approach the twilight of their careers.
And after the opening round of matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026, the scoreboard reads rather emphatically: Messi 3, Ronaldo 0. On the surface, it looks brutal.
Messi produced a stunning hat-trick against Algeria, becoming the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick and drawing level with Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals. Ronaldo, meanwhile, walked away from Portugal’s 1-1 draw against DR Congo without a goal, without a shot on target and without the slice of history he had hoped to claim.
Yet for all the attention the contrasting performances have generated, was any of this really surprising?
MESSI CONTINUES TO DEFY LOGIC
If there was one genuine surprise from the opening round, it was Messi. Not because he is incapable of brilliance — at this stage, doubting Messi feels like tempting fate — but because of the sheer scale of what he produced.
At 38 years old and just days away from turning 39, Messi was expected to guide Argentina through the tournament with intelligence, experience and moments of quality. Instead, he delivered one of the performances of the competition, scoring all three goals in Argentina’s victory and once again becoming the centre of football’s biggest conversation.
The remarkable thing about Messi’s World Cup journey is that it was supposed to have reached its perfect ending four years ago in Qatar. He had lifted the trophy, won the Golden Ball and completed the one achievement that had eluded him throughout his career.
Yet here he is again, not merely participating but dominating.
Even by Messi’s standards, a World Cup hat-trick at this age felt extraordinary. Four years after leading Argentina to glory, he continues to add new pages to a legacy many believed was already complete.
RONALDO’S STRUGGLES WERE NOT A SURPRISE
Ronaldo’s struggles, on the other hand, did not arrive out of nowhere. The Portuguese captain entered the tournament without a goal at Euro 2024 and had also drawn blanks in Portugal’s pre-World Cup friendlies against Chile and Nigeria.
Long before the opening whistle against DR Congo, questions had already emerged about whether the 41-year-old could still consistently influence matches at the highest level.
Against DR Congo, those concerns only intensified. Ronaldo managed just 25 touches and spent much of the evening isolated inside the penalty area as Portugal struggled to convert possession into meaningful chances.
To be fair, Portugal’s midfield did him few favours. Despite boasting Joo Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, Roberto Martinez’s side lacked imagination and urgency in the final third. Crosses were scarce, passing patterns became predictable and Ronaldo was often left waiting for opportunities that never arrived.
But while the lack of service explains part of the story, it does not explain all of it. There was a time when Ronaldo could impose himself on a game regardless of circumstances. Against DR Congo, he rarely looked capable of doing that.
That is not criticism so much as an acknowledgement of reality. Football has always treated time as its most ruthless opponent, and even the greatest players eventually find themselves fighting a battle they cannot completely win.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF LEGACY BATTLE
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this World Cup is that Messi and Ronaldo are no longer competing on equal terms.
Messi is now being judged against history. Every goal, every assist and every appearance feels like an attempt to push the boundaries of what should be possible at his age.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is increasingly being judged against his own past. Every scoreless outing inevitably raises questions about whether the player who once shattered records with relentless regularity can still deliver on football’s grandest stage.
That does not mean his tournament is over. Ronaldo remains one goal away from becoming the first player to score in six different World Cups and still has opportunities to achieve that feat.
After Round 1, however, the contrast could hardly have been sharper. Messi exceeded expectations, while Ronaldo largely confirmed the concerns that had followed him into the tournament.
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