Messi officially responds to Ronaldo's comments about the World Cup

Lionel Messi responded to Cristiano Ronaldo following the Portuguese icon’s contentious statement that minimized the importance of capturing the World Cup title.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s career has always run parallel to Lionel Messi’s, as both have shared the pinnacle of world football for over 15 years, transforming the game with extraordinary achievements.

Even after both have stopped playing in Europe, the debate over “who is the greatest player” has never faded. At 40 years old, Ronaldo continues to score regularly for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while Messi still shines brilliantly with Inter Miami in MLS.

For most fans, that debate almost ended in 2022 when Messi finally lifted the golden trophy the World Cup,scoring twice in the final to help Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw in 120 minutes.

Ronaldo also tasted glory at the national team level with the EURO 2016 title and two UEFA Nations League trophies. However, he has never won the World Cup. After losing to Morocco in the quarterfinals, Ronaldo was seen crying in the tunnel. In a heartfelt Instagram message afterward, he shared: “Winning the World Cup for Portugal is the biggest dream and ambition of my career.”

However, in a recent interview on the Piers Morgan Uncensoredshow, Ronaldo surprisingly shifted his stance, stating that his career should not be defined solely by whether he has won the world’s most prestigious trophy. In a teaser for the second part of the interview, CR7 said: “If you ask me whether winning the World Cup is my dream? No, it’s not. To judge whether I am one of the greatest players in history based on a tournament of just 6 or 7 matches — do you think that’s fair?”

In stark contrast, Messi considers the World Cup the “ultimate peak” of his career and described the feeling as “closing the entire journey” after many setbacks on the grand stage.

Appearing at the America Business Forum in Florida, Messi expressed: “It’s hard to put that feeling into words. That title means so much, not only to me personally but also to my family, teammates, and the entire country. Everyone saw how Argentina celebrated; we had waited and longed for that moment for many years.”

He added: “For me, it’s the most special thing. Because for a player, winning the World Cup is the highest achievement. Like any professional reaching the top of their career with nothing beyond that. Moreover, I was fortunate to have won every other title before: with clubs, individually, and also with the national team by winning Copa America. The World Cup was the final piece, the perfect way to conclude my career.”

In the first part of the conversation, Ronaldo also showed great respect for Messi but insisted that he himself is the best player in history: “Is Messi better than me? I disagree with that view. I don’t want to appear modest.”

Both football legends have left open the possibility of participating in the next World Cup in North America, confirming their desire to compete in the tournament next year.

Related article

Ronaldo responds to Rooney in a heated interview with Piers Morgan Cristiano Ronaldo publicly criticized Manchester United legend and former teammate Wayne Rooney during a conversation with journalist Piers Morgan. See more