Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
For the best part of two decades it’s been the perennial debate in world football. Who’s the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
If the argument were based on this week alone, the answer would be indisputable.
After Messi lit up the World Cup with a hat-trick for Argentina at the ripe age of 38, all eyes were on his long-term rival Ronaldo.
But the 41-year-old endured a game to forget on Thursday as he managed the least touches of any Portugal player — and no shots on target — as his side failed to overcome the tournament’s 1000-1 rank outsiders the Democratic Republic of Congo in their 1-1 draw.
Such was his performance, or lack thereof, that a host of ex-footballers lined up to urge Ronaldo to call time on his international career.
Speaking on SBS, former Barcelona star Kevin-Prince Boateng did not hold back. “Can I be honest? Ronaldo, if he were a real team player, he would step down and let the young players flow. Portugal is a better side without him … he is not the same player.”
While former England international Chris Sutton didn’t call for him to hang up his boots, he made it clear he feels Ronaldo’s presence is holding Portugal back.
Commentating for the BBC Sutton blasted Portugal manager Roberto Martinez for keeping Ronaldo on the pitch despite a torrid performance.
“That’s embarrassing from Martinez … are we all watching a different game? He’s scared to take him off … but the game has passed him by today.”
Ronaldo was clearly disappointed with his own performance, refusing to speak to media after the final whistle. He later acknowledged on X that “it wasn’t the start we wanted” but vowed his side’s World Cup was “far from over.”
Despite similarly storied club careers, in which the duo laid claim to the Ballon d’Or 15 times in 17 years, Messi has had the edge on Ronaldo at football’s biggest competition.
While the pair share the record for most World Cups played in (six) Messi has the joint most goals in the competition (16) compared with Ronaldo’s eight.
Portugal have made it to one semi-final in that stretch (in 2006) and Ronaldo has infamously never scored beyond the group stages.
Messi has played in two World Cup finals, in 2014 and in 2022, scoring twice in the latter as he lifted the trophy following victory over France.
While there is still plenty of time in the competition to reignite the greatest of all time debate — much of Thursday’s chatter was about the greatest right now.
Harry Kane scored twice for England as they beat Croatia 4-2. Kane scored an astonishing 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern Munich this season and is widely tipped to claim his first Ballon d’Or — the annual prize for the world’s best player,
