In the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, the fortunes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have sharply diverged, capturing the attention of soccer fans worldwide.
On June 17, Portugal faced the Democratic Republic of the Congo in their opening match of Group K, ending in a 1-1 draw. Despite being considered a strong contender for the title, Portugal had to settle for just one point.
Ronaldo's performance, in particular, has come under scrutiny. Statistics released after the match revealed that he recorded three shots, the most of any player, but failed to hit the target, resulting in a shooting accuracy of 0%. He also had an expected goals (xG) of 0.46 but did not score. Ronaldo made 25 touches and completed just one pass in the attacking zone.
In contrast, Messi made headlines by scoring a hat trick against Algeria, setting new records in World Cup history. He achieved the most attacking points in World Cup history and became the oldest player to score a hat trick, earning a perfect rating of 10 for his performance.
As the results of the two superstars became public, comparisons flooded online. Users commented, "Messi is still writing World Cup history," "The gap between Messi and Ronaldo seems to be widening," and "Given Portugal's squad, this result is disappointing."
Reactions from domestic soccer fans were even more critical. Ronaldo faced backlash in 2019 when he was scheduled to play in a friendly match for Juventus in South Korea but did not step onto the field, leading to the so-called 'no-show controversy.' Since then, he has been nicknamed 'Nalgandu' in South Korea, reflecting a negative image.
With another underwhelming performance in this World Cup, critical opinions have emerged in related online communities. Some users expressed disappointment, stating, "He no longer shows the decisiveness of the past," and "He is inevitably compared to Messi."
Looking ahead, Portugal aims to rebound in their next group match. Unlike Messi, who has once again etched his name in World Cup history, Ronaldo faces the challenge of proving his worth in the remaining games.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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