Not once, but three times, Cristiano Ronaldo was asked about Lionel Messi when he stopped in the mixed zone following Portugal’s emphatic 5-0 win over Uzbekistan in Houston on Tuesday. He ignored the first question, responded briefly to the second, and walked away during the third.
After a subdued display in Portugal’s World Cup opener against DR Congo, which ended in a shock draw, Ronaldo answered his critics in style. The 41-year-old scored a brace against Uzbekistan to become the first player in history to score in six different World Cup editions, while also moving clear as Portugal’s leading goalscorer in the tournament.
The Messi questions began almost immediately after the game.
When asked about Messi’s exploits in this World Cup, the Portugal captain pointed towards another reporter before the question was completed and moved on without answering. Later, when asked about the possibility of facing Messi and Argentina in the knockout stage, Ronaldo offered a short response.
“It would be awesome,” he said.
“The most important thing was today, winning to advance, and being ready for what’s next. The main goal was to advance from the group stage, and we did it.”
If both Argentina and Portugal finish atop their respective groups, they could be on course for a quarter-final meeting. Such a contest would mark the first-ever World Cup clash between Messi and Ronaldo and would carry added significance given that this is expected to be the final World Cup for both legends.
However, when a third question specifically referenced Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria, Ronaldo cut it short and began walking away.
“I couldn’t care less about the other,” he initially said.
Then, after taking a few steps away from the media area, Ronaldo turned back, raised his arms and shouted: “Kylian Mbappe also scored.”
Both Messi and Mbappe scored a brace each in their respective group games in the second round at the World Cup, but the Argentine stands ahead in the Golden Boot race with five goals, one more than the Frenchman.
The moment quickly went viral on social media, adding another chapter to the never-ending comparisons between two of football’s greatest icons.
Portugal will next face Colombia in their final Group K match on Sunday in Miami.
