Cristiano Ronaldo believes that Lionel Messi’s 2022 World Cup victory with Argentina would be far less significant if he leads Portugal to victory in the 2026 World Cup.
The Portuguese star appeared in a media interview with Piers Morgan, sparking controversy with his comments about the greatest player of all time and comparisons to Messi. He also stated that scoring in the Saudi Professional League is more difficult than scoring in La Liga.
When asked if he is the greatest player of all time, Ronaldo replied, “Absolutely, but I don’t care. History speaks for itself. No problem.”
Speaking about the World Cup, he added, “We have won three titles with Portugal, and I am very happy. I would be very happy to win the World Cup, but Portugal has never won it. We will fight for it.”
Regarding Messi and Argentina, he said, “How many World Cups did Argentina win before Messi? They’re teams accustomed to winning major tournaments. If Brazil wins the World Cup, will it be a surprise? No, but I don’t think it would be a surprise if Portugal wins. I want to win, but that won’t change my view of football.”
In total, Argentina has won the World Cup three times, in 1978, 1986, and 2022, while Portugal’s best result was fourth place in the 2006 edition.
