The World Cup in Russia was one of the most successful FIFA tournaments in history. The hitch-free introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology was just one of the many positives to come out of the tournament, with the trophy being picked up by France after its drubbing of a spirited Croatia in the final.
One of the major talking points of the tournament was the never-ending duel between the game’s best players, Ronaldo and Messi. The two superstars had dominated the football scene for over a decade with a duopoly on all major awards since 2008, before Luka Modrić broke that by winning the 2018 UEFA player of the year.
For both players, Messi in particular, this Cup was a chance to set the record straight and cement their names above the others as the greatest players of all time.
Neither performed particularly poorly at the tournament. If you check out the BettingSites’ infographic below, you’ll see just how was their performance.
Moving Ahead
Without any doubt, Ronaldo was quicker off his feet, putting three goals past David de Gea in Portugal’s 3-3 stalemate with Iberian rivals Spain, and another goal against Morocco to lead Portugal into the round of 16.
Messi, on the other hand, began the tournament with a drab performance and a missed penalty against minnows Iceland. Things didn’t get much better in Argentina’s second group match as the mercurial Luka Modrić outplayed Messi. His only noteworthy contribution of the group stage was a goal against Nigeria.
Both would meet their end at the round of 16 stage. Portugal lost to Uruguay and Argentina was beaten by eventual champions France.
One must ask if this was the last chapter of this two great players on the world stage. They are both still tearing roofs down at the club level, but a perceived reluctance by both to return to their national teams raises curiosity.
With Kylian Mbappe’s four goals and stellar performances at the World Cup earning comparisons to Ronaldo and Messi at 19, was this edition of the tournament the end of an era, or the beginning of a new one?
