The biggest footballing spectacle is upon us, as once again the stars of the footballing universe are set to align, to battle it out for the biggest prize in world football, the FIFA World Cup.
This showpiece event, many believe will mark the final chapter of two decade long rivalry which defined the modern era, Messi vs Ronaldo, as they are both set to feature in a record breaking sixth World Cup.
Messi, fresh off a historic 2025-26 season by helping Inter Miami win their first MLS cup and clinching back to back league MVP awards, aims to win four back to back major trophies with Argentina, after his crowning moment in Qatar and two Copa Americas on either side of it.
Ronaldo, on the side, many believe will have his final shot to etch his name in immortality and add the final piece of silverware to complete his trophy cabinet which only recently had another addition in the Saudi Pro League title.
With the fear of this being the final FIFA showpiece event where both the icons set their foot looming large, the debate around who is the ultimate GOAT of football has resurfaced.
In the past players and managers such as Pep Guardiola, Ilkay Gundogan, Declan Rice have always maintained the fact that Messi’s talent is unparalleled.
Rice claimed, “Messi, I just feel what he does with a football, he is just special.”, while Gundogan claimed, “no one else has as much quality as Lionel Messi.”, for Pep, the idea was simple, “put him in the team and make sure he got the ball.”
Whereas when it comes to Ronaldo, the superhuman jumps, the strict diets, the inch-perfect detailing to recovery costing up to a million dollars a year, grabs more of the headlines.
CR7 once himself claimed in an interview with Piers Morgan that he started gym work from as young as 12 and it is exactly what makes him appear younger than people of his age.
Due to these narratives, there has always been a perception regarding this battle that while Messi is talented, Ronaldo has earned it all through his sheer hard work, exactly what Gerard Piqué, who played with both Messi and Ronaldo, meant when he said, “Ronaldo Is The Best Of The Humans But Messi Isn’t Human…”
But this perception has now been thrashed by Kylian Mbappe in his recent interview, who has followed and experienced both of the demi-Gods’ journey up close, as he idolized Ronaldo growing up and had the distinct honor of sharing the dressing room with Messi during his PSG days.
In his no holds bar interview with the YouTube channel Sorare and Colombian content creator Colombien, Mbappe simply questioned those narratives, by stating that they have never played football who thinks Messi does not work hard or Ronaldo is not talented.
He said, “People say Messi is talent and CR7 is hard work? I’m not trying to be condescending, but that’s something that only people who have never played football can say. If you can look me in the eyes and tell me Cristiano isn’t talented or that Messi isn’t a hard-worker, then you simply never laced your boots up and played football.”
However, come 12th June, this admiration, adoration will all be put to bed by Mbappe, as the french national team captain would do all in his power not finish a season consisting of 42 goals already, finish trophyless.
The France forward would rather be hoping to deny both Ronaldo and Messi of a fairytale finish and achieve something those two never have, which is to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy twice.
