Tag: Ronaldo

Two adjacent transparent bins in London became the venue for a silent but heated debate in 2015, with smokers depositing their stubbed-out butts to settle a burning question: who was the best soccer player in the world, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

As a way to encourage people to use bins for their butts, the biggest career rivalry in 21^st -century soccer proved to be an effective conduit.

A decade on, however, the debate still rages as the duo head towards becoming the first men to appear in six World Cups.

Ronaldo and Messi have each scored more than 800 goals for club and country, winning nine Champions Leagues and 13 Ballon d’Or trophies between them.

Messi’s fans argue that his World Cup triumph for Argentina in 2022 puts him top of the pile but Ronaldo-worshipers cite his titles across Europe’s major leagues, a tally of 954 goals, including 143 for his country, and being the most-capped male international footballer with 226 appearances for Portugal.

Next year’s tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, when Ronaldo will be 41 and Messi turns 39, will surely be their last.

Ronaldo was 21 and Messi almost 19 when they became their countries’ youngest World Cup goalscorers when they debuted in the tournament in Germany.

Messi did not play in the quarter-finals, where Argentina were beaten by the hosts on penalties. The next day, Ronaldo scored the decisive penalty in a shootout with England, before facing heartbreak in the semi-finals, where Portugal lost to France.

WORLD CUP 2010: Ronaldo, the Portugal captain, scored only one goal in South Africa before Portugal lost to champions Spain in the last 16.

Messi, who failed to score in the tournament as Argentina were ousted by Germany for the second straight time, faced heavy criticism back home, with fans accusing him of caring less about his country than his club Barcelona.

WORLD CUP 2014: Portugal had a forgettable campaign as Ronaldo, who was risking his career playing with a knee injury, scored only once as they were eliminated in the group stage.

Messi, now his country’s captain, came into his own, however, scoring in every group game and winning four straight player-of-the-match awards.

Argentina, however, lost the final to Germany. A tearful Messi’s Golden Ball trophy was no consolation.

In the next two years, Argentina lost the finals of the Copa America and the Copa America Centenario, both to Chile on penalties. A heartbroken Messi announced his retirement from international football, but reversed his decision later.

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WORLD CUP 2018: Both Argentina and Portugal suffered second-round exits. Messi scored only one goal in the group stage before defeat by France in the last 16.

Ronaldo, who had won the European Championship with Portugal two years earlier, scored a hat-trick in their first group fixture, a 3-3 draw with Spain. However, he missed a penalty against Iran, before Portugal lost to Uruguay in the second round.

The following year, Ronaldo helped Portugal win their first Nations League title, scoring a hat-trick in the semi-finals.

WORLD CUP 2022: Portugal were impressive, but for once it was not because of Ronaldo, who was dropped to the bench for the knockout stage as they lost in the quarter-finals.

Messi, however, delivered for his team from the start to finish.

He became the first player to score in every round of a World Cup, netting seven times between the group stage and the final, where he struck twice against France and netted Argentina’s first penalty as they won the shootout 4-2.

Messi finally stood alongside Diego Maradona in the hearts of Argentina’s fans.

For very different reasons it seemed as if the 2022 tournament would be the end of the World Cup road for both ageing superstars, but they appear to be set for one more crack.

Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo can play in the opening matches of the 2026 World Cup after global football governing body FIFA gave him a partially “suspended” ban following a red card.

The 40-year-old was sent off as Portugal lost 2-0 in Dublin earlier in November when he elbowed Dara O’Shea in the back, for his first dismissal in 226 international appearances.

FIFA banned Ronaldo for three matches, two of which will be suspended and the other has already been served, when Portugal sealed their qualification for next summer’s tournament against Armenia.

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“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the serving of the two remaining matches has been suspended under a one-year probation period,” said FIFA in a statement given to AFP. “If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately at the next official (Portugal) matches.”

Ronaldo, the men’s all-time top goalscorer in international football with 143 goals, is aiming to play at a sixth World Cup next summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker, currently at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, has not yet lifted the trophy but did win Euro 2016 with Portugal.

Ronaldo attended a dinner in the White House last week where he met US President Donald Trump, who said his son Barron “is a big fan” of the forward.

The World Cup group stage draw takes place on December 5.

 Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said next year’s World Cup would be his last as he winds down one of the all-time great careers.

The 40-year-old forward, with more than 950 club and international goals, also said he would retire from football in “one or two years”.

“Definitely, yes,” he told a Saudi forum by video link, when asked if 2026 would be his final World Cup. “I’m gonna be 41 years old and I think it will be the moment.”

Ronaldo, who began a lucrative stint at Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in 2023, also elaborated on comments last week when he said he would retire “soon”.

“Let’s be honest, when I mean soon, it’s probably one or two years I’ll still be at the game,” he said.

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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is hoping to play at a sixth World Cup next year. He came closest to lifting the trophy on debut in 2006, when Portugal lost to France in the semi-finals.

Portugal have yet to qualify for the 2026 tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico, but can secure their spot if they beat Ireland tomorrow.

Last month, Ronaldo became the top goalscorer in World Cup qualifying history when he netted twice against Hungary to reach 41 goals, overtaking retired Guatemalan international Carlos Ruiz’s 39.

The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward is also the all-time leading international goalscorer with 143 strikes.

During an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored last week, Ronaldo opened up further about the realities of his looming retirement.

 “It will be difficult? Yes. Probably will cry, yes. I’m an open person. It will be very, very difficult, yes,” he said.

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United for a second time in late 2022, a move that heralded an influx of late-career stars to the oil-rich kingdom.

Ronaldo initially signed for 200 million euros a year, according to a source close to Al Nassr at the time, and inked a two-year contract extension in June.

Last month, he was named by Bloomberg as the sport’s first billionaire, and topped the Forbes list of highest-paid footballers for the sixth time in a decade.

With on-and off-field earnings of an estimated $280 million, Ronaldo will earn more than double that of second-placed rival Lionel Messi during the upcoming season, according to Forbes.

Saudi Arabia, which is spending big on sports and entertainment as part of its economic diversification plan, was named as host of the 2034 World Cup last December.

Portugal great Cristiano Ronaldo once again topped the Forbes highest-paid footballers list for the 2025-26 season, as one of three members of the top 10 plying their trade in Saudi Arabia.

It is the sixth time in the last decade that Ronaldo has topped the Forbes list and comes just over a week after Bloomberg announced that the 40-year-old had become football’s first billionaire.

With on- and off-field earnings of an estimated $280 million, Al Nassr’s Ronaldo will earn more than double that of second-placed rival Lionel Messi, whose $130 million estimate is made up of more off-field earnings than those from playing for his American club Inter Miami.

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Next up is French former Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benezema, who earns $104 million a year thanks to his huge contract at Saudis Al Ittihad.

The third member of the top 10 playing in Saudi Arabia is Senegalese forward Sadio Mane, a teammate of Ronaldo’s who earns an estimated $54 million in eighth.

The number of players from Saudi clubs in the top 10 compared to a year ago has dropped by one as Brazil’s Neymar left Al Hilal in January to return to his boyhood club, Santos in Sao Paulo.

He had been third on the list with $110 million in 2024-25 but now apparently earns a paltry $38 million, mostly from off-field contracts.

Despite the power and wealth of the English Premier League – whose clubs spent a record £2.6 billion ($3.5 billion) on transfers in the summer window – only two players from that competition make the top 10 with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland fifth and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah seventh.

But it is Spain’s La Liga that has the most representatives in the top 10, including three Real Madrid players in Kylian Mbappe (fourth), Vinicius Jr (sixth) and Jude Bellingham (ninth).

While the fourth player from Spain is Barcelona’s teenage starlet Lamine Yamal, who is 10th  with $43 million.

“Combined, the world’s ten highest-paid soccer players are set to earn an estimated $945 million during the 2025-26 campaign,” Forbes said in a statement.