“He’s an incredible talent” – When Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas decided to choose between Ronaldo and Messi
Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas gave his opinion on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo before Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup final triumph against France on 18 December.
Many expected the final in Qatar to be the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) playmaker's last chance to win the competition. La Pulga rose to the occasion and scored twice in a game that finished 3-3 after extra time.
He dispatched his penalty in the shootout, the first of four successful ones from La Albiceleste. Aurelien Tchouameni and Kingsley Coman's misses meant France lost 4-2 in the shootout.
Since Argentina's win in the final, congratulatory messages for Messi have flown in from fans and rivals alike. According to German football legend Lothar Matthaus, the PSG superstar's World Cup campaign was markedly different, and not in a good way, to Cristiano Ronaldo's.
Ahead of the final, Tsitsipas clarified that he wanted the former Barcelona forward to win the final. The Greek tennis star, who is currently ranked No. 4 in the world, told National News (h/t Tennis World USA):
This Messi mural in Buenos Aires🏆 https://t.co/63qhDjC5cp
"I want Messi to win because he deserves it. He's an incredible talent and a great team player. He doesn't have the physique of Cristiano Ronaldo and he probably doesn't work as hard, but he's the greatest of all time."
Messi and Ronaldo continue to invite debate over which player is football's greatest player of all time. The Argentine's triumph in Qatar further cemented his immortal status in football's history books.
But it, by no means, would end the debate between fans of football's two greatest and by far the most popular players in history.
Pundit says Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn't have watched Lionel Messi winning the World Cup
Former Sunderland striker Darren Bent has claimed that there was 'no way' that Cristiano Ronaldo could have watched Lionel Messi's World Cup triumph with Argentina.
Speaking on talkSPORT (h/t Express), Bent said:
"No way [when asked if Ronaldo would have watched the World Cup final]. Turned all his updates off, notifications off, everything.”
• Both have won Ballon d'Or multiple times
• Both have scored +50 goals in multiple seasons
• Both have won the UCL multiple times
• Both have won trophies with their nation
• Both have delivered unforgettable football moments
The Messi x Ronaldo era will never be repeated. https://t.co/JaGQINKKDk
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward has conquered Serie A, the Premier League, and La Liga while winning the UEFA Champions League five times. His list of achievements is endless.
But the World Cup would be a glaring miss from his C.V. if he were to call it quits from the national team within the next four years. It seems unlikely that Ronaldo, who was left out of the starting XI in both of Portugal's knockout games in Qatar, would play in the 2026 World Cup where he would be 41 years old.