Shaka Hislop responds when asked if Lionel Messi will break Cristiano Ronaldo's Club World Cup goal record at current edition of tournament
ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop believes Inter Miami ace Lionel Messi will break Cristiano Ronaldo's FIFA Club World Cup goal record in the current edition of the tournament. However, he reckons the record won't last long due to the competition's new extended format.
Messi and Ronaldo have enjoyed great success at the Club World Cup during their prime years in Europe. The former won the competition thrice with Barcelona (2009, 2011, and 2015), recording five goals in six games.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo won the tournament four times, once with Manchester United (2008), and thrice with Real Madrid (2014, 2016, and 2017). The Portugal ace is currently the leading goalscorer in Club World Cup history, having scored seven goals in eight appearances.
Messi failed to increase his tally in the current edition as Inter Miami were held to a 0-0 draw by Al-Ahly in the tournament opener. Despite this, Hislop tipped the 37-year-old to break Cristiano Ronaldo's record, telling ESPN:
"I don't think there's any question that Lionel Messi breaks it. Given the extended format of this competition, I don't think there is any doubt that Lionel Messi breaks this record. But, I don't think those records stand for very long either because of the extended format."
During the previous format of the FIFA Club World Cup, seven clubs featured annually to compete for the prestigious trophy. The UEFA Champions League winner could only play a maximum of two games due to the format.
However, FIFA transformed the format this year. Starting with this summer, 32 clubs will feature every four years - divided into eight groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will then qualify for the knockout stages, similar to the traditional World Cup.
With the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich featuring in the 2025 edition, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's record could be under threat as the tournament progresses.
How have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fared this season?
Despite being in the twilight years of their careers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are still competing at a high level. The former recently helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League, while Messi is currently representing Inter Miami at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a stellar season for Al-Nassr, scoring 35 goals and providing four assists in 41 appearances across all competitions. However, he notably failed to secure any silverware at the club level.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi has garnered 15 goals and six assists in 21 appearances across competitions, with the MLS season starting in February 2025. The Argentine icon will be aiming to add to his 46-trophy haul this season after winning the MLS Supporters' Shield last year.