"They keep going" - Gary Neville claims Lionel Messi motivates Cristiano Ronaldo to work harder
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has explained that Cristiano Ronaldo's mentality does not allow him to fall behind his arch-nemesis, Lionel Messi.
Portugal got their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign off to a winning start, beating Ghana 3-2 on Thursday (24 November). Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix and Rafael Leao earned them the victory.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who was named FIFA's Man of the Match, opened the scoring for Selecao from the penalty spot in the 65th minute of the game. He thus became the first men's football player to score in five different World Cup tournaments.
Neville could not resist waxing lyrical about the five-time Ballon d'Or after he broke yet another record. The former Manchester United defender pointed out how his former teammate yearns to get records to his name. He said on BeIN Sports:
"Incredible. It's incredible. I mean, it's five World Cups he has scored in, it's absolutely incredible. But, he wants these records. The reason he has carried on playing is for these records."
Neville also explained how Lionel Messi motivates the 37-year-old to work harder:
"While Messi continues in the Champions League, while Messi continues for Argentina, I think Cristiano goes on as well. I don't think he lets up. They keep going. He's a brilliant player."
🗣️ "To score in five World Cups is incredible... While Messi is continuing in the Champions League and for Argentina, I think Cristiano carries on as well."
@GNev2 feels Messi is a motivating factor for @Cristiano's longevity.
#FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 https://t.co/VCLjb7ta7G
Assessing the forward's display against Ghana further, the Englishman stated that he could have had a hat-trick on the night:
"He could have scored three tonight. In the first half, he could have had two. In the second half, he obviously scored the penalty. For the last 10 minutes when he was on the bench, he became the manager."
Lionel Messi notably scored in Argentina's World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia, but his efforts ultimately fell short. The Green Falcons earned a shock 2-1 win over La Albiceleste.
Cristiano Ronaldo got the upper hand on his arch-nemesis in the first round of the World Cup group games as he led Portugal to a win against Ghana. It now remains to be seen who will have the last laugh when the tournament concludes on 18 December.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have their eyes on the prize
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have arrived in Qatar with the hopes of getting their hands on the World Cup. It is one trophy that has evaded them in their revered careers so far.
With that objective in mind, Messi's Argentina will look to earn their first win of the tournament against Mexico on Saturday (26 November). Ronaldo's Portugal, on the other hand, will look to make it two wins in two matches when they face Uruguay on Monday (28 November).