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Lionel Messi's World Cup Couldn't Be Any More Different Than Cristiano Ronaldo's

Lionel Messi's World Cup Couldn't Be Any More Different Than Cristiano Ronaldo's

The Argentina forward could be going home a lot sooner than his rival after the South Americans lost to Croatia.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Lionel Messi couldn't have expected the World Cup to go so wrong for him and what's worse is fans are using the contradiction between his and Cristiano Ronaldo's tournaments to discredit him.

After losing the 2016 Copa America final to Chile on penalties Lionel Messi decided to call it a day when it came to the international stage, he helped get Argentina to three consecutive international finals but they couldn't win any of them.

It wasn't long till he'd decided to reverse his decision and come back into the international fold and it was lucky he did. If it hadn't been for his seven goals, including a hat-trick in the must win final game, they wouldn't have qualified for the 2018 World Cup.

But once they were at the tournament everyone was expecting Messi to really turn it on and help drag his side to victory in the way Maradona did in 1986.

However just two games in and it'll be lucky if the Barcelona forward can even drag them to the second round and the comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo makes for awkward reading.

Ronaldo has scored four goals in two games, which has made him top scorer so far, and picked up two man of the match awards as Portugal have picked up four points with the Real forward scoring all their goals.

Messi on the other hand has missed a penalty, which cost his side a win, and had the most shots at the tournament without scoring with 12.

Ronaldo celebrates his hat-trick against Spain. Image: PA Images
Ronaldo celebrates his hat-trick against Spain. Image: PA Images

Those kind of statistics have led many to question Messi and say Ronaldo is the better player with the Portuguese forward's 'big match temperament' being lauded against his rivals.

Ronaldo is being seen as the man to drag his team through and that seemingly puts him ahead of Messi right now.

All that though is both too simplistic and missing some big points.

Firstly even if it means that right now Ronaldo is the better player it does rather forget that Messi was man of the tournament in Brazil and scored four goals to get Argentina to the final.

Messi looks on dejected. Image: PA Images
Messi looks on dejected. Image: PA Images

More importantly though is the differences in the two sides. Portugal's strength is their solid defence and tactical nous, allowing Ronaldo's moments and games of glory to get them results.

Argentina proved against Croatia how bad they are at the back and how without direction or structure their whole team has. Expecting Messi to drop deep, go round five players and outscore the opposition everytime clearly can't work when their defence is so shoddy.

Ronaldo might well be better than Messi, that's a discussion for a different day, but the last two games isn't proof of that.

Still this World Cup will not make for good reading for Messi and his fans.

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Topics: Football News, Croatia, Lionel Messi, World Cup news, Portugal, Argentina, World Cup, Russia, Cristiano Ronaldo