On December 18, 2022, Lionel Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy for the first time in his career after Argentina defeated France in a memorable final decided by penalties. For many fans, that triumph cemented Leo’s status as the GOAT, while others have downplayed the overall impact of that title. Now Cristiano Ronaldo has made a bold comparison involving Portugal.
“How many World Cups did Argentina win before Messi? I don’t know, two times? It’s normal. These countries, they’re used to win big competitions,” Ronaldo said during an interview with Piers Morgan shared on Thursday. He then extended his example to other major national teams: “Brazil, if they win the World Cup, they will surprise the world? No.”
Immediately after, the Al Nassr star drew a comparison with his own national team. “If Portugal win the World Cup, which is possible, they will shock the world? Yes. But in my mind, I don’t think about it in that way,” Ronaldo admitted.
These comments are connected to other remarks Cristiano Ronaldo made during the same conversation, where he admitted that winning the FIFA World Cup is not his main goal: “No, it’s not a dream. No, it does not define me. To define what? To define if I am one of the best in history? To win one competition? Six or seven games? Do you think it’s fair?”
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the UEFA Nations League trophy.
Ronaldo talks about winning the World Cup with Portugal
After speaking about Messi’s Argentina, Ronaldo reflected on what it would mean to win the FIFA World Cup for his own country—and surprisingly, he acknowledged that he doesn’t consider it that significant. “To say it would change the history of Portugal, to say ‘Cristiano will win the World Cup,’ that doesn’t make sense for me,” he explained.
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“I won — we won — three titles with Portugal. Before that, Portugal never won anything. I’m glad, I’m so happy,” CR7 added. Morgan then suggested that lifting the trophy next year would be a special feeling for Ronaldo. “I don’t agree,” replied the 40-year-old star firmly. “Because Portugal never won the World Cup.”
Finally, Cristiano ended on an optimistic note regarding Portugal’s chances of competing for the title at the FIFA tournament in 2026, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. “We can win, yes,” he said. “We’re going to fight for that.”
How have Ronaldo and Messi fared at the World Cup?
It’s highly likely that in 2026, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will become the first soccer players in history to appear in six FIFA World Cups. They share that milestone, having both debuted at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and gone on a long journey to reach the doorstep of another FIFA tournament. However, their performances on the sport’s biggest stage have been very different.
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Messi was crowned champion at Qatar 2022, leading Argentina to its third World Cup title — following previous triumphs in 1978 and 1986 — with seven goals and three assists in seven matches. For Ronaldo, however, things didn’t go as well. Portugal were eliminated in the quarterfinals against Morocco, with the forward scoring just once in five games.
In his previous four appearances with Argentina, Messi reached one final — a 1–0 loss to Germany at Brazil 2014 — along with two quarterfinals and one round of 16 exit. In total, Leo has played 26 matches, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists across his five World Cups. He is the player with the most appearances in the tournament’s history and ranks as the fourth all-time top scorer.
Ronaldo’s World Cup story has been far more complicated. His best performance with Portugal came at Germany 2006, when they reached the semifinals before falling to France. Since then, he’s endured one quarterfinal exit, two round of 16 eliminations, and one group-stage departure. Ronaldo has appeared in 22 World Cup matches, scoring eight goals and registering two assists.
