The brutal stats comparison from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2026 World Cup so far | OneFootball

For many, the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo debate was over when Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar.

It looked likely that would be the final chapter for the two era-defining rivals, but here we are again, with Messi and Ronaldo becoming the first players in the history of men’s football to play at six World Cups.

While Messi has little to prove at this stage, this is surely Ronaldo’s last chance to get his hands on one major trophy that’s always eluded him – and ultimately the reason his legacy looks likely to be overshadowed by his old foe.

It’s early days – a marathon, not a sprint and all that – but the evidence from the 2026 World Cup openers was brutal for Ronaldo’s many online advocates. If the tournament continues in a similar vein, it’ll surely be another nail in the coffin for the argument that Ronaldo is Messi’s equal.

The difference between Messi and Ronaldo’s performances against Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, respectively, could not have been more stark.

Messi, who turns 39 next week, set down the gauntlet with one of the most iconic performances of his career. He scored his first World Cup hat-trick, all three goals from open play, as Algeria found him simply impossible to stop.

It was a masterclass performance that earned him a perfect 10 rating from stats site WhoScored, as well as widespread adulation from across the world of football.

“Messi is a madman,” Erling Haaland, who’d scored two goals himself earlier that day, reacted on Snapchat.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, was pilloried for drawing a blank with an ineffective display in Portugal’s disappointing 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“One thing that’s important, please… people at home… the team needs to score, it’s not you who needs to score,” Thierry Henry said on Fox Sports, highlighting a passage of play in which he suggested that the 41-year-old Al-Nassr striker was playing selfishly.

Ronaldo recorded the fewest touches (25) and the fewest touches inside the opposition box (five) of any match in his World Cup career to date.

The veteran has now gone 10 major tournament games without scoring for Portugal, having failed to score with his last 33 attempts. Messi has scored nine World Cup goals since Ronaldo last did.

Here’s the full breakdown of their stats from the opening game. Keep checking back as we’ll be keeping this one updated throughout the tournament.

Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo