(Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo Strongly Dismiss 'Unfair' Lionel Messi Theory

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Marcelo Cartaxo | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 1:27 PM ET

Cristiano Ronaldo’s viral interviews with Piers Morgan often give fans an inside look at the player’s mindset, and his reactions toward Lionel Messi continue to leave fans in awe.

The 42-year-old Portuguese striker is nearing the end of his career, and winning the 2026 World Cup could serve as his final act as a professional footballer — possibly followed by his official retirement from club football soon after.

With Portugal considered one of the best national teams in the world after defeating Spain in the UEFA Nations League final, Cristiano may have one last chance to win the biggest tournament in sports. But according to him, winning isn’t everything.

In his most recent interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo revealed that winning the World Cup is not a dream of his — and said that a player doesn’t need to win it to be considered one of the best in history.

“It’s not a dream for me to win the World Cup. To define what?” Cristiano said. “To define if I’m one of the best in history? To win one competition with six or seven games? You think it’s fair?”

His comments sparked backlash among Lionel Messi fans, with many claiming that Ronaldo was trying to downplay the importance of the World Cup simply because he hasn’t won it.

Messi bodied him so hard that he changed his statement after Messi won the WC
pic.twitter.com/f7fhrU4UEl
— honest (@FriendlyDiver) November 4, 2025

Cristiano Won His First Major Title With Portugal Before Messi

For more than a decade, both Cristiano and Messi faced criticism for not winning a major trophy with their national teams. That changed in 2016, when Ronaldo led Portugal to the UEFA Euro final.

Although he was forced off in the first half with a knee injury, he remained on the sidelines, actively motivating and guiding his teammates to victory.

At that point, Lionel Messi had already won Olympic gold with Argentina in 2008, but since the Olympic squad isn’t the same as the senior national team that competes in Copa América and World Cup tournaments, his first major trophy with the main team came in 2021 — when Argentina won the Copa América. A year later, Messi completed his story by lifting the World Cup.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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