NBA legend Chris Paul picked Cristiano Ronaldo as the better player over Lionel Messi, who most recently featured for Argentina in their 2026 FIFA World Cup final loss to reigning European champions Spain in New Jersey on Sunday (July 19).
Ronaldo, 41, had also featured at the quadrennial event in the USA, Mexico and Canada. However, the Portugal captain’s team crashed out in the Round of 16 following a 1-0 defeat to eventual winners Spain.
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Messi, 39, and Ronaldo are the two most prolific scorers in the game’s history, with the Portuguese just 24 goals shy of the 1000-goal mark, while Messi is on 919. Paul explained that he would go with the Al-Nassr forward, as he has followed Ronaldo more.
“That’s tough because Messi man, I’d probably have to say Ronaldo…,” Paul said (as per HITC).
“Man, I ain’t as dialled in, I have an appreciation for both, when I see Messi play, some of the goals, the passion, but that’s (Ronaldo) more so who I followed.”
Both Messi and Ronaldo made their sixth and likely final appearances at the FIFA World Cup, with the Portuguese likely to end his illustrious career without winning the coveted tournament.
How did Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fare at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi enjoyed fairly successful campaigns at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, especially the Argentine, who fell narrowly short of the Golden Boot.
Ronaldo scored thrice in five games, becoming the first (and only) player to score in six World Cups and the oldest to net a brace. In the 2-1 come-from-behind Round of 32 win over 2018 finalists Croatia, the 41-year-old’s equaliser made him the oldest player to play in as well as score in a World Cup knockout match.
Meanwhile, Messi ended his campaign with a rich haul of eight goals and four assists in eight games, finishing two goals shy of Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe of France. Against Spain in the final, La Pulga saw his record run of 11 World Cup games with a goal contribution end, while the Albiceleste’s record 13-game winning run also got snapped.
Earlier in the campaign, Ronaldo became Portugal’s oldest scorer in the World Cup, while Messi did likewise for Argentina, with both men also their respective nations’ youngest scorers in the competition. Denmark’s Michael Laudrup is the only other player to achieve the feat.
Edited by Bhargav