Ronaldo Welcomes Possible World Cup Duel Against Messi

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up about the possibility of facing Lionel Messi in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. He stated that a duel against his long-time rival Messi would be an extraordinary moment.

Ronaldo made the remarks after leading Portugal to a convincing 5-0 victory against Uzbekistan in their Group K match in Houston on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. The 41-year-old forward scored two goals, smoothing his team's path to the round of 16.

Ronaldo opened the scoring for Portugal in the sixth minute before adding a second goal just before halftime. Another first-half goal was converted by Nuno Mendes from a brilliant free-kick. After the break, Portugal extended their lead through an unfortunate own goal by Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov, before Rafael Leao capped off the night toward the end of the match.

Ronaldo's brace made him the first player in the history of men's football to score in six different editions of the World Cup. The result also puts Portugal in contention to advance to the knockout stage as group winners.

If other match results unfold as expected, Portugal could potentially cross paths with Argentina in the knockout stage. Throughout their illustrious professional careers, Ronaldo and Messi have never faced each other in a major international tournament.

"I don't know how to answer that. But, well, it would be awesome. The most important thing was today, winning to advance, and being ready for what's next ... The main goal was to advance from the group stage, and we did it," Ronaldo said when asked about the possibility of facing Messi, as quoted by ESPN.

Prior to the victory against Uzbekistan, Portugal faced sharp criticism after only managing a draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening Group K match. Ronaldo's individual performance and coach Roberto Martinez's decision to start him were the subjects of intense media scrutiny back in Portugal.

"It was a very tough and difficult week, with public opinion being very harsh on all the players, especially on me and the coach (Roberto Martinez)," Ronaldo admitted.

"But I don't mind. I've been in this profession for 23 years now, and whenever things go well, 'Cristiano is doing great,' but when they go badly, 'Cristiano is retired, he's too old.' It will always be like that. But we responded well today," he added.

Ronaldo also refused to prolong the discussion regarding his generational rivalry with Lionel Messi. When asked about Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland, who are all currently competing for the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot, he chose to shift the focus back to the squad. "Next question," Ronaldo responded shortly.

According to him, Portugal's success is far more important than individual milestones. "The most important thing is the team, being united with them. We can't control the rest that comes from outside. We know that when we don't win, we get attacked, especially me."

Portugal will face Colombia in their final Group K match in Miami Gardens next Saturday. The team, known as Selecao das Quinas, needs a positive result to secure the top spot in the standings and follow in the footsteps of Argentina, who also have the chance to finish as group winners.

Read: Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes First Player to Score in Six World Cups

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