How Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo's Contrasting Answers on Retirement Have Taken World by Storm
09:54 GMT 29.03.2022 (Updated: 11:44 GMT 10.12.2022)
© AFP 2023 / JOSEP LAGO
Subscribe
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may have dominated global football for more than a decade and a half but their current struggles at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Man United, respectively, have fuelled talks of retirement of the legendary pair. But the Argentine star and the Portuguese wizard share a completely different opinion on the subject.
Messi dominated the headlines with his remarks about his retirement from Argentina's national team after the Qatar World Cup over the weekend.
His rival, CR7, ignited a similar debate the following day ahead of Portugal's World Cup play-off battle with North Macedonia.
While Messi hinted at retiring from the international stage as he declared that he will "reassess" everything after football's biggest tournament in the Middle East, the ex-Real Madrid man emphasised that retirement has not even crossed his mind and he could go on and on for many more years to come.
"After the World Cup I'm going to have to rethink a lot of things, whether it goes well or badly", the former Barcelona star said after his team's 3-0 triumph against Venezuela on Friday.
Immediately after Messi's comments, speculation over his future in national colours deepened, with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni adding fuel to the fire by saying that fans should enjoy his elegant and regal play for as long as he's on the pitch.
"It's the rule of life and at some point it will happen. It's useless to think about what will happen after the World Cup", Scaloni said in a press conference on Sunday, admitting that Messi's retirement wasn't too far away.
On the other hand, Ronaldo seems determined to prolong his career and has not ruled out playing in the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo, the all-time scorer in football with 807 goals, will be 41 by the time the 2026 World Cup in the United States rolls around.
"I'm starting to be asked the same question,", Ronaldo answered when queried by reporters if the World Cup in the Gulf nation would be his last.
"The one who is going to decide my future is me, nobody else. If I feel like playing more, I'll play; if I don't feel like playing more, I won't. I'll decide, period", the Funchal-born footballer added.
Though the 37-year-old has struggled since his return to Old Trafford last summer, he's still the club's top scorer with 18 goals across all competitions.
But according to former players, including his ex-United teammate Wayne Rooney, he's no longer as good as he was a few years ago.
They believe his powers are on the wane and it would be exceedingly difficult for him to perform at the highest level in the next couple of years to have a shot at the 2026 World Cup.
Besides, not many men have played in their forties in the World Cup though goalkeepers have been an exception to this rule.
Among field players, only Cameroon's Roger Milla featured in football's greatest spectacle at the age of 42.
In fact, the Cameroonian is the oldest scorer in World Cup history after having netted a goal against Russia in the tournament held in America in 1994.
His rival, CR7, ignited a similar debate the following day ahead of Portugal's World Cup play-off battle with North Macedonia.
While Messi hinted at retiring from the international stage as he declared that he will "reassess" everything after football's biggest tournament in the Middle East, the ex-Real Madrid man emphasised that retirement has not even crossed his mind and he could go on and on for many more years to come.
"After the World Cup I'm going to have to rethink a lot of things, whether it goes well or badly", the former Barcelona star said after his team's 3-0 triumph against Venezuela on Friday.
Immediately after Messi's comments, speculation over his future in national colours deepened, with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni adding fuel to the fire by saying that fans should enjoy his elegant and regal play for as long as he's on the pitch.
"It's the rule of life and at some point it will happen. It's useless to think about what will happen after the World Cup", Scaloni said in a press conference on Sunday, admitting that Messi's retirement wasn't too far away.
On the other hand, Ronaldo seems determined to prolong his career and has not ruled out playing in the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo, the all-time scorer in football with 807 goals, will be 41 by the time the 2026 World Cup in the United States rolls around.
"I'm starting to be asked the same question,", Ronaldo answered when queried by reporters if the World Cup in the Gulf nation would be his last.
"The one who is going to decide my future is me, nobody else. If I feel like playing more, I'll play; if I don't feel like playing more, I won't. I'll decide, period", the Funchal-born footballer added.
Though the 37-year-old has struggled since his return to Old Trafford last summer, he's still the club's top scorer with 18 goals across all competitions.
But according to former players, including his ex-United teammate Wayne Rooney, he's no longer as good as he was a few years ago.
They believe his powers are on the wane and it would be exceedingly difficult for him to perform at the highest level in the next couple of years to have a shot at the 2026 World Cup.
Besides, not many men have played in their forties in the World Cup though goalkeepers have been an exception to this rule.
Among field players, only Cameroon's Roger Milla featured in football's greatest spectacle at the age of 42.
In fact, the Cameroonian is the oldest scorer in World Cup history after having netted a goal against Russia in the tournament held in America in 1994.
Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus
