4 min learnJun 22, 2026 08:33 AM IST
Messi’s hat-trick within the defending champions’ 3-0 romp over Algeria was contrasted with the sorry determine the Portuguese celebrity minimize in 1-1 draw with underdogs Democratic Republic of Congo.
With the 2 legends on the ultimate legs of their careers, we analyse why.
1. Productiveness in assault
Messi tried six pictures in his first recreation, 4 of which had been on course, yielding a conversion price of 66.7 per cent. Extra remarkably, three of these makes an attempt got here from exterior the penalty space.
Ronaldo, compared, tried three pictures — all from contained in the field — and failed to check the goalkeeper even as soon as.
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2. Sport involvement
Messi not solely exerted a better affect on the sport, however was considerably extra concerned in it. He recorded 57 touches, with neither Lautaro Martínez nor Thiago Almada — his companions in assault — surpassing that determine. Ronaldo had 25 touches in opposition to Congo — his fewest in a significant event recreation for Portugal when he performed the total 90 minutes.
Lionel Messi’s heatmap from first match in opposition to Algeria.
The 41-year-old tried 20 passes — second-lowest amongst Portugal’s starters, behind solely Bernardo Silva, who was taken off at half-time. The corresponding determine for Messi was 40.
Nor was the disparity confined to distribution. Messi excelled on the receiving finish too. He acquired 44 passes — far more than Ronaldo’s tally of 17.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s heatmap from match in opposition to DR Congo.
Delve deeper into obtain success proportion — a measure of whether or not a participant positions himself optimally to obtain a cross directed in the direction of him — and the divide turns into starker nonetheless. Messi posted successful price of fifty per cent. Ronaldo’s corresponding statistic stood at 21.3.
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3. Creativity
Ronaldo was nicely behind on this metric as nicely. If one goes by line breaks — a cross that penetrates the opposition’s defensive construction, primarily an antidote to low blocks like that of Algeria and Congo – Messi tried 15 of them. Within the Argentine group, solely Enzo Fernández tried extra, at 16.
| Attacking Play | ||
| Metric | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Targets | 3 | 0 |
| Pictures | 6 | 3 |
| Pictures on Goal | 4 | 0 |
| Pictures from exterior the field | 3 | 0 |
| Key Passes | 2 | 0 |
| Crosses | 3 | 0 |
| Sport Involvement | ||
| Metric | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Touches | 57 | 25 |
| Passes Tried | 40 | 20 |
| Passes Acquired | 44 | 17 |
| Obtain Success Price | 50% | 21.30% |
| Creativity | ||
| Metric | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Line Breaks Tried | 15 | 1 |
| Carrying Distance | 252.3m | 49.4m |
| Progressive Carries | 7 | 1 |
| Progressive Carrying Distance |
125.9m | 27,3m |
For Portugal, Ronaldo tried a line breaking cross solely as soon as. Even Refeal Leao had three makes an attempt, regardless of approaching within the 71st minute.
Messi additionally recorded a carrying distance of 252.3 metres, of which 125.9 metres constituted progressive carrying — advancing possession in the direction of purpose by bypassing opponents. Ronaldo’s corresponding figures had been 49.4 metres and 27.3 metres.
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4. Mobility
It is a metric the place Ronaldo is forward — he ran 8.39 km within the recreation, whereas Messi lined 6.81 km. But the Argentine’s warmth map was significantly extra expansive.
Ronaldo ran just one.19 km of his 8.39 (13.4%) in excessive depth in opposition to DR Congo. (AP Photograph)
There’s a easy clarification. Messi remained dormant for lengthy spells, conserving himself for a decisive intervention. Quite the opposite, Ronaldo stored jogging for the whole thing of the sport, which didn’t yield any fruitful outcomes for his group.
For a statistical inference, Ronaldo ran just one.19 km of his 8.39 (13.4%) in excessive depth; that’s, at a minimal tempo of 15kmph. Messi ran 1.79 km of his 6.81 (27%) in excessive depth.
5. Positioning
For Argentina’s opening purpose, Messi occupied the one vacant pocket amid 4 Algerian shirts. One easy cross from Rodrigo De Paul pierced the line of defense.
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Analysing Ronaldo’s spatial consciousness — or the dearth thereof — makes it tough to not revisit Thierry Henry’s statement: there must be an understanding of who wants to attain: Portugal or Ronaldo.
In a single passage of play, Francisco Conceicao dribbles previous his marker and finds vacant land down the best flank. With two males persistently marking him, Ronaldo had initially made a run in the direction of purpose, which led to Bruno Fernandes being unmarked. The midfielder would have discovered himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper had Ronaldo reversed the path of his run.
If one judged Ronaldo solely on the premise of his show in opposition to Congo, he wouldn’t be thought-about one of many biggest gamers the sport has ever produced.