New Delhi: Cristiano Ronaldo initially ignored and then said he couldn’t care less when repeatedly asked about Lionel Messi after his brace for Portugal in their emphatic 5-0 win against Uzbekistan in the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday.
scored twice in the first half to help Portugal rout Uzbekistan to open their account in the tournament.
The Portuguese superstar silenced his critics in style after enduring intense criticism for his ordinary display in his team’s opener against DR Congo. Ronaldo failed to find the back of the net as Portugal were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw in their opening game in the ongoing . Many called for the 41-year-old to be dropped from the playing XI, but Ronaldo managed to shut his critics with his stellar display on Tuesday.
Post the game, Ronaldo took questions from journalists in the mixed zone, where one reporter brought up a question about his eternal rival, Messi. The Portuguese forward decided to snub him. “Yesterday, Lionel Messi scored two goals,” the reporter asked in Spanish before Ronaldo abruptly turned away and asked another reporter to go ahead with his question.
“Go ahead,” Ronaldo said to the next reporter.
Watch Ronaldo ignores question on Messi:
In another clip, which has gone viral on social media, Ronaldo can be heard saying he “couldn’t care less” after being asked about Messi’s hat-trick in Argentina’s opener against Algeria. The Portuguese superstar appeared frustrated and miffed as he ignored the question before mentioning that Kylian Mbappe also scored while storming off the mix zone.
“I couldn’t care less about others… Mbappe also scored,” shouted Ronaldo in Spanish.
Messi vs Ronaldo debate heats up
Despite being in the final lap of their respective careers, Messi and Ronaldo have been among the major talking points in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. While Messi has made a stellar start to his campaign with defending champions Argentina, Ronaldo is trying his best to help Portugal win their maiden FIFA World Cup crown.
Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s opener against Algeria to make an emphatic start to the tournament before bagging a double against Austria on Tuesday to become the leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. Ronaldo, on the other hand, bounced back with a brace after drawing a blank in Portugal’s opener against DR Congo.
The Messi vs Ronaldo debate continues to heat up in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 as the two superstars chase glory with their respective countries.
Ronaldo breaks records with double against Uzbekistan
Ronaldo broke multiple records with his double against Uzbekistan on Tuesday. He became the first player in the tournament’s history to score in six World Cups. Ronaldo also became Portugal’s leading goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup, surpassing Eusebio. Ronaldo now has ten goals to his name for Portugal in the World Cup.
He also became the second-oldest player to score at the World Cup after Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who was 42 years and 39 days old when he scored for his country in the 1994 edition.