During the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi faced criticism regarding his leadership qualities compared to Cristiano Ronaldo. Former Barcelona player Emmanuel Petit shared his view after Argentina’s 3-0 defeat to Croatia in the group stage, suggesting that Messi lacked the leadership qualities of Ronaldo. Petit highlighted Messi’s tendency to excel when things go well but questioned his ability to step up during tough moments, accusing him of disappearing during challenging games.
Messi, who became Argentina’s captain in 2011 and Barcelona’s in 2018, struggled to inspire his team during the tournament. Argentina’s group stage performances included a 1-1 draw with Iceland, a 3-0 loss to Croatia, and a 2-1 victory over Nigeria. The team was eventually eliminated by France in the Round of 16 with a 4-3 loss. Messi contributed one goal and two assists in four games. In comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo had an impressive group stage for Portugal, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against Spain and the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over Morocco. However, both players’ teams were knocked out in the Round of 16, with Portugal losing 2-1 to Uruguay.
Despite the 2018 criticism, Messi later silenced his detractors by leading Argentina to significant achievements, including victory in the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In 2024, Argentina again triumphed in the Copa America under Messi’s leadership.
As the 2024 calendar year ends, Messi and Ronaldo have delivered notable performances for their respective national teams. Messi played 11 matches for Argentina, missing four due to injury, and scored six goals with five assists. His contributions were pivotal in securing the 2024 Copa America title. Meanwhile, Ronaldo featured in 12 games for Portugal, scoring seven goals and registering two assists. However, his impact was limited in Euro 2024, where he failed to score in five matches, and Portugal was eliminated by France in the quarter-fi
nals.