The World Cup final lost by Lionel Messi becomes the best defense for Cristiano Ronaldo

 Cristiano Ronaldo came under heavy criticism after Portugal's elimination in the round of 16. Can the cup Lionel Messi lost at the World Cup serve as an argument to defend Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal's elimination?.

Cristiano Ronaldo came under the center of criticism after Portugal’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup, but an unexpected comparison with Lionel Messi could completely change the way people view the Portuguese star’s last World Cup.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup continues to generate buzz and, in this case, the protagonist is once again none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. At 41 years old, the Portuguese forward played in his sixth World Cup and made history once again by becoming the first footballer to score in six different editions of the tournament.

Spain's blow against Portugal

Seleção were eliminated in the round of 16 after losing 1-0 to Spain. Mikel Merino scored the only goal of the match in the 90th minute and ended Portugal's dream of advancing to the quarterfinals.

Amid the criticism over the defeat, Ricardo Costa, former Portugal defender and Cristiano's old teammate, came to the defense of the Portuguese captain. And to do so, he put a name on the table that inevitably sparks debate: Lionel Messi.

Ricardo Costa, questioned the way Ronaldo's performance is analyzed and recalled that even Messi had a subdued performance in a decisive match. The former Portuguese player pointed to the World Cup final, in which Argentina fell 1-0 to Spain in extra time.

In that sense, the former defender recalled the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, in which Messi also could not prevent his national team's defeat. La Albiceleste fell 1-0 to Spain in extra time and finished as the runner-up of the tournament.

Costa's comparison seeks to put the criticism into perspective by indicating that a single match should not be enough to erase everything a footballer did over the course of a career or even during the same tournament.

The contrast is inevitable: while Ronaldo was eliminated in the round of 16, Messi took Argentina all the way to the final and even so, the statement once again reignites one of the biggest debates in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi played in their sixth World Cup and, although neither could lift the trophy in 2026, both once again left a historic mark.  

The answer will once again be left in the hands of the fans. What is indisputable is that Cristiano Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup is already part of history: it produced two goals, a new record, and an elimination that, far from closing the debate, once again put his name alongside Lionel Messi’s.