It's has ended Cristiano Ronaldo 4, Lionel Messi 1. Both players are out of the World Cup after their national teams were eliminated in the round of 16 on Saturday. Argentina lost 4-3 to France and Portugal fell 2-1 to Uruguay, with neither scoring.
At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Messi took the edge in both performance and team success. Messi's four goals topped Ronaldo's one as Argentina finished runner-up for the Cup, ultimately falling to Germany in the final. Messi also won best player for the 2014 Cup, but it's a new tournament, and a new chance for Ronaldo and Portugal.
Coming into this World Cup in Russia, Messi had 15 caps, five goals and three assists for Argentina. Ronaldo, meanwhile, had 13 caps, three goals and two assists for Portugal, with his best finish coming in 2006 when Portugal finished in fourth.
Ronaldo put together an all-time performance early in the Cup against rival Spain with his three goals in 3-3 draw, becoming the oldest player in World Cup history to notch a hat trick. Messi, meanwhile, could not find the back of the net in Argentina's first game against Iceland in a disappointing 1-1 draw. In Ronaldo's second match on Wednesday, and threatened a few more times, but his lone goal was ultimately enough to give Portugal a 1-0 win. Messi's Argentina squad only had one goal in two matches before Messi came to life against Nigeria on the final matchday of the group stage, but that was it.
Here's how things finished this World Cup and where they stand for their careers:
| Player | Goals scored during 2018 World Cup | Career World Cup goals |
|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal | 4 | 7 |
| Lionel Messi, Argentina | 1 | 6 |
Messi's World Cup schedule:
Saturday, June 16: Argentina 1, Iceland 1 (Aguero goal; Messi missed PK)
Thursday, June 21: Croatia 3, Argentina 0
Tuesday, June 26: Argentina 2, Nigeria 1 (Messi goal)
Saturday, June 30: France 4, Argentina 3
Ronaldo's World Cup schedule:
Friday, June 15: Portugal 3, Spain 3 (Ronaldo hat trick)
Wednesday, June 20: Portugal 1, Morocco 0 (Ronaldo goal)
Monday, June 25: Portugal 1, Iran 1
Saturday, June 30: Uruguay 2, Portugal 1
