Behind Messi breakthrough, Ronaldo begins history chase
England begins its bid to end a 60-year wait for a trophy when it takes on Croatia in its World Cup opener on Wednesday, while Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in a record-equalling sixth tournament.
Portuguese great Ronaldo, 41, has a tough act to follow after his old nemesis Lionel Messi scored a spectacular hat trick for Argentina on Tuesday to equal the all-time World Cup goalscoring record, making a mockery of his 38 years.
Between them, Ronaldo and Messi have won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player 13 times.
Ronaldo is expected to start against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston, captaining a richly talented Portugal squad that is trying to win football’s biggest prize for the first time.
England skipper Harry Kane, meanwhile, urged his England teammates to “go for it” and be “free in the mind” when it takes on the beaten 2018 finalists Croatia in the vast AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Kane’s team is among the favorites for the World Cup after a string of near-misses at recent tournaments, but history weighs heavily on a side that last won football’s biggest prize on home soil in 1966.
“For sure it’s one of the best opportunities we will have as a team to win it,” Kane said.
“I think everyone is eager to just start well tomorrow and prove that we have the capabilities of going far in this tournament.
“Ultimately, for me, the message is just to be free in the mind.”
In other games on Wednesday, Ghana faces Panama in Toronto in England’s Group L before first-time qualifier Uzbekistan tackles Colombia at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in Group K.
Messi started his 200th international appearance by claiming a piece of history, becoming the first man to play in six World Cups as he led Argentina onto the field at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium—a record that Ronaldo should equal on Wednesday.
It marked exactly 20 years since Messi’s first appearance at a World Cup.
He stamped his class with a memorable treble—the first of his World Cup career. A 17th-minute curling strike took his World Cup goals tally to 14, putting him alongside German legend Gerd Mueller and France superstar Kylian Mbappe in the all-time rankings.
