Read 4 minutes22 Jun 2026 08:33 AM IST
Messi’s hat-trick in the defending champions’ 3-0 win over Algeria contrasted with the Portuguese superstar’s woeful figure in their 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With two veterans nearing the end of their careers, we analyze this.
1. Productivity in attack
Messi attempted six shots in his first game, four of which were on target, for a conversion rate of 66.7 percent. Interestingly, three of those attempts came from outside the penalty area.
In comparison, Ronaldo attempted three shots – all from the box – and failed to test the goalkeeper even once.
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2. Game Participation
Messi has not only had a huge impact on the game, but has been significantly involved in it. He registered 57 touches, a figure not surpassed by Lautaro Martínez or Thiago Almada – his partner in attack. Ronaldo had 25 touches against Congo – the fewest in a major tournament for Portugal when he played the full 90 minutes.
Lionel Messi’s heatmap from the first match against Algeria.
The 41-year-old attempted 20 passes – the second-fewest among Portugal starters, behind only Bernardo Silva, who was taken off at half-time. The corresponding figure for Messi was 40.
Nor was inequality limited to distribution. Messi also did a great job. He received 44 passes – far more than Ronaldo’s 17.
Heatmap of Cristiano Ronaldo vs DR Congo.
Dig deeper into completion percentage — a measure of whether or not a player puts himself in the optimal position to receive a pass thrown his way — and the division gets even better. Messi’s success rate is 50 percent. Ronaldo’s corresponding figure was 21.3.
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3. Creativity
Ronaldo was behind in this metric as well. If one makes a line break – a pass that penetrates the opposition’s defensive structure, essentially the antidote to the low blocks of the likes of Algeria and Congo – Messi has attempted 15 of them. In the Argentina team, only Enzo Fernandez has scored more at 16.
| Attack game | ||
| Metric | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Round | 3 | 0 |
| shots | 6 | 3 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 0 |
| Shots from outside the box | 3 | 0 |
| Key passes | 2 | 0 |
| Par | 3 | 0 |
| Sports participation | ||
| Metric | Messi | Ronaldo |
| touches | 57 | 25 |
| Tried to pass | 40 | 20 |
| Passes received | 44 | 17 |
| Get the success rate | 50% | 21.30% |
| creativity | ||
| Metric | Messi | Ronaldo |
| Tried to break the line | 15 | 1 |
| carry distance | 252.3 m | 49.4 m |
| Progressive Carey | 7 | 1 |
| Progressive Carrying distance |
125.9 m | 27,3 m |
For Portugal, Ronaldo only attempted a line-breaking pass once. Rafael Leo scored three tries despite coming on in the 71st minute.
Messi also recorded 252.3 meters of carrying distance, of which 125.9 meters were progressive carries – moving past opponents towards goal. Ronaldo’s respective figures were 49.4m and 27.3m.
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4. Mobility
This is one metric where Ronaldo is ahead – he ran 8.39km in the game, while Messi covered 6.81km. Yet Argentina’s heat map was more extensive.
Ronaldo only ran 1.19km of his 8.39 (13.4%) at high intensity against DR Congo. (AP Photo)
There is a simple explanation. Messi lay dormant for long periods of time for decisive intervention. In contrast, Ronaldo kept running for the entire game, which did not yield any fruitful results for his team.
For the statistical conclusion, Ronaldo ran only 1.19 km of his 8.39 (13.4%) at a higher intensity; That is, at least 15 kmph. Messi ran 1.79 km of his 6.81 (27%) at high intensity.
5. Positioning
For Argentina’s opening goal, Messi occupied the only empty pocket among the four Algerian shirts. A simple pass from Rodrigo de Paul pierced the defensive line.
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Analyzing Ronaldo’s spatial awareness — or lack thereof — makes it difficult not to return to Thierry Henry’s observation: understanding who needs to score goals: Portugal or Ronaldo.
In one passage of play, Francisco Conceicao dribbles past his marker and finds empty ground down the right side. With two men consistently marking him, Ronaldo made an early run towards goal, leaving Bruno Fernandes unmarked. Had Ronaldo reversed the direction of his run, the midfielder would have faced the goalkeeper one-on-one.
If one were to judge Ronaldo based on his performance against Congo, he would not be considered one of the greatest players the game has ever produced.