Vitali Denisov comments on rivalry between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Vitali Denisov expressed his preference for Cristiano Ronaldo in the rivalry with Lionel Messi, highlighting the uniqueness of the players and their expectations for goals in the World Cup.
"Messi is a phenomenon. Players like Messi and Ronaldo appear once every 100 years. But, in the rivalry between them, I sympathize with Cristiano. I don't want him to score goals against the Uzbekistan team (laughs). But, leaving preferences aside, I'm with him. Each of the two will still score goals in the World Cup," Denisov told Metaratings. In the second round group stage game of the 2026 World Cup against Austria, Messi scored two goals and became the top scorer in the history of the tournament, taking his total to 18 goals in World Cups, surpassing former German striker Miroslav Klose, who has 16 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo did not score in the first game of the 2026 World Cup and, in total, he has eight goals and two assists in 23 World Cup matches. In the second round, Portugal will face the Uzbekistan team, in a match scheduled for June 23, at 8 pm (Moscow time).
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