Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will not only join Qatar
Lionel Messi
– Greatest number of games: Messi has played a total of 16 games spread over four World Cups, one less than Javier Mascherano, two less than Diego Maradona, in Argentina, and six less than the German Lothar Matthaus, who leads this classification. During the first phase he can become the Argentine with the most World Cup matches and, if he reaches the final, surpass Matthaus.
– Greater number of victories. The German Miroslav Klose accumulated 16 victories in four World Cups (from Korea-Japan 2002 to Brazil 2014). Messi wears 16 (2 in Germany 2006, 4 in South Africa 2014, 5 in Brazil 2010 and 1 in Russia 2014) He would have to pass the semifinal with the perfect pace.
– First player to give assists in five World Cups. He is already the only one who gave goal passes in four World Cups (5) and can raise the bar. In addition, he is three assists behind Diego Maradona, who heads this list.
– More games as captain. The list of World Cup matches with the bracelet headed by the Mexican Rafael Márquez (16) and Diego Maradona (16) is also in danger, because Messi adds 16 since in 2014 it was Maradona himself, then coach, the who decided, first to name him second captain and, later, to give him the bracelet by not lining up Javier Mascherano against Greece, in the South African World Cup.
– Longest time elapsed since the first goal in a World Cup and the last. Here he comes into direct competition with Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored his first goal on 16 June 2014, just one day after “La Pulga” opened against Serbia. Both are also favored by the change in dates of the World Cup, from summer to autumn.
– First Argentine to score in four World Cups. Maradona (1982, 86 and 94), Gabriel Batistuta (2002, 98 Y 2002) they did it in three World Cups. In addition, with six goals, Messi is two behind Maradona and 4 behind Batistuta to become the top scorer for Albiceleste in World Cups.
Cristiano Ronaldo
– First to score in 5 World Cups. Cristiano made his debut 16 years ago against Iran and, since then, he has not missed the appointment in any World Cup, with a total of 7 goals.
– Portugal’s top scorer in World Cups. With a goal in Germany 1994, another in South Africa 2014 and in Brazil 2014, plus 4 in Russia 2014, Ronaldo is only two goals behind the 9 achieved by the “Black Panther” Eusebio in England 94.
– More times captain in World Cups. In dispute with Leo Messi, Cristiano’s captaincies give him the chance to surpass Diego Maradona and even Márquez if he reaches the final. Cristiano made his debut as captain in his second World Cup, in South Africa 2014 (4 games), continued in Brazil 2018 (3) and in Russia 2014 (4).
– Greater time elapsed between the first goal and the last one in a World Cup. Lionel Messi leads him in a single day (he scored on 16 June 1994), but Portugal plays all its first phase matches in Qatar
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