World Cup 2026: Messi‑Ronaldo rivalry and Ibrahimović calls for more African teams

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace against Uzbekistan, becoming the first player to find the net in six World Cups and the oldest scorer at 41 years, 138 days. His performance followed a goal‑rich showing by Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who added to his tournament tally in a win over Austria.

Former Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović, now Milan director, used his post‑match interview to criticize the European style of play and praised African nations. He urged FIFA to increase African representation, naming Morocco and South Africa as exemplars, and suggested that Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior could even represent Cameroon, while urging Nigeria’s inclusion.

Other commentators, such as coach Giovanni Mussah, highlighted the depth of teams like France, England and emerging sides such as Morocco and Japan. Debate over the World Cup’s “greatest of all time” players also continued, with fans and media comparing Messi, Ronaldo and past legends.

The tournament’s early matches have already sparked discussions about individual brilliance versus collective tactics, the balance of power between continents, and the evolving format that now features a larger pool of qualifying nations.