Jürgen Klopp says Messi and Ronaldo's legacy will outshine new football stars

Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp remarked that the careers of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo set a standard that upcoming talents such as Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland will find hard to surpass. He highlighted how the duo have dominated world football for two decades, drawing enormous fan and media attention, especially ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Klopp praised Messi’s performance for Argentina, noting the Argentine’s eight‑kilometre run in the Argentina‑Austria match, and commended Ronaldo’s continued intensity at age 41 for Portugal. He concluded that while a new generation is emerging, the Messi‑Ronaldo rivalry remains a unique chapter in the sport’s history.