Cristiano Ronaldo loses his temper in a press conference after a question about Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo has found the back of the net again at the 2026 World Cup. Scoring twice in Portugal's resounding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan, the 41-year-old striker was one of the key figures in the Seleção's near-qualification for the round of 32.

But after the match, it was his annoyance in the press conference rather than his performance that attracted attention.

When first asked about the possibility of facing Lionel Messi in the knockout stage, in what could be a final duel between the two legends of world football, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner responded with restraint.   “I don’t know what to answer, because this question doesn’t really make sense. It would obviously have been a great match, but the most important thing was to win in order to get through the group stage and prepare well for what comes next. We know that Colombia will be a very difficult opponent. I’m satisfied with my performance, I scored and I helped the team,” said the Portuguese captain.

While the conference seemed to be proceeding normally, another journalist brought up the subject again, mentioning the performances of Lionel Messi, who had scored five goals in two matches, as well as those of Kylian Mbappé. This time, Cristiano Ronaldo made no secret of his irritation.

Visibly tired of the comparisons with his eternal Argentinian rival, the Portuguese captain interrupted his interlocutor before turning to another journalist to invite him to ask a new question.

"It all depends on the question. Otherwise, I don't answer," Ronaldo said, putting an end to any further discussion about Lionel Messi.

With just days to go before the 3rd group match against Colombia, the Portuguese now prefers to focus all his attention on his team's journey rather than on the individual comparisons that have fueled the rivalry between the two icons of world football for almost twenty years.