Mohit Daga

[AM☬ @AbsoluteMxssi]

If you think this is a foul, you need to stop watching football. If anything, Salah deserved a yellow for the dive 😭

[ElBuni @therealbuni]

Un egipcio fue a grabar la tristeza de los hinchas Argentinos
Pero termino grabando la remontada y los festejos por la victoria
No lo podia creer

[AM☬ @AbsoluteMxssi]

Thierry Henry with nothing but huge praise for Messi ❤️

[Appie Culé @appiecule]

I’m going to take my time with this one. If you’re busy, save this post and read it later. If you’re a night owl like me, this is a good late-night read.

Do you know the worst thing about Cristiano Ronaldo?

It’s that he set the standards for what defines a legend… and in the end, he couldn’t even live up to the standards he created himself.

After winning Euro 2016, Ronaldo said:

“You can’t become a legend until you win a trophy with your national team.”

It was an obvious dig at Messi.

Argentina had just lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany, and Messi was going through the toughest period of his international career. Those words only added fuel to the fire.

Where was the respect for a rival, Ronaldo?

The surprising part was that social media completely embraced that narrative. Messi was labeled a bottler, while Ronaldo was declared the winner of the rivalry—at least in the media, not on the pitch.

Then Messi retired from international football, came back, won the Copa América, and suddenly they were level in major international trophies.

What happened next?

Ronaldo fans started saying that one Euro is worth more than a hundred Copa Américas, claiming there was no competition in South America. Not true—but that became the excuse.

Then Messi went on to win the World Cup.

This time, the excuses changed again.

They claimed FIFA had fixed the tournament for Messi. That the World Cup was scripted in his favor. They simply didn’t know what else to say.

Then Ronaldo himself came out with one of the strangest quotes imaginable:

“A legend’s career can’t be defined by just seven games.”

At first glance, it sounds reasonable.

But beneath it was another attempt to diminish what Messi had achieved.

Before the World Cup, they insisted it would be Ronaldo’s tournament. On paper, Portugal had a fantastic squad. If the manager couldn’t get the best out of them, that’s Portugal’s problem—not Ronaldo’s.

Yet that same Portugal squad wasn’t any weaker than the Argentina team Messi led to the 2014 World Cup final—the same team people mocked Messi for not carrying to the title.

Just a couple of days ago, Ronaldo said:

“The World Cup doesn’t define my career, whether I win it or not.”

A statement that directly contradicts what he had said years earlier, when he admitted that winning the World Cup would make him feel completely fulfilled.

Now you’re 41 years old, Cristiano.

By your own standards:

* You have 5 Ballon d’Ors, not 8.
* You have one European Championship, not two Copa América titles.
* You never won the World Cup.
* You have four European Golden Shoes, while Messi has six—even though you’re an out-and-out striker.

So what now?

Will you keep playing until the next World Cup and become the first player to appear in one at 45, hoping to finally win it?

If we judged you by the standards you created, you wouldn’t qualify as a legend.

Of course, nobody actually judges you that way. Everyone still recognizes you as one of football’s greatest legends.

The real mistake was comparing Ronaldo to Messi in the first place.

That rivalry was exaggerated from the beginning by the media and figures like José Mourinho.

Messi conquered every major trophy available to him, shattered records that once seemed untouchable, and at 39 years old he’s still competing with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland—the stars of the next generation—for the Golden Boot. And honestly, he could still win it.

What made Messi beloved by so many fans is that he never tried to diminish Ronaldo’s achievements.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, repeatedly made comments that many interpreted as attempts to downplay his greatest rival’s accomplishments—and that’s never an admirable trait.

Cristiano helped create a generation that thinks belittling other people’s achievements while constantly glorifying your own is a way to establish dominance.

Good bye. Ronaldo.

[Premiumerza @PREMIUMERZA]

Portugal had the best midfield, a solid defense, the world's best full-backs, the best goalkeeping unit, and one of the most dangerous attacking units.

Did Portugal have the best squad at this World Cup? Yes.

Did Portugal deserve to win this World Cup on paper? Yes. More than anyone.

But the greatest show on earth, the most prestigious tournament in football, is not won by a team whose captain calls it "just a 6-7 game tournament."

A World Cup is not won by players, squad depth, individuals, tactics, or even the manager alone. Dedication and mentality matter more than anything else.

A manchild will never lead a team to World Cup glory. Never.

[CHIMAOBI 🐅 @chimaobi_saint]

They’ll keep telling you both have 7 goals and that Mbappé is close to breaking Messi’s World Cup scoring records.

But they won’t tell you that:

- Messi is 39 years old and is still competing with a player who’s 27.

- Messi is playing alongside Lautaro and Nicolás González in attack, while Mbappé has Dembélé, Olise, Doué, and Barcola around him.

- Messi is expected to create, dictate the game, provide assists, and score, while Mbappé’s primary role is to finish the chances created by his teammates.

They also won’t tell you that all 7 of Messi’s goals have come from open play, without a single penalty, after years of claiming he relies on penalties.

And of course, they won’t talk about France’s path through the tournament. Instead, they’ll keep saying the draw was rigged in Argentina’s favor, even though Portugal themselves failed to beat Congo.

They’ll do anything to tarnish the reputation and legacy of the greatest player to ever touch a football... But trust Messi fans, we won't let them. We shall guard that legacy with our bl00d!

[AM☬ @AbsoluteMxssi]

He could become a professor teaching football in a university and I would attend 😭

[Pain.𝕏 @GBarca_]

The usual Aura video has arrived 😭❤️

[Ankur @AnkurMessi_]

This edit from Adidas is making me cry dawgggg😭😭😭

https://t.co/xxiPQeQzaL

[𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐗𝐭𝐫𝐚 @harryfcb21]

Can you imagine training like a madman for 25 years, and getting called lazy just because you don’t post on social media?

[mily @saintcennoir]

and I think on this match is also the loudest crowed so far

[Appie Culé @appiecule]

Everyone is focused on Messi and forgetting that Argentina has another genius: Lionel Scaloni!

The man has been managing Argentina since 2019, and back then he said he was one of those coaches who don’t build a playing system around the coach’s ideas alone, because the players themselves create the system.

When you watch Argentina today against Algeria, you can see that philosophy in action. Every player operates in central areas of the pitch except the full-backs. The distances between players are very short, creating an endless network of relationships and passing options.

This system is extremely difficult for opponents because they struggle to identify the roles of Argentina’s players. Everyone can perform each other’s duties. You end up lost while pressing, unable to figure out who the free man is, and sooner or later you’re forced to leave the flank open. Suddenly, a direct pass finds Argentina’s full-back behind your defensive line.

A coach who built a family that genuinely loves and fights for one another. A coach who created a complex tactical system with no obvious patterns. A coach who has Messi, the greatest player in history, at his disposal.

Scaloni’s Argentina is a masterpiece. 👏💙

[Leandro Aguilera @Tato_Aguilera]

LA OVACIÓN A LEO MESSI, LUEGO DE SU MAGISTRAL ACTUACIÓN.
HAT-TRICK ANTE ARGELIA, PARA SER EL MÁXIMO GOLEADOR EN LA HISTORIA DE LOS MUNDIALES.
ADEMÁS CUMPLIÓ 2'
PARTIDOS
EN LA ARGENTINA.

[Anabella💙❤️ @AnabellaMarvy]

Messi‘a teammates love him so much 🥹🥹🥹

[Hansi’s Barça 🇩🇪 (fan) @Flickxball]

Scaloni started tearing up and got emotional after Messi was subbed off and the crowd was applauding him, look at his reaction after Messi hugs him 🥹❤️

[Messi out of Context @OutMessi_]

Tomense un momento para leer la declaración del DT de Argelia, rendido a los pies de Messi, pero con conceptos que no suelen escucharse.

🗣️ Vladimir Petković:

“Llegamos a este partido con un plan, con disciplina y con convicción... pero a veces el fútbol te pone enfrente a un jugador capaz de destruir la mejor preparación con un solo toque de pelota.”

“Lo que produjo Lionel Messi esta noche no fue solamente una gran actuación; fue una clase de fútbol dictada por una de las mentes y talentos más grandes que haya visto este deporte.”

“Les decís a tus jugadores que se mantengan compactos, concentrados, que no le den espacios... y aun así encuentra la forma de crear magia donde no debería existir.”

“Lo más frustrante es que podés hacer muchas cosas bien en defensa y aun así terminar sufriendo, porque ve pases, movimientos y oportunidades que nadie más en la cancha es capaz de ver.”

“A los 38 años, la mayoría de los futbolistas hablan de retirarse, administrar minutos o bajar el ritmo. Messi sigue definiendo partidos de Mundial, rompiendo récords y haciendo que defensores de élite parezcan impotentes.”

“Miré a mi banco después de su tercer gol y había una sensación de incredulidad en todos. No porque estuviéramos perdiendo, sino porque estábamos presenciando algo especial que quizás no vuelva a repetirse.”

“La gente hablará del hat-trick, de los récords y de las estadísticas, pero lo que más me impresionó fue la autoridad. Controló el partido como si el juego se moviera a la velocidad que él decidía.”

“Me tocó enfrentar a grandes jugadores a lo largo de mi carrera, pero esta noche fue diferente. Esta noche se sintió como si la historia del fútbol se hubiera detenido durante noventa minutos para recordarle al mundo exactamente quién es Lionel Messi.”

[فيصل @ir7vs]

قسم بالله بدون مبالغه بس هذا اعظم مقطع شفته بعالم الرياضه

جمهور بلادك كانوا يطالبون باعتزالك دوليًا وكل يوم يسفلون فيك ويطالبونك بالبطولات وانت تلعب مع لاعبين هواه

بالنهايه تحقق لهم المونديال بعمر 35 وباعظم اداء بتاريخ البطوله!

قشعريره، اعظم قصه للاعب

[Pain.𝕏 @GBarca_]

I love their team walks so much 😭❤️ https://t.co/KbNsGr5K7d

[BigMoh jr @Koladoskidculer]

Eden Hazard was doing well to cover Lionel Messi until Rudiger decided to join in 😂😂 😂

[Stanley Graps @stanleygraps]

John Cena playing a drug dealer.