“At some point, more things start to ache” - Cristiano Ronaldo’s former coach comments on Lionel Messi playing 2026 World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo's former coach at Manchester United, Rene Meulensteen, has backed Lionel Messi to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He believes that the Argentine will be in better shape than the Portuguese superstar due to their small age difference.

Speaking to BetVictor, Meulensteen said he was confident that Messi would be at next year's World Cup, and expects Ronaldo to be there as well. However, he believes that the Al-Nassr captain would feel the physical change after turning 40 this year, and added that it would take him more time to recover than the Argentine. He said (via GOAL):

"At some point, more things start to ache. It takes longer to recover. I would still expect to see Messi at the World Cup."

Messi has been constantly quizzed about playing at the World Cup in the United States, but the Argentine has left the door open. He has not confirmed whether he will be playing, and said earlier this month that he had yet to decide. He said (via ESPN):

"We're almost there, so I'm excited and motivated to play it. Like I always say, I go day by day, going by how I feel. I'm trying to feel good and, above all, being honest with myself. When I feel good, I enjoy it, but when I don't, honestly, I don't have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don't feel good. So we'll see. I haven't made a decision about the World Cup. I'll finish the season, then I'll have preseason, and there will be six months left. So, we'll see how I feel. Hopefully, I'll have a good preseason in 2026 and finish this MLS season well, and then I'll decide."

Lionel Messi's Argentina have qualified for the FIFA World Cup, and their qualifying campaign is also complete. Portugal have just started their qualifiers, with Cristiano Ronaldo helping them win against Armenia and Hungary by scoring in both games.

Patrice Evra wants to see Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo at the FIFA World Cup final

Manchester United legend Patrice Evra spoke to Stake earlier this year and revealed that he wants to see a FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Portugal. He believes that it would be the perfect ending to the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and said:

"[A World Cup final with Messi and Ronaldo] would be like the last Marvel movie. Everyone would stop to watch."

Cristiano Ronaldo won the UEFA Nations League for the second time with Portugal, taking his tally to three silverware with the national team. Lionel Messi also has three titles to his name, two Copa America wins and one FIFA World Cup, as well as one Finalissima victory with the national side.