Klopp Captivated by Messi and Ronaldo's World Cup Performances
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed his admiration for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, calling their enduring brilliance "naturally captivating." In an interview with Sky Sports, Klopp dissected the unique qualities of both legends, who are playing in their sixth World Cups and remain under intense scrutiny.
Messi leads the Golden Boot race with five goals, including his first-ever World Cup hat-trick, and has become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals. Ronaldo, after a poor opening match against DR Congo, responded with a brace against Uzbekistan, proving his critics wrong at age 41.
Klopp on Ronaldo's Resilience
Klopp highlighted Ronaldo's remarkable response to criticism: "After the first game, in which Cristiano Ronaldo was heavily criticised - even I noticed that - to then strike back like that, and at 41 years old with an extremely lively, intense performance, I was very pleased. The fact that he's still so bothered at his age when something doesn't work out is extraordinary, and his reaction is all the more impressive."
Messi's Scanning Genius
Klopp also praised Messi's unique style, noting that he covers only about eight kilometers per match. "I saw Lionel Messi live, and when you watch the game and see that he covers eight kilometers, you think: We've found the optimal distance. That is eight kilometers because then he is really there in the decisive moment. But of course, that is not possible for everyone. Imagine if everyone only ran eight kilometres," Klopp said.
He added, "People would say he's walking. I say: He's scanning the pitch. I looked at him so often, even when the ball was somewhere else. I just wanted to see what he was doing. I think he is measuring distances. He knows exactly, now I am here, now I am going to position myself on the right, now I'm going to be in the centre."
Messi's Decisive Impact Against Austria
Klopp pointed out that Messi did not dominate the game against Austria for long periods but scored his first and second goals "because he wanted to." He missed a penalty, which would have given him six goals in two games. "Zlatan Ibrahimovic said that Messi has five goals in one World Cup, and he himself has zero in two World Cups. It is that simple," Klopp remarked.
A Special Era in Football
Klopp, who managed Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, reflected on being part of the Messi-Ronaldo generation. "It is extraordinary that we get to experience this generation. It is special. And when we briefly saw each other on the sidelines, and Messi kindly included us in the line of well-wishers, even as a 59-year-old, I realised just how special something like that can be. Because it was special. I was just as happy to see my former player Alexis Mac Allister, and have a quick chat with him. But then Messi came along. And that is something else entirely," he admitted.
