Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? WWE Icon CM Punk Gives Verdict

2026 FIFA World Cup: The spotlight is on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as they may be featuring in their last world tournament. While expectations are high, fans and pundits are all trying to analyse the two icons and their game. WWE icon CM Punk is the latest to give his two cents on the age-old rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi. 

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‘To me, it’s Messi’

During an episode on the 'Late Run Show', CM Punk was asked to give his opinion on the rivalry that has mesmerised football fans from across the world for decades. Claiming that he cannot do a stat battle, the WWE icon picked Messi as his favourite.

“Comparatively speaking, I can’t do a stat battle between them because I grew up in the era of Michael Jordan's dynasty with the Chicago Bulls. It’s hard for me to go tit for tat; I can’t really argue, but to me, it’s Messi,” he said.

Messi vs CR7

Purely in the ongoing World Cup, Messi has been far ahead of Ronaldo in terms of goals scored. While Ronaldo could not score in his first game, he came back to hammer two goals in his second appearance against Uzbekistan. On the other hand, Messi has been unstoppable. The Argentinian legend scored a hattrick against Algeria in their opening game and then followed it up with a brace in the second game against Austria. 

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Both Argentina and Portugal have made it to the Round of 32. Fans would ideally want a showdown between the two legends, that happens or not remains to be seen. Argentina take on Jordan in their final Group J game, while Portugal will lock horns with Colombia.