Two players and friends as intrinsically tied together as Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo got the chance to face off in an instant classic. As Portugal drew Croatia in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, long-term Real Madrid fans knew about the history between the duo that won four Champions League trophies together.
But in what could have been either player’s swansong from the competition, the story of the game became Ronaldo’s controversial benching late in the match. Even though Portugal pulled out the win without him, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III believed this was the latest example of Lionel Messi’s dominance over the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Robert Griffin III Stunned by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Benching In the World Cup
For the majority of the 2010s, the greatest-of-all-time debate between Ronaldo and Messi raged on. Now, as both players have entered the twilight of their careers, some of that noise has died down.
However, the World Cup has served as the perfect backdrop for the comparisons to begin anew. While the Argentinian star has had a sensational start to the tournament, Ronaldo has had a rougher time at the competition.
Unfortunately, that trend continued in the knockout rounds. After going down 0-1, the Portuguese side was able to mount a furious comeback. Ronaldo, on his part, scored the equalizer, but the goal was called off due to a tight offside call.
But, within minutes, his squad secured a penalty, and he was able to convert in the 68th minute. Still, as time wound down, manager Roberto Martinez made the bold choice to sub him out in the 81st minute.
The decision proved to be immediately beneficial. Getting a new lease and freedom on the pitch, his side was able to put the pressure on Croatia before Gonçalo Ramos came through with a 2-1 lead for Portugal in the fourth minute of added time.
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Griffin, the former Pro Bowl QB, was stunned and immediately took that as a sign of Messi’s edge over Ronaldo.
“Portugal just admitted that even they don’t believe Cristiano Ronaldo is the GOAT,” Griffin wrote on X. “Argentina would never voluntarily take Messi out of a tied match in the knockout stages of the World Cup because they believe he always gives them the best chance to win. Portugal believes they have a better chance at winning without Cristiano Ronaldo on the field to finish the game. Wow.”
Even though the game came down to the wire, with an equalizer from the Croatian team in the 13th minute of added time getting called off after a late VAR review for offside, RGIII continued to stand by his argument.
Doubling down, he added, “Roberto Martinez put his job on the line by subbing out Cristiano Ronaldo in a tie game with potential extra time coming because he felt Portugal had a better chance of winning without CR7 on the field. AND HE WAS RIGHT. Ronaldo fans have no choice but to say Messi is the GOAT.”
Two impeccable resumes have caused the two stars to be inextricably linked. The fact that Messi has a World Cup title in his trophy case certainly helps his GOAT argument.
Even though Ronaldo has had a far inferior showing in the tournament so far, going scoreless in two of his four outings so far, he got a huge monkey off his back after recording his first goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Now, as he heads to the Round of 16, Argentina still has to win its next match to advance. Even though Messi, now the leading goal scorer in World Cup history, has scored six goals in three matches, going out early could breathe new life into the argument.
It remains to be seen how the rest of the World Cup will shake out, but Portugal can now start preparing to take on a Spain squad that dominated en route to a 3-0 victory over Austria, while Messi and the Argentinian regime get ready for Cabo Verde in the penultimate Round of 32 matchup.
