Copa America and Euro: Messi, Ronaldo fail to impress but fans’ hopes remain high

How would a typical Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo fan have felt at the start of Euro 2024 and the Copa America this time? Probably expecting a final performance by their heroes though neither had suggested they would retire from international football after these tournaments.

However, Messi mentioned that he wouldn’t play in the 2026 World Cup just for the sake of it, though he might reconsider if he is in good shape by then, especially for his kids, particularly Thiago Messi, who has started showing signs of talent.

Ronaldo seems to be more determined to extend his career, and win the coveted trophy, which many think is the only property that separates him from Messi in the GOAT race. He has a model in his mate Pepe who still plays at age 41.

However, the opening matches for the greatest players on the planet weren’t as impressive for the fans. Despite Portugal and Argentina winning their first matches in their respective tournaments, the performances of their heroes didn’t meet the high expectations that fans had.

Ronaldo touch missing

In Leipzig, on June 19 against Czechia (Chech Republic), Cristiano Ronaldo fell far short of his usual standard as the Portuguese captain missed at least two straightforward opportunities that, in his prime, he would have easily converted into goals, even blindfolded. He was a mere shadow of himself.

The first time he caught the crowd’s attention was when he sprinted down the right without the ball, even before Bernardo Silva and Bruno had kicked off, triggering a wave of memes and trolls on the Internet suggesting his eagerness for self-play. However, for the first 8 minutes of the game, he was nowhere to be seen. Even after that, he mostly circled around the Czech defence, receiving only sporadic passes from his teammates.

Poor Portugal showing

Portugal’s team, a formidable lineup in the current Euro, boasted star-studded players in every position, with the red and blues of Manchester dominating the squad. Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes led the front line alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Leao. Joao Cancelo and Ruben Dias, supported by Dalot and Pepe, formed a strong defensive line, while Vitinha and Nuno Mendis held the midfield.

However, they struggled to perform well collectively as a team despite displaying a very busy performance on the field. It took the rookie Francisco Conceicao to chip in with a lucky goal, from a mistake committed by the Czechia defender even though the central European team putting up a strong show particularly in defending.

According to a section of experts and his fans, Ronaldo wasn’t receiving enough passes from his teammates or adequate support, echoing a situation similar to what was observed in Qatar 2022 where he was eventually benched by manager Fernando Santos, stirring up a controversy.

The team and their captain will have to make a lot of adjustments when they take on Turkey in their next match and obviously all eyes will be on the number seven.

Messi misses chances

In their Copa America opener against Canada, Messi and his team did not have the performance they had hoped for. Deploying a 4-4-2 formation with Julien Alvarez and Messi up front, La Albiceleste also failed to impress against what was expected to be one of the weakest opponents they could face in the entire tournament.

The passing, even by the standards of Messi and Di Maria, was subpar, resulting in missed opportunities. However, there were moments of Argentine teamwork evident in quick one-touch passes and runs, notably seen in the second goal scored late in the game by Lautaro Martinez, who came on for Julien Alvarez, the other goal scorer.

There were embarrassing moments for the fans. Messi also missed a couple of clear chances where he could have easily chipped the ball into the back of the net on any other day. The climax came with a free kick from Messi’s favourite spot, with spectators expecting the icing on the cake. However, he failed to score, sending it straight to the keeper despite skillfully evading the defensive wall with his strike.

Despite the team managing to defeat Canada by two goals and extending their unbeaten streak since the shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in November 2022, their performance lacked fluidity on the pitch.

Fans hopeful

Manager Scaloni’s hesitance to field newer players, such as Alejandro Garnacho, Valentine Carboni, or even Enzo Fernandez, was evident in this game as he opted for usual suspects.

Both football superstars Messi and Ronaldo have so far not met the expectations of fans worldwide in their initial matches of the respective tournaments. However, curiosity and interest in both players remain high, and the football world eagerly anticipates matches like Portugal vs Turkey in the Euro and Argentina vs Chile in the Copa America, even before the big matches involving Brazil, Germany, or France.