‘We are DREAMING!’ Will the GOAT be decided in the World Cup final? | Messi vs. Ronaldo | ESPN FC

Hello and welcome back to the football forecast. We have a great topic to discuss and we also have a great debut. Liam, how are you bro? Well, I'm glad to be here, looking forward to some big questions that we're going to get through, so yeah, I'm glad to be absolutely Quakers here, as always, the big burning question here is that Argentina somehow managed to take first place in their group, which was chaotic because of the way Saudi Arabia scored for no reason against Mexico. They turned a corner, obviously got off to a rough start against Saudi Arabia, almost beat Mexico, and then beat Poland, who didn't seem very interested in playing any kind of soccer.

Would you say you feel like you're going in the right direction? I'm going to be completely honest: I know that there is a team that many people support Argentina. They don't move me at all. It is a team that came to this tournament with a lot of enthusiasm. I do not know. No. I don't see it, I'm very disappointed with the midfield, the group has been one of the most disappointing players in this tournament and, as you say, against Poland there was a penalty that didn't matter much, so they almost gave it to Argentina. win that game obviously the clash against Saudi Arabia is probably one of the biggest World Cup chances of all time and then they beat Mexico with a bit of messy magic so I know the results went in their favor and They ended up surpassing their rivals. group, but they are not that impressive and of course when you have a team within the mess you always have a chance, but I don't see them progressing, especially if they face a team that has more talented players and a little more trained too, yeah , I don't think they've looked that coherent so far, they've been a little offside and the turnovers, especially in that game against Saudi Arabia, were massive, but you say. turn a corner, this is a team that was undefeated for over 35 games so I left their turn, I think they briefly went the wrong way, they just did a quick U-turn and got back on track, but you say they don't you've done. moved by them and that is completely understandable.

I don't think anyone can say that Argentina's game is something that people should be afraid to judge in this

world

cup, but the habit of winning, which is something they have had for a long period of time, is not lost on that. , they have had a slump, but they have topped a group in a World Cup and you could say messy magic in that game, you could say they have come out ahead, they haven't. Scratch free winning games and reach your Knockouts have a habit of winning trophies, so I think they can't be ruled out yet.

I think the other interesting thing is facing Australia, which for a lot of people you could say is the dream. tie, but Australia

will

sit deep, just as Mexico did, as

will

Poland. In fact, I thought Saudi Arabia was the best option to play against Argentina. They are aggressive, they played The High Line, but Australia will sit in Argentina's midfield, which we just criticized. I'll have to try to find a way to beat them, but they've changed their midfield several times. The last game, obviously, was Enzo Fernandez and McAllister, who seemed to play almost like an old-school late-arriving Frank Lampard.

In the box I was and where there is light and he sits, then you have Enzo, 21 years old, who has been lighting for Benfica a release clause of 100 million pounds for any Premier League club that sees this and He thinks they don't want to sign him. He still wouldn't know it's 100 million bikes, but do you think this midfield could be the route to get the best out of Messi and therefore get the best out of Argentina? Yes, I think for Argentina, if you hear that a team is going to sit down. in Australia, which we assume they will.

I think it's great. I think Saudi Arabia surprises everyone who pushed. It was the highest line ever seen in

world

football and they worked harder than any team I have ever seen. heart that was one in passion and it was one in the occasion and it was one of the best moments of any World Cup, but I think Argentina will enjoy a team sitting if you're not going to rush messy, you're not going to do it. You're allowing them to take Pockets, you're allowing him to take up space and that's when he hurts the team, so I think it will do them good if Australia just sits back and isn't super aggressive I think.

With the session, you have Mexico sitting, who was aggressive with Messi. I think now two or three players around him constantly, while Poland got passive, they were passive unless he was just picking pockets everywhere. I feel Australia will do the same. Mexican version with a little counterattack and that's it, they offer me that counterattack fret, it's what I think is important for Argentina. The junior got a goal at that start. He is a player that is going to be very effective for them, esp. Because Di María looks like a shadow of his former self, Toro Martínez is many people's choice with the Golden Boot, he missed a guilty chance in that game, so they will have to find goals elsewhere on the field and the fact.

Julián Álvarez, who many people have been clamoring for to start for Argentina, the fact that they scored will be very important for them, especially trying to unlock a stubborn Australian defense that will make it very, very difficult for them. and you probably identify Lionel Messi you mentioned. I think he's had a tough ride in this tournament. I think the end product from him maybe hasn't been consistent, but there are flashes of a foot crossing into a dangerous area. He still has that ability at times to create opportunities. I think his balls, if he plays those passes for his club, someone is at the end of them without entering the goal, so I think that no matter how much Di María is, he has fallen.

How old is he? But he has to be 31 32. He's going to have some decline, but in terms of those moments where you need a little bit of quality, I think he still has it and I think it's up to some of the other Argentinian players to maybe step up. and maybe work a little bit harder without the ball for those types of players because I think that's what for Argentina I didn't find good and not at the level that they need, is that the work box just didn't seem to be there, yeah, and I think that's the only thing that maybe As the tournament goes on and now they've got their confidence back, what they need to get back is that yard off the ball to get an angle or get to the end of something.

I think midfield is the issue here where I think they brought in McAllister and I think what he gave him as a presence is someone who can play in both areas but also someone who wants to get stuck in. I just felt that they were soft in both games, which is not something you associate with Argentina, practically the only player who loves the attack like them, is Ottom Andy, but that will never change and, on the other hand, it is because We are talking about this because we all dream of Argentina against Portugal in the

final

.

Portugal. I think I have proven a lot. from wrong people. I think we all came into this tournament feeling that the Zone would be fine, but Ronaldo is going to be a disappointment for them. James Alcott was sitting in this seat here saying that Ronaldo was going to drag that team down. I would rather argue the opposite, that made it feel like they had Bernardo Silva Rubén Nevis William Carvalho surprised that it's still there to be honest I love it I love the fact that we look at Valor still turns out unfortunately each tool I don't know which one it does It does it at the level of clubs, but on every international tour, but it turns out that he acts and Portugal is always set up pragmatically and is prepared for football tournaments, so if you have a predator, Ronaldo and I know that he tried to steal it.

Bruno Fernández's goal, probably to this day he still claims that it is his goal, we have a principle in the area like Ronaldo, you know what his dreams are and he has that midfield that has that perfect balance and combination, then you have a chance for this tournament and I think Portugal has flown a bit under the radar in terms of people before the tournament, they thought Ronaldo was going to be a distraction, I didn't know how Bruno Fernandez was going to perform and he's nice to the clips for them I know they haven't played against the biggest size in the world the game against Garner could have been either way they almost let it slip until the end and Uruguay looked poor and Portugal managed to get over the line against them but those are the type of teams you have to watch carefully as the knockout stages go on because I like what they are building, I like the way they are built, yes, it is a team full of world class players from the World Cup, no.

I even mentioned Concello when you have those players you have world class players in every type of area of ​​the field for Portugal and I think they are starting to recover but as I have already said, The team is used to winning and Ronaldo's skills always They give you a chance and yes, I think Portugal is a bubbly something special. You touched Bruno Fernández. He has been incredible in this tournament. He's not my favorite player in the world if you follow him. Twitter, you know, I get into his case quite a bit, but I think what they managed to do is tell him that you don't need to try to find the killer, it happens every few minutes, try to minimize that but maximize the quality and it actually worked against Uruguay, he made five passes into the

final

third and it also felt like everything they did was kind of cohesive and the pace came through Bruno Fernandez, whereas previously, especially at Manchester United, that's the opposite, it actually messes up the pace a little bit. . a bit with that midfield combination of Bernardo Silva Ruben Neves Bruno Fernandez William Cavalli also have options Outside the bench there are players who do not have playing time due to how good the midfield is, it must be said if Ronaldo and John Felix can continue scoring .

Portugal probably has the best most balanced team in the tournament, yes, 100 and as you said in the Bruno Fernández point, I think having that perfect midfield combination of Neves, Plata and Carvalho almost gives a feeling of Calm with Bruno Fernández because As you say, at Manchester United a lot of his hero kids try that Hollywood pass, he's trying to make things happen, but I think he has faith in his teammates and obviously international football is a little slower and I think it lends. to his game and he seems happy, he seems confident and the team seems to be fitting together quite well, so I think he will be a support point for Portugal to progress because he can also give you those moments, in addition to Ronaldo, Bruno Fernández is a player of moments and They will have to be in good shape if they want to advance to the last stage in this competition, but I really like what I see for Portugal tomorrow, we are now a long way from Argentina to Portugal in this part. of the meat we want to talk about the ultimate ghost could be tricky against Ronaldo tell me about who you are backing because you're a football purist you play the game it's a fairytale thing that game if it happens if England haven't progressed that's the game before the World Cup that everyone wanted to see and wants to see.

I think secretly, low key, if your country comes out, you say, yeah, yeah, okay, let's play that game, some people won't do it. I even admit it, but even the country is still in this, they still want to see a disaster right now, yes, yes, but in terms of what the debate is about who is the best, he won't agree with me, but for me It's Lionel Messi, I love him. He is a player that I have seen play against 22 world class players on the field, you spend the 95 minutes watching him and I think there are very few players that have that ability and when you go and witness what he can do and see what he can do in person, he plays football in a different way, he's not, he doesn't have a high tempo for 95 minutes, maybe he has a high tempo for a burst of 10 seconds and in those 10 seconds he just causes chaos goals, assists.

I think it's amazing and I think we should be lucky to see them both, but a little lucky I had to see Lionel Messi. I feel like this discussion or this debate comes about because of how divided they are, how different Ronaldo are, that personality and he leaves you. I know how good it is that it is messy a little more tiny and the way they play also Ronaldo is more finishing and more aggressive and Messi has the nuance in his games the clubs in which Barcelona plays Real Madrid are completely opposite but Bet365 did a survey to fans before the tournament and asked the fans who they would rather see win the world cup and I think a lot of them agree with you 41 41.47 of the fans would rather see Messi win it uh 29.87 they said obviously, Ronaldo won it while 20, while 12.79 said they didn't want either of them to win and I think their name is on the Brazil fans and I just don't know Messi is the type of person, especially if you have people outside. on the guitar, his face is everywhere, it's plastered everywhere, it seems like the narrative is set up for him to complete his legacy and win that World Cup, so I can understand why most fans would like it see him complete hisstory arc, oh yeah.

Is it that Ronaldo is like the villain that you want to get your way with and Messi is? The stupidest thing we talked about before one of the shows in terms of Ronaldo feeding off and feeding off the hate that people had been giving to the end of the interview he did, basically that Manchester United exit interview, um and I've always been a Ronaldo guy, heart is high, really Ronaldo has been the guy I've held on to between those two, but my head, I know what I see, I know Paul Messi is a better player, but now they are just giving me more of those moments that I can hold on to, although I mean he was absorbed by the zoo, the statistics are absolutely crazy, some of the all-time records, Ronaldo is the first player to score in five World Cups, I mean, that's it.

A testament to his longevity and the time he has spent with Messi he has scored in four World Cups with a total of eight goals, putting him on par with Diego Maradona. He is also very, very decent, there will be some Argentinians who will say until he does it. Winning the World Cup does not require Maradona Ronaldo a goal every 205 minutes while Messi has every 237 minutes. I mean, that in itself is crazy, there are only 32 minutes to split them up, yet Messi has six assists in the World Cup and therefore his goal contributions land. at 100 every 135 minutes, while Ronaldo's is 164, it's still so tight that we're all English or England fans here, so we're all on Messi's side, does it do any good for the general public?

The Quakers, the general public, also back Massey, no, so if you look at the Bet365 Fan Nation poll that was done before the tournament if you ask England fans. 38 uh 38.05 of England fans want Messi to win the World Cup and take it home to Argentina, while 34.51 again all of these stats are very close and 10.62 of fans said they wouldn't want any of them to lift their heads. World Cup, so again they are fans of Brazil or England. Well, to be fair, the England fans outdid my mastery. Well, there are 75 who have supported Messi or Ronaldo being England.

Surely it should be 75 in England anyway, that just shows the level of greatness. I think yeah, you can get behind those two, but when you get into the discussion about Grace she always gets as tribal as I probably will. He acts like I hate Ronaldo, I love him, the numbers he's put up, uh, yeah, they're incredible, but if you have to ask the question, you have to give an answer, then yes, it's Lionel Messi, the things that guy can do, okay, you said it perfectly. tribal and it's partisan, it's almost like you're supporting the political party, or you're

messi

ng with Ronaldo and you can be both, you can be both, but the way they've taken football to a different level, all the doors of the Ball.

All the statistics that are broken there will probably never be equaled, it's just that we have to be grateful and now we are reaching the top of the World Cup and we have our fingers crossed that we can get it if England or Ghana don't make it to the World Cup . final, then hopefully we will have Portugal versus Argentina and the training finals to complete that story and when they retire they will be left with memories and numbers and if you look at the numbers, the next two, let's say Mbappé in Ireland does not touch them. playing, yes they are nowhere near the numbers of those two and they are both world class players who will be at the top of the game for the next 10 to 15 years and they won't get anywhere near that, no so at least we have left that emotional ending.

Let us know who your

goat

is in the comments below. Thank you so much for watching ESPN on YouTube and for more sports highlights and analysis be sure to download the ESPN app and for premium content and live streaming subscribe to ESPN Plus