It’s bad enough that 41-year-old Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo and the 2016 European champions, Portugal, got ousted from the 2026 World Cup on a 1-0 loss to the Spaniards in the Round of 16 on Monday, July 6, but now to add insult to injury, a zealous Lionel Messi fan can’t seem to resist teasing him.
With just minutes remaining in the Round of 16 showdown at Dallas Stadium, Spain’s super-sub, 31-year-old Mikel Merino, secured the victory for the reigning continental title holders with a blistering strike in the 91st minute of the game. The unfortunate late goal ended the Portuguese captain’s final bid to claim the coveted World Cup trophy.
In the clip that is quickly going viral on both X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, a Lionel Messi fan approached the popular YouTuber and provocateur iShowSpeed with a mocked-up image of a heartbroken and crying Cristiano Ronaldo peering out from inside a moving vehicle.
IShowSpeed, who is an outspoken and avid supporter of Cristiano Ronaldo, had a strong reaction to the clip as he lost his composure and vociferously shouted, “Get that away from me, bro, get that away from me!
Why did you do that?
We love him.”
Meanwhile, Argentina and their icon, Lionel Messi, continue their march in the World Cup, where they are slated to play their own Round of 16 game against Egypt.
This has resulted in a sharp contrast between the legendary Argentine superstar and the all-time Portuguese legend, who are both appearing in their record-breaking sixth World Cup campaigns respectively.
The two superstars’ tournament results at the 2026 World Cup thus far are starkly different, with the Argentinian in hot contention for the Golden Boot, while Ronaldo and his compatriots have come up just short of advancing to the next round.
How Messi and Ronaldo Have Fared at World Cup 2026 Despite his final, heartbreaking World Cup exit, Ronaldo put up a strong performance for Portugal during the tournament, finding the back of the net on three occasions, including a first in his World Cup career – a strike in the Round of 32 match against Croatia, a 2-1 triumph in that encounter. However, Spain’s resolute defence held strong to nullify Ronaldo and his Portuguese compatriots on Monday.
With the global media still buzzing with the viral clip of the iShowSpeed–Messi fan interaction, the global Messi versus Ronaldo rivalry seems to have taken a new dimension as the world waits to see who will lift the prestigious Golden Boot.
Messi has thus far achieved the most goals in the competition, tying Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbapp with seven strikes, having recently passed the historic mark of 20 career World Cup goals during Argentina’s thrilling 3-2 win against Cape Verde after extra time in their Round of 16 tie.