NY Times · Jul 1, 2018
Messi Exits the World Cup. Hours Later, So Does Ronaldo.
Soccer’s two biggest stars for the last decade, Cristiano Ronaldo, left, of Portugal, and Lionel Messi, right, of Argentina, were both ousted from the World Cup on Saturday.KAZAN, Russia — Many a great player has never won the World Cup, and it seems ever more likely that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will end up on that list.
Messi is 31 now, still a master of the close-quarters dribble and the quick strike. Ronaldo is 33, still capable of scoring productively for club and country and howling into a referee’s face after receiving a yellow card for dissent.