Messi, Ronaldo bow out in dramatic knockout openers

Two of football's greatest stars left the FIFA World Cup™ in the space of only four hours as the knockout stages commenced with an all-powerful blast.

To start with, Lionel Messi's Argentina withdrawn after an inconceivable objective fest with France, before Uruguay pushed out Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. The outcome is that these cutting edge symbols, who have ruled the amusement's individual honors for the most recent decade, will watch whatever is left of the competition from home.

Desires were high for both to perform, with Ronaldo touching base off the back of yet another UEFA Champions League win and Messi having featured in Barcelona's La Liga triumph. Be that as it may, albeit both have made it to the last end of the week in the past – Ronaldo having completed fourth in 2006, Messi second in 2014 – the last 16 was the place their adventure finished this time.

1270 – The quantity of minutes Lionel Messi (eight recreations, 23 shots) and Cristiano Ronaldo (six diversions, 25 shots) have played in the knockout rounds of the World Cup while never scoring.

With both now into their 30's, this could well have been their last opportunity to win the World Cup – in all likelihood while still at the pinnacle of their forces. Fans will now watch with interest to see who will take after Messi as the most recent adidas Golden Ball champ, having seen the Argentinian scoop the prize four years prior.

As they both set out toward home, we investigate how their chance in Russia will be recollected.



Lionel Messi 

Results 

1-1 versus Iceland

0-3 versus Croatia

2-1 versus Nigeria

3-4 versus France

The occasion

Having missed a punishment against Iceland in their opening amusement, and with Argentina in chaos against Croatia, it resembled the competition may be prevented a bit from claiming premium Messi enchantment. Be that as it may, the otherworldly No10 conveyed in dynamite style with La Albiceleste's all out of options. In one instinctual, streaming development in the match against Nigeria, Messi took the ball on his thigh, stroked it into his way and let go into the net, wheeling ceaselessly in a festival of most perfect cleansing.

The detail 

4 – Lionel Messi is the main player to have given a help at every one of the last four World Cups, with his prop today additionally meaning he is the principal Argentinian player to lay on two objectives in a similar diversion since Diego Maradona.

The statement 

"We have the best player on the planet and we needed to attempt to make aggregate circumstances to truly utilize that player, who can have numerous splendid minutes. We attempted a wide range of strategies to enable him to do what he can do. Now and again we oversaw it, in some cases we didn't."

Jorge Sampaoli, Argentina mentor 


Cristiano Ronaldo 

Results 

3-3 versus Spain

1-0 versus Morocco

1-1 versus Iran

1-2 versus Uruguay

The occasion

After the breathtaking 5-0 win for has the prior night, day two of the competition was extremely going to require something uncommon to top it. Ronaldo conveyed. As the conflict with neighbors Spain looked set to end as a five-objective spine chiller, the Portugal chief had different thoughts. His stoppage-time free-kick, arrowed into the best corner to finish his cap trap, was a genuine film industry gem.

The detail 

45 – Having never scored from a free-kick at a noteworthy worldwide competition, Ronaldo at long last took care of business at the ideal and most tremendous time. After 44 misses, 45 ended up being his fortunate number.

The statement 

"Cristiano still has a considerable measure to provide for football and I trust he will remain to enable the youthful players to develop and create. We have a group with numerous youthful players and obviously we as a whole need him there with us."

Fernando Santos, Portugal mentor 

Still The Best? 

With progress at the World Cup so frequently having an essential impact in how votes are thrown for singular honors, will The Best FIFA Men's Player grant still be won by one of these two? Or then again will it go to another face? We will discover in London on 24 September!