Two adjacent transparent bins in London became the venue for a silent but heated debate in 2015, with smokers depositing their stubbed-out butts to settle a burning question: who was the best soccer player in the world, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

As a way to encourage people to use bins for their butts, the biggest career rivalry in 21st-century soccer proved to be an effective conduit.

A decade on, however, the debate still rages as the duo head towards becoming the first men to appear in six World Cups.

Ronaldo and Messi have each scored more than 800 goals for club and country, winning nine Champions Leagues and 13 Ballon d’Or trophies between them.

Messi’s fans argue that his World Cup triumph for Argentina in 2022 puts him top of the pile but Ronaldo-worshipers cite his titles across Europe’s major leagues, a tally of 954 goals, including 143 for his country, and being the most-capped male international footballer with 226 appearances for Portugal.

Next year’s tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, when Ronaldo will be 41 and Messi turns 39, will surely be their last.

WORLD CUP 2006

Ronaldo was 21 and Messi almost 19 when they became their countries’ youngest World Cup goalscorers when they debuted in the tournament in Germany.

Messi did not play in the quarter-finals, where Argentina were beaten by the hosts on penalties. The next day, Ronaldo scored the decisive penalty in a shootout with England, before facing heartbreak in the semi-finals, where Portugal lost to France.

WORLD CUP 2010

Ronaldo, the Portugal captain, scored only one goal in South Africa before Portugal lost to champions Spain in the last 16.

Messi, who failed to score in the tournament as Argentina were ousted by Germany for the second straight time, faced heavy criticism back home, with fans accusing him of caring less about his country than his club Barcelona.

WORLD CUP 2014

Portugal had a forgettable campaign as Ronaldo, who was risking his career playing with a knee injury, scored only once as they were eliminated in the group stage.

Messi, now his country’s captain, came into his own, however, scoring in every group game and winning four straight player-of-the-match awards.

Argentina, however, lost the final to Germany. A tearful Messi’s Golden Ball trophy was no consolation.

In the next two years, Argentina lost the finals of the Copa America and the Copa America Centenario, both to Chile on penalties. A heartbroken Messi announced his retirement from international football, but reversed his decision later.

WORLD CUP 2018

Both Argentina and Portugal suffered second-round exits. Messi scored only one goal in the group stage before defeat by France in the last 16.

Ronaldo, who had won the European Championship with Portugal two years earlier, scored a hat-trick in their first group fixture, a 3-3 draw with Spain. However, he missed a penalty against Iran, before Portugal lost to Uruguay in the second round.

The following year, Ronaldo helped Portugal win their first Nations League title, scoring a hat-trick in the semi-finals.

-Reuters

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Suriname coach Stanley Menzo has surprisingly quit after their failure to secure direct World Cup qualification last month but ahead of the March playoffs where they still have a chance to claim their first-ever place at the finals.

Ex-Netherlands goalkeeper Menzo announced his resignation on Sunday after Suriname’s loss to Guatemala in their last group game in November saw them cede top spot to Panama, who qualified instead for the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

However Suriname, thanks to a fortuitous last-gasp own goal, qualified for the March inter-confederation playoffs as one of the two best runners-up from the three groups in the Concacaf zone and will play Bolivia in the playoff semi-final in Mexico.

The winners will face Iraq for a place at the finals.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together, and it has been a great honour for me to be part of this extraordinary journey,” said Menzo, 62, in a statement.

“Nevertheless, I believe that taking a step back is the right decision at this time.

“I sincerely wish the players, staff and board much happiness, strength and success as they take this final decisive step in March. This comes from the bottom of my heart.”

After defeat by Guatemala, Menzo was subjected to a storm of criticism from the Surinamese press and fans, who had previously been full of praise for the former Ajax Amsterdam player.

Suriname have benefited from a change in nationality laws which has allowed many Dutch footballers with links to the South American country to play for the team in World Cup qualification and give them a much better chance of qualifying.

-Reuters

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Côte d’Ivoire head coach Emerse Fae says the Elephants are not travelling to the 2026 FIFA World Cup “for a holiday,” insisting his team is determined to make history as they return to the global showpiece for the first time since Brazil 2014.

In an interview with FIFA’s online platform, the 41-year-old tactician reflected on his side’s flawless qualifying campaign, their ambitions for AFCON 2025 in Morocco, and the challenge of competing against the world’s best in North America next year.

Fae, who guided the Ivorians to a dominant qualifying performance—eight wins, two draws, 25 goals scored, and none conceded—believes expectations are rightfully rising following the team’s resurgence.

“We aren’t going to the World Cup for a holiday,” he said. “We’re thrilled to have qualified, but that wasn’t the end goal. We want to prove that Côte d’Ivoire are capable of making history on the biggest stage.”

With the World Cup draw set for Friday, the Elephants’ return comes after back-to-back absences in 2018 and 2022. Fae admitted that missing out again would have been “a terrible failure,” especially with nine African slots now available under the expanded 48-team format.

The Ivorians’ qualifying run was one of the most commanding in the world. Not only did they remain unbeaten, they also did not concede a single goal across ten matches.

Despite having 15 different goalscorers, Fae says he is comfortable without a single talisman leading the line.

“Whether it’s a centre-forward, midfielder or defender getting on the scoresheet is neither here nor there,” he noted. “Spreading the goals around is a real strength. It allows us to be unpredictable and gives us many players who can step in during a long tournament.”

He added that the level of competition within the squad will be instrumental as they prepare for both AFCON 2025 and the World Cup.

Fae also spoke candidly about missing the 2010 World Cup as a player, calling it “a bitter pill to swallow.”

“I never digested it,” he said of his omission from Sven-Goran Eriksson’s squad. “I felt it was unfair.”

That experience, he explained, now guides his own approach to player selection.

“The players know tough choices must be made, but we’ll be as fair as possible. We won’t select someone in the third tier ahead of a competitor in a major league.”

He stressed that he will not take extra players to the final camp only to drop them at the last minute, saying he does not want any player to endure the emotional pain he once felt.

Dual mission: defend AFCON title, then attack the World Cup

Before North America 2026, Côte d’Ivoire face the immediate task of defending their continental crown in Morocco this December and January.

“We want to reclaim the trophy by the end,” Fae said. “We’ll go into the AFCON as holders, and every team will want to knock us off our perch.”

Yet even with AFCON looming, the coach is clear that Côte d’Ivoire’s global ambitions extend further.

“African football is capable of taking its place at the same table as Europe and South America,” he said. “Morocco showed that in 2022. We don’t just want to talk about matching them—we want to emulate what they achieved.”

Fae, who led the Elephants to a dramatic and improbable home triumph at AFCON 2023, says the emotions of that tournament will not be replicated.

“The circumstances were exceptional,” he admitted. “It won’t be comparable to what we lived through at home. But we’ll do everything to make sure it’s a positive experience.”

With Côte d’Ivoire back on the global stage and under the guidance of a coach unafraid to dream big, the African champions are preparing not just to participate—but to challenge the world’s elite once again.

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