Mario Balotelli has picked Lionel Messi as his Golden Boot winner at the FIFA World Cup, over Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe. He believes the Argentine captain will keep the lead and finish as the top scorer.
Messi has started the World Cup in fine form, scoring 6 goals in his 3 group-stage matches. He started with a hat-trick against Algeria, before scoring a brace against Austria, while adding another after coming off the bench against Jordan in the final group game.
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Mbappe also made a fine start, scoring a brace each against Senegal and Iraq. However, he failed to close the gap on Messi, after failing to score in the 4-1 win over Norway in the final group game.
Ronaldo has had a slow start compared to the other big names, as he has managed just two goals in his three matches. He scored a brace against Uzbekistan but failed to score against DR Congo and Colombia.
Balotelli has now backed Lionel Messi to keep his lead in the Golden Boot chasing, saying that no player will be able to match him this summer. The Argentine has also extended his lead as the all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup history, taking his tally to 19 goals.
Mario Balotelli has been a fan of Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo
Mario Balotelli spoke about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2019, backing the Argentine as the better player. He said that all defenders would be happy to face the Argentine over the Portugal superstar, but both were among the best ever.
“They’re the two best, but they’re not the same. If we’re talking statistically, they’re the same. But as someone who played against both, I can say that in my opinion Messi is out of this world, embarrassing. You can never get the better of him. In terms of quality, Messi is better than everyone.”
“I’m convinced that if you ask a defender if they would rather play against Messi or Ronaldo, they would have no doubts. Messi and Ronaldo are two phenomena, true, but they’re not the same. If there was no Messi, Ronaldo would be the best in the world.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have made history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first outfield players to play in six editions. The Portugal captain has also become the first to score in six editions, while Messi has become the first to score in seven successive matches at the tournament.
Edited by Sripad
