JURGEN KLINSMANN: Who will come out on top between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? – Daily Mail
By Jurgen Klinsmann For The Daily Mail
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are about to join my German team-mate Lothar Matthaus in an exclusive club of players who have been to five World Cups. To stay at the elite level for 16 years is amazing. And what’s exciting is the legends won’t just be taking part in Qatar, they could win it.
I came across Messi at his first World Cup in 2006. I managed the host nation Germany against Argentina in the quarter-finals and was very aware of this brilliant teenager.
Messi was a substitute and I remember looking at the bench when their coach Jose Pekerman was about to make changes. I was just hoping it wasn’t Messi! We expected him to come on but he didn’t. It was a relief to be honest and we won on penalties.
Lionel Messi will be looking to go one step further than Argentina’s 2014 final loss
Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to put a week of drama behind him and concentrate on Qatar
Both he and Cristiano have committed to a lifestyle that has kept them at the top. They’ve proved to everyone it’s doable provided you are enormously disciplined driven.
It’s insane what Messi in particular has achieved. Now it’s coming to the end of his career and you sense it might be a last chance to win the World Cup.
Any football fan will be a Messi fan. He is such a sympathetic, down-to-earth personality. You just wish him this title because it would put him on the same level as Diego Maradona in his home country. That is what we all feel for him and I feel neutrals will be rooting for Argentina if they reached the final.
I’ve been to Buenos Aires and everybody talked about how they adore and love Messi. But they still always say: “He has to give us a World Cup”. This is literally how the Argentinians are. Nothing but the title really matters to them.
Their team is very good at the moment, strong and balanced. They played well in qualification and their players are mainly in the top leagues. They feel they have to win it.
Messi stands on the pitch prior to Argentina’s friendly match with UAE on Wednesday night
I’ve come across Ronaldo too. In 2014, I was the USA manager against Portugal in Manaus. There was huge respect towards Ronaldo from the American players so I told them, do you really think playing this game in the Amazon was top of the list for Ronaldo?! You have to be on him, make him miserable, make it a really bad day for Portugal.
We drew 2-2 – they equalised late on – and in the end we qualified from the group and sent Ronaldo home. For any player, it’s always wonderful to get the chance to play against Messi or Ronaldo It’s special and you take it all in, win or lose. I am sure their opponents in Qatar will feel the same.
People know Ronaldo hasn’t had the easiest season at Manchester United. They are wondering what he’ll do representing his country and I can’t wait to find out.
I suspect we’ll see the top Ronaldo. The way he looks after himself and stays hungry is phenomenal – that won’t change. And the whole Portugal team will be behind him and feed him the service he wants.
Ronaldo missed out on Portugal’s 4-0 win over Nigeria with a ‘stomach bug’ on Thursday
I wouldn’t say you’re in the eye of a hurricane as a World Cup manager, but it can get a bit windy. I actually loved the intensity of the five-week stretch. You are pumped up, you don’t sleep, you work non-stop, but it’s a blast.
All the time, you’re thinking, talking, engaging with your players and staff, everyone in your environment. But I have to say it’s a wonderful experience and I hope Gareth Southgate gets that joy out of it.
It’s a largely positive experience and when you’ve got a team like England that can win, that’s even more exciting.
With Germany and America, we had a month’s preparation and month at the World Cup. This period will be a bit more condensed because we don’t have the same build-up. It’ll still be frenetic but managers should learn to love it – and not get blown over.
It’s largely a positive experience getting the opportunity to manage at a World Cup
I’d like to say Germany’s performance in 2018 was a logical consequence of having won the World Cup four years earlier. We wouldn’t have been the first holders to get knocked out early.
It’s undeniable however that the whole Russian experience was an absolute disaster and one I don’t think will be repeated in Qatar.
I think it’s fantastic that Mario Gotze, who played against my American team in 2014 and went on to score the winning goal in the World Cup final, is in the squad.
First of all, he deserves it because he’s had a very good season with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Mario Gotze (middle) was a surprise inclusion into Germany’s World Cup squad for Qatar
Secondly because his experience can only help the younger players who might get a bit nervous or over-excited about such an important tournament.
Gotze has been through all the highs and lows, from being a World Cup winner at 22, so you can only imagine the help he can give besides being competitive to play but also brings experience and helps the others.
Germany always put together a group together that is capable of going far and when you look at this squad, they are nearly all with teams who are still in the Champions League. There is enough belief and support from the German football community to say they can go at least to the semi-finals.
Hansi Flick’s side are certainly capable of achieving an appearance in the semi-finals
I live in America and the minimum of their expectations is to get through the group with England. They’ve got a few players at clubs like Chelsea, Juventus and AC Milan which they’ve not really had before.
The first game against Wales is key, they know they have to get something out of that but they’ve got the confidence and quality to do that. The Iran game will be intense because of the political situation.
It’s funny that Gareth Bale scored a decisive goal in the MLS Cup final before this World Cup. There were questions about Gareth because he hadn’t played many games for Los Angeles FC, then he scores this fantastic header as if to say “Remember me”.
The American team won’t underestimate him but they’ll back themselves to reach the knockout stages.
Jurgen Klinsmann was speaking to Joe Bernstein.
Jurgen Klinsmann will join BBC for their coverage of World Cup 2022. You can also watch the World Cup on the BBC across TV, iPlayer and the BBC Sport App.
The United States have tough draw but could be in the knockouts if they get a bit of luck
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
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