Anything Lionel Messi could do, Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't do better. A day after the Argentinian began his World Cup in a manner to suggest his talent is timeless, his great rival started in a way to show his powers have waned with the passing of time.
Messi’s treble against Algeria gives him 16 World Cup goals, double Ronaldo’s tally. More pertinently, it justified Argentina’s policy of building a team around an ageing legend. For the third tournament in row, however, the danger is that Ronaldo holds Portugal back. A draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo highlighted the difficulties of trying to win the World Cup with a team of 10 men and a statue. For one of the favourites, it was a wretched start.
