World Cup 2026: Petit says players play for him, highlights key difference between Ronaldo and Messi

Former France international Emmanuel Petit has pointed out the key difference between Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Petit says that Argentine players play for Messi, whereas Portuguese players do not play for Ronaldo.

He added that it will be the responsibility of Portugal manager Roberto Martinez to manage Ronaldo’s relationship with his teammates.

Speaking in the latest episode of the “How To Win The World Cup” podcast on talkSPORT, Petit remarked, “Argentina…the players they play for Messi. I think the Portuguese players, they don’t play for Cristiano Ronaldo, and this is for me the main difference with Argentina and Messi.”

“So, it’s up to Martinez, the manager, to manage that,” he added.

Messi has scored three goals in the current FIFA World Cup, while Ronaldo has yet to find the net.