Messi v Ronaldo? The debate was always absurd

In the latest episode of Copa Independent, Lawrence Ostlere and Miguel Delaney discuss a fascinating Golden Boot race as Lionel Messi scores twice against Austria to move onto five goals, while Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland also net braces to take their tallies to four. The pair reflect on Messi’s extraordinary longevity and revisit his long-running rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, asking whether there was ever truly a debate over who was the greater player. They also look ahead to Portugal’s second group-stage match against Uzbekistan and consider whether Ronaldo can respond. They then preview England’s second group game under Thomas Tuchel and assess whether the Three Lions can replicate the best moments of their opening victory over Croatia. Watch more on Independent TV: https://tinyurl.com/yc7ukx9n Independent Sport brings you the latest and greatest in global sporting events, featuring expert analysis and reliable updates from the biggest fixtures on the planet. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Independent Find us on social: TikTok /   / independentsport   Instagram /   / independentsport   X (Twitter) /   / independent   Facebook /   / theindependentonline   Download the iOS & Android app: https://tinyurl.com/2s3ts5dh Sign up to our newsletters: https://tinyurl.com/2bmw565x Help to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust: https://www.independent.co.uk/donations