'Messi Greatest... Behind Ronaldo': After Fixing Claims, Egypt Star Sparks Fresh Debate

Last Updated:July 13, 2026, 15:01 IST

Mostafa Ziko called Messi the greatest, but after Ronaldo. He felt Messi was 'absent' for 80 mins in Egypt's 3-2 loss to Argentina.

Mostafa Ziko, the Egyptian left-winger, has called Lionel Messi the greatest player in the history of football, but ‘after Cristiano Ronaldo’. He also said that during Egypt’s match against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round-of-16, he ‘didn’t feel Messi’s presence’ for most of the match.

Argentina secured a 3-2 comeback victory to knock Egypt out in the dramatic clash. Underdogs Egypt initially took a 2-0 lead following goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Ziko. However, Argentina stormed back with three late goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and an Enzo Fernández stoppage-time winner.

The match was heavily overshadowed by major officiating controversies. First, a potential goal by Ziko that would have extended Egypt’s lead in the first half was controversially disallowed by VAR for a minor foul that occurred nearly 100 yards away in the build-up.

Later in the match, Egypt was denied a penalty when Mohamed Salah was challenged in the box. Following the defeat, the Egyptian Football Association filed a formal complaint with FIFA, citing ‘double standards’ and unfair treatment.

“For me, Messi is the greatest player in the history of football, but after Cristiano, because I love Ronaldo very much. So, I kind of see things through that lens," Ziko said in an interview.

“When I was on the pitch, I honestly didn’t feel Messi’s presence. After the goal he scored, he was amazing, but I swear for 80 minutes in the middle of the field, I didn’t feel him. For 80 minutes, I didn’t feel Messi. I didn’t feel like we were playing against Messi," he added.

Ronaldo scored one goal at the World Cup before Portugal was knocked out by Spain in the Round of 16.

‘The tournament is fixed’

While several Egyptian players and staff claimed bias after the match, Zico went as far as to say the tournament was ‘fixed’ in Argentina’s favor.

“The referee was not fair. The injustice was clear," a tearful Zico said after his team’s exit. “We did a good job in the early stages of the match. There’s been an unfairness right from the start of the match. A 2-0 lead isn’t enough to beat Argentina. It’s clear that this tournament has been fixed."

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