Klopp "Captivated" by Messi and Ronaldo at 2026 World Cup

FIFA World Cup 2026: Former Liverpool manager Klopp "naturally captivated" by Ronaldo and Messi

London, June 25

Playing their sixth FIFA World Cups, these two legends still remain highly scrutinised figures in the tournament. While Messi leads the race for the Golden Boot with five goals, including his first-ever FIFA WC hat-trick and also registered his name as the all-time greatest FIFA WC goal-scorer with 18 goals, Cristiano made his presence felt with a brace against Uzbekistan after an underwhelming campaign opener, proving that he is not done yet and counting him out still remains the worst option for his critics.

Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, Klopp said as quoted by Goal.com, "As a mere spectator, it naturally captivates me a bit because they are the best players of the last ten, fifteen years. But what was great to see was this: after the first game, in which Cristiano Ronaldo was heavily criticised - even I noticed that - to then strike back like that, and at 41 years old with an extremely lively, intense performance, I was very pleased. The fact that he's still so bothered at his age when something doesn't work out is extraordinary, and his reaction is all the more impressive."

Klopp also praised Messi, pointing out that what is possible for him is not possible for everyone, such as running eight kilometres on the pitch.

"I saw Lionel Messi live, and when you watch the game and see that he covers eight kilometers, you think: We've found the optimal distance. That is eight kilometers because then he is really there in the decisive moment. But of course, that is not possible for everyone. Imagine if everyone only ran eight kilometres," Klopp said.

Klopp said that it is "extraordinary" to watch Messi play, adding, "People would say he's walking. I say: He's scanning the pitch. I looked at him so often, even when the ball was somewhere else. I just wanted to see what he was doing. I think he is measuring distances. He knows exactly, now I am here, now I am going to position myself on the right, now I'm going to be in the centre," he added.

The former Liverpool boss also pointed out that the game against Austria was not dominated by him for a long time, but he scored his first and second goals "because he wanted to".

"And then he misses a penalty, so he would have had six goals after two games. That makes it sound like one World Cup is nothing. Zlatan Ibrahimovic said that Messi has five goals in one World Cup, and he himself has zero in two World Cups. It is that simple," added Klopp.

Klopp, who has had an illustrious career as a manager, particularly with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, is delighted to be a part of the Messi-Ronaldo era, recalling his personal encounter with Messi.

"It is extraordinary that we get to experience this generation. It is special. And when we briefly saw each other on the sidelines, and Messi kindly included us in the line of well-wishers, even as a 59-year-old, I realised just how special something like that can be. Because it was special. I was just as happy to see my former player Alexis Mac Allister, and have a quick chat with him. But then Messi came along. And that is something else entirely," he admitted.

— ANI