Texas [US], June 18 (ANI): Football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were spotted wearing a special “Legacy” sleeve badge during the FIFA World Cup 2026, as the governing body introduced a new honour recognising players who have featured in five or more editions of the tournament.
Messi, who has been a central figure in Argentina’s modern football dominance, and Ronaldo, Portugal’s long-standing captain, both continue to extend their record-breaking World Cup journeys in the 2026 edition. The star footballers are featuring in their sixth World Cup appearance.
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The Argentine legend Messi was seen wearing the badge on his shirt during his side’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Algeria.
Messi opened his World Cup 2026 campaign with a magnificent Player of the Match-winning hat-trick, leading Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria on Tuesday (local time).
Messi has now featured in six FIFA World Cup editions (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026), underlining his extraordinary longevity at the highest level of international football, according to ESPN.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, who was seen wearing the legacy batch during Portugal’s opening fixture against DR Congo, was left disappointed after being held to a 1-1 draw by underdogs DR Congo in their opening World Cup group match, as Yoane Wissa’s equaliser cancelled out Joao Neves’ early strike.
Ronaldo first featured at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, followed by successive editions in 2010 (South Africa), 2014 (Brazil), 2018 (Russia), 2022 (Qatar), and 2026 (North America), consistently representing Portugal across two decades at the highest level. (ANI)
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