Lionel Messi better equipped for boxing than 'soft' Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Deontay Wilder's former trainer Malik Scott

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world football for two decades but continue to score goals for fun as they head towards the end of their incredible careers. Inter Miami star Messi clinched the 2025 MLS Golden Boot award after bagging a hat-trick on the final day of the campaign to finish on 29 goals from just 28 regular-season matches. Meanwhile, Ronaldo scored a brilliant effort for Al-Nassr last time out and now has five in five Saudi Pro League games in the 2025-26 campaign.

The rivalry between the two GOATs has often led to speculation about how they might cope up against each other in the boxing ring. Amir Khan has insisted it would be a "great fight" but concedes such a bout is "unlikely to happen".

Wilder’s former boxing coach Scott has now had his say and feels that if it did happen, Messi would have the edge. He told Jackpot City Casino: "Messi [is more equipped for a second career as a fighter than Ronaldo]. Messi’s character comes across just a little bit more rougher for boxing, in his demeanor. The other fella [Ronaldo] to me, he has a competitive, but a very, like, soft demeanor when he's not playing. And there's nothing wrong with that, but to me, Messi always looks like he's on go-time. He always looks like, if you say the wrong thing or disrespect him the wrong way he will mess you up."

Messi and Ronaldo now ply their trades on different sides of the world but could meet again at World Cup 2026 in North America, Canada and Mexico. Ronaldo will be 41 by the time the competition rolls around, while Messi will turn 38 during the tournament, and both are expected to grace the competition.

Argentina will head into the World Cup aiming to defend the title they won in Qatar with Messi. Manager Lionel Scaloni has admitted there is some uncertainty over whether Messi will lead the team again but feels his team can now cope without their talisman.

He told Pablo Giralt: “Messi still makes the difference, cracks are like that. Messi has won the right to decide when he retires. Let’s enjoy Messi while we have him. The team is now in a moment where it can play in the same way with Leo or without Leo, which used to be more complex in the past as we had to change some players. But now we don't have this necessity and the team works in the same way, that's good.”

Meanwhile, Ronaldo made history during Portugal's qualifying campaign. He has now scored 41 goals in 50 World Cup qualifiers, taking him past the record previously held by former Guatemala international Carlos Ruiz. The 40-year-old is now edging ever closer to his well-publicised target of 1,000 career goals and has been tipped to play deep into his forties by Portugal team-mate and Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes.

He told TNT Sports: “I not only believe, but I'm almost certain that he'll be there. It would be great if Cristiano Ronaldo fulfilled his dream of winning the World Cup with the national team, not only for him, but for us Portuguese people. We really want to give that to our country. For him, as the ultimate reference in our football, it would be the best way to end.

“Even if he won the World Cup, I don't know if he would like to stop or go a little further. There are always things to improve and learn. You can see that in Cristiano, who wants to do more every year, wants to be better. For those who still have doubts, he does more and more. For us, the most important thing is to go to the World Cup and win. It's the dream of all of us, of Cristiano Ronaldo's fans and of our country.”

Messi and Inter Miami are now set to kick offtheir MLS Cup playoff run on Friday at home against Nashville SC in a best-of-three series. The games sees Messi come up against Nashville again less than a week after scoring a hat-trick against them in a 5-2 win on the final day of the regular MLS season.