Egyptian forward Ziko: “Ronaldo means more to me than Messi — I barely noticed Messi on the pitch for most of the match”

Following Egypt's Round of 16 exit against Argentina at the World Cup, Egyptian striker Mostafa Ziko spoke to Saudi network MBC TV. Asked what he'd say directly to Messi if the Argentine star could understand Arabic, Ziko didn't hold back.

He acknowledged Messi's status as arguably the best player football has ever seen, but admitted his personal loyalty lies with Cristiano Ronaldo, who remains his childhood idol. Ziko went on to say that for most of the match, before Messi's late impact, he genuinely didn't feel Messi's presence on the field, joking that he'd almost forgotten they were playing against him at all. He was quick to add, though, that Egypt had their own superstar to counter with in Mohamed Salah.

Ziko also shared a moment he found particularly touching, describing how, in the tunnel before kickoff, he noticed Messi searching the group specifically to greet Salah, something that filled him with pride.

The conversation then turned to Salah himself, and Ziko became noticeably emotional. He pushed back firmly against anyone who might question Salah's ability or contribution, insisting his teammate operates on a completely different level and deserves total respect, both as a player and as a person. Ziko described Salah as someone who consistently delivers something new in every match, and shared that meeting him personally had once been a distant dream, having only ever watched him play on television.

As for the match itself, Argentina came out on top 3-2. Messi missed a penalty in the 21st minute but factored heavily late on, assisting Romero's goal in the 79th minute before scoring himself in the 84th to level things at 2-2 before Argentina's winner.