Ronaldo fan Austria goalkeeper ‘challenges’ Messi

Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager has come into the spotlight ahead of their second World Cup group stage match against Argentina. He said in a press conference that he personally prefers Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi.

When asked about Argentina captain Lionel Messi ahead of the crucial match to be held in Dallas on Monday, June 22, the 30-year-old goalkeeper said frankly, ‘Basically I am a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo.’

However, Schlager did not forget to express his respect for Messi despite expressing his preference. He said, ‘Messi is a player who has been performing at the highest level for a long time. It would be a mistake to say anything negative about him or to try to criticize him.’

The Red Bull Salzburg goalkeeper also said, ‘Messi’s presence is extraordinary. You can see the clear impact he has on his team. The impact he creates on the field and the energy he instills in his teammates is unique. So I am looking forward to playing against him. We will do our best to stop him.’

The match is quite important for both teams in the Group ‘J’ clash. Austria defeated Jordan 3-1 in their first match. On the other hand, Argentina won 3-0 against Algeria, where Messi scored a hat-trick.

With three goals against Algeria, he touched the record for the highest scorer in World Cup history. In addition, the Argentine superstar became the oldest footballer to score a hat-trick in World Cup history.

Austria will enter the field with the aim of getting a positive result against Argentina. If they can collect points from this match, they will go a long way towards securing the last sixteen. However, if they lose, they will have to decide their fate against Algeria in the final match.

Argentina and Austria will face off at Dallas Stadium on Monday at 11 pm Bangladesh time. Argentina will play Jordan in the final match of the group stage on June 27, while Austria will face Algeria on the same day.