Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both missed penalties during the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup! Yes, it is hard to believe, but sadly the two star footballers faced the humiliation. After Messi missed the penalty against debutants Iceland, Ronaldo fans were quick to rate their superstar a notch higher. However, with Ronaldo now missing a penalty against Iran as well it is hard to draw a parallel between the two stars once again.

Messi, during Argentina’s opening game against Iceland, missed an opportunity to put his side 2-1 up. In the 64th minute of the match, with score levelled at one each, Messi’s penalty was saved by Hannes Halldorsson. Interestingly, a day earlier to Argentina’s match against Iceland Ronaldo’s hat-trick helped Portugal earn a thrilling 3-3 draw. When Messi failed to net a penalty, the analogies were out and all the ‘greatness' pointed towards Ronaldo. Lionel Messi Misses Penalty Kick at World Cup 2018; Twitterati Trolls The Argentina Captain.

The 33-year-old Portuguese player gained some more points in the Messi vs Ronaldo debate when he scored a winner against Morocco and Messi failed to live up to the exceptions once again as Croatia defeated Argentina 3-0. Alireza Beiranvand Stops Cristiano Ronaldo's Penalty! Iranian Goalkeeper's Inspirational Story: From Nomad to Super Star.

However, Ronaldo’s rued chance against Iran has made the task of labelling one 'great' than the other somewhat difficult. Ronaldo in the 53rd minute had a chance to put his 2-0 up. Portugal eventually had to play out a draw as they finished second in Group B meaning in the Round of 16 contest they will be up against Uruguay and not Russia. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Messi and Argentina as they battle for survival. Argentina, who are at the bottom of Group D, need a win to progress to the knockout stages. Not just it, Argentina will also be hoping that Iceland does not beat Croatia as that could lead to their elimination on goal difference.

Here’s the video of Lionel Messi’s missed penalty chance:

Here’s the video of Cristiano Ronaldo’s missed penalty chance:

This is possibly the last FIFA World Cup for both Messi and Ronaldo, who are both in the thirties, and their next World Cup appearance looks distant. The five-time Ballon d'Or award winners have not won the FIFA World Cup and continues to be a dream for them. While Ronaldo has moved a step closer towards the dream, Messi faces an uphill task.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 26, 2018 12:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).