After controversial remarks following Egypt’s withdrawal from the FIFA World Cup 2026, Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko’s tone has changed, and he has now made a new confession regarding Lionel Messi, while continuing to love Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ziko was a major contributor to the Egyptian World Cup team with 2 goals and one assist in 5 World Cup games. He also netted in a nerve-wracking Quarter-final against defending champions Argentina, albeit off a foul during the build-up. Argentina fought back to win the game in a dramatic fashion, 3-2.
Following the tournament, Ziko said sharing the pitch with Leo Messi didn’t impact him. He called the Argentinean captain one of the best footballers of all time, but also revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo is still his biggest inspiration.
“After Cristiano, of course, because I love Cristiano a lot, Messi is the greatest player in football but I didn’t feel, like, Messi’s there anymore,” Ziko said.
The comments follow Ziko, who, in a ‘shoestring reaction’ to Egypt’s defeat at Argentina, was the one to allege that the World Cup was ‘fixed’. He told the referee that his team had been dealt with “unevenly” and that there had been clear and obvious injustice.
Ziko has also apologised to Egyptian fans since the game, saying it was something beyond his team’s control. His latest comments, however, bring it back to football, with a reference to Messi and a reiteration of his long-standing admiration of Ronaldo, despite his frustrations at the World Cup for the Egyptian team.