Don’t write off Ronaldo and Messi, says former Manchester United forward Berbatov

SINGAPORE – They may be long in the tooth when it comes to elite football, but do not write off Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at this World Cup, let alone bet against them featuring in the next one.

Such is the high regard former Bulgaria and Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov has for the duo.

Berbatov, who played with Ronaldo at United in the 2008-09 Premier League season, was speaking to The Sunday Times at the Breakfast with the Legend event at Resorts World Sentosa’s Adventure Cove Waterpark on June 27.

He said: “It’s possible, as long as you are consistent and disciplined... and also because of the love of the game.

“Otherwise, probably the two of them were going to stop a long time ago, because they won pretty much everything. But, for the love of the game, they just want to continue doing it, they just don’t want to stop. Don’t write them off, because you’ll never know.”

While Messi has swiftly made the most of his sixth World Cup to score five times in Argentina’s first two games – the 39-year-old will be on the bench for their final Group J game against Jordan on June 27 – Ronaldo, 41, took some time to get going. The Portugal superstar had a brace in the 5-0 drubbing of Uzbekistan to be the first player to score in six editions.

Age and longevity is not the only topic dominating water-cooler talk among fans.

For the first time in the World Cup, there are five players with four goals or more during the group stage (even before Groups J, K and L concluded after press time), while eight others have averaged at least one goal per game.

But Berbatov was not surprised that the top players have delivered despite a gruelling season with their respective clubs.

The 45-year-old, who still looks in good shape thanks to a strict diet that includes tropical fruits, such as dragonfruit, while he is in town, said: “They know how and when to sleep, how to recover, what and when to eat, all these important stuff.

“The prime example is Ronaldo. He’s still going strong, still scoring goals.

“This is what elite players of any sports do – they take care of their body and they lead by example.”

The duo’s consistency is a valuable lesson for youngsters, said the former footballer, who is also the founder of the Dimitar Berbatov Foundation – an organisation established in 2008 to support unprivileged talents in Bulgaria.

He added: “If you don’t have consistency, it’s going to be more difficult to hold the level you aspire to, because you can start something – an idea, a job, anything – but without consistency you cannot finish it well.”

Known for his silky touch, artistry and effortless elegance, Berbatov revealed he was inspired by Jackie Chan gongfu movies while growing up.

While he did not play in the World Cup, he scored 48 goals in 79 appearances for Bulgaria, and notched 102 goals and 56 assists in 251 games for United and Tottenham Hotspur.

“He (Chan) moved in a very interesting way and I remembered his positioning when he needed to strike or protect himself. Naturally, when I was older and playing with the ball, I tried to copy this subconsciously,” he said.

“I wanted to make it look cool and effortless, and make it work.

“When I stepped into the pitch, I was dancing and floating, but with the objective to winning games because football is about winning trophies. If you can do that in a beautiful way, people will be mesmerised.”

While he was hard-pressed to find someone at this World Cup who has a similar style, Berbatov admitted that he loves to watch England striker Harry Kane.

He noted that “he’s a 9½, he’s dropping deep, he’s getting the ball, he’s turning, he’s passing, he’s assisting, he’s scoring, so the way he sees the game is brilliant”.

However, just as he likes to spring surprises on the pitch, Berbatov picked Frenchman Kylian Mbappe as the top candidate for the Golden Boot.

Then, with a quick shimmy, he backed England to finally end 60 years of hurt.

“The favourites like Spain and France are always there because of the talent they possess on the pitch and on the bench,” he noted.

“I think co-hosts USA are doing well, and I like their coach Mauricio Pochettino who used to coach Spurs.

“I like Morocco, and if people underestimate them, they will surprise people again in this World Cup. Similarly, for Asian teams like Japan, being underestimated can be a weapon.

“But I’m rooting for England because I played there almost all my life, and I hope that this World Cup they can bring it home.”