Portuguese star Kika Nazareth has no qualms idolising Lionel Messi

SINGAPORE – In a football world increasingly shaped by data, analytics and marginal gains, Kika Nazareth still finds herself drawn to something less quantifiable: Flair.

Growing up, the Portuguese attacker counted Lionel Messi as one of her idols, appreciating the Argentinian’s creativity and ability to make football look effortless.

Her admiration often surprises people, given Messi’s longstanding rivalry with her compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo.

But Nazareth has never understood the need to choose between them.

She said: “I can say that I have the opportunity to watch Ronaldo and Messi and people like to compare them, but they are different.

“They’re amazing, they’re the best players in the world. I don’t like to choose because I don’t need to pick sides.

“People get surprised when I say I love Messi, as if it’s not normal, but can’t I like both of them?”

The 23-year-old was speaking to The Straits Times on the sidelines of an engagement session organised by the Lim Family Foundation with around 40 Singapore Olympic Foundation-Peter Lim scholarship recipients.

Both stars have been at the centre of attention at the World Cup, which will likely be their last.

But while Messi has progressed to the quarter-finals with Argentina, Ronaldo’s Portugal were knocked out of the tournament following a 1-0 defeat by Spain in the last 16.

Their exit was understandably disappointing for Nazareth, who has been following her country’s games closely.

She said: “It’s hard for me as a national team football player to judge or comment on the way they play because I know what it’s like being there, playing in the World Cup.

“I don’t like to judge them. I think we could’ve done much better because in my opinion, we have the best players in the world, the best team in the world individually, and I know they wanted to do more and sometimes people don’t see that, but as a footballer, we want to win everything.”

While the attention now is on the ongoing men’s tournament, Nazareth is also looking forward to the Women’s World Cup less than a year out, which she feels will be even bigger than the 2023 edition.

Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the 2023 competition drew a record attendance of almost two million, more than 600,000 on the previous best.

Although 12 more games were played compared to the previous edition, the average attendance of 30,911 was also an increase from the 21,756 from 2019.

Nazareth said: “It’s going to be in Brazil, it’s the country of football, everyone plays football.

“What has changed (since 2023) is visibility – the way people see us. Women’s football is already talked about all over the world, things are happening and we have to be grateful for it.”

The 2023 tournament also saw Portugal’s debut at the Women’s World Cup, when they exited in the group stage with a win, a draw and a defeat.

It followed in the same vein as the Women’s European Championship, where the national side had also never made it past the group stage, but Nazareth is hoping that can change.

She said: “We don’t want to be here only to play. We want to compete, we want the other teams to have respect towards us and we’ve progressed in that aspect for sure.

“But we need to take this big step forward. We have quality in our team – we are so capable of more.”

Nazareth has already become one of the faces of Portuguese women’s football, making 52 appearances for the national team since 2020.

She became the youngest Portuguese player – male or female – to score at a World Cup when she achieved the feat at 20 years and eight months in 2023, breaking Ronaldo’s previous record of 21 years and four months.

The following year, she joined Barcelona for a €500,000 (S$738,980) fee, the biggest in Portuguese women’s football history.

With her progress has come greater expectations.

She said: “It’s good because you have responsibility and that attention and power.

“Sometimes it’s difficult because I’m just a person. Sometimes I fail, I make mistakes and at this level, people will judge you because you already have responsibilities and a name and there’s a lot of pressure.

“I still have a lot of things to learn. I know me and the girls carry a team and I’m an important name inside my country.”

As she seeks to break new ground with her country, she is also eyeing more success at the club level, having won eight trophies, including two Spanish Liga F titles and the Women’s Champions League, with Barcelona.

The Catalan giants are set for a rebuild, with the departure this summer of key players Ona Batlle, Mapi Leon and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who was unveiled as a London City Lionesses player on July 8.

Nazareth, however, believes they can still compete for honours.

She said: “One of the things that upsets me is (the notion) that because of the changes, Barcelona is not Barcelona any more and we’re not going to reach the final like we used to.

“That’s sad and unfair, and I’m not saying that Alexia is not important, Mapi is not important, whoever is not important. I’m saying those who are still there are important and have value and we are capable of doing what the others did the last few years in a different way.”