Chelsea attacker Morgan Rogers has weighed in on the never-ending Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate, drawing on his experience playing against the Argentine. Talking on CFC+, the England international confessed Ronaldo was still his own personal favourite, but Messi’s brilliance had left him thoroughly surprised.
Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 in Atlanta in the World Cup semi-final on July 15, 2026, when Rogers faced Messi. Rogers supplied the cross for Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute opener, but Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored late for La Albiceleste. Messi also had a role in both goals and was named Player of the Match.
Speaking about that night, Rogers said:
“Ronaldo was my personal favourite, but, I played Messi in that World Cup semi-final, he’s 39, I couldn’t believe, I can’t imagine what he was like in his prime. I can imagine him in his prime being absolutely nothing you can do, like it’s impossible. But it was borderline nothing you could do in that game and he’s 39!”
Rogers’ comments are a huge improvement after he completely left out Messi from his list of five favourite players in 2024. Ronaldo was at the top, followed by Neymar, Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. The forward had previously told BBC Sport of his admiration for the Portuguese, saying:
“The person I grew up watching was Cristiano Ronaldo. The way he was in the Premier League the first time around and how no-one had ever seen it before. I liked the idea of that freedom he played with.”
Messi’s World Cup tally is now at 12 assists, thanks to those two against England. Notably, 10 of them have come in knockout rounds.
Morgan Rogers on long-awaited Chelsea return against Cole Palmer
Rogers has also been candid about the chance to finally take a chance with close friend Cole Palmer at Chelsea, beyond admiring global icons. The duo’s relationship dates back to their teenage years, when they were involved in England youth duty and the early days at Manchester City’s academy.
Speaking to the club’s official website in July, Rogers said:
“I’ve known Cole since I was about 14, first in the England [youth] teams and then when we were both at Man City together. We’ve been speaking about this for a while; we always would love to have played together. So, for it to happen, we’re both excited.”
The partnership has already paid dividends, with Rogers, Palmer and Joao Pedro combining for 10 goals this season. Chelsea will hope attacking synergy can arrest the slide when Bournemouth visit Stamford Bridge on October 10, after a three-match winless league run.