Lionel Messi will be faced with a towering picture of Cristiano Ronaldo looming over him this week with Argentina staying in a hotel opposite a mural of the Portuguese star. The Argentina team are staying at a hotel in Kazan ahead of their round of 16 clash with France on Saturday, which will be played at Russian side Rubin Kazan’s stadium.
But Messi will have to face the giant artwork of his long-term rival, Ronaldo, winking at him every morning as he looks outside, before potentially facing him on the pitch if both sides reach the quarter-final. The two-story, multi-coloured mural, faces the four-star hotel, Ramada, and was produced by Naberezhnye Chelny ahead of Portugal’s stay at the hotel for last year’s Confederations Cup. Lionel Messi may not be a huge admirer of the graffiti but he will be grateful his side have need to stay in Russia after a late goal from Marcos Rojo against Nigeria saved them from an early flight home.