The 27-year-old once again proved his ball knowledge goes beyond the NBA court.
Los Angeles Lakers and avid Real Madrid fan Luka Dončić compared the World Cup’s biggest stars to past and present NBA players, blending soccer and basketball in one very accurate video. Dončić, who is a Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Community Ambassador, took a few minutes out of his hectic schedule to make some quick-fire comparisons between the biggest names in soccer and their NBA equivalents.
star Erling Haaland, Dončić paired the Norwegian striker with two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant. The Lakers point guard, through a smile, then made sure to clarify that Haaland is a “young” Durant.forward Kylian Mbappé to three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, before likening Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior to four-time NBA champion and the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry.Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two greatest soccer players of all time. | Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images, Miguel Lemos/NurPhoto/Getty Imageslegend Lionel Messi and Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo, Dončić gave the only two worthy answers: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. The Slovenian compared Ronaldo to James while he saved Messi the honor of matching up with Jordan. Between the four players, they could fill up about eight trophy cabinets, considering the two NBA icons have a combined 10 NBA championships, while Ronaldo and Messi have a combined 81 honors. And those numbers don’t include the list of individual prizes the four legendary athletes received over their careers. For Messi, Ronaldo and James, they can even still add to their illustrious résumés, even in the twilight of their respective careers. Despite Dončić’s loyalty to Real Madrid, where he rose to stardom representing the club’s basketball team, he compared Jordan, the widely regarded greatest NBA player of all time, to Messi—all but revealing where he stands in the Messi vs. Ronaldo GOAT debate.Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer and editor. Born and raised in New York City, her first loves were the Yankees, the Rangers and Broadway before Real Madrid took over her life. Had it not been for her brother’s obsession with Cristiano Ronaldo, she would have never lived through so many magical Champions League nights 3,600 miles away from the Bernabéu. When she’s not consumed by Spanish and European soccer, she’s traveling, reading or losing her voice at a concert.
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