Ronaldo's World Cup hat-trick proves why he is better than Messi

Sports reporter Andrew Hallett takes a look at five key talking points from the first weekend of World Cup action, with the African sides one of his biggest concerns.

Is the 'Ronaldo v Messi' debate over?

For over 10 years, the world has been gripped by the battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Both are exceptional footballers, each with their own set of talents which strike fear into opposition fans and players alike. So, how can anyone realistically and without fear of ridicule separate the two and call one better than the other? Well, the past weekend of World Cup action went a long way in proving a point for those in the Ronaldo camp. Cristiano Ronaldo was scintillating for Portugal against Spain. The Real Madrid star basically carried his side to a point against one of the tournament favourites. He was the star of a match which will live long in the memories of football fans. That free-kick in the dying embers of the game - WOW!

Messi, on the other hand, was, putting it bluntly, rubbish. He missed an important penalty and looked completely disinterested at times. If one was watching football for the first time this weekend, one would be forgiven for thinking that Messi was just some run-of-the-mill player - not the magician and goalscoring machine the world has fallen in love with. Yes, form is temporary, class is permanent, blah, blah, blah, but for Ronaldo to do what he did in such a massive match, and then Messi to struggle against a bunch of farmers, the debate is becoming more and more of a one-sided argument in the Portuguese star's favour.

Should we fear for Africa?

With Bafana Bafana not at the World Cup in 2018, it is our duty as Africans to get behind the teams representing our glorious continent. However, they didn't make it easy for us to do so. All three matches involving African teams ended in defeats, with Morocco going down to Iran the most infuriating result of them all. Egypt and Nigeria were kind of expected to fall short against Uruguay and Croatia respectively, but it is still incredibly disheartening to see not a single point being picked up. Oh, not a single goal was scored by an African side either.

Tunisia and Senegal play on Monday and Tuesday, although their clashes against Poland and England respectively also look like bridges too far. Yes, Mo Salah did not feature for Egypt, and that is a big blow (think Ronaldo missing out for Portugal), but one player cannot always be relied upon. Here's hoping for a bit more from the African sides for the rest of the tournament, but as things stand, and having seen them in action, Africa should be more than a little worried for the rest of this edition of world football's showpiece event.

The curious case of VAR

The video assistant referee (VAR) is being used for the first time in a World Cup in Russia. The debate rages on as to whether VAR is actually a good thing or not, as many believe it takes away the thrill of the game of football. I found myself a few times over the weekend waiting to see if the goal was actually going to be given rather than enjoying the fact that a goal had been scored. Imagine your side scores a late goal in the World Cup final and your emotions have to be put on hold to ensure that your throwing around of your limbs is actually worth the effort or not. That is a massive downside for me.

Read: Video Assistant Referee system used for first time in World Cup history

VAR was put to the test frequently over the course of the weekend, but what I didn't understand was the reluctance to use it when it was absolutely necessary. Diego Costa's elbow on Pepe ahead of Spain's first goal should have been given as a foul, but it wasn't, even with VAR at the referee's disposal. If you are going to check one incident, surely you have to check them all? Surely that is the point of having technology at your disposal? I guess we will have to wait for the World Cup to be over to truly form an opinion on the subject.

Where are the goals?

All the talk ahead of the World Cup was centered around this being a tournament filled with goals. There are so many quality players out there that goals are a given - at least we thought. The games so far have averaged just over two goals per game. While that average may not seem too bad, you need to consider that 11 of the 25 goals scored so far came in two matches - Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia and Spain 3-3 Portugal. That means that the other nine matches played up until Sunday night averaged just over a goal each. Not very entertaining, right?

I'm sure as the tournament progresses and sides get into the swing of things we will see more goals, but it hasn't really been the most exciting of starts to a World Cup, and there is a worry that this trend may continue, with the smaller sides suffocating the bigger sides' attacking prowess.

Tip for the bigger sides coming up against defensively-minded opposition: Move the ball quickly, stretch the play, and drag your markers out of position. You need to create your own space to work in, and not hope for mistakes from the opposition.

Oh, Germany...

Defending World Cup champions Germany got off to a bit of a torrid start on Sunday. Take nothing away from Mexico, they were excellent, but that German performance was awful. They looked a shadow of the side which won the 2014 tournament in Brazil, and it looks a little bit like Leroy Sane's omission from the squad is going to come back and bite head coach Joachim Loew. Sane has raw pace and excellent ball skills, and that was clearly lacking on Sunday when the Germans tried to stretch a resolute Mexican side keen on playing their football on the counter-attack.

You need players who excel in tight areas when you come up against 'negative' tactics, but that was seriously lacking for the world champions. What was also rather strange was the normally solid Germans looking susceptible to breaks. Germany are usually incredibly solid in the midfield areas, but the ease at which Mexico were allowed to break and breeze towards the German defence will be a concern for Loew and his coaching staff. Also, why play Timo Werner up top when you aren't going to play to his strengths? Werner requires service in the channels, which allows him to use his pace. He is not known for being a target man, so crossing is a pretty useless tactic. Play to your side's strengths or pick different players. Simple.

Look, Germany will still make it to the knockout rounds with relative ease, but the signs of a defence of their title are far from visible.