Chelsea winger Pedro Neto and his former teammate Noni Madueke can both be pleased with how they have started this World Cup.
Neto managed to register an assist in Portugal’s opener against DR Congo, while Madueke won a penalty in England’s impressive 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Madueke’s performance was so bright overall that Neto and other wingers probably could have learnt a thing or two by watching it.
Chelsea fans prefer Pedro Neto to Noni Madueke
While it was probably one of Madueke’s best displays this year, Chelsea fans are still choosing Neto over him.
Following both of their games, The Chelsea Chronicle asked Chelsea supporters on TalkingPoints who they prefer. The answer was Neto.
One Chelsea fan said: “Two frustrating players with no end product. Probably take Neto just because he works harder for the team. Neither good enough to start for us.”
Another Chelsea supporter said: “Neto. They both have no end product, but at least Neto makes up for that a bit by putting a shift in off the ball.”
One TalkingPoints user posted: “Noni can only run down the line, he can’t cross the ball to save his life, good riddance.”
Neto will be in action again when Portugal take on Uzbekistan next Tuesday. It is a game that they will be expected to win.
As for Madueke, England face Ghana on the same day, though the 24-year-old may be replaced by Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka.
Saka is the Three Lions’ first-choice right winger, but he is not able to play 90 minutes right now.
Pedro Neto’s and Noni Madueke’s stats compared
As some Chelsea fans have mentioned, Neto and Madueke do not have the best end product.
Last season, Neto only managed to score five goals in 34 Premier League appearances, while Madueke netted two fewer in 26 outings.
Neto did record five more assists, but he played many more matches and minutes than Madueke.
According to WhoScored, the Portugal international completed 1.6 dribbles per game, while his former teammate only made 1.1 per game.
If you are focusing on the 2025/26 campaign alone, it is not hard to understand why Chelsea fans prefer Neto and Madueke. But it is quite clear that both still need to improve in multiple areas, even if they have started this World Cup well.
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