When Messi and Ronaldo could face off at the 2026 World Cup
Lionel Messi‘s Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Portugal are plotting their routes to glory – but could we see them finally face off on the ultimate stage?
Messi and Ronaldo have become the first players to play in six World Cups. Mexico cult hero Guillermo Ochoa has also been named in a record sixth World Cup squad, but he didn’t make it onto the pitch in 2006 or 2010.
The two era-defining rivals made their World Cup debuts as youngsters way back in 2006 and have since featured in every edition of FIFA’s flagship tournament.
While Ronaldo has won the European Championship and two Nations Leagues, he’s only ever known World Cup heartbreak. In fact, he’s famously failed to score or assist in the World Cup knockout stages.
Portugal made it as far as the World Cup semis in Ronaldo’s first tournament as a 21-year-old, Germany 2006, but since then it’s been disappointment after disappointment. They went out in the Round of 16 in 2010 and 2018, bookending group stage humiliation in Brazil in 2014.
They did make it as far as the quarters last time out, but Ronaldo found himself benched for the knockout stages. As a substitute, he was unable to inspire them to come back from behind in a shock defeat to surprise package Morocco.
Messi, meanwhile, knew little but suffering for the first 16 years of his senior international career. Argentina lost three Copa America finals, and one World Cup final, before their captain finally got his hands on a trophy.
But it’s been joy after joy since the 2021 Copa America. They retained the trophy three years later, having lifted the World Cup in Qatar 2022.
The 38-year-old, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will be captaining his country for what will surely be the final time this summer. He suffered a late injury scare with Inter Miami but he’s made the squad and started with a hat-trick against Algeria.
Messi and Ronaldo have only faced one another twice on the international stage, but both occasions were friendlies (way back in 2011 and 2014). Portugal and Argentina have never faced off in a competitive fixture in the Messi-Ronaldo era, or indeed in their entire histories.
As the two icons prepare for their last dance at the World Cup, will the football gods rustle up the ultimate narrative climax?
We’ve identified the scenario in which we could see the ultimate World Cup showdown between Messi and Ronaldo.
Scenario 1
Argentina and Portugal are on opposite brackets of the knockout stages, kept apart until the New Jersey final on July 19th, as Argentina topped their group and Portugal finished runners-up.
The South Americans face Cape Verde in the last 32. The winners of that game will face Australia or Egypt in the last 16, Colombia or Switzerland in the last eight and Brazil or England in the semis.
Portugal have a much more difficult route – Spain in the last 16 and co-hosts USA or Belgium in the last eight. France or Morocco could await in the semis. Yeesh.
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