Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo might finally settle the GOAT debate as the World Cup path becomes clear.
The perfect story might be coming for the long-lasting rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo — a historic World Cup final showdown could happen!
Messi and Ronaldo have been the stars of football for over 20 years, sharing the spotlight and winning 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them. For ages, fans have debated who’s the greatest player ever.
But that debate could finally end on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
After the group stages, a rare chance has appeared for these two football legends to meet only in the final. Argentina won all three of their group games, beating Jordan 3-1, with Messi scoring again off the bench — his seventh straight World Cup game with a goal. They topped Group J and will face Cape Verde in the round of 32.
Portugal, meanwhile, drew 0-0 with Colombia in Miami and finished second in Group K. This means they’ll play Croatia in the first knockout round.
This set-up puts Argentina and Portugal on opposite sides of the bracket. Because Ronaldo’s team didn’t finish first in their group, a Messi vs. Ronaldo quarter-final won’t happen — but that means the only time they can meet is in the final!
If Portugal beats Croatia, they’ll likely face Spain in the next round and then a tough quarter-final against teams like the USA, Belgium, or Senegal. They won’t face France or Germany until the semi-finals, and Messi’s Argentina only in the final.
Argentina’s path looks strong, too. After beating Cape Verde, they could go head-to-head with Egypt or Australia next and face tough teams like Switzerland or Colombia before possibly meeting Brazil or England in the semis.
Messi and Ronaldo have faced each other 36 times before, mostly in intense Barcelona vs. Real Madrid matches. Messi has won 16 of those games, Ronaldo 11. But they’ve never played against each other in a World Cup — until now, possibly on the biggest stage of all.
Much still has to happen for these two legends to meet in the final and maybe finally settle the “greatest of all time” debate. If it happens, it would be the perfect ending to a rivalry that has changed football forever.
The last time they played was in January 2023, when Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain faced a Saudi Pro League All-Star team led by Ronaldo in a friendly match.