Both Messi and Ronaldo have won all there is to win at a club level but neither player has managed to guide their respective nations to World Cup glory. It now looks like Qatar is their last chance.
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With the 2022 World Cup in Qatar fast approaching, both Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo are heading towards what could well be their last opportunity to lift the famous trophy.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have won all there is to win at a club level but neither player has managed to guide their respective nations to World Cup glory. It now looks like Qatar is their last chance.
Of the two iconic players of their generation, Messi is the one who has come the closest to lifting the World Cup. The current Paris Saint-Germain star helped Argentina reach the final of the 2014 World Cup on Brazilian soil, before suffering defeat in extra-time at the hands of Germany. Mario Götze’s goal in the 113th minute of the contest at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro was enough to give the Germans a night to remember and one for Argentina to forget. The Argentines are currently priced at 7/1 in the World Cup odds to win the tournament in Qatar and end a 36-year wait for the title. With Messi in their ranks and exciting players coming through, it’s easy to see why Argentina is expected to be in the mix.
Messi has played his career for Argentina being compared to the great Diego Maradona. While the two players’ club careers can’t be compared, with Messi enjoying more success, Maradona was able to guide his country to World Cup glory in 1986. Success for Argentina and Messi in Qatar could possibly end the debate as to who is the country’s best footballer of all time. The current crop of Argentina players will be up against it in Qatar, with the likes of Brazil, France and England all expected to be competing at the business end of the tournament.
While Messi continues to thrive at a club level with Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, Ronaldo’s return to the Premier League with Manchester United has not gone according to plan. Missing out on the top-four last season was a blow for the Red Devils and Ronaldo, despite the Portuguese star finishing as the club’s top goalscorer. The arrival of new United manager Erik Ten Hag has seen Ronaldo seemingly fall out of favour at Old Trafford and his future ahead of the January transfer window certainly appears to be uncertain.
Ronaldo has always enjoyed proving his doubters wrong and that’s exactly what the former Real Madrid and Juventus star will be looking to do in Qatar. This United forward continues to defy his age but, at 37 years old, this looks highly likely to be Ronaldo’s final chance to win a World Cup as a player.
Both Argentina and Portugal have been drawn into groups where they will be expected to qualify for the next knockout stages in Qatar. Messi’s Argentina is set to face Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, while Portugal goes up against Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea. For the Argentines, it’s arguably Poland that will prove their most difficult challenge in Group C. The Poles boast one of the best strikers in the world in Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, who is likely to be competing for the Golden Boot in Qatar.
Portugal faces some trickier opponents in their group but on paper, they should be able to top the standings before entering the knockout stages. Ghana will provide a tough test, while Uruguay will not go down without a fight. In Tottenham star Heung-Min Son, South Korea have their own superstar who will also be looking to shine for his country on the biggest stage of them all. It certainly looks like Argentina has the easier pool and if they top Group C, they would face the runner-up of Group D. France is expected to top that particular group, so Argentina could find themselves up against one of Australia, Denmark or Tunisia in the round of 16. Should Portugal top Group H, they would hope to avoid Brazil in Group G and face one of Cameroon, Serbia or Switzerland.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have enjoyed remarkable careers that will leave them being spoken of as two of the best to ever play the game. A World Cup success for one of these legends in Qatar really would be a perfect part of the final chapter.
