Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are known as two of the greatest players ever to grace the game of football. So far they have won everything possible in their career except the FIFA World Cup. Both Ronaldo and Messi are arguably playing their last World Cup in Qatar and have one final chance to win the biggest prize of international football. Almost every fan in the world would want to see the eternal rivals fighting one final battle to determine the winner of their long rivalry.  But can Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo face each other in the FIFA World Cup 2022? Let's take a look. Netherlands vs Argentina FIFA World Cup 2022 QF: Lionel Messi is Good But He Can Also Make Mistakes, Says Andries Noppert.

Ronaldo vs Messi in World Cup?

Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal are in fantastic form. The Portuguese team topped Group H with six points from three matches. They defeated Ghana in the opening match of their FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign. Then Portugal avenged their FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 defeat by winning against Uruguay. However, in their final match of the group stage, they suffered a loss against a spirited South Korea. Portugal then came back strong and registered a thumping 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the round of 16 stage. They will now face Morocco in the quarter finals. And if Portugal manage to win against the African nation they will play against the winner of England vs France for a place in the FIFA World Cup 2022 final. Cristiano Ronaldo Lauds Portugal’s ‘Talent and Youth’ After Being Snubbed From Starting XI in FIFA World Cup 2022 Last 16 Win Over Switzerland.

On the other hand, Argentina started their tournament with a  shocking loss against Saudi Arabia. Lionel Messi's team, however, came back in style and won their next two matches against Mexico and Portugal. This helped the defending Copa America champions to finish at the top of Group C. La Albeceleste played Australia in the round of 16 stage where they won by a margin of 2-1. Argentina will now face the Netherlands in their next match. This is the replay of the 2014 Brazil World Cup semi final where Argentina came on top in penalties. If Argentina overcome the Dutch challenge they will face the winner of Croatia vs Brazil match for a FIFA World Cup 2022 final spot.

Now if both Argentina and Portugal manage to do so, we can witness a dream FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and Portugal at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, Doha. However, if both teams fail to win the semi final round, then we can see Ronaldo and Messi fighting in the third-place decider match of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 08, 2022 03:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).