FIFA World Cup 2022: Will Lionel Messi’s Argentina And Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal Come Face To Face In Finals?

As the quarter finals draw for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar is finalized on Tuesday, many football fans around the world are wondering if the Cup will end with a face-off between Argentina and Portugal, and its two star players Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal and Morocco are set to face each other in a quarter-final match on Saturday while Argentina is facing the Netherlands on Friday after a recent shocking loss against Saudi Arabia, with both country’s chances at the finals not assured as they face stronger and stronger rivals throughout the competition.

To get to the finals, not only does Portugal have to defeat Morocco in the quarters, but to face off with either Croatia or Brazil in the semifinals, with Brazil being touted as the favorite by many to win the World Cup this year.

Meanwhile, if Argentina defeats the Netherlands on Friday, they would likely face off against England or France in the semifinals, with France not having lost a match yet during the start of the Cup.

If the two teams defeat the teams place in front of them, then Argentina and Portugal can potentially face each other in the World Cup finals.

Messi and Ronaldo, two of the best players in the football world currently, have never faced off in a match against each other. As this is possibly the last World Cup for them, many are anticipating the possibility that they will be matched up in the finals for what is sure to be an explosive battle, Sports Brief reported.

Fans have been debating across Qatar about who the best player between the two is, with some arguing about Ronaldo’s versatility in the game versus Messi’s ability to control a game and force it to his advantage, Channel News Asia reported.

“Today? It's probably Messi, but overall I prefer Ronaldo - I'm a Portugal fan, Sporting is my team, so Ronaldo,” Melo Barrows, an American fan, said.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian fan Badr Saleh Debel continues to support Messi, saying, “[i]t's not about the ball, the goals, the history. He's a good player, he scores also, he assists - what a player, he's the best player of all time.”