FIFA World Cup 2026: What must go right for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to meet

A record-breaking sixth FIFA World Cup for both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could finally produce a meeting like never before in football: a World Cup showdown between the sport’s ultimate rivals. Argentina and Portugal arrived in North America in encouraging form after both winning their opening pre-tournament friendlies, with Argentina defeating Honduras 2–0 and Portugal defeating Chile 2–1. While Messi is recovering well from a minor hamstring strain, Ronaldo is fully fit and is expected to lead Portugal’s challenge.The prospect of a clash between the two icons takes on added significance, as despite defining an era of football for almost two decades, they have never faced each other on the game’s biggest stage. Their rivalry spans leagues, continents and competitions, yet the FIFA World Cup remains the one major tournament where their paths have never met in a competitive match.This may eventually change in 2026. Ronaldo is close at 41 and Messi at 39, both widely expected to be appearing in their final World Cup. As a result, the extended tournament could provide one last opportunity for football’s most famous rivalry to clinch a World Cup chapter.However, whether that dream matchup becomes reality depends on a very specific series of results, knockout pathways and qualification scenarios that unfold in FIFA’s newly expanded 48-team format. Before exploring those possibilities, it’s worth understanding how the tournament is structured, because the format is what makes a potential Messi-versus-Ronaldo meeting both more attainable and more complicated than ever.

How the 48-team World Cup actually works

The 2026 tournament, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, is expanded from 32 to 48 teams, changing the entire tone of the competition.Instead of eight groups, there are now twelve groups, labeled Group A to Group L, and each group has four teams. Argentina have been drawn in Group J with Algeria, Austria and Jordan, while Portugal have been drawn in Group K with Colombia, Uzbekistan and DR Congo.The way forward from these twelve groups works in two layers.First, the direct part: the first and second placed teams in each group automatically qualify for the knockout stage. It includes 24 teams.After this comes the part which was not present in the last World Cup. All twelve third-placed teams throughout the tournament are compared on points, goal difference and goals scored, and the best eight of them also qualify. With this, the total number of teams reaching the knockout has become 32.From there, the tournament moves straight into an elimination bracket, starting with the Round of 32, then moving on to the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semi-finals, and finally the final. A team that advances all the way will now play eight matches instead of seven, reflecting the expanded structure, and the tournament will expand to 104 matches in total.This format makes sense because it creates multiple entry points into the knockout bracket, where a Ronaldo-Messi meeting becomes possible.

Both teams will be burdened till 2026

Argentina arrived as defending world champions after lifting the trophy at Qatar 2022, a moment that reshaped Messi’s international legacy after years of near-misses, including a World Cup final defeat and three Copa America final defeats before 2021 success. Since then, Argentina have captured another Copa America title and head into 2026 with continuity, depth and a team built around their captain.The story of Portugal has been different. Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football with 143 goals, has won the European Championship and two UEFA Nations League titles, but the World Cup has remained out of his reach. Portugal’s best performance in the Ronaldo era came in 2006, when they reached the semi-finals, and since then they have twice been eliminated in the round of 16 in 2010 and 2018, exited the group stage in 2014, and reached the quarter-finals in 2022, where they were eliminated by Morocco, while Ronaldo was largely used as a substitute in the knockouts.Individually, Messi has played 26 World Cup matches and scored 13 goals, while Ronaldo has played 22 matches with eight goals, and both are expected to attend their sixth World Cup, with Messi yet to officially confirm his participation.

messi vs ronaldo world cup stats

All this context boils down to the simple fact that they are now in different groups, Argentina in Group J and Portugal in Group K, meaning any meeting can only take place after the knockout rounds begin.

Group stage expectations and prospects

Argentina are widely seen as strong favorites to top Group J, with projections placing their chances of finishing first at around 75% to 77%, reflecting both their status as defending champions and the relative balance of the group which also includes Austria, Algeria and Jordan. Austria is considered the primary challenger, with an estimated 20% to 22% chance of winning their group.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi, second from left, poses with teammates and his sons before a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Venezuela at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Portugal, drawn in Group K, are also expected to lead their group, featuring players like Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix along with Ronaldo. According to leading betting sites, Portugal are strong favorites to top the group at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with an implied probability of around 65% to 71%, although Colombia are seen as a real threat after a strong qualifying campaign in South America, led by Luis Diaz, James Rodriguez and Davinson Sanchez along with other key forwards such as John Córdoba, Jefferson Lerma and Richard Ríos. People have done it.

FILE – Portugal players pose for a team photo before the World Cup 2026 Group F qualifying football match between Portugal and Hungary in Lisbon on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)

Bracket Reality: Why They Can’t Meet Early

Because Argentina and Portugal were both top seeds in Pot 1 during the draw, FIFA structured the bracket so that teams from the same seeding pot were separated into different routes. In simple terms, this means they cannot meet in the group stage and are set aside up to a certain number of points in the knockout round, depending on how they finish.Their placement in Groups J and K also places them on intersecting sides of the bracket, which is why their meeting depends heavily on specific finishing conditions.

Scenario 1: Both win their groups, quarter-final clash

If Argentina finishes first in Group J and Portugal finishes first in Group K, both teams will enter the knockout rounds on a route that brings them together in the quarterfinals in Kansas City on July 11, provided they win their Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches.In that scenario, Argentina’s journey would begin in the round of 32 against the runners-up of Group H, followed by a round of 16 tie against the winners emerging from the clash between the second-placed teams in Groups D and G.Conversely, Portugal will face one of the third-placed qualifying teams in their round of 32 match, before moving on to a round of 16 tie against the winner of the match involving the winner of Group B.Only if both successfully clear those two knockout rounds, the bracket aligns for a Ronaldo vs Messi clash in the quarterfinals.

Scenario 2: Both finish second in the Round of 16 meeting

If both teams finish as runners-up in their respective groups, the structure brings them together much earlier, with a possible round of 16 clash at Arlington on 6 July, again assuming both win their opening knockout matches.In this situation, Argentina will face the winner of Group H in the Round of 32, while Portugal will face the runner-up of Group L, which includes teams like England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama.The main difference here is that finishing second compresses the timeline, creating a path where the meeting takes place exactly one round after the initial knockout stage.

Scenario 3: Split position, only last remaining

If one of the two teams wins its group while the other finishes second, the bracket separates them completely until the finals on July 19 in New Jersey.In that configuration, they are placed on opposite sides of the knockout draw, meaning they must advance through every round, round of 32, round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, without slipping for a meeting to occur.It is the longest and most demanding route, but also the one offering the most symbolic ending: a World Cup final between two players whose rivalry has defined an era.

Wildcard variable: third-place qualification

The expanded format introduces another layer of uncertainty through the best third-place teams.If Argentina or Portugal finish third, but still qualify among the top eight third-place teams, their exact position in the knockout bracket cannot be determined until all group matches are completed, as those rankings depend on points, goal difference and goals scored across all groups.This makes any Ronaldo-Messi meeting in that scenario unpredictable, as their paths will only become clear once the group stage is over.

The sixth World Cup for Messi and Ronaldo could ultimately prove to be the biggest match for football fans.

Why does this World Cup feel different?

For all the permutations and routes, the underlying reality is simple. This is likely the last time the two players will share the World Cup stage, and the structure of the 48-team tournament makes it possible, but does not guarantee they will eventually meet.For this, Argentina will have to perform as expected, Portugal will have to advance in the competitive group and both teams will have to make it through at least one or two knockout rounds without making any mistakes depending on the route.Only then does the bracket open up in a way that allows the rivalry to reach the stage it has always missed.

Indian all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has said that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) strongly supported her during the difficult period when she was battling injury concerns. Last year, RCB picked up Vastrakar in the Women’s Premier League mega auction while she was still recovering from a shoulder injury.

She suffered an injury during the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2024, following which she underwent surgery in March 2025. As a result, she missed the entire 2025 WPL season and was later released by Mumbai Indians despite being one of the leading fast-bowling all-rounders in the country.

RCB endorsed his potential despite his fitness struggles and bought him in the auction for Rs 85 lakh. Vastrakar revealed that the franchise did not put pressure on him to start bowling immediately. Instead, they focused on utilizing his batting abilities and gave him time to ease back into a full bowling workload, giving him confidence and space during the comeback phase.

Also read: Women’s T20 World Cup Group A preview: India face tough test in three-way battle

“He spoke to me in very simple terms and told me that if my bowling was not coming as expected, it was okay. He said, ‘You are a batting all-rounder; we need your batting.’ That assurance gave me a lot of confidence and they kept supporting me throughout the tournament,” Vastrakar told India Today in an interview organized by the Madhya Pradesh Premier League.

Vastrakar said, “Absolutely. Everyone there, not just Anya (Shrubsole), but also our head coach (Malolan Rangarajan) and Smriti (Mandhana) are very established at this level. All of them have faced injuries at some point in their careers, so they understand what a player has to do to bounce back.”

focus, fitness, performance

For Vastrakar, the shoulder injury was not the only setback that kept him away from the game. He also suffered a hamstring injury just two days before his release from the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, which forced him to miss the first two weeks of WPL 2026 for RCB.

Even after returning, he neither bowled nor batted in two of the matches he participated in. Reflecting on his journey, Vastrakar said challenges and disappointments are part of cricket and help players learn how to deal with the ups and downs.

He said his current focus is on fitness, managing his body and improving performance through consistent hard work and discipline.

“There are always some challenges, and some disappointments too, but at the same time, you learn a lot from them. Cricket is a game that has a lot of ups and downs, and it makes you aware of how to deal with different challenges,” said Vastrakar, who plays for Chambal Gharials.

Vastrakar said, “At the moment, I am not particularly focused on any one particular thing. My main focus is on my body, my fitness and my performance. I am focusing on the hard work required to improve in those areas. Right now, all my focus and motivation is there.”

The textile manufacturer is not worried about returning to India

Vastrakar last played for India in the match that ruled them out of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. Since then, Kashvi Gautam has emerged as a fast bowling all-rounder in the India setup.

During this period, Vastrakar also missed India’s ODI World Cup triumph in 2025 and will also be unavailable for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.

However, he is not worried about this setback. Vastrakar’s focus is firmly on domestic cricket, consistent performances and hard work, with the belief that results and an international comeback will come in time.

“Look, it’s not really in my hands. It’s in my hands to keep doing my job and keep performing, it doesn’t matter which franchise I play for or which league I participate in. The selectors are there to take the decision,” Vastrakar said.

Vastrakar said, “If I perform well and they feel Pooja Vastrakar deserves to be in the team, then it’s great. Otherwise, I will keep doing what is expected of me. My job is to keep working hard and give my best.”

It has been eight years since Vastrakar made his India debut. Having played over 100 matches for the country, he has time and again shown that he is a reliable option with both bat and ball.

However, the past few months away from the field have tested his resilience and patience. If she is fully fit, there is no doubt that she will make a comeback in the Indian team because of the quality and balance she brings to the team.

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Excise officials said many of these villages were located near Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad cities where there was easy access to water sources.

Pune: The state excise department has identified 25 villages having illegal liquor units in Pune district and issued notices to their gram panchayats directing them to stop such activities and immediately report any suspicious operations. The action comes after the recent hooch tragedy in Phugewadi (Pimpri Chinchwad) and Pandremala (Hadapsar), in which 20 people lost their lives between May 26 and 28.Confirming the move, state excise superintendent Atul Kanade said the notice sent through the Pune collectorate covered Sortapwadi, Kunjirwadi, Nandur (near Yavat), Rajewadi, Bhosalewadi and Apti in Shirur taluka, besides other villages. “Gram panchayats have been asked not to allow illegal liquor production in their jurisdiction and immediately alert the authorities or police if any such activity is detected. Contact numbers of excise officials have also been shared with residents to facilitate quick reporting,” he said.Excise officials said many of these villages were located near the cities of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, with easy access to water sources, making them conducive to illicit liquor production. “Many units are located along the canal network, such as the Mutha Right Bank Canal or near rivers, which ensures stable water supply. Additionally, some units operate from isolated locations, including government-owned land, helping operators avoid enforcement,” an official said.Kanade said liquor produced in these areas was largely supplied to the slums of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad as well as industrial centers like Chakan and Ranjangaon, where it was consumed by factory workers.However, a gram panchayat member from a village along the Pune-Solapur highway alleged that residents often face threats from people involved in illegal trade. The member said that some operators may have the support of some police personnel, making it difficult for local people to report such activities.Since May 28, the department has registered 142 cases and arrested 116 persons involved in illegal liquor manufacturing.Three patients recovered and returned homePCMC said all three patients admitted to the municipal corporation-run YCM hospital after consuming spurious liquor in the Phugewadi poisonous liquor case have fully recovered and have been discharged, adding that after being brought in a critical condition, they were given free treatment including intensive care, constant monitoring and medical check-up under expert supervision. PCMC Medical Officer Dr Laxman Gofen credited the timely intervention and prompt care for preventing complications and enabling his safe return home.

Several noteworthy developments made headlines in South cinema today, from a prestigious honor bestowed on a leading star to important court judgements. The teaser of a much-awaited film also grabbed attention, while news of a popular actor planning a sabbatical from work also added to the buzz. Here’s a look at the top five south cinema stories of the day.

Padmashree award missed Madhavan grateful and humble

R Madhavan expressed his gratitude after being selected for the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours. The actor shared a post from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on social media and thanked everyone for the recognition. Using the folded hands emoji, Madhavan expressed his happiness and honour, and described the honor as a proud and humbling milestone in his journey.

Ram Charan plans ‘well-earned break after’pedi‘

After the completion of ‘Peddi’, Ram Charan is reportedly planning a three-month break from films. The actor is said to be taking a sabbatical after spending more than two years preparing and shooting for the project. After undergoing rigorous physical training and dealing with injuries during filming, Ram Charan is expected to use the break to rest, recover and spend quality time with his family before starting his next venture.

vijay sethupathi‘The mysterious embodiment of ‘is at the centre’slum dog‘ Teaser

The teaser of ‘Slum Dog: 33 Temple Road’ features Vijay Sethupathi as a visually impaired beggar who speaks about the hardships of people living on the streets. Packed with action, emotion and mystery, the teaser hints at a deeper story behind his character, while also offering a glimpse of the lead roles played by Tabu, Samyukta and Duniya Vijay.

High Court rejects Ravi Mohan’s demand for additional time

Madras High Court Ravi Mohan’s plea seeking extension of time limit in the interim maintenance case initiated by Aarti Ravi has been rejected. With the petition dismissed, the previous order directing the Family Welfare Court to hear and decide the maintenance petition within two weeks will remain in effect. The court also advised Ravi Mohan to seek any further relief from the Family Welfare Court.

Rajinikanth’s rumored ‘Thalaivar 173’ role leaves fans excited

According to recent reports, Rajinikanth may play the role of a doctor in ‘Thalaivar 173’ directed by Ashwath Marimuthu. Speculations gained momentum after a look-test photoshoot reportedly showed the superstar wearing a doctor’s outfit. While Rajinikanth had previously played a psychiatrist in ‘Chandramukhi’, if the reports turn out to be true then this could be his first full-fledged doctor role.

Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices for domestic airlines rose nearly 10 per cent on Tuesday as state-owned oil marketing companies launched a government-backed price stabilization scheme that will allow carriers to lock fuel rates for three years.Under the new arrangement, airlines joining the scheme will have to pay a fixed ATF price of around Rs 115 per litre, while the previous rate was Rs 104.93 per litre. The move is aimed at protecting carriers from sharp fluctuations in global oil prices and reducing the impact of fuel volatility on airfares.The scheme, which is voluntary, allows airlines to choose between a fixed fuel price and market-based pricing. Carriers joining the program will be protected from fluctuations in global crude oil and jet fuel prices, while those remaining outside will continue to pay prevailing market rates and be exposed to both price increases and decreases.According to industry sources quoted by news agency PTI, participating airlines will have to pay a fixed free-on-board (FOB) benchmark price of Rs 86.32 per liter inclusive of airport charges, oil company margin and taxes. This means the effective selling price is around Rs 115 per liter in Delhi, Rs 114.5 per liter in Mumbai and Rs 139 per liter in Chennai.The move comes after domestic ATF prices remained unchanged for more than two months despite a rise in international fuel costs following the outbreak of the conflict in West Asia earlier this year. State-owned oil marketing companies suffered losses due to the limited impact of higher global prices.To address these losses and protect airlines from volatility, the Union Cabinet approved a price stabilization mechanism of Rs 10,000 crore. Under the framework, if global benchmark prices rise above the base rate of Rs 86.32 per litre, the government will provide interest-free advances to oil companies to bridge the gap. When prices fall below the benchmark, the excess amount will be recovered and returned to the Consolidated Fund of India.Officials said the arrangement is designed as a stabilization mechanism rather than a subsidy, with provisions for monitoring, accountability and eventual recovery of government support.ATF is one of the largest cost components for airlines, accounting for approximately 40 percent of operating expenses and rising to 60 percent during high fuel prices.International jet fuel prices touched around Rs 142 per liter in May, compared to around Rs 60.5 per liter before the West Asia conflict, raising concerns over airline profitability and the possibility of higher airfares, PTI’s industry sources said.