For many years, Messi and Ronaldo were regular opponents in Spanish football, representing Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. Their rivalry became one of the defining narratives of modern football. The most recent competitive meeting between the two players occurred six years ago in the UEFA Champions League, when Ronaldo’s Juventus faced Messi’s Barcelona. Ronaldo scored twice in that match.

In the upcoming World Cup, three specific scenarios could lead to a meeting between Argentina and Portugal.

Possible Routes to a Messi-Ronaldo Encounter

Scenario One: Both Teams Win Their Groups

If Argentina top Group J and Portugal finish first in Group K, both teams will be placed in the same half of the knockout bracket. Should they then progress through both the Round of 32 and the Round of 16, they would meet in the quarter-finals.

Under this outcome, the World Cup would feature the first direct meeting between Messi and Ronaldo in the competition.

Scenario Two: Both Teams Finish as Runners-Up

A second possibility arises if both Argentina and Portugal finish second in their respective groups. According to the tournament bracket, this would place the teams on a collision course in the Round of 16.

That would result in an earlier knockout-stage meeting than in the first scenario. However, considering the other opponents present in the two groups, this outcome appears less likely than the alternatives outlined by the tournament structure.

Scenario Three: One Team Wins the Group, the Other Finishes Second

If one of the two nations wins its group while the other finishes as runners-up, Argentina and Portugal would be allocated to opposite halves of the knockout bracket.

In that case, a meeting between the sides would not be possible before the final. Only if both nations advanced through every knockout round would Messi and Ronaldo face each other in the tournament’s championship match.

Key Scenarios at a Glance

Although Messi and Ronaldo have contested numerous high-profile matches throughout their careers, a World Cup encounter has never taken place. The structure of this tournament means that, depending on how Argentina and Portugal perform in their respective groups and subsequent knockout matches, that long-awaited meeting could finally occur.