2026 FIFA WCD: Ronaldo may face Messi and Haaland to take on Mbappé
The destiny of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could be shaped at the 2026 World Cup, as both stars already know the paths they must follow in their pursuit of the title and the rivals they may encounter along the way.
One of the most intriguing possibilities for both Portugal and Argentina is that the two teams could meet in a decisive stage of the tournament.
For a Ronaldo versus Messi fixture to take place, however, several key conditions must be met.
The simplest scenario on paper requires both teams to finish first in their respective groups, J and K. If this happens, they would be placed on the same side of the knockout bracket, making a potential quarter-final meeting possible.
Ronaldo and Portugal will face Colombia, Uzbekistan and an intercontinental playoff opponent, which could be Jamaica, Congo or New Caledonia.
Meanwhile, Messi and the reigning world champions will play Austria, Algeria and Jordan. On paper, both sides have a strong chance of topping their groups.
If Argentina and Portugal advance as group winners, they would then need to progress smoothly through the round of 32 and round of 16 to set up a meeting on 11 July, pending confirmation of the tournament schedule that FIFA will release on Saturday at noon in the United States.
This potential clash would take place in Kansas City and decide a place in the semi-finals. It would allow fans to witness Ronaldo and Messi competing directly for a spot in the last four, keeping alive their hopes of lifting the trophy at the 2026 World Cup.
Also, two of the top favourites have been drawn into tough groups. The Netherlands, Argentina, and England have potentially unpredictable groups.
The World Cup draw has produced several groups that present genuine challenges for the favourites. While there may be no true “group of death”, which is unsurprising given the number of participants this year, Groups C and I do feature some major contenders.
In Group C, Brazil — one of the favourites to win the title — will face Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti. Haiti look the most manageable opponent, but Morocco deserves attention, as they are arguably the team that has improved the most over the past five years. Scotland are also traditionally strong and now features McTominay, one of the standout players in Italian football.
France will meet Senegal, Norway, and the winner of the playoff involving Bolivia, Suriname, and Iraq. Norway are a formidable side, having topped their qualifying group ahead of Italy, and with Haaland, Odegaard, Sorloth, and Nusa, they possess a highly dangerous attack. Senegal also has several high-calibre players, including Nico Jackson, Mané, and Koulibaly.
The competition format means these two favourites could still progress even if they finish third, but a poor group stage could have a psychological impact ahead of the knockout rounds.
Among the other favourites, the Netherlands and Portugal also face demanding groups. Ronald Koeman’s team will take on Japan, Tunisia, and a particularly tough European playoff path that includes Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, and Albania.
Argentina’s group (Austria, Algeria, and Jordan) and England’s (Croatia, Ghana, and Panama) may produce a few surprises, but neither should cause major concern for two of the leading contenders.
Germany appears to be the luckiest of the major nations, landing in Group E with Curaçao, who are making their debut, the Ivory Coast, who struggled in African qualifying, and Ecuador, the only solid opponent in the group. Belgium and Portugal do not seem to have difficult paths either.
