All-time greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won every possible trophy at club level and also clinched continental championships after reaching their 30s. However, neither of the players won the World Cup, the most prestigious football competition. With age catching up to both of them, the upcoming edition may be their final opportunity to lift the trophy. Let's see who has the best chances of winning the FIFA World Cup 2022 with their respective teams.

How Argentina and Portugal fared in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualification

Lionel Messi’s Argentina had a dominant FIFA World Cup qualification, winning 11 matches and drawing six in 17 outings. The Albiceleste finished second in the point standings, just behind Brazil, and booked their place in the main event.

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In contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal had to take part in the second round after failing to finish top of Group A’s points table in the UEFA region. The Portuguese side overcame Turkey by 3-1 in Path C’s second semifinal contest and sealed their place in the World Cup after beating North Macedonia 2-0 in the final.

Argentina’s chances of winning the Qatar World Cup 2022

Argentina are ranked third in FIFA's world rankings, and they have shown continuous progress over the last year or so. The team combination, player camaraderie, and coach’s philosophy all favour Argentina to thrive in the upcoming World Cup main event.

The situation was not as favourable for Argentina a few years ago, even captain Lionel Messi was considering quitting international football after their disappointing performance in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. But after a few months of a hiatus, he returned to the national side, and since then, he has been having a great time for Argentina.

One of the main reasons Argentina have been playing great football in the last few years is because of head coach Lionel Scaloni. The former Argentine national team player was appointed after the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Under his guidance, the Albiceleste won the 2021 Copa America in Brazil last year by beating the hosts 1-0 in the final. They also won the 2022 Finalissima last June by beating European champion Italy 3-0. Argentina's national men’s team has remained undefeated in 35 matches and is only three matches shy of surpassing Italy’s longest unbeaten record of 37 matches.

Given their current form, Argentina are considered one of the top favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Argentina will be playing in Group C, where they will meet Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland. As it seems, Albiceleste’s Round of 16 qualifications should be easy. If Argentina can maintain their form from the group stage, they could advance to the final by defeating their opponents in the knockout rounds.

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Argentina’s World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez, Franco Armani, Geronimo Rulli

Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, German Pezzella, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Marcos Acuna, Nicolas Tagliafico, Juan Foyth

Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Guido Rodriguez, Alejandro Papu Gomez, Enzo Fernandez, Exequiel Palacios

Forwards: Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Gonzalez, Joaquin Correa, Paulo Dybala, Lionel Messi

Portugal’s chances of winning the FIFA World Cup 2022

Portugal are ninth in FIFA's rankings, but they are not as strong as their talented players.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will be in the race for the Qatar World Cup 2022. However, they are not thought of as one of the strong favourites to win the trophy. Cristiano is unlikely to have a big impact on the team this time given his age and subpar club performances in the ongoing season.

Portugal sometimes struggle to put up their best effort on the field because of a lack of cohesion among the players. The Portuguese side’s head coach is Fernando Santos, who is sometimes criticized for not utilizing his resources properly.

Even though Portugal won the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 under the guidance of Fernando Santos, but in the last year and a half, Portugal have found it difficult to excel in big games. Clearly, this indicates that coach Fernando Santos' pragmatic approach is not helping the team perform to their full potential on the field.

Portugal have some world-class players on their roster and should be the favourite to win the forthcoming big event. However, a lack of cohesiveness within the squad could stymie their progress in the World Cup, and it could begin in the group stage. Portugal will meet Ghana, Uruguay, and South Korea in their Group H fixtures, and qualifying for the Round of 16 would be a real challenge for them.

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Portugal’s World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Jose SA, Rui Patarico

Defenders: Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Danilo Pereira, Antonio Silva, Nuno Mendes, R. Guerrerio

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Neves, William, Palhinha, Vitinha, Otavio, Matheus Nunes, Joao Mario

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, Ricardo Horta, Andre Silva, Goncalo Ramos

Aftermath

Having an easier group than Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal offers Lionel Messi's Argentina an early advantage to progress to the Round of 16. As a result, Lionel Messi has a better chance than his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo of winning the FIFA World Cup 2022 while representing Argentina. But Portugal may become even stronger as the tournament progresses since they have to play tougher opponents right away.