With some world-class superstars in the squad, Argentina and Portugal are two of the favourites for Qatar 2022. If some outcomes play out as expected, both teams may even face off in the final. If that happens, football fans can witness a final where Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo compete to win the World Cup for their respective countries. Let's explore the possibility of Argentina and Portugal facing off in the Qatar World Cup 2022 final.
How Argentina and Portugal can compete in the 2022 Qatar World Cup final
Fans are currently arguing over which teams will fare better in the FIFA World Cup 2022. A large part of them wants Argentina and Portugal to play in the final. Naturally, the main reason for this desire is to see the two superstars of football, Messi and Ronaldo, fight in the final for their respective teams to win the World Cup.
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A few days ago, Lionel Messi said that Qatar 2022 would be his last World Cup. On the other hand, Ronaldo recently said in an interview that he would retire happily if he could win the World Cup for Portugal. So football lovers want to witness these two greatest players square off in one final match.
A possible scenario of the Qatar World Cup groups shows that a final between Argentina and Portugal is very much possible. But in that case, both teams have to finish atop their respective groups and then reach the finals by winning the knockout stage matches. Here’s how both Argentina and Portugal can play the Qatar World Cup 2022 final on December 18 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Argentina’s route to the FIFA World Cup 2022 final
Lionel Messi’s Argentina will play in Group C. The opponents they will face in the group stage are Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland. The Argentine side is way stronger than their group phase counterparts. They expected to win all three matches in their group and finish at the top of the points standings.
If Argentina win their group, they will face the winner of Group D, which will most likely be either Denmark or France. The Albiceleste could well face the Netherlands in the quarterfinals and Brazil in the semifinals, given the early predictions. If Argentina overcome all obstacles in the knockout rounds, they will face Portugal in the final.
Read More: Portugal Squad Analysis for 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
Portugal’s route to the FIFA World Cup 2022 final
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will play in Group H, which is considered the death group by many experts. They will take on Ghana, Uruguay, and South Korea in this group to earn a place in the Round of 16. Portugal will have to top their group to meet Argentina in the final.
If the Portuguese side finish top in their group phase points table, they will likely face the runner-up of group G, which could be Serbia, Switzerland, or Cameroon. Portugal’s next opponent could very well be either Belgium, Croatia, Spain, or Germany in the quarterfinal.
Their semifinal opponent then could be France, England, or Denmark. The Portuguese side will meet Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final if they overcome all the hurdles in the knockout stage.
Bottom Line
Many fans envision Messi and Ronaldo competing against one another for their respective nations in the 2022 Qatar World Cup final. According to the brackets for the group stage and knockout rounds, Argentina and Portugal could face each other in the championship game. But in that case, both teams must be at their absolute peak from the start of the competition and finish first in their respective groups.
Read More: Argentina Squad analysis for 2022 World Cup in Qatar