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. Read More: Who Will Perform in Qatar World Cup Opening Ceremony? 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

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. Read More: Meet Laeeb: Mascot of 2022 FIFA World Cup Football Tournament in Qatar 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. Read More: FIFA World Cup 2022: Argentina’s confirmed squad 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. Read More: 5 players who can win the Golden Boot at Qatar World Cup 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.

Argentina's head coach, Lionel Scaloni, was awaiting updates from several key players before making his decision on the FIFA World Cup 2022 squad. He finally made up his mind and revealed the major event's final roster on Friday (November 11). With the exception of a few surprises, all of the anticipated names were included on the squad. Argentina’s final Qatar World Cup 2022 roster It’s been understood that Argentina’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni, had made up his mind on certain players long ago. However, he had to wait a little longer to announce his final squad because of injuries to certain players. Read More: 5 players who can win the Golden Boot at Qatar World Cup Paulo Dybala, Angel di Maria, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso, and Juan Foyth were in serious doubts due to fitness issues. However, except for Giovani Lo Celso, Lionel Scaloni included the rest of the four players in the final squad. Lo Celso underwent an operation for a muscle injury, so Scaloni had no other choice but to exclude him from the roster. Exequiel Palacios has been included in place of the injured Lo Celso. Scaloni has taken a bit of a risk by picking Paulo Dybala and Juan Foyth for the tournament, as both are yet to reach their full fitness. Besides promising youngsters, Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez have impressed everyone with their consistent club performances. Therefore, their inclusion was almost certain. Angel Correa and Giovanni Simeone did not make the final squad, but Inter Milan's Joaquin Correa was chosen by Scaloni. Read More: FIFA World Cup: 5 players who can win the Golden Ball in Qatar Argentina’s 26-man FIFA World Cup 2022 squad Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez, Franco Armani, Geronimo RulliDefenders: Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, German Pezzella, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Marcos Acuna, Nicolas Tagliafico, Juan FoythMidfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Guido Rodriguez, Alejandro Papu Gomez, Enzo Fernandez, Exequiel PalaciosForwards: Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Gonzalez, Joaquin Correa, Paulo Dybala, Lionel Messi Two-time World Cup champions, Argentina last won the tournament in 1986 in Mexico. Diego Armando Maradona inspired the Albiceleste to win their second World Cup trophy. Argentina have not won a World Cup trophy in the last 36 years. They played in the final in 1990 and 2014 but lost to Germany 1-0 on both occasions. Read More: 5 rising stars to watch for in FIFA World Cup 2022 The present Argentina national team has remained unbeaten for more than 30 matches, and last year they won the Copa America 2021 in Brazil. This Albiceleste squad is considered one of the strongest and one of the favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2022. Argentina will start its Qatar World Cup 2022 campaign against Saudi Arabia on November 22.

The FIFA World Cup 2022 is fast approaching, and all the participating nations are busy preparing their squads. On October 21, Louis van Gaal, the head coach of the Netherlands, revealed a preliminary squad of 39 players. Let's look at the players who were named to the Dutch roster. Netherlands preliminary squad for Qatar World Cup 2022 All the participating teams in the FIFA World Cup 2022 have to name their final 26-man squads by November 14. Before that, teams can announce their provisional squad to construct their final roster for the mega event. Read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Participating countries, venues, full group phase fixtures The Netherlands team’s head coach, Louis van Gaal, declared a preliminary squad where he called up 39 players. There were some surprises in the squad as Mitchel Bakker, Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven were called up for the first time. Sven Botman, Jeremie Frimpong, and Pascal Struijk, who were previously called up but yet to make a debut for the national side, were also called up. Apart from that, all the expected names found a place in the roster. Netherlands 39-man provisional squad Goalkeepers: Andries Noppert, Remko Pasveer, Justin Bijlow, Jasper Cillessen, Mark Flekken Defenders: Jeremie Frimpong, Tyrell Malacia, Devyne Rensch, Pascal Struijk, Jurrien Timber, Nathan Ake, Mitchel Bakker, Daley Blind, Sven Botman, Matthijs de Ligt, Stefan de Vrij, Denzel Dumfries, Micky van de Ven, Virgil van Dijk Midfielders: Teun Koopmeiners, Xavi Simons, Kenneth Taylor, Guus Til, Steven Berghuis, Jordy Clasie, Frenkie de Jong, Marten de Roon, Ryan Gravenberch, Davy Klaassen Forwards: Steven Bergwijn, Brian Brobbey, Luuk de Jong, Vincent Janssen, Noa Lang, Donyell Malen, Wout Weghorst, Arnaut Danjuma, Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo Read: Technologies set to amaze at Qatar Football World Cup 2022 The Netherlands have long been recognized as one of the best footballing nations in the world and the World Cup's unluckiest team. Despite participating in the finals of the 1974, 1978, and 2010 World Cups, the Dutch national men's football team has never taken home the trophy. The current Dutch team is not considered one of the strong favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2022. However, as the competition goes on, they might become a dangerous force. One of the most seasoned and well-respected coaches in the world is their head coach, Louis van Gaal. He has a big job on hand to make a strong team from the preliminary squad for the upcoming football World Cup in Qatar.

The football World Cup is set to begin on November 20 in Qatar. For the first time, a middle-east country will host football's biggest event, and it will arguably be the costliest one ever. Let’s have a look at the participating countries, groups, venues, and complete fixtures of the FIFA World Cup 2022. FIFA World Cup 2022: Participating Countries and Groups Through qualifying competitions, 31 of 211 countries from six continental confederations secured a place in the main event of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Qatar automatically qualified to take part in the main event as a host country. Read: Technologies set to amaze at Qatar Football World Cup 2022 Among the 32 participating teams, 13 are from Europe, 6 from the AFC, 5 from the CAF, and 4 each from CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. No team qualified from the OFC region. Here are the teams who have qualified for the 2022 World Cup football main event. Europe: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, WalesAFC: Qatar (host), Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, AustraliaCAF: Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, TunisiaCONCACAF: Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, United StatesCONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay There are eight groups for the 32-nation tournament, with each containing four teams. The top two teams from each of the eight groups will advance to the Round of 16 phase. Here are the eight groups of the Qatar World Cup 2022. Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and Netherlands Group B: England, IR Iran, USA and Wales Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland Group D: France, Australia, Denmark and Tunisia Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany and Japan Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco and Croatia Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay and Korea Republic Qatar World Cup 2022: Venues One of the main attractions of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar is the venues. The organizer has built some eye-catching stadiums for the mega tournament where all the modern facilities are installed. A total of eight stadiums have been built in five major cities in Qatar and the interesting thing is that all the venues are air-conditioned where cooling systems have been installed to reduce temperatures within the stadium up to 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Qatar is a tiny country, so the distance between one city and another is very short. Due to the short distance traveled, fatigue will be less among the players. The five cities where the matches of the tournament will take place are Lusail, Al Khor, Doha, Al Rayyan, and Al Wakrah. Here are the eight stadiums for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Read: World Cup Football 2022 jerseys: Where to buy online in Bangladesh Ground: Lusail Iconic Stadium | Capacity: 80,000 | City: LusailGround: Al Bayt Stadium | Capacity: 60,000 | City: Al KhorGround: Stadium 974 | Capacity: 40,000 | City: DohaGround: Al Thumama Stadium | Capacity: 40,000 | City: DohaGround: Khalifa International Stadium | Capacity: 45,416 | City: Al RayyanGround: Education City Stadium | Capacity: 45,350 | City: Al RayyanGround: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium | Capacity: 44,740 | City: Al WakrahGround: Al Janoub Stadium | Capacity: 40,000 | City: Al Wakrah Football World Cup Qatar 2022: Full Group Phase Fixtures The tournament’s group phase will start on November 20 with a match between Qatar and Ecuador. The group stage will end on December 2. The Round of 16 phase will be held from December 3 to December 6. After that, the quarter-finals will take place on December 9 and 10, followed by the two semifinals on December 13 and 14. The final match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be held on December 18 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. Here are the complete 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage fixtures. The match schedule is given in Bangladesh Standard Time. Match 1: Qatar vs Ecuador | Date: November 20 | Time: 10 p.m. (BST) Match 2: England vs Iran | Date: November 21 | Time: 7 p.m. (BST) Match 3: Senegal vs Netherlands | Date: November 21 | Time: 10 p.m. (BST) Match 4: United States vs Wales | Date: November 22 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 5: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia | Date: November 22 | Time: 4 p.m. (BST) Match 6: Denmark vs Tunisia | Date: November 22 | Time: 7 p.m. (BST) Match 7: Mexico vs Poland | Date: November 22 | Time: 10 p.m. (BST) Match 8: France vs Australia | Date: November 23 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 9: Morocco vs Croatia | Date: November 23 | Time: 4 p.m. (BST) Match 10: Germany vs Japan | Date: November 23 | Time: 7 p.m. (BST) Match 11: Spain vs Costa Rica | Date: November 23 | Time: 10 p.m. (BST) Match 12: Belgium vs Canada | Date: November 24 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 13: Switzerland vs Cameroon | Date: November 24 | Time: 4 p.m. (BST) Match 14: Uruguay vs Korea Republic | Date: November 24 | Time: 7 p.m. (BST) Match 15: Portugal vs Ghana | Date: November 24 | Time: 10 p.m. (BST) Match 16: Brazil vs Serbia | Date: November 25 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 17: Wales vs Iran | Date: November 25 | Time: 4 p.m. (BST) Match 18: Qatar vs Senegal | Date: November 25 | Time: 7 p.m. (BST) Match 19: Netherlands vs Ecuador | Date: November 25 | Time: 10 p.m. (BST) Match 20: United States vs England | Date: November 26 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 21: Australia vs Tunisia | Date: November 26 | Time: 4 p.m. (BST) Match 22: Poland vs Saudi Arabia | Date: November 26 | Time: 7 p.m. (BST) Match 23: France vs Denmark | Date: November 26 | Time: 10 p.m. (BST) Match 24: Argentina vs Mexico | Date: November 27 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 25: Japan vs Costa Rica | Date: November 27 | Time: 4 p.m. (BST) Match 26: Belgium vs Morocco | Date: November 27 | Time: 7 p.m. (BST) Match 27: Croatia vs Canada | Date: November 27 | Time: 10 p.m. (BST) Match 28: Spain vs Germany | Date: November 28 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 29: Cameroon vs Serbia | Date: November 28 | Time: 4 p.m. (BST) Match 30: Korea Republic vs Ghana | Date: November 28 | Time: 7 p.m. (BST) Match 31: Brazil vs Switzerland | Date: November 28 | Time: 10 p.m. (BST) Match 32: Portugal vs Uruguay | Date: November 29 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 33: Netherlands vs Qatar | Date: November 29 | Time: 9 p.m. (BST) Match 34: Ecuador vs Senegal | Date: November 29 | Time: 9 p.m. (BST) Match 35: Wales vs England | Date: November 30 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 36: Iran vs United States | Date: November 30 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 37: Australia vs Denmark | Date: November 30 | Time: 9 p.m. (BST) Match 38: Tunisia vs France | Date: November 30 | Time: 9 p.m. (BST) Match 39: Poland vs Argentina | Date: December 1 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 40: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico | Date: December 1 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 41: Croatia vs Belgium | Date: December 1 | Time: 9 p.m. (BST) Match 42: Canada vs Morocco | Date: December 1 | Time: 9 p.m. (BST) Match 43: Japan vs Spain | Date: December 2 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 44: Costa Rica vs Germany | Date: December 2 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 45: Ghana vs Uruguay | Date: December 2 | Time: 9 p.m. (BST) Match 46: Korea Republic vs Portugal | Date: December 2 | Time: 9 p.m. (BST) Match 47: Serbia vs Switzerland | Date: December 3 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Match 48: Cameroon vs Brazil | Date: December 3 | Time: 1 a.m. (BST) Read: Brilliant Benzema and His Road to Ballon d’Or Glory Aftermath The FIFA World Cup 2022 is drawing a lot of attention from football enthusiasts worldwide, especially with regard to how the host country will organize the competition. The schedule indicates that the eight groups of 32 participating nations won't have to travel much further to play their matches because of the close proximity of the venues. Overall, Qatar's preparations for the World Cup promise to be a memorable event.