Messi vs Ronaldo: Comparing World Cup Records of Two Icons Ahead of Last Dance on the Biggest Stage

• Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could be playing their last games at the World Cup in Qatar
• With both of them on the other side of 30, they will be looking to end their careers on a high
• Sports Brief has compared the World Cup records of two of the game's greatest players

The 2022 World Cup will probably be Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's last, considering their age and the stage of their careers.

Both of them are attempting to win the big prize, which will almost certainly cement their status as the greatest footballers of all time.

Ronaldo is backed by a strong Portuguese team with tons of experience, class and youthful exuberance. He has already won two international trophies: the 2016 Euros and the 2019 Nations League title.

Meanwhile, Messi is fresh off winning the Copa America, his first-ever international trophy. Although the current Argentina team is not the best we've seen at the World Cup, they seem to possess the rare quality of togetherness.

Lionel Messi jokes with teammates by faking an injury during Argentina's public training

Football

Comparing Ronaldo and Messi

Ronaldo, 37 and Messi, 35 will probably not play at the 2026 tournament since they'll be in their 40s, according to the Mirror. Both icons play in their fifth World Cup tournament, but how do they compare?

Here are the goals and assists comparison at the World Cup, according to Transfermarkt.

Between the two, Messi has come closest to winning the title. He helped Argentina reach the final in 2014 but was defeated by Germany's golden generation, according to the BBC.

The tournament was arguably Messi's best-ever performance at the tournament. He scored four goals in seven games. However, he failed to score in 2010 and only scored once in 2006 and 2018.

Lionel Messi names 2 nations that pose the greatest threat to Argentina at 2022 FIFA World Cup

Football

Meanwhile, Ronaldo's best performance was when he reached the semis in 2006. He scored once each in 2006, 2010 and 2014. His best performance was in 2018, where he scored four, as Portugal were dumped in the Round of 16, according to Reuters.

However, Messi's Argentina have been dubbed favourites, and it remains to be seen if they can go all the way.

Ronaldo's plan for Messi

Sports Brief earlier reported on Ronaldo's plan for Lionel Messi, as both aim for glory at the 2022 World Cup.

Ronaldo has followed up on his ground-breaking chess image with Messi, by claiming that he wants to checkmate him in real life.

Ronaldo and Messi teamed up to promote a popular brand designer in an image that shattered the internet recently.