Comparing GOATs Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's performances at FIFA World Cup so far

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the two renowned players of the generation, have dominated the football world in the past decade. Both players have won all the accolades at the club level but are yet to lay their hands on the World Cup trophy. The FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be the fifth appearance for both players and also probably the final one. As both players make the push for one last time to win the World Cup, we take a look at how the duo have fared in the biggest stage of the sport.

How have Ronaldo and Messi fared in FIFA World Cups so far?

Both Ronaldo and Messi can be considered 'underperformers' since neither of them has been able to win the competition. When it comes to scoring goals at football's biggest platform, Ronaldo surpasses Messi despite scoring the same number of goals (7). Here's why.

The Portugal star has reached the mark in 17 matches, while Messi reached the figure in 20 matches. However, Messi holds an edge over Ronaldo in terms of performances at the FIFA World Cup. Argentina reached the final of the 2014 edition but lost to Germany during extra time. However, the PSG forward won the Golden Ball award during that tournament. Portugal, on the other hand, reached the semi-final in 2006, where they were beaten by France before losing the third-place play-off against Germany. 

Qatar 2022: Portugal vs Ghana match preview

Portugal is heading into Qatar 2022 as one of the title contenders spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2016 European Champions have been handed an easy start against much lower-ranked opponent in form of Ghana. With some incredible talent at their disposal, Fernando Santos will be hoping to make a winning start.

Portugal's record at the World Cup is not impressive having reached the semi-finals twice, in 1966 and 2006. However, in four of their last five tournaments, the team have reached the round of 16 but failed to progress beyond that. Ronaldo, who could be playing his last world cup, would love to change history. Ghana, on the other hand, enters the FIFA World Cup on the back of the inconsistent form. If Ghana has to go past the team which has shipped just two goals in their last seven matches, they need to not only play well, but also make the most of the goal-scoring opportunities they would look to create.