FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread

[Hirose UK]

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In the case of Lionel Messi, the matter is different because he last won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, in which case he will definitely want to make the last World Cup tournament of his life like this. He may want to dwell on the fact that he won the last World Cup but if he plays in the 2026 World Cup and if he does not win the trophy in the 2026 World Cup, the fans will not be able to say that Messi has won the last World Cup of his career. Maybe Lionel Messi will decide to retire before the start of the 2026 World Cup but Ronaldo is different. Ronaldo has tried a lot but he hasn't been able to gift the team the World Cup so far so it won't be surprising if he plays the 2026 World Cup. Considering his age, Ronaldo will definitely perform well if he plays in the World Cup at 26.

For Ronaldo I also think he will be participating as he seem very fit still for his age while he is still playing at a very high level no matter that he plays in a league of the not best quality like the Saudi League.I think we can better judge a player like Ronaldo by his performance in the Euro 2024 which will be held in less than 2 months.If he performs really well then I doubt another 2 years will see him deteriorate that much as to not be playing in the FIFA 2026.For Messi though I see no real reason while he should quit and not participate in the World Cup,he is still playing at high levels in MLS in US and if he is playing with Inter Miami up to that time then most surely he will be participating to play in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

In the Portuguese national team currently, if it is an important match such as Euro Qualification or other important competitions, Ronaldo is still relied on by Roberto Martinez because Ronaldo performance is still very competitive and really helps in achieving victory.
In the 2026 World Cup, many people still believe and really hope that Ronaldo can appear for Portugal because it is big, very important competition, and it can also be seen that Ronaldo is the only best player for Portugal.
If he doesn't experience anything bad like an injury then it very likely that we will all be able to see Ronaldo playing in every Portugal match in the 2026 World Cup, hopefully he doesn't experience anything bad in the future.
Moreover, Roberto Martinez really believes in Ronaldo ability as very sharp striker even at his current age.

For Messi himself, to be honest, I doubt he will play with Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, but many people also believe that Messi will be present and can play for the Argentine national team.
Seeing how Messi is now, it cannot be hidden that he has experienced significant decline in terms of playing quality as striker, this is very different from Ronaldo who is still consistent.

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[Forsyth Jones]

In the Portuguese national team currently, if it is an important match such as Euro Qualification or other important competitions, Ronaldo is still relied on by Roberto Martinez because Ronaldo performance is still very competitive and really helps in achieving victory.
(...)

For Messi himself, to be honest, I doubt he will play with Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, but many people also believe that Messi will be present and can play for the Argentine national team.
Seeing how Messi is now, it cannot be hidden that he has experienced significant decline in terms of playing quality as striker, this is very different from Ronaldo who is still consistent.

If CR7 competes in the 2026 World Cup he will be 41 years old and Messi will be 38 years old. It will be the most historic generation of stars in world football.

I was rooting for Brazil in the previous cup, but to be honest, with the football they were playing and the tactical failures, I was aware that they could lose, but deep down I was rooting for Portugal and Argentina because of these stars and the whole contribution that these two players represent to world football. In the end, I was very happy with Messi lifting the cup, on the other hand, I was sad for Ronaldo, besides, Portugal hasn't won a World Cup yet.

Each one with their own different way of dribbling, CR7 has a more freestyle dribble while Messi has a simpler dribble, without displays, but effective. I've never seen Messi do a "carretilha" like Neymar does (A dribble where the player lifts the ball with his feet with the heel to bounce the opponent), that's why Neymar is always chased on the field, because Neymar provokes players with his beautiful, but unnecessary dribbles that only serve to irritate the opponents.

[Patrol69]

Just like Lionel Messi is a legendary footballer, Ronaldo is a legendary footballer. Lionel Messi has won the World Cup with the support of his team and with his best but Ronaldo doesn't get much team support in such big tournaments including the World Cup due to which his dream of World Cup has not been fulfilled yet.  

Ronaldo has won only one international trophy for his country where he was forced off the field with an injury in the final match after performing well throughout the season. That was Portugal's only achievement against France. Ronaldo then participated in several international tournaments but did not do very well. In the last World Cup we saw Ronaldo cry, his behavior shows how eager he is to achieve something for the team. Portugal will certainly have the opportunity to build a team with good players in the upcoming World Cup tournament, in which case Ronaldo will have a chance to do well.

[Swordsoffreedom]

It's tough for Brazil, but I think for any country and team to have a superstar like Messi and then when they quit playing, everyone understands that it probably can only get worse. What's the chance that another Messi is in the making and is able to perfectly substitute him. We as the fans also will miss him. Even now at his age he still has this insane quality to create surprise moments for him team. Passes that nobody would expect or shots that hardly anyone else could do the same way.

Brazil is in trouble. They have had a lot of close games, but still. It shouldn't be the case and usually I think a team with so many top players should be able to get along even without a great coach against underdogs, but I agree with you that they lack leadership both on and off the field.

A player like Messi is about to be born, Messi is a genius, 16 years at his peak and with each passing year he only gets better, the same goes for CR7. But Messi is a genius. I've never seen someone like him dribble and sprint.

In my opinion, the only player who had the potential to surpass Messi is the Ronaldo Phenomenon R9, if it weren't for his knee injuries and his excess weight acquired in his career and if he had the same commitment to training as Messi and CR7, Ronaldo would have been better than Messi. Ronaldo was great with his explosions in his counterattacks.

Ronaldo and Zidane are comparable, the best players I've ever seen play, then we have Ronaldinho with his magic that made it seem like football on the field turned into football on the court, he has dribbling skills that no player can copy Ronaldinho.

A lot of players could have been better than Messi and Ronaldo but they were not. I don’t think this should be a debate. we should talk about statistics and not about probability. There is a very good probability that Neymar could be better than both Messi and Ronaldo but he was not. It will take a long time, at least in my opinion for someone to actually surpass the achievement that Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi have achieved in their career. I think Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the best players ever in football without a doubt.

People might think that I am actually disrespecting R9 but that is not the case. And if the career of Christian Ronaldo was not destroyed by Manchester United, I think he could have achieved more in his career.

For me, if there is a debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and  R9, Cristiano Ronaldo wins.

[Webetcoins]

If CR7 competes in the 2026 World Cup he will be 41 years old and Messi will be 38 years old. It will be the most historic generation of stars in world football.

I was rooting for Brazil in the previous cup, but to be honest, with the football they were playing and the tactical failures, I was aware that they could lose, but deep down I was rooting for Portugal and Argentina because of these stars and the whole contribution that these two players represent to world football. In the end, I was very happy with Messi lifting the cup, on the other hand, I was sad for Ronaldo, besides, Portugal hasn't won a World Cup yet.

Each one with their own different way of dribbling, CR7 has a more freestyle dribble while Messi has a simpler dribble, without displays, but effective. I've never seen Messi do a "carretilha" like Neymar does (A dribble where the player lifts the ball with his feet with the heel to bounce the opponent), that's why Neymar is always chased on the field, because Neymar provokes players with his beautiful, but unnecessary dribbles that only serve to irritate the opponents.

I have to be agreed with you partially because things are now completely changing with new generation is going to be had no skills like we have in these legendary stars, and now we will be also had no long careers like we have from these players because now all is changing, and many records are going to stay for the decades instead of years for me most chances both will be represented their countries in next world cup even their contribution could be not like we have in past but still their presence could be also enough for their teams and players.

Even currently we are having few more years for the world cup but still we can say Argentina and France again could be better teams due to their quality and consistency with Brazil is still on development and things are going to take time for having better results from them, we will never end this debate that who is better and who is going to be had better for his team with these players are going to be remembered for the decades for their quality game and amazing skills.

[Volgastallion]

Even currently we are having few more years for the world cup but still we can say Argentina and France again could be better teams due to their quality and consistency with Brazil is still on development and things are going to take time for having better results from them, we will never end this debate that who is better and who is going to be had better for his team with these players are going to be remembered for the decades for their quality game and amazing skills.

Yeah in fact this remind me a lot of what we just see right now in the Champions League where like the past year the two top contenders were the same as the past year and im talking about Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Right now i see the same, only Argentina and France seems strong and trusted, other ones are building good things maybe but lets see in this eurocup and america cup what teams are in good shape.

[Leviathan.007]

In the Portuguese national team currently, if it is an important match such as Euro Qualification or other important competitions, Ronaldo is still relied on by Roberto Martinez because Ronaldo performance is still very competitive and really helps in achieving victory.
(...)

For Messi himself, to be honest, I doubt he will play with Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, but many people also believe that Messi will be present and can play for the Argentine national team.
Seeing how Messi is now, it cannot be hidden that he has experienced significant decline in terms of playing quality as striker, this is very different from Ronaldo who is still consistent.

If CR7 competes in the 2026 World Cup he will be 41 years old and Messi will be 38 years old. It will be the most historic generation of stars in world football.

I was rooting for Brazil in the previous cup, but to be honest, with the football they were playing and the tactical failures, I was aware that they could lose, but deep down I was rooting for Portugal and Argentina because of these stars and the whole contribution that these two players represent to world football. In the end, I was very happy with Messi lifting the cup, on the other hand, I was sad for Ronaldo, besides, Portugal hasn't won a World Cup yet.

Each one with their own different way of dribbling, CR7 has a more freestyle dribble while Messi has a simpler dribble, without displays, but effective. I've never seen Messi do a "carretilha" like Neymar does (A dribble where the player lifts the ball with his feet with the heel to bounce the opponent), that's why Neymar is always chased on the field, because Neymar provokes players with his beautiful, but unnecessary dribbles that only serve to irritate the opponents.

The current performance of Ronaldo clearly shows he can still be a good player even if he gets older than this. Don't forget that Ronalod scored even more goals after he reached 30 years old and this can show these players used the experience of playing in the other teams.
I expect to see even Portuguese let him play in the 2026 World Cup because we know Portuguese will couldn't find any alternative player to take his place in the team. Regarding leadership, he can be a good leader and guide the younger players even if he doesn't have too much chance to play in the 2026 World Cup.

[criptoevangelista]

In the Portuguese national team currently, if it is an important match such as Euro Qualification or other important competitions, Ronaldo is still relied on by Roberto Martinez because Ronaldo performance is still very competitive and really helps in achieving victory.
(...)

For Messi himself, to be honest, I doubt he will play with Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, but many people also believe that Messi will be present and can play for the Argentine national team.
Seeing how Messi is now, it cannot be hidden that he has experienced significant decline in terms of playing quality as striker, this is very different from Ronaldo who is still consistent.

If CR7 competes in the 2026 World Cup he will be 41 years old and Messi will be 38 years old. It will be the most historic generation of stars in world football.

I was rooting for Brazil in the previous cup, but to be honest, with the football they were playing and the tactical failures, I was aware that they could lose, but deep down I was rooting for Portugal and Argentina because of these stars and the whole contribution that these two players represent to world football. In the end, I was very happy with Messi lifting the cup, on the other hand, I was sad for Ronaldo, besides, Portugal hasn't won a World Cup yet.

Each one with their own different way of dribbling, CR7 has a more freestyle dribble while Messi has a simpler dribble, without displays, but effective. I've never seen Messi do a "carretilha" like Neymar does (A dribble where the player lifts the ball with his feet with the heel to bounce the opponent), that's why Neymar is always chased on the field, because Neymar provokes players with his beautiful, but unnecessary dribbles that only serve to irritate the opponents.

The current performance of Ronaldo clearly shows he can still be a good player even if he gets older than this. Don't forget that Ronalod scored even more goals after he reached 30 years old and this can show these players used the experience of playing in the other teams.
I expect to see even Portuguese let him play in the 2026 World Cup because we know Portuguese will couldn't find any alternative player to take his place in the team. Regarding leadership, he can be a good leader and guide the younger players even if he doesn't have too much chance to play in the 2026 World Cup.

An alternative in the future if Cristiano Ronaldo wants to continue in football is for him to change his positioning on the field, perhaps becoming a center forward, where more positioning and shooting precision is required than being a winger, as he is currently playing, which requires much more physical conditioning...

[Hirose UK]

In the Portuguese national team currently, if it is an important match such as Euro Qualification or other important competitions, Ronaldo is still relied on by Roberto Martinez because Ronaldo performance is still very competitive and really helps in achieving victory.
(...)

For Messi himself, to be honest, I doubt he will play with Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, but many people also believe that Messi will be present and can play for the Argentine national team.
Seeing how Messi is now, it cannot be hidden that he has experienced significant decline in terms of playing quality as striker, this is very different from Ronaldo who is still consistent.

If CR7 competes in the 2026 World Cup he will be 41 years old and Messi will be 38 years old. It will be the most historic generation of stars in world football.

I was rooting for Brazil in the previous cup, but to be honest, with the football they were playing and the tactical failures, I was aware that they could lose, but deep down I was rooting for Portugal and Argentina because of these stars and the whole contribution that these two players represent to world football. In the end, I was very happy with Messi lifting the cup, on the other hand, I was sad for Ronaldo, besides, Portugal hasn't won a World Cup yet.

Each one with their own different way of dribbling, CR7 has a more freestyle dribble while Messi has a simpler dribble, without displays, but effective. I've never seen Messi do a "carretilha" like Neymar does (A dribble where the player lifts the ball with his feet with the heel to bounce the opponent), that's why Neymar is always chased on the field, because Neymar provokes players with his beautiful, but unnecessary dribbles that only serve to irritate the opponents.

So this is the difference, Ronaldo is clearly older than Messi but they have different performances, Ronaldo still looks like young player with competitive performance and is still quite agile in controlling the ball.
We can see this difference in the last few years and of course Ronaldo is still an important part for Portugal in prestigious competitions but Messi is like player who will be thrown away because his performance is also being questioned by the coach.

But indeed each team will have its own mainstay players with different skills, they will play as well as possible with teammates who can clearly understand the game and complement each other.

For the upcoming World Cup, when it comes to players, Ronaldo is the only star player most people hope for.
But I also doubt whether Portugal can play well and reach the title fight in the final or not, I slightly think that it is possible that we will see new team as champions, for Argentina themselves they will not easily defend the title.

[wiss19]

The current performance of Ronaldo clearly shows he can still be a good player even if he gets older than this. Don't forget that Ronalod scored even more goals after he reached 30 years old and this can show these players used the experience of playing in the other teams.
I expect to see even Portuguese let him play in the 2026 World Cup because we know Portuguese will couldn't find any alternative player to take his place in the team. Regarding leadership, he can be a good leader and guide the younger players even if he doesn't have too much chance to play in the 2026 World Cup.

Now we have 2 years left in next world cup with 11 June 2026 is official date of world cup starting so if we have no injury for Cristiano Ronaldo then surely he could be part of Portugal team with we have history of many players done good job for their teams even after touch age of 40 with this even his contribution could be not like we have in past but still he could be key player with his skills and quality which is he maintaining for the decades.

But, here we have to admit one thing which is clearly giving no edge to Portugal as they have no depth into their squad which give them good success which is also important for the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo as he alone can't do anything for his team but still he can do something for his personal records and this could be last world cup for the few legendary players as they will be out of the game after this big mega event.

[Fausto Arta]

Just like Lionel Messi is a legendary footballer, Ronaldo is a legendary footballer. Lionel Messi has won the World Cup with the support of his team and with his best but Ronaldo doesn't get much team support in such big tournaments including the World Cup due to which his dream of World Cup has not been fulfilled yet.  

Ronaldo has won only one international trophy for his country where he was forced off the field with an injury in the final match after performing well throughout the season. That was Portugal's only achievement against France. Ronaldo then participated in several international tournaments but did not do very well. In the last World Cup we saw Ronaldo cry, his behavior shows how eager he is to achieve something for the team. Portugal will certainly have the opportunity to build a team with good players in the upcoming World Cup tournament, in which case Ronaldo will have a chance to do well.

I agree that in the Argentine national team, Lionel Messi gets support from quality players, or in other words, the Argentine national team is filled with star players who play in the world's top leagues. So if Lionel Messi is absent it won't have much of an impact on the team because his position can be immediately replaced with another player. Likewise, if a team loses, the public does not immediately blame Lionel Messi alone. In contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo, as we know in the Portuguese national team he is not supported by quality players in every position. Ronaldo is an icon of Portuguese football, at the age of 39 years no one can replace his influence. So it is natural that when his team loses, Ronaldo is the first person to blame because the Portuguese national team is already a burden on his shoulders.

[Leviathan.007]

Just like Lionel Messi is a legendary footballer, Ronaldo is a legendary footballer. Lionel Messi has won the World Cup with the support of his team and with his best but Ronaldo doesn't get much team support in such big tournaments including the World Cup due to which his dream of World Cup has not been fulfilled yet.  

Ronaldo has won only one international trophy for his country where he was forced off the field with an injury in the final match after performing well throughout the season. That was Portugal's only achievement against France. Ronaldo then participated in several international tournaments but did not do very well. In the last World Cup we saw Ronaldo cry, his behavior shows how eager he is to achieve something for the team. Portugal will certainly have the opportunity to build a team with good players in the upcoming World Cup tournament, in which case Ronaldo will have a chance to do well.

I agree that in the Argentine national team, Lionel Messi gets support from quality players, or in other words, the Argentine national team is filled with star players who play in the world's top leagues. So if Lionel Messi is absent it won't have much of an impact on the team because his position can be immediately replaced with another player. Likewise, if a team loses, the public does not immediately blame Lionel Messi alone. In contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo, as we know in the Portuguese national team he is not supported by quality players in every position. Ronaldo is an icon of Portuguese football, at the age of 39 years no one can replace his influence. So it is natural that when his team loses, Ronaldo is the first person to blame because the Portuguese national team is already a burden on his shoulders.

In South American countries like Argentina and Brazil, they respect their superstar player and we saw the same thing in Brazil when Pele was playing and in Argentina when Maradona was playing in the country.
Now there is the same thing going for Messi, people in Arngina respect this player and they like to see Messi playing in their team, even some players and teammates of Messi, respect this player more than other players, you can see that when he plays for Argentina and other players usually try to give the gaol opportunities to him.
He will even get older in 2026 but it seems his age won't be a problem for him to play in the 2026 World Cup.

[Hanadawa]

In South American countries like Argentina and Brazil, they respect their superstar player and we saw the same thing in Brazil when Pele was playing and in Argentina when Maradona was playing in the country.
Now there is the same thing going for Messi, people in Arngina respect this player and they like to see Messi playing in their team, even some players and teammates of Messi, respect this player more than other players, you can see that when he plays for Argentina and other players usually try to give the gaol opportunities to him.
He will even get older in 2026 but it seems his age won't be a problem for him to play in the 2026 World Cup.

Lionel Messi has become a role model and idol for all Argentines, especially for young Argentine players. He is one of the 2 GOATs with the best rivalry in history. I think everyone will never forget their rivalry in El Classico in the past few years. Currently Messi is a role model for Argentinian players but unfortunately currently Brazil has absolutely no role models. Brazilian players currently have average quality, maybe even the lowest since the 2002 World Cup. Honestly, I don't even know some of the Brazilian players at the moment.
Messi will be old enough for the 2026 world cup. But I think he will still have an important role in the squad. I am sure Messi can provide motivation and never give up for young Argentine players.

[IceLincoln]

Lionel Messi has become a role model and idol for all Argentines, especially for young Argentine players. He is one of the 2 GOATs with the best rivalry in history. I think everyone will never forget their rivalry in El Classico in the past few years. Currently Messi is a role model for Argentinian players but unfortunately currently Brazil has absolutely no role models. Brazilian players currently have average quality, maybe even the lowest since the 2002 World Cup. Honestly, I don't even know some of the Brazilian players at the moment.
Messi will be old enough for the 2026 world cup. But I think he will still have an important role in the squad. I am sure Messi can provide motivation and never give up for young Argentine players.

Lionel Messi playing in the World Cup is still a probability but it’ll be a thing of joy to see him at least one last time in Argentina 🇦🇷 colors at the World Cup. I’m sure he’ll be given a more deeper role from the midfield to give the youngsters an opportunity for goals cos he has the ability for the killer unexpected pass that splits defense wide open. He’s a Living Legend and Role Model to many young footballers likewise Ronaldo. For the Brazil team, Vinicius is a superstar and soon he’ll be the ringleader of the Brazilian squad if he isn’t already. Though we might not get to see that Brazil of old we know.

[Frankolala]

In South American countries like Argentina and Brazil, they respect their superstar player and we saw the same thing in Brazil when Pele was playing and in Argentina when Maradona was playing in the country.
Now there is the same thing going for Messi, people in Arngina respect this player and they like to see Messi playing in their team, even some players and teammates of Messi, respect this player more than other players, you can see that when he plays for Argentina and other players usually try to give the gaol opportunities to him.
He will even get older in 2026 but it seems his age won't be a problem for him to play in the 2026 World Cup.

Lionel Messi has become a role model and idol for all Argentines, especially for young Argentine players. He is one of the 2 GOATs with the best rivalry in history. I think everyone will never forget their rivalry in El Classico in the past few years. Currently Messi is a role model for Argentinian players but unfortunately currently Brazil has absolutely no role models. Brazilian players currently have average quality, maybe even the lowest since the 2002 World Cup. Honestly, I don't even know some of the Brazilian players at the moment.
Messi will be old enough for the 2026 world cup. But I think he will still have an important role in the squad. I am sure Messi can provide motivation and never give up for young Argentine players.

As time passes on, we will see new legends dominating football. A time will still come for Brazil to make name in football, because they will be a young Brazilian to make his country proud again. Messi started football very young, and was successful very young too, which keeps his name and record very fresh in the history of football.

Playing in the next world cup will be great, so that he can motivate his team mates just the way he normally do when he is on the pitch representing his country. I must say that he is a good leader on the pitch, and have led by example. His name will forever be remembered in Argentina football history, as a superstar. Such a big name.

[Palakka]

In South American countries like Argentina and Brazil, they respect their superstar player and we saw the same thing in Brazil when Pele was playing and in Argentina when Maradona was playing in the country.
Now there is the same thing going for Messi, people in Arngina respect this player and they like to see Messi playing in their team, even some players and teammates of Messi, respect this player more than other players, you can see that when he plays for Argentina and other players usually try to give the gaol opportunities to him.
He will even get older in 2026 but it seems his age won't be a problem for him to play in the 2026 World Cup.

I think not only in Latin America, even in Europe of course they will respect every legend of their football, and even I think it's not unusual because these legends are like heroes who have made their city and country proud through football all these years, now Maradona and Pele can be one of the real examples of how people can honor someone who has done a lot to make his country proud with the achievements they have achieved so far.

While Pele and Maradona were eternal rivals In the past time, we now also live between two goats who continue to show their best to be the best among them, I think the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi today does not necessarily end when both leave la Liga, even now they are still trying to keep breaking records to stay ahead of the others,  The journey of the two goats will of course not stop just because of their age, but like you say , i also think the competition will continue until the World Cup 2026 and maybe after that they will retire, So that's when maybe we will see the rivalry between the two end.

[indah rezqi]

I think not only in Latin America, even in Europe of course they will respect every legend of their football, and even I think it's not unusual because these legends are like heroes who have made their city and country proud through football all these years, now Maradona and Pele can be one of the real examples of how people can honor someone who has done a lot to make his country proud with the achievements they have achieved so far.

While Pele and Maradona were eternal rivals In the past time, we now also live between two goats who continue to show their best to be the best among them, I think the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi today does not necessarily end when both leave la Liga, even now they are still trying to keep breaking records to stay ahead of the others,  The journey of the two goats will of course not stop just because of their age, but like you say , i also think the competition will continue until the World Cup 2026 and maybe after that they will retire, So that's when maybe we will see the rivalry between the two end.

If Ronaldo and Messi are still playing in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, it is certain that both of them will make the competition more interesting, even though we know that these two players will no longer be at the same level of play as before. Of course, there are still many fans who hope that Ronaldo and Messi will take part in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, but there are also quite a few who doubt that these two players will no longer play for their country due to their age. In essence, these two players have formed a rivalry over a long period of time, which has provided us with entertainment that we never get bored of following.

For now, we are still waiting to see what decision the two superstars will take regarding their future in the national team, whether they will continue to play for their country or whether they will choose to retire before the 2026 World Cup. Overall, the level of play of these two players has decreased, and this is understandable due to age, but in their respective national teams, these two players are a symbol of mentality and motivation for other young players.

[Docnaster]

I think not only in Latin America, even in Europe of course they will respect every legend of their football, and even I think it's not unusual because these legends are like heroes who have made their city and country proud through football all these years, now Maradona and Pele can be one of the real examples of how people can honor someone who has done a lot to make his country proud with the achievements they have achieved so far.

While Pele and Maradona were eternal rivals In the past time, we now also live between two goats who continue to show their best to be the best among them, I think the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi today does not necessarily end when both leave la Liga, even now they are still trying to keep breaking records to stay ahead of the others,  The journey of the two goats will of course not stop just because of their age, but like you say , i also think the competition will continue until the World Cup 2026 and maybe after that they will retire, So that's when maybe we will see the rivalry between the two end.

If Ronaldo and Messi are still playing in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, it is certain that both of them will make the competition more interesting, even though we know that these two players will no longer be at the same level of play as before. Of course, there are still many fans who hope that Ronaldo and Messi will take part in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, but there are also quite a few who doubt that these two players will no longer play for their country due to their age. In essence, these two players have formed a rivalry over a long period of time, which has provided us with entertainment that we never get bored of following.

For now, we are still waiting to see what decision the two superstars will take regarding their future in the national team, whether they will continue to play for their country or whether they will choose to retire before the 2026 World Cup. Overall, the level of play of these two players has decreased, and this is understandable due to age, but in their respective national teams, these two players are a symbol of mentality and motivation for other young players.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have enjoyed great, long and very competitive rivalry among themselves over the last two decades which has resulted to fans of both football superstars to be always engaged in debates on which of them is better. So because of their rivalry, there's this extra enthusiasm among football fans to watch competitions or games that'll involve the two players. Considering the current fitness level of both players, it's obvious that Cristiano Ronaldo is fitter and the most likely to feature in the next edition of the FIFA World Cup even when he's two years older than Lionel Messi. If both players can be able to play for their respective countries in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it'll attract more viewers than the expected number viewers without them. Football without both players will be extremely boring and that's I think most football fans will definitely get emotional when they'll finally hang their boots.

[Strongkored]

I expect to see even Portuguese let him play in the 2026 World Cup because we know Portuguese will couldn't find any alternative player to take his place in the team. Regarding leadership, he can be a good leader and guide the younger players even if he doesn't have too much chance to play in the 2026 World Cup.

This is the biggest obstacle for the Portuguese national team, getting a player as an alternative replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who, although still productive at his club Al-Nassr, plays the full 90 minutes with match intervals close to each other will certainly be an obstacle for him, no matter how fit he is but age will prevent him from remaining fit, with this condition Ronaldo will still be able to play in the World Cup in a few years, but it could be that Roberto Martínez only uses him at important times when this team needs his vast experience when they are behind, but when Portugal faces matches whose results no longer influence it is very possible for Roberto Martínez to field young players to increase the player's experience.
Ronaldo is quite respected by his compatriots, his presence can provide motivation for Portuguese players to perform well in the world cup, but I never thought that he would always appear as a key player in the 2026 world tournament.

[Bobrox]

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have enjoyed great, long and very competitive rivalry among themselves over the last two decades which has resulted to fans of both football superstars to be always engaged in debates on which of them is better. So because of their rivalry, there's this extra enthusiasm among football fans to watch competitions or games that'll involve the two players. Considering the current fitness level of both players, it's obvious that Cristiano Ronaldo is fitter and the most likely to feature in the next edition of the FIFA World Cup even when he's two years older than Lionel Messi. If both players can be able to play for their respective countries in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it'll attract more viewers than the expected number viewers without them. Football without both players will be extremely boring and that's I think most football fans will definitely get emotional when they'll finally hang their boots.

The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is still quite interesting so far, even though both players no longer play for European clubs but interested topic for discussing by both players fans. I think FIFA World Cup 2026 more interested if Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi still get chance with their national teams to make more competitive and give more entertainment due high fans both of them. Currently both players on the high level performance with Cristiano Ronaldo become top scorer for his team Al Nassr in Saudi Pro League and Lionel Messi scored 7 goals of 6 appearance with his teams Inter Miami at MLS League.

Get high traffic of viewer when both of them playing for their national team in FIFA World Cup 2026, last match when Lionel Messi playing for his team get more interaction behind 72k fans watching his performance and make bigger record of fans in MLS League.