A record-breaking sixth World Cup for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could finally see the two greatest footballing rivals of our time go head-to-head on the biggest stage of all.

Considering their age, and current teams (at Inter Miami and Al Nassr, respectively), this could well be their last chance to play each other at a World Cup (with the full disclaimer that you can’t really predict anything when it comes to these two).

The 2026 World Cup, though, could be the edition where the two finally face off in a competitive fixture wearing their nations’ colours. But just when could they play against each other?

What are Messi and Ronaldo’s World Cup fixtures?

Messi’s Argentina face Algeria (June 16), Austria (June 22) and Jordan (June 27) in Group J.

If they top this group, as they are expected to, they will face the second-placed finishers of Group H (Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia) on July 4 in the round of 32.

Ronaldo’s Portugal face DR Congo (17 June), Uzbekistan (23 June) and Colombia (27 June) in Group K.

Much like Argentina, they are expected to top the group, and if they do, the bracket puts them up against a third placed finisher (from one of groups D/E/I/J/L) on July 4.

How can they play each other in the knockouts?

There is one simple answer to this: top their groups and win both their matches in the round of 32 match and round of 16, and we’ll be set for a blockbuster Argentina vs. Portugal quarterfinal.

With the bracket structured as it is, that feels like a realistic scenario, with the toughest on-paper opponent for Argentina likely to be Uruguay in the round of 32, while Portugal would not be expected to face a major contender until that potential quarterfinal.

If, however, they both finish second in their respective groups, it could get more dramatic… They could possibly clash in the round of 16. That is, if they win their round of 32 tie, of course — and that would be a considerably tougher prospect considering their potential opponents (Argentina would likely face Spain; Portugal’s likely opponents would be Croatia).

Considering the size of the World Cup, there also remains the possibility of a ‘Last Dance’ in the final — if one of the teams were to top their group and the other were to finish second, then their mazy route would take them to the final, via some challenging fixtures.

How have Messi and Ronaldo fared at World Cups?

Messi, 38, has, of course, won the World Cup in the last edition. With a losing final in 2014 to add to that, his World Cup record is far superior to 41-year-old Ronaldo’s, whose best remains the semifinal appearance in his debut tournament (2006).

Here, we compare their stats across World Cups:

What records can they break in the 2026 World Cup?

The moment Messi and Ronaldo play a minute of football in World Cup 2026, they will together hold the record for most World Cup appearances (six). But what other records do they already hold, and which could they break this summer?

Messi already holds the record for most World Cup matches played (26) and World Cup minutes (2,314) — both of which are records he took from Paolo Maldini in Qatar. He is Argentina’s top scorer in World Cups (with 13 goals) and is just three behind record holder Miroslav Klose (16). That is one record that is well within his sights as he looks to extend the first two.

Another big record Messi could own outright is one for the highest goal contributions at a World Cup. He currently has 21 and is tied highest with the great Pelé.

Ronaldo may not have too many World Cup records to his name, but if Messi and Argentina were to slip up early and Portugal remained through the tournament, both match and minutes played records could be up for grabs. Currently on eight World Cup goals, he will need something extraordinary to surpass Klose’s 16, though.

On the larger picture international football front, Ronaldo remains top of the pack. He has made the most appearances (226) and scored the most goals (143) across men’s international football; and will look to extend both records this summer. Meanwhile, Messi has the second-most goals with 116 (from 198 caps).

Outside of international football, what is their head-to-head like?

Across 35 club matches (almost of them coming at Barcelona and Real Madrid), Messi has won 16 times, Ronaldo 10 (nine draws) with Messi and Ronaldo both scoring 22 goals.

Oh, and they share a win each, and a goal each in their two international fixtures.