Messi and Ronaldo Set for Record Sixth World Cup Appearance

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are poised to play their sixth World Cup in 2026. With more than 800 career goals each and a combined 13 Ballon d’Or titles, their rivalry continues. Messi’s 2022 World Cup win strengthened his legacy, while Ronaldo holds 954 goals and 226 caps, keeping the debate alive as both near the end of their careers.

When the long running debate about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo first appeared on a London street bin in 2015, few imagined the rivalry would still define world football a decade later. Yet both icons are now on the brink of appearing in their record sixth World Cup, extending a duel that has shaped an entire era. Together they have scored more than 800 goals each for club and country, shared 9 Champions League titles and collected 13 Ballon dOr awards.

Ronaldo’s supporters highlight his 954 career goals, 143 strikes for Portugal and a world record 226 international appearances, while Messi’s followers point to his 2022 World Cup triumph and historic run of scoring in every round of the tournament. Their World Cup journeys have unfolded in contrasting ways. Messi became Argentina’s youngest scorer in 2006, reached the 2014 final, and delivered a remarkable 7 goal campaign in 2022 to lift the trophy.

Ronaldo announced himself with decisive penalties in 2006, scored a famous hat trick against Spain in 2018 and led Portugal to titles at Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League. As the 2026 event in the United States, Canada and Mexico approaches, Ronaldo at 41 and Messi at 39 look set for one final chapter in a rivalry that has defined modern football.