Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo enter the 2026 World Cup with legendary resumes with plenty of similarities and some big differences.

For one thing, Messi’s Argentina are reigning champions from 2022 and have a pair of Copas America sandwiched around it as the world’s greatest player has splattered his international resume with glory over the past half-decade.

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Ronaldo and Portugal are still hunting for a World Cup, and the 40-year-old is yet to advance as far as he did in his first World Cup.

Both players made their World Cup debuts in 2006, a tournament which saw Messi turn 19 while Ronaldo was 21.

How have they fared in the tournament? Depends on the player and the stage. Read on....

Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup history with

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