Millions of football fans around the world have been holding their breath, waiting for the playoff draw of the 2026 World Cup. The main question of the season — will there be a face-off between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? — has received a definitive answer. The conclusion of the group stage has finally determined the paths of the two legends, reducing the probability of their meeting to a single scenario.

Fateful Draw and Division into Poles

Initially, the tournament table painted an optimistic picture for the fans. The national teams of Portugal and Argentina had a real chance to meet in the quarterfinals. To achieve this, one synchronized task had to be completed: both teams needed to finish first in their groups.

Argentina met this challenge without any problems, confidently topping Group J. However, Portugal made a fatal mistake. In the decisive third-round match, Roberto Martinez's team failed to beat the Colombian national team, playing a "clean" draw with a score of 0:0. This allowed the Colombians to overtake the Europeans, and the Portuguese finished second in Group K.

It was this result that became the decisive factor, separating the teams to different sides of the tournament bracket. Portugal went to the upper part of the playoffs, while Argentina will be storming the top from the bottom. Now, the only chance to see the legendary duel is for both national teams to reach the World Cup final.

First Steps to the Final

The path to the decisive match for the captains will begin in the coming days. The first knockout round promises to be difficult for both teams:

  • Portugal will meet the strong Croatian national team. The match is scheduled for Friday, July 3, and will start at 2:00 AM Kyiv time.
  • Argentina will test the main sensation of the group stage — the Cape Verde national team. This match will take place on Saturday, July 4, at 1:00 AM.

Historical Context

For both leaders, this tournament has special significance. Lionel Messi already leads the 2026 World Cup scoring race with six goals, becoming the top scorer in the history of world championships. Cristiano Ronaldo has also written his name in history by becoming the first player to score goals in six different World Cups. Now they must prove that their era continues and, perhaps, decide the fate of the tournament in the most important match.