India, June 12 -- The FIFA World Cup is underway, but before Argentina and Portugal take the field, much of the attention continues to centre on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. More than two decades after emerging on the global stage, the two icons remain the biggest talking points in world football.

Messi enters the tournament in a very different position from four years ago. By leading Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar, he secured the one major honour that had long eluded him. The pressure is no longer the same, but the passion and drive remain undiminished. Whenever Messi pulls on the Argentina shirt, the atmosphere feels unique, with thousands of fans turning stadiums into a sea of blue and white. For Ronaldo, however, th...