New Delhi, June 11 -- Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi enter the FIFA World Cup 2026 in record sixth appearances for Portugal and Argentina, respectively. Ever since the duo set foot in international football, the greatest-of-all-time debate has grabbed the headlines and will continue to do so. Argentina's FIFA World Cup triumph in 2022 in Qatar was the crowning moment for Messi - a fulfilment of his lifelong dream.

For Ronaldo, the best he could reach was in 2006 when Portugal lost to France in the semifinals. In 2026, the talks are once again hovering around Messi and Ronaldo (probably their final appearances at the World Cup). Still, former Indian captain Bhaichung Bhutia believes the duo won't have as much impact as in the previous...