Messi’s Qatar World Cup win labelled ‘lucky’ in shocking claim: ‘Ronaldo’s Portugal has strong shot at 2026 glory’
Posted on: Nov 18, 2025 21:42 IST | Posted by: Hindustantimes
Lionel Messi cemented his legacy by guiding argentine republic to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, completing football in the eyes of many. But in a shocking claim, Wesley Sneijder suggested that Argentina were “lucky” to lift the coveted trophy. The former Netherlands star also argued that Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal have a “strong” chance of winning the world title for the first time next year, when the United States, Canada and Mexico host the quadrennial tournament.
The former Real Madrid playmaker made the remark during an interaction with AdventureGamers, where he claimed that Portugal have a stronger team lined up for the World Cup and therefore a better chance of winning the trophy than Argentina. He followed it up by saying that Messi was “lucky” to win the title in Qatar, where Argentina defeated France in a dramatic final.
He said: “Portugal have a very strong team. For me they are one of the favourites so then I would say Cristiano Ronaldo has the stronger chance of winning the next World Cup compared to Lionel Messi. It was a great World Cup for Argentina in Qatar but they were a bit lucky as well. I think overall Portugal is a better team.”
Ronaldo is set to make his sixth appearance in a World Cup tournament next year after Portugal beat Armenia 9-1 last week to secure qualification. However, the 41-year-old had confirmed earlier that the tournament would be his last in Portugal colours.
Ronaldo will also miss the opening two games of the World Cup next year after he was sent off during the qualifiers against Ireland. He was slapped with a three-match ban, as a result of which he missed the match against Armenia.
Messi, on the other hand, has yet to confirm if he will play at the 2026 World Cup. The 38-year-old has repeatedly admitted that age, fitness and form will dictate his decision. While he hasn’t ruled out the possibility entirely, Messi has said he will assess things “day by day” and only commit if he feels capable of performing at the level he expects from himself.
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