Messi vs Ronaldo - 4 reasons why the Portuguese has more chances of winning the World Cup this year

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the incredible players that will light up the World Cup in Russia this month. These amazing superstars have dominated the football world for a long time, sharing the last 10 Ballon d'Or awards between them.

They have also won multiple trophies including the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the Copa Del Rey, the La Liga title, the Spanish Super Cup among others. While these two superstars have excelled while representing their respective clubs, their achievements at the international level are not very impressive.

Cristiano Ronaldo currently has the edge over his rival after leading Portugal to claim the Euros in 2016 but he is still a long way back when it comes to the biggest stage in the sport - the World Cup (a competition in which Messi has also failed).

However, the two superstars have the opportunity to make up for their failures in the tournament this year. After leading Argentina to the final of the competition in 2014, all eyes are on Lionel Messi to win the prestigious trophy for his nation in Russia.

But despite that, below are 4 reasons that prove that Cristiano Ronaldo has more chances of winning the trophy ahead of his eternal rival:

#4. Portugal is performing better than Argentina at the moment

Team effort will help Ronaldo in the tournament

Football is a team sport. Even the most talented players in the world still need the support of their teammates in order to keep them rolling. While Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both fantastic superstars, their individual brilliance might not be enough to lead their respective nations to claim football's most coveted prize in Russia. This is why they also need strong and hard-working teams behind them to succeed in the tournament.

Looking at the recent performances of both nations, it is true that Ronaldo has a better team behind him. Portugal might not have many world-class superstars like Argentina, but they managed to produce better results in their recent matches, evidently earning a vital 3-3 draw against Spain in the tournament. They have also proved in the past that they can produce spectacular performances in the absence of their star man.

Let's derive a typical instance from the Euro 2016 final. Despite Ronaldo's injury in the game, his teammates stepped up at the vital moment and led their nation to glory. Argentina, on the other hand, has failed to inspire their hero to triumph at the important moments. Despite the quality of the team, they still rely heavily on the brilliance of their talisman. In fact, they almost missed out on the World Cup this year. It was Messi who came to their aid, scoring a fantastic hat-trick against Ecuador to send them through.

It becomes even more embarrassing to learn that the last time any player other than the Barca maestro scored in an official game for Argentina was about 19 months ago (12 official matches), which is over 570 days.

With a better team behind Ronaldo, the Portuguese definitely has more chances of claiming the World Cup than his counterpart this year.

#3. Ronaldo's individual edge

Selfish or smart?

Cristiano Ronaldo has faced a lot of criticism in his career due to his individual approach to the game. In fact, many people have aimed several digs at him, praising the overall team efforts of Messi and branding the Portuguese as selfish. However, that obvious approach could end up making the case for the Real Madrid winger when the World Cup concludes this year.

Unlike Messi who prefers to influence the overall output of his team to win matches, Ronaldo often makes his marks individually without really depending on the overall performances of his team

His incredible displays against the likes of Paris Saint Germain and Juventus in the Champions League last term are proofs that Ronaldo can decide the fate of big games even if his team does not play very well.

With this approach, the winger can lead Portugal to the World Cup glory even if they don't play very well in certain matches.

#2. Less pressure on the Portuguese

Messi will be under great pressure in the World Cup this year

With constant comparisons with Argentina's hero, Diego Maradona, coupled with several humiliations at the international level, Barcelona playmaker, Lionel Messi will be under great pressure to deliver in the World Cup this year.

The attacker led his team into the final of the tournament in 2014 but failed to inspire his nation to claim the prestigious trophy in Brazil. With the Argentine looking forward to making up for his recent failure in the competition, he will be entering into the tournament with a great burden on his shoulders and that could be a great advantage to Cristiano Ronaldo in his bid to win football's biggest prize.

With Portugal not considered as one of the favorites to win the World Cup this year, Cristiano Ronaldo will definitely be entering into the tournament with less pressure on his head. This would allow him to focus completely on the competition, thereby earning him a great chance to take his game forward and lead his nation to glory.

#1. Inspiration from the Euro 2016 triumph

Ronaldo won the Euros in 2016

With the likes of Germany, Sapin, France, Belgium, and Brazil playing at a great level at the moment, no one is expecting Ronaldo to lead Portugal to claim the World Cup this year. However, his Euro 2016 triumph is a proof that the attacker can lead his nation to glory even when they are not considered favorites.

Ronaldo was an unlikely winner in the tournament which took place in France. In fact, Portugal made it into the knockout stages as the best losers. Yet, they were able to hold on to their nerves, remained calm and produced great performances in the tournament.

With the attacker looking forward to earning glory for his country, the World Cup might just end up being a repeat of what happened in the Euros in 2016.