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Liverpool legend John Aldridge made an incredible claim involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Writing for the Independent, Aldridge claimed that he would like to see Messi lift the award in Qatar. He also claimed that Messi's chances of having a successful campaign are much higher than that of his Portuguese rival.
Aldridge wrote:
"Whatever we make of this mess, I’d love to see Lionel Messi win the World Cup at last in Qatar. He has been a magnificent player and far more likeable than his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has made so many headlines with his big interview slagging off Manchester United in recent days. I spend a lot of my time in Portugal as I have a house in the Algarve, so I’d like to see them do well, and it would also be nice to see Wales have a run."
Lionel Messi is heading into the World Cup in fine form. The Argentine has scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in 19 games for his club side Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has scored only three goals and provided two assists in 16 games for the Red Devils. His future at the club looks uncertain after a recent explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Messi previously reached the finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, the Albicelestes succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Germany on that occasion. The no. 10 was named the player of the tournament and won the Golden Ball award.
Ronaldo's greatest collective campaign at the World Cup was a semi-final appearance in 2006. The Portuguese scored four goals last term, only to see Portugal bow out in the round of 16 after a defeat to Uruguay.
When are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo starting their campaigns in the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Lionel Messi's Argentina will start their campaign at the 2022 FIFA World Cup against Saudi Arabia on November 22. They will also take on Mexico and Poland in Group C on November 27 and December 1 respectively.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal will commence their campaign against Ghana on November 24 in Group H. They face South American giants Uruguay next on November 29 before a clash against South Korea on December 2.
