A record-breaking sixth World Cup for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo put them on course to meet head-to-head on the biggest stage of all -- until it all went wrong.
Ronaldo's Portugal were eliminated in the round of 16, erasing hope of a dream clash against Messi's Argentina.
This was be their last chance to play each other at a World Cup because Ronaldo, 41, confirmed he wouldn't be back in 2030 (with the full disclaimer that you can't really predict anything when it comes to these two).
How was Ronaldo eliminated? How is Messi faring?
Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain in the round of 16 with Ronaldo leaving the pitch, and his World Cup career, in tears.
He had scored twice against Uzbekistan in the group stage but otherwise failed to find the back of the net in Portugal's four other games.
Roberto Martinez had been criticised for keeping faith with Ronaldo throughout but he remained on the pitch as Spain won 1-0.
Meanwhile, Messi scored a hat trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in their first game then added two more in a 2-0 win against Austria. Messi scored a free kick as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 in their last match in Group J.
After topping their group, Argentina faced Cape Verde, beating them 3-2, with Messi once again on the scoresheet. Argentina will now face Egypt in the round of 16.
How close was Ronaldo vs. Messi to becoming a reality?
Ronaldo and Messi could have only met in the World Cup final.
That's because Portugal finished second in their group, so a quarterfinal clash was off the table.
How have Messi and Ronaldo fared at previous World Cups?
Messi, 38, has, of course, won the World Cup in the last edition. With a losing final in 2014 to add to that, his World Cup record is far superior to 41-year-old Ronaldo's, whose best remains the semifinal appearance in his debut tournament (2006).
What records can they break in the 2026 World Cup?
Messi broke the record for the most World Cup appearances (six) in Argentina's first game of 2026 against Algeria. His hat trick against Algeria tied Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals. He then broke that record by scoring two goals against Austria.
Having scored three more goals since the Austria game, Messi has now score 20 goals at World Cups -- more than any other player in the competition's history.
Messi already holds the record for most World Cup matches played (30) and World Cup minutes -- both of which are records he took from Paolo Maldini in Qatar.
With the opening goal against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo became the first man to score in six different World Cups.
On the larger picture international football front, Ronaldo remains top of the pack. He has made the most appearances (233) and scored the most goals (146) across men's international football. Meanwhile, Messi has the second-most goals with 124 (from 203 caps).
Outside of international football, what is their head-to-head like?
Across 35 club matches (almost of them coming at Barcelona and Real Madrid), Messi has won 16 times, Ronaldo 10 (nine draws) with Messi and Ronaldo both scoring 22 goals.
Oh, and they share a win each, and a goal each in their two international fixtures.