Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi: Who deserves to win World Cup 2022? Ex-USMNT coach answers

All eyes will be on Qatar this year when the World Cup 2022 gets underway on November 20. Fans worldwide will be eagerly glued to see who emerges victorious with football enthusiasts divided over whether Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal or Lionel Messi's Argentina stand a chance to win the coveted trophy.

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As fans gear up for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar from November 20, all eyes will be on the two legends in world football today - Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Lionel Messi. Supporters have dubbed the two iconic players the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T.), but neither has ever been part of a World Cup-winning team.

The debate around who deserves to win has gathered steam. Numerous experts have been predicting which teams will advance from the group stage, which will fall short, and, more crucially, who will win the competition during the coming weeks. While the world is split between countries like Brazil, France, England, etc., former United States men's national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann has made his pick.

Argentina looked dominant during the international window against Honduras and Jamaica, while Portugal registered one win and one loss in the UEFA Nations League. However, one of the marked differences is the form of Argentinian icon Messi compared to Portuguese talisman Ronaldo. And the 35-year-old's recent form has forced Klinsmann to believe the world wants to see Messi win the World Cup in what is likely to be his last appearance in the showpiece event.

"I think that everyone in football has a wish, and that is that Messi, with his incredible talent, with everything he has done in his career, with how tremendously well he represents football, win the World Cup like Diego (Maradona) did," the ex-USMNT coach told La Nación recently.

"Messi deserves it more than anyone. Messi should take the World Cup from Qatar to his house," Klinsmann added. It will be interesting to see if Argentina, which won the Copa America last year led by the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, can carry the momentum into Qatar.