The 2022 FIFA World Cup had completed its first two rounds of matches, the Group Stage as well as the Round of 16, upsets have been made more often than the past, which saw three of the top-ten ranked teams in the world been eliminated before the quarterfinal of the quadrennial tournament, namely Belgium (World no. 2, Group Stage), Spain (World no. 7, Last 16) and Denmark (World no. 10, Group Stage). While the last eight matches are set to take place starting this Friday, a host of fans cannot help but claiming the famous FIFA is rigging a potential final between two of the best players in the history of football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Both Were Featured Together in Louis Vuitton’s Brand Campaign
Prior to the start of the first ever World Cup to be held in a Middle-East State and winter season, the seven-time and five-time Ballon d’Or winners were pictured together in the luxury brand, Louis Vuitton’s sponsored post. The photo went viral and scored big online, with Ronaldo’s post attracted more than 41 million likes on Instagram while Messi’s photo gained more than 31 millions likes on the same platform. The two mega icons in football were seen contemplating about their moves in a chess game on top of a classic Louis Vuitton checkered suitcase.
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Something Seems to Be Brewing Here
It is worth noting that the France-based luxury brand, which is also the second most-valued brand in the world, has been FIFA’s celebrated sponsorship partner for years now. In every World Cup since the 2010 edition in South Africa, the brand has been designing a bespoke case to hold the official trophy, and the 2022 edition in Qatar is the fourth time the French brand will do so. Hence, with LV releasing the picture that broke the Internet just days before the quadrennial tournament begins, fans are prompted to envision it is plotting a dream final between two legends of the football game.
The Last Dance of G. O. A. T.s
Ronaldo’s Os Navegadores took the tough route through the play-offs to book a ticket in the World Cup Finals while Messi-led La Albiceleste came to Qatar with a 36-game undefeated record and was one game away from equaling the defending European champion Italy’s world record of unbeaten streak. Since then, Portugal won three out of their four matches to reach the last eight, but doing it so without much contributions from its captain, Cristiano Ronaldo while Argentina survived group stage scares after falling to Saudi Arabia in the group opener and won their next three games to advance to the same stage like their European counterpart.
Knowing this year’s World Cup in Qatar is potentially the last for the 37-year-old Ronaldo and 35-year-old Messi, every football fan would love to have a final between the two, and regardless of who will emerge the winner and finally bag home the last trophy missing from their elusive cabinet, the match is set to remembered by generations.
Croatia broke the Japanese hearts through penalties in the Round of 16. Read more about it here.
(Photo Credits: Joint EMS Protocols)
