Fifa World Cup
oi-Gaurav Sharma
The FIFA World Cup has already delivered plenty of drama, but Sunday promises to be one of the biggest days of the tournament yet. Within a span of just a few hours, football fans will get to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi return to the world’s biggest stage as Portugal face Colombia and Argentina take on Jordan.
For nearly 20 years, Ronaldo and Messi have shared football’s biggest headlines. Even as they approach the twilight of their legendary careers, the two superstars continue to attract millions of viewers every time they step onto the pitch. Sunday will be no different.
The FIFA World Cup continues Sunday with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal facing Colombia in Miami and Lionel Messi’s Argentina playing Jordan in Arlington, Texas, featuring two of football’s biggest stars.
The action begins in Miami, where Portugal take on Colombia in what is arguably one of the biggest group-stage matches of the tournament. Both teams have already qualified for the Round of 16, but the winner will finish on top of Group K.
Cristiano Ronaldo will once again lead Portugal’s attack, supported by Bruno Fernandes, João Félix and Pedro Neto. Colombia, meanwhile, arrive with plenty of firepower of their own, with James Rodríguez pulling the strings behind Luis Díaz and Luis Suárez. On paper, it promises to be an open, attacking contest between two teams in excellent form.
Portugal vs Colombia
Kick-off:
India: 5:00 a.m. IST (Sunday)
UK: 12:30 a.m. BST
USA: 7:30 p.m. ET (Saturday)
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Predicted Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha; Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix; Cristiano Ronaldo.
Predicted Colombia XI: Camilo Vargas; Daniel Muñoz, Davinson Sánchez, Jhon Lucumí, Johan Mojica; Gustavo Puerta, Jefferson Lerma, Jhon Arias; James Rodríguez, Luis Suárez, Luis Díaz.
Just a few hours later, attention shifts to Arlington, Texas, where Lionel Messi’s Argentina close out their Group J campaign against Jordan.
Unlike Portugal’s contest, Argentina have already secured first place in the group after victories over Algeria and Austria. Jordan, meanwhile, have been eliminated, making this a chance for Argentina to rotate their squad before the knockout rounds. Even so, all eyes will be on whether Messi features and how the defending champions maintain their momentum heading into the last 16.
Jordan, despite having nothing to lose, will be eager to produce a memorable performance against one of football’s biggest nations.
Jordan vs Argentina
Kick-off:
India: 7:30 a.m. IST (Sunday)
UK: 3:00 a.m. BST
USA: 10:00 p.m. ET (Saturday)
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Predicted Argentina XI: Juan Musso; Nahuel Molina, Nicolás Otamendi, Marcos Senesi, Nicolás Tagliafico; Giovani Lo Celso, Leandro Paredes, Valentín Barco; Nico Paz, Julián Álvarez, Nico González.
Predicted Jordan XI: Yazeed Abulaila; Mohammad Abualnadi, Abdallah Nasib, Yazan Al-Arab; Mohannad Abu Taha, Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Ehsan Haddad; Odeh Fakhoury, Mousa Al-Tamari; Ali Olwan.
Whether it’s Ronaldo chasing another memorable World Cup performance against Colombia or Messi preparing Argentina for the knockout rounds, Sunday belongs to football’s two greatest modern icons. The opponents, the stakes and the storylines may be different, but fans around the world will be hoping for one thing-a weekend worthy of two legends who have defined an era.
