The FIFA World Cup is underway, but before Argentina and Portugal take the field, much of the attention continues to centre on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. More than two decades after emerging on the global stage, the two icons remain the biggest talking points in world football.Bhaichung Bhutia spoke exclusively to Hindustan Times Digital about FIFA World Cup 2026. (AFP)Messi enters the tournament in a very different position from four years ago. By leading Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar, he secured the one major honour that had long eluded him. The pressure is no longer the same, but the passion and drive remain undiminished. Whenever Messi pulls on the Argentina shirt, the atmosphere feels unique, with thousands of fans turning stadiums into a sea of blue and white. For Ronaldo, however, the story is different. The World Cup remains the one major trophy missing from his glittering career.Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia, who will be part of the FIFA World Cup broadcast team for Zee5 and Unite8, spoke exclusively to Hindustan Times Digital about the tournament, sharing his views on the contrasting situations of Messi and Ronaldo as they prepare for another shot at football's biggest prize.Here are the excerpts from the interview:Argentina head into the World Cup as defending champions, but several key players, including Lionel Messi, are now playing outside Europe's top leagues. Do you think this squad still has what it takes to retain the title?Definitely. I think they still have almost the entire core of the team from the last World Cup that they won. Apart from Di Maria, who has retired, most of the players are still there and have improved, performing even better. Alvarez, especially, has been fantastic for Atletico Madrid. The great thing is that the World Cup is being played in North America, and the weather and conditions should be very friendly for the South American teams. As their coach said, they're not going to this World Cup to win it; they're going there to defend it. That itself shows how strong and confident this team is. They have great unity as well. In the last World Cup, they played for Messi, and they'll still play for Messi this time, but the bonding and togetherness within the squad will be very important. If you look at some of the other favourites like Brazil and France, they are great teams, but sometimes it feels like something is missing in terms of team spirit and unity. Argentina don't seem to have that problem. They look like a complete team, very well-balanced, and they have a great leader in Messi to help them defend the World Cup once again.Portugal arguably has one of the strongest midfields in world football. Does this feel like their best opportunity yet to finally win a World Cup?I think if you look at Portugal right now, this is probably their best team. They also won the Nations League, and they look like a very, very strong side. As you mentioned, their midfield is one of the best in the world. Bruno Fernandes has had a fantastic Premier League season, and they have some outstanding players in that area of the pitch. Up front, though, I still have a few doubts about the finishing and striking department. If Ronaldo were 10 years younger, with this team around him, I think Portugal would be clear favourites to win the World Cup. They are still among the favourites, but that final edge in attack is something I feel is missing.They will definitely be playing for Ronaldo. Everybody wants to help him win the one trophy that has eluded him. But when you compare the situations of Messi and Ronaldo, I think the feeling within the Argentina camp towards Messi is different. It feels very natural and genuine. With Portugal, the players will say Ronaldo means everything to them and that they want to win it for him, and I'm sure the respect is there. But whether that emotional connection is quite the same as what the Argentina players have for Messi, I'm not so sure. That's just my personal opinion. If you're comparing the two, I think that extra 1% in terms of spirit and togetherness is stronger in the Argentina squad than in Portugal.There has been plenty of debate around Cristiano Ronaldo's role in the team, with some suggesting Portugal might be better served using him as an impact substitute rather than a starter. What is your view on that argument?I think it's going to be very difficult to keep a player like Ronaldo on the bench. I don't really see that happening. Either he doesn't play at all, or he starts. I think he will be in the starting XI in most matches, and they can take him off later depending on the game's situation. Knowing Ronaldo, he's not the kind of player who likes sitting on the bench and waiting to come on. He will always want to start. Whatever his age is, whatever his form is, if Ronaldo is in the squad, he will want to be in the starting lineup. And I think Portugal will respect that. So my feeling is that he will start most of their matches, and then, if needed, they can manage his minutes by taking him off towards the end.Given their age and where they are in their careers, do players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar need to take on a slightly different role this World Cup and allow the younger generation to carry more of the burden?No, I think Messi and Ronaldo will still be the main men for their teams, whether people accept it or not.Neymar's situation is a little different because he's still dealing with injuries. I can relate to that because, towards the end of my career, around the same age Neymar is now, I had a calf muscle injury as well. It happened when we qualified for the Asian Cup, and I could barely play. I only managed 15-20 minutes in the final match. A calf injury is tricky because it can keep coming back and takes a lot out of you. So, I think it will be difficult for Neymar, especially in the early stages of the tournament, and he may not have as big an impact for Brazil at this World Cup.As for Messi and Ronaldo, they will still be at the centre of everything. Messi's role is very different. Playing in the MLS and in the conditions in North America suits him. He can slow the game down, keep possession, create chances and dictate the tempo from deeper areas.Ronaldo, on the other hand, is a different type of player. Portugal will look to create opportunities for him and play to his strengths. He may not control games the way Messi does, but he knows how to get into goalscoring positions, and when chances come his way, he can still finish them.On paper, France appear to have quality and depth in every area of the pitch. Do you see them as the favourites? Which teams do you think could pose the biggest threat to them?If you look at France on paper, they probably have the strongest squad and some of the best players in the tournament. But as I've said before, I'm not a big fan of Didier Deschamps' approach. The kind of football France play doesn't always match the quality of players they have. When they won the World Cup, it was a different team and a different situation. But if you look at France in the last World Cup and even at the European Championship, they have often tried to play a more defensive style. Sometimes, when your biggest strength is in attack, you need to play to that strength. We saw that in the last World Cup final. For almost 70 minutes, Argentina completely outplayed them. It was only after Mbappe scored that France started attacking, looked more dangerous and nearly won the World Cup. France have some of the best attacking players in the world in Mbappe, Dembele and Olise. These are players who can create and score goals on their own. When you have that kind of firepower, playing too defensively can sometimes backfire. The best managers usually build their style around the strengths of their squad, and for France, that strength is clearly in attack.We have seen several national teams increasingly rely on younger talent. Do you think this World Cup could mark a changing of the guard, with a new generation of stars taking centre stage?I think so. There are a lot of exciting young players coming through. The one everyone is talking about is Lamine Yamal. He's got a great team around him in Spain, and they are one of the favourites to win the World Cup. The conditions in the US should suit them as well because the weather is quite similar to what many of their players are used to.Spain are also a team that loves to keep the ball. When you can control possession and dictate the tempo of the game, it gives you a huge advantage in tournaments like this. That's why I think Lamine Yamal is one player who can make a really big impact.Haaland will make an impact, no doubt, but I see players like Lamine Yamal and Julian Alvarez having an even bigger influence on this World Cup.Who are your picks for the Golden Boot this time?Quite a few players come to mind, but Harry Kane would be at the top of my list. He's proven himself everywhere and has had another excellent season with Bayern Munich. He's England's first-choice penalty taker and is also dangerous from free-kicks, which gives him a big advantage in the race for the Golden Boot. Mbappe is another obvious contender. France will create plenty of chances, and he's also likely to take penalties and free-kicks. If you want to finish as the top scorer at a World Cup, being your team's dead-ball specialist definitely helps. Lamine Yamal is another player to watch. So for me, Kane, Mbappe and Yamal are among the strongest contenders to finish as the tournament's highest goalscorer.Looking beyond the traditional favourites, which team do you believe has the potential to be this World Cup's surprise package?I actually see Brazil as the dark horses of this World Cup. Normally, whenever we talk about the tournament, Brazil are among the favourites, but this time the expectations aren't quite as high.They have a very good squad and, more importantly, a coach like Ancelotti, who is one of the best man-managers in football. With players like Vinicius Junior and others who thrive when they're playing with freedom and confidence, I think Ancelotti is the perfect fit for this group. The biggest difference is that Brazil are coming into this World Cup with far less pressure than usual. In previous tournaments, there was always an expectation that they had to win. This time, most pundits and experts probably wouldn't even put them among their top six favourites.