'No World Cup title doesn't mean Messi, Ronaldo not important part of history'

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have achieved enough in their careers and would be regarded as great as Pele and Maradona even if they were to finish their glittering careers without winning the FIFA World Cup, believes Portugese great Luis Figo.

- Rohan Alvares

"Of course is more prestigious if you win a World title or a European title, but doesn't mean that their career or what they did in the past was not history in football. So depends on each one's point of view," Figo, who is here as part of Viacom18 Sports' expert panel for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, told reporters on Saturday.

For all the success and accolades Ronaldo and Messi have shared over the past 15 years, football's ultimate prize has eluded both superstars ever since they made their World Cup bows at Germany 2006. With Ronaldo closing in on 38 and Messi, 35, the Portuguese and Argentinian are both aware the current edition in Qatar may well represent their last opportunity to join Pele and Maradona among the pantheon of World Cup-winning legends.