Zagayen fitar da masu rashin nasara na Gasar Cin Kofin Duniya ta FIFA 2026 sun riga sun fara, kuma yayin da tawagar ke fara zana tafarkinsu na yiwu zuwa wasan karshe, tambaya daya tana damun masoya kwallon kafa a bangarorin biyu na Tekun Atlantika — shin za a iya ganin England da Argentina sun hadu a wasan kusa da na karshe?

Canada sun kafa alkibla

Zagayen 32 ya bude ranar Lahadi lokacin da masu masaukin baki Canada suka samu sakamakon da zai iya zama mafi girma a tarihin kwallon kafarsu. Burin Stephen Eustaquio a lokacin karin lokaci ya isa ya fitar da South Africa kuma ya cika farin cikin masu kallo a gida. Sauran wasannin zagayen 32 za a yi su a cikin kwanaki biyar masu zuwa.

Aikin England na yanzu

Tawagar England ta Thomas Tuchel za ta fuskanci DR Congo ranar Laraba tsakar rana a Atlanta. Tafarkin su a cikin kura ya kaurace wa wasu daga cikin manyan masu fafatawa a gasar, amma hanya zuwa wasan karshe ba ta sauqi ba.

Idan England ta ci gaba, abokin hamayyarsu a zagayen 16 zai zama wanda ya yi nasara a wasan Talata tsakanin Mexico da Ecuador — wasa wanda zai iya sanya Three Lions su fuskanci masu masaukin baki Mexico a shahararren Azteca Stadium.

Messi — a wata matakin gaba daya

Lionel Messi, wanda ya cika shekaru 39 makonni jiya, ya kasance bajintar dan wasa a gasar ba tare da shakka ba. Ya ci kwallaye shida a marhalar rukuni — wanda Argentina ta lashe dukkan wasanninta uku — don haka yana kan gaban jerin manyan masu cin kwallaye a tarihin duk Kofin Duniya.

Ladan Argentina na jagorantar rukuninsu wasa ne na zagayen 32 da Cape Verde, tawagar mamaki a gasar. Abokin hamayyarsu da ake hasashe a zagayen 16 zai zama wanda ya yi nasara a wasan Australia da Egypt — wasa da ya riga ya kama hankali, domin Mohamed Salah yana fuskanci Messi a filin Kofin Duniya zai zama abin ban sha'awa sosai.

Hanyar zuwa wasan kusa da na karshe na tarihi

Ko da bangarorin biyu sun ci gaba kamar yadda ake tsammanin ta hanyar zagayen 32 da zagayen 16, ba za su hadu ba sai a marhala ta wasan kusa da na karshe. Abokin hamayyar England da ake hasashe a wasan kusa da na karshe zai zama Brazil, muddin Seleção sun samu nasara a wasansu na zagayen 32 da Japan sannan kuma masu nasara daga wasan Ivory Coast da Norway. Argentina kuwa, za ta fuskanci wanda ya ci wasan kwata na karshe tsakanin Switzerland ko Algeria da Colombia ko Ghana.

Idan dukkan bangarorin biyu sun wuce waɗannan wasannin, sai abokan hamayya na tarihi su hadu a wasan kusa da na karshe a Atlanta a ranar Laraba, 15 Yuli.

Hamayya da ta tsaya a kan lokaci

Abin mamaki, irin wannan taro zai kasance karo na farko da Messi zai fuskanci England a wasan kasa da kasa na manya. Duk da yin wasanni 202 na kasa da kasa don La Albiceleste a cikin shekaru 21 na aikinsa na kasa da kasa, Messi bai taba fuskanci Three Lions ba.

Kasashen biyu sun hadu a karon karshe a wasan abota a Geneva a cikin Nuwambar 2005, wasa da England ta lashe 3-2 godiya ga burin Wayne Rooney da ci biyu na Michael Owen. Messi mai shekaru 18 ya fara buga wasansa na farko tare da babbar tawaga ta Argentina kwanan nan — ko da yake ya dawwama ƙasa da minti daya bayan an fitar da shi da jan kati kai tsaye a kan Hungary — wanda hakan ya sanya an hana shi wasan abota a Geneva.

Haduwar wasan kusa da na karshe za ta kasance gamuwa ta shida a Kofin Duniya tsakanin wadannan abokan hamayya masu tarihi. Daga cikin wasannin da suka fi shahara akwai wasan kwata na karshe na 1986, da ake tunawa da burin Hannu na Allah na Diego Maradona da guduwarsa mai ban sha'awa, da kuma wasan zagayen 16 na 1998, da aka tuna da wanda buri mai kyau na ɗaiɗaikun Michael Owen, jan katin David Beckham, da kuma karin shan kaye England a harbe-harbe.