Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two formidable football players who have competed against each other a record number of 37 times. The first being the Champions League match between Manchester United and Barcelona during the 2007/08 season, and then, finally, in April 2023 with the match between the Riyadh Season Team and PSG. Cristiano has been praised for his athleticism as well as his goal-scoring abilities, whilst admiration for Messi falls on the fact that he uses a lot of technical skill in his gameplay.
A sterling history for some memorable players
Argentinian-born Lionel Messi is an 8-time winner of the Ballon d’Or. He has captained the Argentinian team twice to wins in the Copa America during 2021 as well as 2024. He also led the same team to victory during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. During 2022, he was also named as a player of the year during the 2022 Best FIFA awards. Messi has scored a record number of 112 goals throughout 192 games played.
5-Time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has been the first male player to score in five different World Cups. The Portuguese player has also been the top goal scorer for the UEFA Champions League with a staggering 141 goals. Ronaldo also captained Portugal to their win during the Euro 2016. Cristiano Ronaldo also holds the record for the top goal scorer in men’s international football with an astounding 138 goals.
An uncertain future in the world of football
The upcoming soccer season is very important as the FIFA World Cup will be taking place in 2026. With this in mind, there has been much speculation about the plans of Lionel Messi. This is especially because his contract with Inter Miami comes to an end in December 2025. In the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar, Messi led Argentina to a win in the final against France.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take place in Canada, Mexico as well and the United States. If Messi plays, it may be his last ever World Cup tournament. Talks persist that Inter Miami is looking to extend Messi’s contract. During his tenure with the team, they won the inaugural 2023 Leagues Cup. He also led the team to victory in the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and then continued to play for them in the FIFA Club World Cup.
A formidable duo to take note of
The possibility exists that Inter Miami’s thoughts on contract extension could be due to their new stadium. Miami Freedom Park is set to open in 2026 with the hopes that Messi will be able to play in this stadium. Another option for Messi would also be the Saudi Pro League, which is eager to source the player, as previous attempts have failed. Al-Hilal had offered Messi a €1.4 billion contract to join the club in 2023.
This was just after Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain ended. He turned down this offer. Anmar Al Haili, president of Al-Hilal, noted that:
“We offered him €1.4 billion, but he turned it down
because his family wanted to go to the U.S. He rejected the amount for their sake. Even though we tried to convince him, he made it clear: family comes before money.”
If this deal comes to pass, there is a possibility that Messi and Ronaldo could play in the same league, as there is enough financial means to make this a reality. But after Messi’s shift to Inter Miami, this would also be another big move for the player. A further possibility is the option to play again for Barcelona. These are some big decisions that lie ahead for Lionel Messi. Weighing up comfort and family life against competitiveness and financial allure leaves all in anticipation as to the outcome of his decision.
