Messi and Ronaldo could have shared a final international farewell

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may have missed the chance to bring their remarkable rivalry to an end in the same international match.

The careers of football’s greatest players often overlap only briefly, with one star emerging as another approaches retirement. That makes comparisons difficult because of differences in age, circumstances and opponents. But the first quarter of the 21st century produced an exceptional exception, as the paths of two of the sport’s most celebrated players crossed for almost two decades.

Messi and Ronaldo emerged within a few years of the start of the new millennium and have remained locked in competition ever since. Their rivalry was played out most prominently in La Liga, where Ronaldo spent nine years leading Real Madrid against a Barcelona side driven by Messi.

They also contested individual honours for more than 15 years, particularly the Ballon d’Or. Messi has won the award eight times, compared with five victories for the Portugal forward.

Both players eventually left La Liga in search of new European challenges, but their departures ultimately marked the end of their time in European football. They went on to establish new chapters in the Saudi and American leagues.

Their international careers followed a similar pattern. Both endured more than a decade of disappointment before Ronaldo won Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League. Messi followed with the Copa America in 2021, then completed his collection by winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 2023 Finalissima and Copa America 2024. Ronaldo added the 2025 UEFA Nations League to his international honours.

A final meeting that never happened

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico appeared likely to be the final tournament for both players with their national teams. Had that been accepted as the end of their international careers, an Argentina-Portugal meeting could have provided a historic conclusion to their long-running rivalry.

Messi did decide to retire from international football after the first international break following the 2026 World Cup, in October this year. However, his farewell came in a friendly against Benin.

A match between Argentina and Portugal might have offered a more fitting ending, with the two players facing one another in their final appearances for their countries. There had also been reports that Ronaldo wanted to retire after playing his last match for Portugal against Wales in the UEFA Nations League in Lisbon.

That plan was affected by Portugal manager Jorge Jesus, who persuaded Ronaldo to continue with the national team for longer, according to the player’s comments. Ronaldo said he had been ready to retire after the World Cup, but that Jesus convinced him to carry on before breaking his promise twice, leading to their recent dispute.

Ronaldo now risks ending his international career without the farewell match or circumstances that would reflect his achievements with Portugal.

The schedule also made an Argentina-Portugal meeting difficult. The UEFA Nations League occupied the whole of the most recent international break, leaving no room for another fixture. It would also have been unlikely for either player to finish internationally on the other’s home ground.

Even a meeting at a historic neutral venue such as Wembley, or at one of the Spanish stadiums central to their greatest rivalry, would have denied both players the chance to make their final international appearance at home.