Ronaldo and Messi’s contrasting international finales after an era of dominance

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi spent years sharing football’s global spotlight, but their international careers ended in markedly different circumstances.

Ronaldo announced on 5 November that he would bring his Portugal career to a close in a video posted on his official social media accounts. The decision surprised supporters and admirers of the veteran forward, who chose to end his time with the national team away from the stadium, the crowd and the usual farewell celebrations.

Messi’s farewell, by contrast, came on 6 October surrounded by his family and Argentina supporters. Thousands of fans gathered to pay tribute to the player who had helped restore his country to the summit of world football. Although the two announcements were separated by only about a month, the tone and setting of each departure were notably different.

Ronaldo began his international career with major ambitions but could not have known that he would become one of the greatest symbols in Portugal’s football history.

After years of attempts and disappointments, he led Portugal to victory at Euro 2016, delivering the country its first major international trophy. He later added UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.

His influence went beyond those honours. Ronaldo became Portugal’s all-time leading scorer and the highest-scoring player in international football, with 146 goals for his country. He leaves behind a record that will be extremely difficult to match.

There is, however, one personal target still within reach. Ronaldo is 15 goals short of scoring 1,000 in his career, a landmark he wants to achieve before retiring from football completely.

Messi’s experience with Argentina was more difficult for much of its early period. He faced sustained criticism for failing to win a major trophy, despite reaching the 2014 World Cup final and consecutive Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016.

Those setbacks did not bring his story to an end. Messi subsequently guided Argentina to two Copa America titles, the 2022 World Cup and a Finalissima triumph. The success transformed widespread criticism into acclaim and completed the long-awaited ambition of Argentina’s supporters.

He also established remarkable individual figures for the national team. Messi has made 208 appearances, more than any other player in Argentina’s history, and leads the country’s scoring charts with 126 goals. He is well clear of his nearest challenger, Gabriel Batistuta, who scored 54.

Messi has also created 66 goals for his team-mates, giving him 192 goal contributions during his international career.

The contrast extended beyond the farewell scenes. Ronaldo’s announcement followed tension and disagreements with manager Jorge Jesus, which affected his relationship with the national team and formed part of the circumstances before his decision.

Messi, meanwhile, departed in an atmosphere of gratitude and celebration after fulfilling most of his ambitions with Argentina. Their careers began on an epic scale, but the final chapters of two defining figures in football’s modern era could hardly have been more different.