When Argentina faces Algeria on Tuesday and Portugal takes on Congo on Wednesday, two of football’s greatest icons will likely begin their final appearances on the sport’s biggest stage.
At 38, Lionel Messi continues to lead Argentina, while 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo remains the driving force behind Portugal. After dominating world football for nearly two decades, both legends are approaching the final chapters of their remarkable careers.
Should Argentina and Portugal advance deep into the tournament, fans could witness one last meeting between two players whose rivalry helped define modern football.
From 2008 to 2017, Messi and Ronaldo shared an unprecedented grip on the Ballon d’Or, the sport’s most prestigious individual honor. During that decade, the award belonged exclusively to one of the two stars, with each winning five titles. Messi has since extended his record tally to eight Ballon d’Or awards.
Their rivalry reached legendary status not only on the international stage but also in Spanish football. Messi spent the prime years of his career at FC Barcelona from 2004 to 2021, while Ronaldo starred for fierce rivals Real Madrid CF between 2009 and 2018.
Together, they elevated the intensity of El Clásico, turning meetings between Barcelona and Real Madrid into some of the most watched sporting events in the world.
Across 37 head-to-head encounters, including a club friendly in 2023, the two superstars were remarkably evenly matched. Both scored 23 goals against one another, though Messi holds the edge in overall results with 17 wins to Ronaldo’s 11, while nine matches ended in draws.
Although the debate over the greatest player of all time remains subjective, Messi has strengthened his case in recent years. In addition to his record eight Ballon d’Or titles, he achieved the crowning moment of his career by leading Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo, despite numerous international successes with Portugal, has never lifted football’s most coveted trophy, with his nation’s best World Cup finish being fourth place.
The rivalry that once dominated world football has gradually faded since Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018. Since 2020, the pair have faced each other only twice — in a UEFA Champions League match in December 2020 and a club friendly in 2023.
Now, as another World Cup begins, the spotlight once again turns to Messi and Ronaldo. Whether or not their paths cross one final time, the tournament could mark the last chapter in one of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever known.
