The majestic football World Cup bade farewell to its two brightest casts. None other than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, with 15 years of rivalry, are going to act for the last time. One of them may have an ending inside the Lusail Stadium on December 18, weeping with a gleaming trophy to end the GOAT debate. But whatever it is, whether they win it or not, the GOAT debate ends or continues, ends means ends.
A generation falls in love with football, watching lightning Ronaldo step over and the excellent dribbling of mystical Messi. With that, the world split into two parts to christen their individual choice as the greatest of all time. After more than 16 years of endless debating, the conclusion is yet to be made. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, at – 37 and 35, respectively, will probably walk on the grandest stage for the last time. With that, the GOAT debate could end soon.
“There is some anxiety and nerves at the same time,” Messi said in an interview with ESPN. “It is the last one.” On the other hand, Ronaldo hasn’t revealed anything yet. But, It would be foolish to think that Ronaldo can make space in Portugal’s team in the 2026 FIFA world cup when he turns 41.
Both Leo and CR7, with their glamorous journey, have made football fulfilled. Messi has been awarded the world’s best player seven times, while Ronaldo won in 5 separate years. Ronaldo won 5 UEFA Champions League crowns – one of the grandest and most prestigious stages of football after the world cup. Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in the Champions League, followed by his arch-rival, Lionel Messi, standing second in the race. On the contrary, Lionel Messi is the all-time top assist provider who has tallied 385 assists in his record-breaking career.
However, both are carrying on their national team with their individual flames. As things stand, Messi has already surpassed Ronaldo in World Cup goals and assists, while Ronaldo can claim to have a less productive team.
They have already reached a celestial status in their career, breaking all records except the ultimate glory, which is the World Cup. Now, both are marching to achieve the ultimate glory to set the bar even higher for their supremacy. Both started their World Cup journey in Germany in 2006, and Qatar could be the climax of their journey together.
In the realm of sports, there is hardly any rivalry that lasts like this one consistently. Messi and Ronaldo are synonymous with each other in the history of sports. Not that the rivalry creates conflict between them; instead, it makes the competition more competitive for each other. “We had the battle in Spain, I pushed him and he pushed me to be a better player,” Ronaldo said of Messi in an interview. They spurred each other to go further throughout their career.
The two renowned faces of this cinema have achieved every possible individual award. The national cabinet is also filled with trophies. While Ronaldo won UEFA Euro in 2016, and Messi won Copa America, neither has got the chance to taste the supreme of football.
The most notable thing about this rivalry is that we are yet to agree on who is the best after all of these years, those goals and assists, magical nights of El-Clasico, and breathtaking performances. As the greatest show on earth has approached already, the debate will start, the heroes will walk on the green pitch of the desert, and a memorable last dance of two greats is likely to happen. If either of them fails to lift the trophy, the list of players who never won the World Cup will get a bit more lengthy. No matter what happens, our childhood heroes have never failed to entertain us with their magical stuff. We wish they were in their 20s again, competing against each other and making us fall in love with football again.
Writer
Md Abu Jayed
Intern
Content Writing Department
YSSE