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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the biggest footballers in the world, are in the twilight phase of their professional careers. In the last couple of decades, they have faced each other multiple times, especially in club football, when Messi was playing for FC Barcelona, while Ronaldo turned up for Real Madrid, in Spanish and European football.
This rivalry ended up defining the sport, especially during the 2010s, as Lionel Messi ended up winning the Ballon d’Or seven times, while Cristiano Ronaldo won the prestigious award five times.
In 2014, they took on each other once in an international friendly, when Portugal defeated Argentina by 1-0, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Raphael Guerreiro at the Old Trafford. It wasn’t an ideal day for both the players on the football pitch individually, as they were subbed out midway into the second half of the match.
Notably, at the turn of the year, the 38-year-old Portuguese star had signed for Al-Nassr, a Saudi Arabian football club on a free transfer from Manchester United, till 2025, for a whopping $215 million deal every year. Meanwhile, on June 7, Wednesday, his 36-year-old Argentine counterpart made a bombshell announcement about joining Inter Miami club in Major League Soccer (MLS) on a free transfer, after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this football season.
So, now, the question arises, can Messi and Ronaldo play against each other in club football now? The simple answer would be highly unlikely. It’s because both Al-Nassr and Inter Miami aren’t the big clubs in football currently, that’s why, if they are going to pursue friendlies, it would be against top clubs, the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, and Inter Milan, among others.
However, the two sides, Al-Nassr and Inter Miami have slight chances to face each other if their owners decide to organize a friendly or charity match between the two sides. On the other hand, both the legends can share the same pitch if their respective leagues Saudi League and MLS conduct an All-Star game to raise charity for any noble cause.