Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo in the final chapter of the greatest rivalry in football history

There is no more fabulous rivalry in football history than that of Lionel Messi (35 years old) e Cristiano Ronaldo (37). No matter how much you search, you won’t find anything like it. Reach for a piece of information to support the assertion: In total they have 12 Golden Balls. And this Thursday, from 2pm (ESPN) at King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabiathe Rosario and the Portuguese meet again in the friendly duel between Paris Saint-GermainNew York Riyadh seasona team that has players from to nasr Y al hilal and which will be directed by Marcellus Gallardo. A question arises: will it be the last duel between the two?

While the rivalry is simmering, the end of the era for both has long since arrived. And it is that the last few years of the two have been far from successful at club level. Calling attention, for example, who have only played one match against each other in the past 1,718 days, something like four and a half years. The last precedent dates back to 8 December 2020, with a 3-0 victory for Juventus against Barcelona at the Camp Nou with 2 goals Insect.

this afternoon it will be the 37th game that pits them against each other. The previous matches were 18 for LaLiga, 6 for the Champions League, 5 for the Copa del Rey, 5 for the Spanish Super Cup and 2 for international friendlies. The Flea He takes a small advantage from the Portuguese: 16 wins and 22 goals, over 11 wins and 21 celebrations.

The first meeting between the slots was for the Champions League, in one of the semi-finals of the 2007/2008 season and with a victory for Manchester United of CR7, who drew 0-0 at the Camp Nou and won 1-0 in England.

Another devastating fact: for 14 years Messi and Ronaldo have shared the Ballon d’Or, except in two editions (Luka Modric in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022). The Argentine has won it seven times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021), the Portuguese five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017). unstoppable.

“It was nice to have Cristiano in Spain, especially since he was at Real Madrid”Messi released the last time they were together, at the 2020 UEFA gala. “I was curious to know that after having this competitiveness for 15 years we have a very good relationship. We haven’t had dinner together yet, but it might be in the future. Messi and I had a great battle. We helped each other to be better. This rivalry is football history,” the Portuguese brought back alongside him to the ringside.

Messi and Christian they have never been friends, but they have always respected each other. They also admired each other in silence. The competition between the two made them stronger. At the beginning of their careers they were distant, although over the years they have grown closer. Both are billing machines and in recent months they have shared an advertisement that has been around the world.

It is surprising to analyze the numbers of the two. Messi scored 794 goals in 1,005 games and Ronaldo celebrated 819 in 1,145 duels. In the titles, Rosario has an advantage over the Portuguese: 41 against 33.

The anticipation generated in Riyadh by the confrontation between Messi and Cristiano was reflected in the solidarity auction organized by Saudi tycoon Turki Al-Sheikh, president of the Spanish club Almería, adviser to the Royal Court and head of the General Authority of Entertainment of the country .

Local businessman Mushraf al Ghamdi paid almost three million dollars (2,700,000) for VIP entrance to watch the game in a box and after the game you can take a photo with the two world stars. Furthermore, as revealed by L’Equipe, PSG received almost 11 million dollars for participating in the so-called “Riyadh Season”, a celebration that runs from October last year to January 22 with international events promoted by the Saudi state.

Messi and Ronaldo, two of the greatest in history, will play again. There will be laughter, hugs and football; It will be a luxurious party. Will it be the last?