Will there ever be another great football rivalry like Messi vs Ronaldo?

[Firebat]

Whatever your opinions on who's the best, it's undeniable that the rivalry of Messi and Ronaldo dominated elite football for an entire generation.

Every single Ballon d'Or between 2008-2017 was won by either one of them, an unprecedented period of domination by 2 players that was never seen before.

The next crop of elite footballers has now become clear. Mbappe is one of course, Haaland is tearing it up right now in the PL.

ESPN lists these as the top 10 players 21 or under: Gavi, Alphonso Davies, Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Bukayo Saka, Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Pedri, Erling Haaland.

As the 2 greats Messi and Ronaldo come to the end of their careers, the question becomes: will a rivalry like theirs ever be seen again?

Are there any players of the current generation that could match the standards or levels they set, and dominate world football for years to come?

 

[sweep_shot]

Never say never.

There are some already promising young footballers.

I can see Mbappe possibly having a rivalry with someone soon.

 

[Technics 1210]

I doubt we will see such rivalry ever again in our life times.

For rivalry to occur, players must compete at the same levels, this means World Cups, but more importantly at continental level, Champions league. Don't see this happening with Mbappe vs Halaand.

 

[MenInG]

Rivalries in today's world are fueled not just by stats but by social media as well.

The Messi v Ronaldo thing has been hyped up a lot but in the current lot, Haaland vs Mbappe could be the one to watch?

 

[Sherazkhalid]

Rivalries in today's world are fueled not just by stats but by social media as well.

The Messi v Ronaldo thing has been hyped up a lot but in the current lot, Haaland vs Mbappe could be the one to watch?

yep the new gen rivalry, Mbappe vs Haaland, where one may never even play wc

 

[Technics 1210]

Rivalries in today's world are fueled not just by stats but by social media as well.

The Messi v Ronaldo thing has been hyped up a lot but in the current lot, Haaland vs Mbappe could be the one to watch?

When FIFA conducted the Player of the 20th Century award in Dec 2000, there were 2 voter banks.

1. FIFA/Media/Player representatives.
2. The internet vote.

FIFA were sure that Pele would win, and he did with the FIFA reps etc, but to their amazement, Maradona was the clear winner on the internet (well before SM, and well before smartphones and the internet we know today).

As a result, the award was shared.

I think it is more down to the accessibility of matches on TV than SM. My generation never watched Pele play, and most people who were alive at Pele's peak followed the games via Radio.

Though through the 80s, with TVs in almost every house, there was more of an emotional attachment with Maradona, but again, my generation adapted to the internet with ease, Pele's generation didn't.

The debate between Pele and Maradona never stopped though, it was in the Papers, on TV, Radio, but you had to tune in at a certain time, or buy the newspaper. The different now is with SM, all the info is on tap, and viewed for free, on demand.

Hype itself has a short lifespan regardless of which media format, but if the hyped players involved perform day after day, score goals regularly, win matches, win tournaments, win leagues, are neck and neck, then its not hype. This was the case between Pele and Maradona, and CR7 vs Messi - it wasn't hype, it was the genuine article.

 

[MenInG]

Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain will play a friendly against a select side made up of players from Cristiano Ronaldo's new club Al Nassr and their Saudi rivals Al Hilal in Riyadh on January 19, the French champions announced on Monday.

Qatar-owned PSG will travel to Doha on January 17 before moving on to the Saudi capital for the match at the King Fahd Stadium which will see Messi and Ronaldo renew their rivalry.

AFP

 

[MenInG]

At the PSG vs Riyadh Allstar XI

 

[MenInG]

FULL-TIME
PSG 5-4 Riyadh Allstar XI

 

[Sherazkhalid]

FULL-TIME
PSG 5-4 Riyadh Allstar XI

And with that concludes the Final Dance, the Last Showdown

 

[MenInG]

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in his first game in Saudi Arabia and Lionel Messi was also on the scoresheet as Paris St-Germain edged a Riyadh All-Star XI 5-4 in a thrilling contest.

The exhibition match in the Saudi capital saw two of the greatest players of all time sharing a pitch together for possibly the final time.

Messi opened the scoring and Ronaldo netted twice for 2-2 at half-time.

Both players were substituted off just after the hour mark.

The two PSG centre-backs were also on the scoresheet as Sergio Ramos added to Marquinhos' delightful finish in the opening period.

But the French side played much of the game with 10 men as Juan Bernat received a straight red card for hauling down Saudi international Salem Al Dawsari and Neymar also missed a penalty in a breathtaking first half.

Jang Hyun-soo's header drew the All-Star XI level at 3-3, but Kylian Mbappe's penalty and substitute Hugo Ekitike's composed effort put PSG out of sight.

Anderson Talisca drilled in a long-range consolation late in injury-time but there was not time for a dramatic equaliser.

Ronaldo has had to wait for his debut since a big move to Al-Nassr because of a suspension from his time at Manchester United.

But he will make his competitive debut for his new side on Sunday, when they host Ettifaq at Mrsool Park.

So how fitting it was that his first game in the Middle Eastern country - a high-profile and hugely competitive friendly - was against his old foe Messi, who lifted the World Cup in neighbouring Qatar just a month ago.

The Argentina captain latched on to Neymar's pass and converted the opener after just two minutes, but the 37-year-old Portugal skipper was not to be outdone.

Ronaldo's first was from the penalty spot, which was awarded after he was floored by PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas' forearm smash into his face, leaving him with a badly bruised cheek.

And he showed the hunger and desire he still possesses for the second, an initial header hitting the post then reacting quickest to convert, showcasing his trademark celebration for both goals with the crowd joining in.

Both players were taken off on 61 minutes and could have faced each other for the last time, unless they cross paths again in the twilight of their glittering careers.

BBC

 

[daytrader]

FAN PAYS $2.6MN TO WATCH MESSI VS RONALDO CLASH

A football fan in Saudi Arabia paid $2.6 million for a VIP ticket to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi go head-to-head in an exhibition match.

The exhibition match was played at King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday featuring Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain and a team consisting of players from Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and Al Hilal.

A special “Beyond Imagination” ticket for the match was auctioned off by the Saudi government’s entertainment arm promising the winner the opportunity to meet Ronaldo and Messi, as well as access to the team dressing rooms and trophy award.

Bidding for the “Beyond Imagination” ticket reportedly began at 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,000) before closing at 10 million riyals ($2.6 million).

Hundreds of millions of euros worth of footballers were on view for the exhibition game in the Saudi capital, which comes just weeks after neighbouring Qatar spent lavishly on the first World Cup on Arab soil, won by Messi’s Argentina.

ARY

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Saudi Arabia announces the final Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi showdown

In February 2024 there will be one last 'last dance'. One last duel between Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo: Inter Miami and Al-Nassr will face each other in a few months in the Riyadh Season Cup that will take place on Saudi soil.

The tournament will feature the world's most prominent soccer stars, including Saudi club Al-Nassr's Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo and U.S. club Inter Miami's Argentine star Lionel Messi, in a showdown that will be the talk of the world, dubbed "The Last Dance". The tournament will also feature the FIFA Club World Cup runners-up Al-Hilal Saudi Club, led by Serbian star Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Asia's best player, captain Salem Al-Dawsari.

"Riyadh Season and Inter Miami CF agreed to hold the Riyadh Season Cup matches in Riyadh as part of Riyadh Season activities," Turki Al-Sheikh, president of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority said in a statement. "In a tournament that brings together the two Saudi clubs, Al Hilal and Al-Nassr, and Inter Miami CF, the matches will be played in league format. The league schedule will be announced at a later date.

"The tournament is scheduled to take place in the first week of February 2024, with the participation of the stars of all participating clubs, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, at the Kingdom Arena, which was recently inaugurated at the opening ceremony of the fourth edition. of the Riyadh season."

Al-Sheikh welcomed Inter Miami CF's participation and noted that the tournament will have a worldwide following thanks to the outstanding international soccer stars playing for the three clubs. He stressed that the league is an extension of the major international events that the Riyadh Season presents to visitors and the world.

For his part, Jorge Mas hailed Inter Miami CF's participation in the Riyadh Season, praising the great development experienced in the field of soccer in Saudi Arabia, in addition to the great transformations witnessed in the entertainment sector in the Kingdom".

The Riyadh Season Cup match between Inter Miami and Al-Nassr, featuring Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, will be played in early February 2024.

This match will serve as a preseason for Messi's Inter Miami. MLS is expected to begin in late February or early March, in fact, although the schedule has not yet been announced.

Saudi Arabia announces the final Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi showdown

In February 2024 there will be one last 'last dance'. One last duel between Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo: Inter Miami and Al-Nassr will face each other in a few months in the Ri

www.marca.com

 

[KingKhanWC]

Inter Miami are even below champions level in England. Al Nassr will bully them bigtime.

 

[Suleiman]

We have a rivalry like this in cricket already, that too between rival countries, not sure if we’ll see it in football ever again though.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Ronaldo is more demanding than Messi': ex-teammate reveals

Rivals on the pitch and gentlemen off the ground, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the game for more than a decade and have often compared as to who surpasses the other when it comes to the game.

Although both Ronaldo and Messi have had different football journeys with divergent playing styles, the duo is often compared on the basis of their accolades, achievements and prowess on the field with fans pitting Messi's eight Ballon d'Or wins against Ronaldo's 869 goals.

Francisco Trincao, who has played both with the Portuguese striker and the Argentine forward, believes that despite both of them being quite demanding, the former transcends the latter in this regard, reported essentiallysports quoting the Sport.

Other than this, Trincao maintains that there isn't much difference between the two stars as he too remains unable to choose one over the other.

Although the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messe seems to have ended, they are still pitted against each other as to who is the best player.

Currently, Ronaldo wears the Al-Nassr jersey and is hoping to bring glory to the club by winning their first AFC Champions League title.

Meanwhile, Messi joined David Beckham-owned Inter Miami this year and the club has since then won the Leagues Cup title.

'Ronaldo is more demanding than Messi': ex-teammate reveals

Rivals on the pitch and gentlemen off the ground, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the game for more than a decade and have often compared as to who surpasses the other when it...

www.thenews.com.pk

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Ronaldo is more demanding than Messi': ex-teammate reveals

Rivals on the pitch and gentlemen off the ground, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the game for more than a decade and have often compared as to who surpasses the other when it comes to the game.

Although both Ronaldo and Messi have had different football journeys with divergent playing styles, the duo is often compared on the basis of their accolades, achievements and prowess on the field with fans pitting Messi's eight Ballon d'Or wins against Ronaldo's 869 goals.

Francisco Trincao, who has played both with the Portuguese striker and the Argentine forward, believes that despite both of them being quite demanding, the former transcends the latter in this regard, reported essentiallysports quoting the Sport.

Other than this, Trincao maintains that there isn't much difference between the two stars as he too remains unable to choose one over the other.

Although the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messe seems to have ended, they are still pitted against each other as to who is the best player.

Currently, Ronaldo wears the Al-Nassr jersey and is hoping to bring glory to the club by winning their first AFC Champions League title.

Meanwhile, Messi joined David Beckham-owned Inter Miami this year and the club has since then won the Leagues Cup title.

'Ronaldo is more demanding than Messi': ex-teammate reveals

Rivals on the pitch and gentlemen off the ground, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the game for more than a decade and have often compared as to who surpasses the other when it...

www.thenews.com.pk

For me it's always Ronaldo, no one can reach the class of this guy... not even Messi.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

‘Don’t like either!’ - Bernardo Silva gives hilarious response to Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate as Man City star plays down nicknames​

‘Don’t like either!’ - Bernardo Silva gives hilarious response to Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate as Man City star plays down nicknames

Named as the A Bola Figure of the Year 2023, Silva gave a lengthy interview to the Portuguese newspaper, touching on a range of topics. One of the more light-hearted moments came towards the end of the chat, when the Manchester City star was asked which of his two nicknames he preferred.

When asked if he preferred to be called the 'Messi of Seixal' (the area of Lisbon that Silva comes from) or the Ronaldo of Manchester, Silva played his straight down the line.

"I don't like either of them," he laughed, "Because comparisons are always made... I like being Bernardo. Of course it's a source of pride sometimes to be compared to one player or another, but I don't like either of those nicknames."

The interview touched on a range of different subjects, with Silva making the admission that he feels a little overlooked by football fans in his own country. The 29-year-old left Portugal before breaking into the Benfica first team and missed his country's Euro 2016 win due to injury. “Am I undervalued? No, people value me a lot. Maybe in Portugal not as much as abroad. I think people value me a lot more in France, where I played, and in England than in my own country, but maybe it has to do with the fact that I left quite early."

Source : GOAL

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Former Chelsea icon weighs in on Ronaldo vs Messi debate

Despite Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi brushing off animosity rumours while acknowledging mutual respect for one another, it seems that fans, critics, and ex-footballers are not ready to let go of the greatest of all time (GOAT) debate wherein the two superstars are pitted against each other.

Regardless of the difference in their style of play, Ronaldo and Messi — courtesy of their staunch supporters and larger-than-life impact on the sports — are often compared with regard to their on and off-the-pitch achievements.

However, fans are not the only ones who seemingly can’t resist the Ronaldo-Messi debate, as former Chelsea icon John Terry has also jumped on the bandwagon choosing between the Portuguese and the Argentine star.

The legendary centre-back who has shared the football pitch with both Ronaldo and Messi, seems to favour the latter when it comes to the GOAT debate.

Terry took to social media to comment “The GOAT [...] Great goal” on a video shared by UEFA featuring one of Messi’s goals for Barcelona against Manchester United in 2009.

The goal — dating back to Messi’s time with the Spanish side under Pep Guardiola — features the Argentine star making a remarkable leap while moving sideways to score a header that successfully found the back of the net with the Manchester United goalkeeper unable to counter Messi’s remarkable prowess with the ball, reported sportskeeda.com.

The said game ended with Barca’s 2-0 win courtesy of Samuel Eto'o's 10th-minute opener followed by Messi’s header.

Source : Sportskeeda

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Major League Soccer (MLS) team Inter Miami will look to end the Riyadh Season Cup 2024 on a high when they face Saudi Pro League’s Al Nassr at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Thursday.

The Al Nassr vs Inter Miami football match will start at 11:30 PM IST on February 1 and will be available on live streaming.

While Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are expected to feature in the line-up for Inter Miami, Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be able to play for Al Nassr, the club confirmed late on Wednesday. Ronaldo sustained a muscle injury in his left calf in mid-January and is recovering.

The Riyadh Season Cup 2024 is a friendly invitational tournament. For Inter Miami, it serves as a pre-season friendly tour ahead of the 2024 season. For Al Nassr, it comes in at mid-season with the Saudi Pro League on a break due to AFC Asian Cup 2023.

Al-Hilal is the third team in the Riyadh Season Cup 2024 and played Inter Miami on Sunday. Suarez scored Inter Miami’s first goal against the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 leaders and Lionel Messi converted a penalty in the second half. However, Al-Hilal defeated Inter Miami 4-3 in a high-scoring encounter.

Al Nassr, who are second on the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 table, will play Al-Hilal in the final match of the Riyadh Season Cup 2024 on February 8 while Inter Miami will head to Hong Kong, China for a match against Hong Kong League XI.

Source: Olympico