Messi and – Argentina’s Lionel Messi, 38, and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, kick off what could be their final World Cup runs this week—setting up a possible one last match between the legends if their teams reach the knockout stage. With both players entering the twi
When Argentina take on Algeria on Tuesday and Portugal play Congo on Wednesday, two names that shaped modern football will be staring at the same question: what comes next in what could be their last World Cup.
Lionel Messi is 38. Cristiano Ronaldo is 41. Both are now in the twilight of their careers, and while nothing is certain, the stakes feel sharper than ever because a route to the knockout stage could put them on the same stage one more time.
If both countries advance, there’s a real chance that this tournament becomes the final chapter of their international rivalry—one that carried the kind of drama people used to talk about like it was a living thing.
From 2008 to 2017, Messi and Ronaldo were the only two players to win the Ballon d’Or, widely considered the sport’s top individual prize. In that stretch, each won five times. Messi won three more times after that peak.
At their height, they didn’t just compete for international supremacy—they repeatedly crossed paths at club level. Messi starred for Barcelona from 2004 to 2021, while Ronaldo played for Real Madrid from 2009 to 2018. In 37 head-to-head matches—including a club friendly in 2023—they’ve been relatively equal on the scoreboard, with both scoring 23 goals.
Still, the history tilts slightly toward Messi. He holds a record of 17-11-9 in his career against Ronaldo, a measure of how often one of them found a way to get the result.
Over the last eight years or so, though, the rivalry has cooled. After Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018, the face-offs became far less frequent. Since 2020, Messi and Ronaldo have played each other only twice: a Champions League match in December 2020 and a club friendly in 2023.
The distance has been practical, too. Neither is even competing in Europe anymore. Messi has played for MLS’s Inter Miami since 2023. Ronaldo left for the Saudi Pro League’s Al-Nassr the same year.
That’s part of why this World Cup opener feels like more than just another set of group games. The lack of battles between the two greats has added extra juice to the tournament, and the timing is unavoidable: it could be the last time the two legends ever face off if their teams keep progressing.
Messi’s story inside this World Cup is also tied to a recent high-water mark. He leads in total Ballon d’Or awards, eight to five. He led Argentina to a World Cup victory in 2022. Portugal’s best World Cup finish with Ronaldo is fourth place.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is chasing what has long been missing from his trophy case. He’s looking for his first World Cup title, and he has said it will be his final appearance at the tournament. Last year, he also said that winning or losing wouldn’t define him as a player.
“If you ask me, ‘Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup?’ No, it’s not a dream,” Ronaldo said last November. “Define what? To define if I’m one of the best in history, to win one competition, [of] six games, seven games. You think it’s fair?”
The tournament now funnels that perspective into a simple. unforgiving reality: Tuesday’s Argentina-Algeria and Wednesday’s Portugal-Congo are not just schedules on a calendar. For fans who grew up watching Messi and Ronaldo pull the sport forward with every collision—on league nights. in European knockouts. and in the space between rivals—these first matches are the moment the curtain might start closing.
Messi Ronaldo World Cup Argentina vs Algeria Portugal vs Congo Ballon d'Or Inter Miami Al-Nassr rivalry
So they’re both basically done, right?
Messi vs Ronaldo again is the only thing I care about. If Argentina somehow screws up vs Algeria then it’s like, okay guess the “last duel” theory was fake.
Wait Congo? I thought Portugal played someone else in the last round. Either way I don’t get why they say “one last match” like it’s guaranteed—knockout stage is a trap, teams always flop in groups.
They act like this is their final World Cup run but soccer careers are weird. Also the article says Messi has the edge 17-11-9 which is like… mathy and cool but I feel like Ronaldo’s gonna score anyway because he’s older and apparently that’s supposed to mean he’s stronger? Idk. Let them cook, Algeria and Congo better not mess it up.