A Thursday treat: Ronaldo vs Messi
These two icons play each other on Thursday and it could be the last time we ever see the epic rivalry of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Today, we could see the very last of the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi rivalry. For decades, the debate has gone on about which of the two is the greatest player in the world. For many, the debate was settled when Messi brought home the World Cup trophy to Argentina after winning the 2022 Qatar World Cup final. Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, the rivalry has been one of the most fun to watch over the years, and we may be watching it for the last time.
Ronaldo and Messi rivalry revived in Saudi Arabia
Ronaldo and Messi will face off again when Messi’s PSG travel to Riyadh to take on the Ronaldo’s Saudi All-Star XI team, with players from Al Nassr and Al-Hilal.
In total, Messi and Ronaldo have met 36 times in their careers, the first during a Champions League match in 2008, when Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United and Messi was with Barcelona. That game ended in a draw, but United won the second leg. The next year, Barcelona got their revenge when they beat United in the Champions League final. That’s when Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid and he and Messi became even bigger rivals, as they would compete against each other in La Liga for the next nine years.
The most recent match between Ronaldo and Messi was in 2020, when Ronaldo played for Juventus and Messi was still with Barcelona. Juventus won, knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League.
Now, they meet in Saudi Arabia. PSG plays the Saudi All-Star XI at 8 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT).