Lionel Messi can’t have expected to face this Real Madrid Clásico rival again

Monterrey’s Rayados have officially signed Sergio Ramos, adding a world‐class player to their formidable squad — one whose enviable resume includes multiple club titles, crowned by two Euros and one World Cup.

With his arrival in Mexican football, Ramos could once again face an ultimate rival in regional competitions — Lionel Messi. The Argentine is the player he has faced most frequently throughout his career, and if circumstances allow, both the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the League Cup could offer a couple more matchups. Let’s not forget that they were also teammates in Paris.

When could Messi and Ramos face each other?

Messi and Inter Miami will participate in both tournaments, just as the Rayados will. In the Concacaf Champions Cup, the brackets are set up to potentially deliver a club clash in the semifinals.

For this to happen, Inter Miami must first defeat Sporting Kansas City to secure a spot in the round of 16, where they would face Cavalier. Should they prevail, they would then need to overcome another bracket featuring Columbus versus LAFC/Colorado to finally be in line for a possible matchup — provided Monterrey does likewise against Vancouver or Saprissa after clinching a first-round victory over Forge and advancing from the round of 16, then overcoming LAD / Pumas or Cavalry.

In the Leagues Cup, a showdown is also possible, though we must await the draw to determine the future paths of both clubs.

Ramos and Messi clashed repeatedly in LaLiga while representing Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, with the head-to-head record favoring the Barcelona star — 19 wins for him, 16 for Ramos and nine draws.

A reunion with James Rodriguez

Liga MX has also arranged a reunion with James Rodríguez, who arrived at León at the start of the season, although this time they will face off as opponents. Rodríguez and Ramos were teammates at the merengue club from 2015 to 2020, where they shared the field 91 times and lifted nine titles. They also met as opponents on two occasions when the Colombian was at Bayern Munich, with Ramos prevailing — earning one win and one draw in the series.

The clash between the Rayados and León is scheduled for matchday 17 of Clausura 2015 at La Fiera’s home on April 20.

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