Soccer’s two great rivals have spent more than two decades breaking records, collecting trophies and driving defenders to despair. Actually, I’d guess there are likely a few elite attacking players out there rather miffed that the historical top table benchmark was set so high.

Nonetheless, for all their talent, both still reportedly cling to a few pre-game habits that would make even the most hardened skeptic smile.

What is Cristiano Ronaldo’s pre-game routine?

Cristiano Ronaldo’s ritual is probably the easier one to spot. The Portugal star has long been known for being the last player to emerge from the tunnel before kickoff. Then comes the familiar sequence: right foot onto the grass first, followed by a small leap into the air. And he’s never really hidden his love of routines, with the ritual following him through Sporting, Manchester, Madrid, Turin, Riyadh and countless international tournaments. Keep your eyes on him during the 2026 World Cup.

Whether it actually helps him score goals is another matter. But when you’re pushing 1,000 career goals, nobody is going to tell you to stop.

What is Lionel Messi’s superstition?

Messi’s ritual, on the other hand, is a little more Argentine and a lot more social.

For years, one of the most enduring traditions around the national team has been the now-famous pre-game mate photo with AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and Rodrigo De Paul. What began during the early days of Lionel Scaloni’s reign somehow survived a Copa América title, a World Cup triumph and another Copa América crown. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the trio were still posing with the same thermos, the same mate and, seemingly, the same confidence that comes from not changing a winning formula.

Messi is also surrounded by other Argentina rituals. De Paul and Leandro Paredes famously maintained their pre-match candy-eating tradition after Qatar 2022, refusing to tempt fate by abandoning it.

Do these rituals make any difference? Well, not in a scientific sense, as any fan who wears the same item of clothing following a big win eventually finds out.

But when you are Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, and the whole football world is watching, perhaps a familiar routine is worth holding onto. After all, nobody wants to be the person who accidentally changes the formula and it all goes wrong.

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