- All-time greats broke through at similar times
- Reached the very top of the global game
- Have smashed countless records between them
Portuguese superstar Ronaldo was the first to take tentative steps down a path to superstardom, with Manchester United snapping up his obvious potential in 2003. Argentine icon Messi made his senior bow for Barcelona in October 2004.
There was to be no stopping them from there, with the history books being rewritten while claiming 13 Ballons d’Or between them. International honours have been collected in the form of European Championship, Copa America, UEFA Nations League and World Cup triumphs.
Both are still going strong in the latter stages of their respective careers, with Ronaldo committing to a contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr that will take him beyond the age of 42. Messi is seeing an extension until 2028 mooted at MLS outfit Inter Miami.
Quizzed on whether they could ever grace the same side, Ronaldo’s former Manchester United team-mate Wes Brown – speaking in association with 7bet football betting – told BALLGM: “I would love that.
“We talk about all these strikers over the years – [Robert] Lewandowski, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Didier] Drogba, [Wayne] Rooney – these two are completely different. You can’t even put them in the same category. They just keep on going with what they have done in the game, the goals, the assists, what they have won. You can’t really compare them to anyone else. These two for me stand out alone on many things.
“The fact that Messi is still going, he’s really enjoying his time at Miami. I don’t think it’s a competition but at the same time, it may be. No-one else can be in this competition. It’s like ‘okay, you pick me, I pick you, but you lot are not good enough to be in our league, so it’s me against him’. I think that’s brilliant.
“Imagine if they didn’t have anyone to compete against. Maybe you might not have seen this. Regardless of what anyone says, it’s not nasty competition, it’s friendly competition. These two guys have been the best for the last 15, 16 years. It’s been very hard, even though there are some unbelievable players in the world, to get anywhere near them.”
Ronaldo and Messi openly admit that they have never been friends – having once graced opposing sides of the fierce Barcelona vs Real Madrid El Clasico divide – but they have the utmost respect for one another and will seemingly continue to dazzle global audiences for some time yet.
