Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ought to have come nose to nose when Al Nassr play host to Inter Miami on Thursday within the Riyadh Season Cup, however Ronaldo will reportedly miss the sport by way of damage.
Messi, 36, has already performed towards one Saudi Professional League staff as a part of Miami’s preseason preparations for the 2024 MLS marketing campaign, shedding 4-3 to Al Hilal on Monday. Subsequent up it is Al Nassr on Feb. 1, only a few days earlier than Ronaldo’s thirty ninth birthday.
The Miami-Al Nassr sport was being dubbed in some quarters as “The Final Dance” between the 2 biggest gamers of their period — and probably ever — however now we must hope for one more assembly sooner or later when each gamers are match.
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Messi and Ronaldo really performed towards one another earlier this 12 months when Paris Saint-Germain travelled to Saudi Arabia for an exhibition sport towards a Saudi Professional League XI. Each of the star sights managed to get on the scoresheet (Ronaldo really scored twice) because the Saudi choose aspect ran out 5-4 victors in Riyadh, although the pleasant does not depend towards any official stats.
They might play their soccer on reverse sides of the world nowadays, however their rivalry remains to be one for the ages, as historical past attests.
Editors’ word: This text was first printed on April 24, 2020, and has since been up to date.
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Head-to-head
Messi and Ronaldo have tangled a complete of 36 instances in aggressive matches for membership and nation. Throughout your complete length of Ronaldo’s senior profession, the one participant he has confronted as typically is Andres Iniesta (36 instances). However, Messi has confronted three different opponents on extra events throughout his profession: Sergio Ramos, Diego Godín and Karim Benzema.
The very first Messi-Ronaldo assembly got here on April 23, 2008, when a 20-year-old Messi discovered himself fielded reverse a 23-year-old Ronaldo as Barcelona and Manchester United performed out a 0-0 draw within the first leg of the Champions League semifinals. Ronaldo additionally missed a penalty at Camp Nou in the one assembly between the pair to have ever ended goalless, however United’s 1-0 win at Outdated Trafford despatched them by way of to the ultimate, the place they beat Chelsea.
On the time, the pair shared one Champions League title, 18 Champions League objectives and exactly zero Ballon d’Ors. These figures now stand at 9 European crowns, 269 UCL objectives and 13 Ballon d’Ors between them. As well as, Ronaldo captained Portugal to glory on the 2016 European Championship and the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, whereas Messi led Argentina to triumphs on the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup.
Whereas classed as an exhibition sport, the 5-4 pleasant between PSG and Al Nassr in January is the newest assembly between Messi and Ronaldo. It marked the fifth totally different nation during which the pair have performed towards one another, having already confronted off in official matches in Spain, England, Italy and Switzerland.
The newest aggressive assembly was when Ronaldo scored twice from the penalty spot in a 3-0 victory for Juventus over Barcelona within the Champions League group stage.
Messi leads the head-to-head report with 16 wins in aggressive matches to Ronaldo’s 11, whereas there have been 9 attracts. Messi additionally has another objective to his identify of their encounters, having scored 22 to Ronaldo’s 21, however it’s on the help depend that he actually comes into his personal with 11 objectives created in comparison with only one from his rival.
Ronaldo has represented 4 golf equipment since first taking part in towards Messi in 2008, with Messi now at his third following his midseason transfer to Miami. The duo have performed towards one another 5 instances within the Champions League knockout part: each legs of the 2007-08 (Barca vs. Manchester United) and 2010-11 (Barca vs. Actual Madrid) semifinals, in addition to the 2008-09 remaining in Rome, during which Messi scored for Barca in a 2-0 win over Manchester United.
Ronaldo often is the Champions League’s all-time prime scorer with 141 objectives general, however his brace of penalties towards Barca within the 2020-21 group stage was the primary (and thus far solely) time he’d ever scored within the competitors whereas sharing the pitch with Messi, who has scored 3 times in European clashes towards groups that includes Ronaldo.
Messi prolonged his Champions League objective haul to 129, placing him second within the all-time record, earlier than he left for the US in the summertime. Barring a sensational return to an elite-level membership in Europe, it’s unlikely he’ll add any extra to that tally. Nonetheless, stranger issues have occurred.
Most memorable clashes
There have been some actually memorable encounters among the many 36 events on which Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been pitted towards one another. Listed below are six of the most effective.
Barcelona secured their third European Cup #OTD in 2009! 🏆
What do you keep in mind most about this remaining?#UCL #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/LsLsf823KQ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) Could 27, 2021
The 2009 remaining in Rome was hyped as a gladiatorial conflict between the 2 finest gamers on this planet, and this time Messi got here out on prime. Barca efficiently saved United at arm’s size in Rome to win 2-0 — with Messi scoring a uncommon header for his staff’s second objective — and safe their first-ever league, home cup and European Cup treble.
🔙 # OTD 20105️⃣-0️⃣🔥10 years because the exhibition 🆚 R. Madrid on the Camp Nou! 😍 pic.twitter.com/8MF77o0Eaw
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 29, 2020
The sport that was seen as one thing of a proving floor for each Messi and Ronaldo (who have been each Ballon d’Or winners by this level) veered off script as Camp Nou witnessed a historic humiliation of Actual and their coach, Jose Mourinho. Messi did not rating, however he arrange two objectives as he performed a pivotal position in Barca doling out a mauling of their foes, who had began the sport prime of LaLiga and unbeaten in seven matches. The hefty scoreline was immortalised by Gerard Pique’s five-fingered “Manita” (“Little Hand”) salute to the watching world.
🏆💫 👑 9 years in the past in the present day we clinched our 18th Copa del Rey!⏳ On April 20, 2011 we ran out 0-1 winners towards @FCBarcelona in a dramatic extra-time victory at Mestalla!#RMHistory | #RMFansEnCasa pic.twitter.com/ROTmQPygFZ
— Actual Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 20, 2020
Ronaldo lastly triumphed over Barca as a Actual participant on the fifth time of asking. The Madrid ahead was the one scorer as his trademark towering 103rd-minute header noticed Los Blancos snatch the Copa del Rey from below Barca’s noses. Nevertheless, that remaining on the Mestalla got here in the midst of an intense run of 4 Clasicos in three weeks, which culminated in Barca reaching the Champions League remaining on the expense of their bitter rivals.
Vuestros votos mandan…@Cristiano encarriló así el último título de #LaLiga que conquistó el @realmadrid. 💥#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/cthVTRbxEX
— LaLiga (@LaLiga) December 1, 2016
Ronaldo once more prevailed when the outdated adversaries met at Camp Nou towards the tail finish of the 2011-12 league marketing campaign. Barca surrendered their hopes of defending their league title as a winner from Ronaldo put Los Blancos seven factors clear on the prime of the desk with 4 matches left to play. Ronaldo’s objective — which he marked in unusually understated style by gesturing for “calm” as his teammates celebrated — additionally noticed Actual break the Spanish league scoring report with objective No. 109 of the season, they usually romped to the title quickly thereafter.
Ronaldo once more inflicted Copa del Rey heartbreak on Catalonia when the Actual man turned in a star efficiency to ship Barcelona packing. After the primary leg had ended 1-1 on the Bernabeu, the Portugal ahead scored twice — through a penalty that he received himself after being fouled by Pique, after which a towering header — and virtually single-handedly wrapped up a 3-1 win at Camp Nou within the return match to seal Actual’s place within the remaining.
🍿 #ElClasico🤝 Drawing 2-2⌚️ 10 seconds on the clock#OnThisDay in 2017… who else however Messi? 👽#StayHome #LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/8JFtK9qeIi
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) April 23, 2020
Messi as soon as once more seized the headlines after a 92nd-minute winner from the Argentine talisman nicked a really late victory on the Bernabeu and saved Barca’s title aspirations alive. Having already scored within the first half, Messi saved his cool to fit house an injury-time winner amid a hostile ambiance after which have fun by pointedly reminding the Actual supporters of his identify.
If there’s one statistic or truth to sum up the greatness of the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo it’s this: in your complete nine-year interval that they have been collectively in Spain, there was by no means a goalless Clasico.
Field workplace, assured.
