Although it has been going on for more than ten years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s rivalry is coming to an end as their separate careers are coming to a close. On Tuesday, October 31, when Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr team played Al-Ettifaq during the Kings Cup, Saudi Arabian supporters brought up the rivalry.
The mainstay of Inter Miami and Argentina solidified his status as the best football player of all time on Monday by winning his eighth Ballon d’Or. With his most recent victory, he rose three places above his fiercest adversary, cementing his dominance.
As anticipated, Ronaldo expressed his displeasure with his rival’s superior success in a contentious Instagram post. He commented on a post claiming Lionel Messi was not deserving of three of the lifetime Ballons d’Or.
In the Kings Cup match between Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq and Al-Nassr, the 38-year-old was the target of taunts from the visiting supporters. Throughout the game, they kept chanting Messi’s name, which made Ronaldo respond by telling them to stop yelling and to calm down.
But after his team won 1-0 in extra time to go to the quarterfinals, Cristiano Ronaldo got the final laugh on behalf of the Al-Ettifaq supporters.
Watch the video below:
Ronaldo and Mane telling Al Ettifaq fans to talk trash now ??
Ronaldo is a born thug!! pic.twitter.com/UuQtwUwq2j
— fan (@NoodleHairCR7) October 31, 2023
The Cristiano Ronaldo – Lionel Messi rivalry
As their careers overlapped and they shared the limelight, the two celebrities encouraged one another at every turn. The year 2008 saw Cristiano Ronaldo win the Ballon d’Or for the first time. Messi then did the same in 2009, and both of them continued to win until Luka Modric took home the trophy in 2018. There are now 15 Ballon d’Or shared by Ronaldo and Messi.
The Portuguese player stated before the start of 2022 FIFA World Cup that he wanted to win the competition in order to surpass his opponent on that score. But it was not to be, as Argentina prevailed and Portugal was ousted in the quarterfinals. These two legendary players had a rivalry that went beyond the game, with their supporters frequently competing online for supremacy.
