Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are widely considered as the best two footballers of all time and dominated European football for the best part of two decades before choosing to leave Europe just under two years ago.
Messi and Ronaldo’s career rivalry has been a hot topic since the two players found themselves on the Ballon D’Or podium in 2007, with Messi’s best years coming at Barcelona and Ronaldo’s at Real Madrid. Now 37 and 39-years-old respectively, both players are now very much into the twilight of their club careers, with retirement surely on the horizon.
Today we’re going to be looking at how Messi and Ronaldo’s career trajectories have changed since departing Europe for the MLS and Saudi Pro League respectively, and the impact that these chapters of each player’s careers has had on their overall reputation in the sport.
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Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian swansong
Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Manchester United for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League was viewed by many as a monumental momentum shift within the sport, with many players in the primes of their careers following suit due to the huge money on offer and increased exposure that the league now has due to Ronaldo’s presence.
Albeit against inferior opposition to his heyday, Ronaldo’s outstanding goalscoring ability has remained on show in Saudi Arabia. He has scored 73 goals and laid on 18 assists for his teammates in just 82 games – a goal contribution every 80 minutes.
Ronaldo is yet to take home the Saudi Pro League trophy however, finishing as runner up in both of his seasons in the league so far to Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad. His victory in the Arab Champions Cup is his only piece of silverware so far for the club.
Messi’s Miami Finale
Lionel Messi’s move from Paris Saint Germain to Inter Miami brought significant viewership to the MLS, with the Florida based side securing the signatures of a number of Messi’s old Barcelona teammates in Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
Messi’s outrageous career statistics have continued in America, scoring 33 goals in 37 matches for Inter Miami along with a whopping 18 assists in the same time period. A goal contribution every 56 minutes stands out as an immense achievement regardless of the league in which he is playing.
Messi has so far won the Leagues Cup and Supporters’ shield in his short time in America, with Inter Miami heavy favourites to win the 2024 MLS playoffs.
International Impact
Lionel Messi has undoubtedly enjoyed a better back end to his international career than Ronaldo, who looked like a spent force at EURO 2024 against top level opposition. Missed penalties and a waning influence on matches has left his country in a sticky situation, as fans debate whether Portugal’s greatest ever player still has anything left to give on the international stage.
Messi on the other hand has consistently shown his ability to turn back the clock in an international jersey, winning the 2024 Copa America as captain and more recently putting on a mesmerising display against Bolivia, scoring a hat-trick and providing two more assists on top.
Despite both players clearly no longer at the same level they were a decade ago, Messi has proven that he can still look a step ahead of players in the prime of their careers on the international stage. Ronaldo on the other hand has looked like a man playing catch-up.
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