Ronaldo-Messi could ‘end careers together’ after surprise announcement
A former team-mate of Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed the Portuguese star could end his career playing alongside long-time rival Lionel Messi.
The duo Ronaldo and Messi have always competed for the title of the best player in the world, especially when they both play in Spain for Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Both are past their prime and approaching the end of their careers. Ronaldo currently plays in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, while Messi stars for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.
Messi and Ronaldo have taken turns standing at the top of world football for more than a decade (Photo: Getty).
It seems unlikely they will ever meet again, but Ronaldo’s former Portugal team-mate Pedro Mendes has suggested the 39-year-old could team up with Messi in Miami.
Speaking to BoyleSports, Mendes said: “If Cristiano Ronaldo joined Inter Miami it would be great for the fans and incredible for soccer in America.
That would mean the two best players in the history and future of football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, ending their careers together, which would be a dream come true. However, I don’t think that can happen. It would be very difficult.”
Ronaldo and Messi are expected to play together in the final stages of their careers (Photo: GOAL).
It seems unlikely that these two legends will ever meet again on the international stage.
On July 6, Portugal were eliminated from Euro 2024 in the quarter-finals by France, in what could be Ronaldo’s last appearance at a major tournament.
Messi, 37, could feature in Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. His immediate focus is Argentina’s Copa America semi-final against Canada.
For much of the past 20 years, the careers of Ronaldo and Messi have dominated world football. The pair are arguably two of the greatest players of all time, not just in terms of their individual ability but also in terms of the awards they have won.
They have won a total of 13 Ballon d’Ors, 9 Champions League titles and a total of 76 trophies, scoring a total of 1,732 goals, not counting friendlies.
