Ronaldo-Messi: The last dance of the immortals

2026-06-13 09:42:00, Blog CNA

Cristiano for the first time. Leo to try again after the triumph in Qatar. The only ones still on the field at World Cups since 2006. Yamal and Endrick were not yet born; from tomorrow they will try to take their throne

Four years ago, in Qatar, it was the autumn of Messi and Ronaldo: it seemed like that of mortal gods, of fading, the end of an era. There was talk of their last World Cup, while Leo spent the first few matches walking (and strolling against Saudi Arabia) and Cristiano, newly released from Manchester United, for the first time in his life ended up on the bench for technical selection, almost as a punishment (he had publicly protested his substitution in the previous match).

The Argentine seemed on the verge of failure. The Portuguese was at the lowest point of his career. Substitute Gonçalo Ramos scored a hat-trick, while in Lisbon polls were increasing, according to which Portuguese fans thought that CR7 was now more of a problem than a solution.

Four years later we are still here.

Qatar was the penultimate, not the last, as we thought. Messi blamed himself and his teammates, ran like crazy to silence the critics and became world champion, spreading his wonderful smiles around the world. Then he returned to Paris and continued to walk on the field.

Portugal reached the quarter-finals again, but Ronaldo entered through the main door: that of sacrifice. Excluded from the lineup, he saw his place taken by Martínez, who remained at the center of the national project.

In his country, Cristiano is still the one who is cursed and worshipped at the same time, but with a maturity that no one had known before. The national team no longer plays for him, but with him. The players who direct Portugal's destiny are Vitinha, João Neves, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes (the strongest midfielder in the World Cup) and he follows them with devotion.

Ronaldo-Messi: The last dance of champions

Argentina continues to rely on Messi. Portugal has learned to win without him.

And here's the difference: Leo's cycle seems to never end, while Cristiano's has entered a time that shouldn't exist.

Not that one or the other has lost the nuances of eternity, even if this will truly be the last time.

Really the last one?

Messi turns 39 on June 24. Ronaldo has turned 41. Both will be playing in their sixth World Cup, setting and sharing a record with Mexican goalkeeper Ochoa (who, however, did not take the field in 2006 and 2010).

And there will be many who will try to emulate them in longevity, as well as in greatness.

When Leo and Cristiano debuted at the World Cup (Germany 2006), Lamine Yamal had not yet been born (or even conceived). He represents the generation of those who, for the first time, can be freed from the inferiority complex towards the two legends who have won almost everything, both with the national team (World Cup, European Championship, Copa América, Nations League), as well as at club and individual level.

Their generation and that of the twenty-somethings is already of the right age. Suffice it to recall that the only two Ballon d'Or winners in 2024 and 2025, Rodri and Dembélé, did not win as icons of City or PSG, but as part of a collective.

Behind Messi and Ronaldo are only Yamal, Modri? and Benzema from their generation.

Luka is still here (for his fifth World Cup), in all likelihood even in his forties (as will be the case next week), while in his twenties, in addition to Lamine, are Ancelotti's sons, Endrick and Raya, the Moroccan Bouaddi, who just a few weeks ago chose to represent his country of origin and not France where he was born and raised, the Spaniard Diomande (who plays for Leipzig), the PSG player and the young Brazilian star Mora.

All minors in the tournament. Except for Karl, who was called up at the last moment, but will still have his time.

What is ending for Messi and Ronaldo, for those who should have succeeded them (Mbappé, Haaland, Kane, not to mention Neymar), has not yet come. / bota.al