It was a sin that the last meeting between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo took place in Saudi Arabia, in a confrontation between two dictatorships. All respect for Arab culture. None to authoritarian governments. Maximum reverence for the history of the two greatest football geniuses of the 21st century.
Cristiano Ronaldo x Messi faced each other for the 37th time, with 17 victories for the Argentine, 11 for the Portuguese and nine draws. Seeing them on the pitch, one against the other, for 15 years is like watching Pelé vs. Garrincha at Maracanã for someone who lived through the magic of the 1950s and 1960s for this generation.
The first duel, Manchester United 0 x 0 Barcelona, was the semifinal of the Champions League, April 23, 2008, the date on which the headline in Folha was: “Earthquake scares São Paulo.” The 5.2-point tremor metaphorically spread across the world. There was no one, after that day, who did not beat his heart in Manchester United x Barcelona (three times), Portugal x Argentina (twice), Juventus x Real Madrid (once) and, mainly, Barça x Real, 30 classics .
The legacy is not statistical, but playful. There are countless reasons for someone to fall in love with football. The color of a club’s shirt, the gigantism of a packed stadium, seeing flags fluttering, a home goal, above all an idol.
The amount of people who watched Pelé and cried compulsively with his death reveals this. Also the pain of the Basque people who had Roberto Dinamite as the reason for dressing up with a Maltese cross on their chest.
How many children and teenagers have bought tickets, anywhere on the planet, become consumers of T-shirts and souvenirs or simply sat down in front of a television to watch any match, because they were enchanted by Messi and Cristiano?
Well, the friendly between Al Nassr x Paris Saint-Germain, representatives of the Saudi government against the Qatari club based in France, could be a Barcelona x Real Madrid, at the Camp Nou. In Riyadh, Cristiano Ronaldo will count on the courtesy of the government to have his union with Georgina Rodriguez, his girlfriend, blessed. Under Saudi law, a man and a woman cannot live together in the same house without being married. Georgina is the mother of two children by Cristiano Ronaldo and the decision is welcome, it just shouldn’t be an exception.
Model of Spanish nationality, Georgina was born in Argentina, like Messi.
It is a mistake to think that the greatest partner and greatest rival of the Portuguese star came from the same South American country, because Messi has always been both an antagonist and a reference for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The reciprocal is true.
In the books of this special era of world football, there will always be references to Cristiano, when talking about Messi, and also the opposite.
Amnesty International asks Cristiano to take a stand on the Saudi dictatorship and Messi is also in the role of poster boy for Qatar’s autocratic government. It is the hazy page of a splendorous trajectory.
Cristiano Ronaldo still dreams of playing in the next World Cup, and don’t doubt that Messi can do it too, although it is unlikely. Still, it’s fair to think that the Middle East meeting was the last of a golden age.
At least as professionals.
With all the brilliance of the friendly at the King Fahd stadium, in the capital of Saudi Arabia, the ball will ask for a last farewell meeting, when in fact the two careers have ended.
Maybe a friendly match at the Camp Nou and another at the Bernabéu, one with a Barcelona shirt and another with Real Madrid.
In theory, the Cristiano x Messi era ended this Thursday (19).
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
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