Ronaldo tipped to team with Messi at Inter Miami

Martin Macdonald

• 12 Feb 2026 06:45 CST
• 3 min read

Nieuws

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest footballers in history and many fans consider the pair to be the very best ever to play the game.

They have been perennial rivals throughout their careers, with comparisons constantly made over the last two decades.

Whether it be performances on the pitch, goal tallies, trophy hauls or even Ballon d'Or wins, their careers have been intrinsically linked.

Ronaldo started his career at Sporting CP before moving to Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. It was there he was his first Ballon d'Or before completing a world-record transfer to Real Madrid, where he would become the greatest goalscorer the game has ever seen.

Multiple league titles and numerous Champions League wins came thereafter, though he left under a bit of a cloud to sign for Juventus. CR7 spent a couple of seasons in Turin before completing a surprise return to Man Utd, but after a falling out with then-manager Erik ten Hag, he made his way to Al-Nassr.

As for Messi, everyone thought he would be a one-club man at Barcelona, but the desperate finances of the Catalan side meant that they could no longer afford to register the Argentina as a player, which led to a spectacular free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

He is now in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, with both players in the twilight of their careers.

Ronaldo and Messi as team-mates?

Messi's deal at Miami runs until 2028, while Ronaldo's at Al-Nassr runs until 2027, though the latter recently went on strike in Saudi Arabia which raised massive questions about his future.

That will likely be Messi's last year as a professional footballer, so is there a chance we could see Cristiano move to Major League Soccer with Miami teaming the two GOATs in the same team?

One former Manchester United coach believes so.

“Cristiano Ronaldo could still thrive in the MLS, no problem," Rene Meulensteen told BetGoat.

"With the right team and players around him, 100%, he could thrive. Give him service, and he'll put it in the back of the net. He could do that in the MLS, without a shadow of a doubt.

“Playing alongside Lionel Messi at Inter Miami? It would be incredible. Honestly, it would be great. It would be the biggest box office games every single week. Who wouldn't want to see that? As long as you have the right balance to ensure both Cristiano and Messi can still play at their best. It’s exciting just to think about, it would have the biggest interest in football history if they were able to pull it off, that's for sure.”

One thing is for sure - we are running out of time to see Messi and Ronaldo as team-mates - but do they even want such a union?

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