Messi and Ronaldo will play together - confirmed

News

FT Desk

It is a question that has been on the minds of football fans for two decades: will Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ever play together in the same team?

The pair have been perennial rivals throughout their careers, with comparisons constantly made over the last 20 years.

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 eventually 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, where he continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals.

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 Argentine 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 he and Ronaldo 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. It's unlikely we will ever see the duo feature as team-mates in a competitive match, but we might see them don the same shirt in a friendly in December - all thanks to Carlos Tevez.

🚨Carlos Tevez reveals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have agreed to play together in the same team for his farewell game in December 2026 at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires.

🗣️Carlos: “It has always been my dream to see Cristiano and Leo playing for one team. They’re the two… pic.twitter.com/WwVZG7ZBkW

— Casmir (@wydcasmir) September 6, 2026

The former Manchester City and Manchester United forward is having a farewell match at Boca Juniors' stadium, La Bombonera, in Argentina for his retirement and has asked both Ronaldo and Messi to come along.

Tevez played with Ronaldo at Man Utd and Messi with Argentina.

“It has always been my dream to see Cristiano and Leo playing for one team," Tevez said, as quoted by FootMercato.

"They’re the two greatest players ever. I contacted them, especially Cristiano.

"I told him, ‘Cristiano, I want you and Leo on the same side for my farewell. Let the world see that magic once.’

"He said he would be there. Leo wasn’t hard to convince either. Both have given me the green light. I can’t wait. This one is going to be emotional.”

Tevez retired five years ago with Boca but was not given a proper send-off at the time. The match in Buenos Aires is set to be a star-studded affair, though it will undoubtedly become unmissable if Messi and Ronaldo make good on their promises.