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Messi v Ronaldo: Retirement PR war reaches decisive conclusion
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may have played their final matches for Argentina and Portugal - but under very different circumstances.
The pair are considered to be the two greatest footballers in history by many and their careers have been intrinsically linked for 20 years, ever since they made their professional debuts for Barcelona and Sporting CP, respectively.
While Messi became a prodigy at Barcelona, Ronaldo moved to Manchester United and thereafter they would face each other in direct competition when CR7 completed a world-record move to Real Madrid.
Whether it be league titles, Champions Leagues won, goals scored or even Ballon d'Or honours, their parallel paths have taken them to the twilight of their careers.
But, while one has left the international scene with grace and fanfare, the other has disappeared in disgrace.
Messi bids farewell to Argentina
At the end of August, Messi announced his international retirement as Argentina's greatest-ever goalscorer as well as his nation's top assist provider and appearance maker.
He would, however, be honoured in one final match, which took place in Buenos Aires this week.
Argentina took on Benin and, in true Messi style, he had a hand in all three goals as the South American side won 3-0.
He assisted goals for Nico Paz and Nicolas Otamendi before scoring himself from the penalty spot. This was after plenty of fanfare, which included a standing ovation as play stopped in the 10th minute and a huge display of a number 10 kit on the pitch with the word 'GRACIAS' emblazoned above.
Afterwards, he spoke to Argentina on the pitch for 10 minutes, saying, in part:
"There are so many emotions going through me right now.
"I'm surely forgetting many things I would like to say because this is a very difficult moment for me. The first person who comes to my mind is my dad.
"I leave grateful, proud and at peace. Thank you for everything. I have nothing left to do but thank this shirt.
"For 20 years, even through the worst moments, I never stopped fighting, pushing forward, giving everything I had and wanting to be here.
"Not coming here any more and no longer being with the Argentina national team is going to hurt a lot. If it were up to me, I would love to be here for my entire life, because playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing there is.
"I think I'm talking more than ever today because I simply don't want this moment to end.
"But I think the time has come for me to retire. The last World Cup took a lot out of us after everything we went through. We arrived in the final with just enough left in us, but we fought until the very end, like we always did.
"We came very close to winning it again, and despite everything that was said about us, nothing strange happened. The match against England took a lot out of us because we gave absolutely everything.
"In 2022, we had the dream of fulfilling not only my dream, but the dream of an entire country: becoming world champions again. And we did it."
While Messi is an undisputed hero in Argentina, that wasn't always the case as up until 2022 he failed to deliver the World Cup that Diego Maradona brought home in 1986. In the eyes of some Albiceleste fans, he would never live up to Diego, viewed as a man of the Argentine people, while Messi left for Spain as a youngster.
However, after finally winning the Copa America and securing an international trophy, the pressure was off slightly and he was in sparkling form in Qatar in 2022 as he and Argentina ended their long wait for World Cup glory.
As he retired on Wednesday and said his farewell, there wasn't a dry eye in the house, while even Brazil legends like Neymar and Ronaldinho, former Barca team-mates of course, led the tributes following the final whistle.
Ronaldo ditches Portugal
Let's compare that dignified end to an international career with what's happened to Ronaldo over the last couple of weeks.
The Al-Nassr forward has been the centre of attention during the latest international break following his surprise exit from the Portugal squad.
The 41-year-old departed the camp after being left on the bench for the entirety of Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway. His decision quickly raised speculation about whether his international career could be coming to an end, especially after he suggested that he would eventually reveal the full story behind his departure.
Despite the controversy, Portugal boss Jorge Jesus has insisted that Ronaldo remains welcome and that the door is still open for the veteran forward to return to the national team.
Reports subsequently emerged that Ronaldo would not return to the Portugal squad while Jesus was in charge.
Then came his statement...
In a post over 2000 words long on Instagram, he insisted that he has not retired from international football and remains committed to playing for Portugal despite leaving the squad.
He said his decision followed a disagreement with Jesus over an agreement regarding his playing time. Ronaldo claimed Jesus told him he would play around 30 minutes against Norway, but he remained an unused substitute after warming up.
Ronaldo said he was also unhappy with Jesus’ subsequent comments, claiming they differed from what had been agreed privately. He apologised for leaving the camp and failing to greet supporters, while accepting that he should be punished if necessary.
Despite the dispute, Ronaldo stressed that he remains available for Portugal and wants to continue competing for the national team.
Even though he has not officially retired, he finds himself in limbo as at the age of 41 there will not be many more opportunities to represent his country.
Furthermore, the fiasco has divided a nation, with many fans in Portugal backing Ronaldo while others are backing Jesus. His detractors called him self-centred and egotistical.
The situation is a far cry from that of Messi, who received universal adoration after he hung up that number 10 shirt.
