:strip_icc()/i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_da025474c0c44edd99332dddb09cabe8/internal_photos/bs/2023/P/v/vVP4B1QrC3Td6AyYDsyQ/whatsapp-image-2023-07-02-at-19.32.12.jpeg "With Cristiano Ronaldo injured, is there a chance of a new confrontation with Messi in the future?")
Football fans around the world were eagerly awaiting the game between Al-Nassr and Inter Miami, for the second match of the Riyadh Season Cup, a pre-season friendly tournament, to see, perhaps, the last confrontation between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the Portuguese star revealed the injury last week and coach Luis Castro left him out of the match.
Thus, the last clash between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remains the friendly match between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal against PSG, which still had Messi in the squad, in January last year. But after all, is there a chance of a new confrontation between the two stars who marked the generation in the future?
As they play on different continents and both have a contract until 2025, it is impossible for them to face each other in an official club match. The only possibility for Al-Nassr to play against Inter Miami would be with another friendly match scheduled during the next pre-season.
They can still face each other in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, but to do so, Messi needs to win the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup and CR7 becomes champion of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League with Al-Nassr . Even so, they need to be lucky in the draw to be in the same group. In other words, remote chances.
In national teams, the mission of finding each other on the field is also complicated. This year, Cristiano Ronaldo will compete in the European Championship, while Messi will play in the Copa América. Therefore, they are also dependent on a friendly organized by the two federations.
Another possibility would be a clash between Argentina x Portugal in the Finals. To do this, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo need to win the Copa América and the Eurocup, respectively, so that they can play in the intercontinental match organized by Conmebol and Uefa.
And the last chance for the confrontation to happen may be in the 2026 World Cup, but both need to be willing to compete in another World Cup, in two years, and cross paths.