Commentary: What will football look like without Messi and Ronaldo?
It is unfair to compare anyone to Messi or Ronaldo, given their unique longevity and excellence, says football writer John Duerden.
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LONDON: For almost two decades, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been the most successful and famous football players. But as their era draws to a close, it is uncertain what – or who – comes next.
In an Instagram post on Aug 31, Messi announced his retirement from international football. “It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come,” the 39-year-old Argentina captain wrote.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo, 41, told Vogue in August: “This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy.”
Their careers ran in parallel, often in direct opposition – most famously through Barcelona, where Messi spent most of his career, and bitter rivals Real Madrid, which had Ronaldo at the peak of his powers.
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Between 2008 and 2017, they alternated as Ballon d’Or recipients – the award is given annually to the world’s best player. Ronaldo has won it five times; Messi, eight in all. In club football’s biggest prize, the UEFA Champions League, Ronaldo leads with five titles to Messi’s four.
On the international stage, their careers have been similarly stunning. They are the top two goalscorers in history. Ronaldo has netted 146 goals in 233 appearances for Portugal, with Messi on 125 in 207 for Argentina. The former helped Portugal win the 2016 European Championships, the country’s first major title, while the latter captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup.
That they did it for so long adds to their legendary status. “People admire them for the continuity they have,” said the former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “Your legacy is not what you did in the short term, it’s for what you did in the long term.”
Despite all their victories, they can’t defeat time. The pair are no longer the top two players in the world and have not been for some time.
A NEW GENERATION OF TALENT
Among the next generation of star footballers, French forward Kylian Mbappe is widely regarded as the best. The 27-year-old won the World Cup in 2018, and the Real Madrid star was the top scorer in the 2022 and 2026 tournaments.
Erling Haaland has broken goalscoring records in the English Premier League, helped Manchester City to the UEFA Champions League in 2023 and, in the summer, led Norway to the last eight of the World Cup.
Lamine Yamal is ready to take centre stage. The 19-year-old has already won the World Cup and the European Championships with Spain and is now focused on taking Barcelona back to the top of European soccer.
However, these stars still have some way to go to achieve the consistency of Messi’s and Ronaldo’s performances and honours.
It is unfair to compare given the unique longevity and excellence of Messi and Ronaldo, who have rewritten the rules. Scoring 25 goals a season, for example, used to be seen as excellent but now that benchmark is higher given that Messi has scored 91 goals in a calendar year and Ronaldo is approaching 1,000 overall.
FANS SPOILT FOR CHOICE
While there is still time for younger players to step up, we likely will not see global sensations on par with Ronaldo and Messi for some time.
Instead of two, there is a pack of elite players that fans can pick and choose from. Messi and Ronaldo were so popular that they became as big, or bigger, than the teams they played for. Fans around the world now follow individual players and support them wherever they go.
Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia in 2022, and in 2023, Messi went to Inter Miami. These two teams were little-known outside their respective countries but now their shirts can be seen around the world.
“The single global superstar every brand could rally a campaign behind may be a thing of the past,” said Design Rush, a brand discovery platform earlier this year. “We think that football is entering a portfolio era.”
It is fitting that Ronaldo and Messi will end their careers in Saudi Arabia and the United States, as more leagues outside the traditional European hotbeds may demand global attention, especially if famous players are active there. Big tournaments such as the World Cup will become even more important for players to build reputations.
Ronaldo is the most popular person on Instagram with 679 million followers, while Messi is second with 517 million.
Of the next generation, Kylian Mbappe has the most with 137 million. Notably, Haaland started a YouTube channel in October 2025 and doubled his subscriber count during the World Cup. The Norwegian striker currently has over 4 million subscribers.
FUTURE DIVISIONS
One benefit of the impending retirement is that the long-standing “debate” between Ronaldo and Messi fans as to who is the greater player, driven by social media, should become less intense. There will be other controversies to discuss.
The existence of video assistant referee (VAR), technology that reviews on-pitch decisions, is becoming increasingly contentious. Ownership of clubs, with states, big business and even Hollywood stars getting involved, is another.
The recent reaction to FIFA’s proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors, which was scrapped after the resultant outcry, has led to calls for Gianni Infantino to resign and the world governing body to be reformed. Yet, there are already major divisions emerging.
Who owns football will be a major question going forward. Leading European leagues and clubs are likely to explore the possibilities of playing competitive games in overseas markets as the domination of the English Premier League creates an imbalance in Europe.
Whatever happens in the future, it is unlikely that two footballing talents will emerge at the same time and dominate the game for so long. We may never see the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo again.
John Duerden has been writing about Asian football for over 25 years.
Source: CNA/el
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