Two players who have defined this era of football might just be set to retire at around the same time. Having enjoyed his wedding, Cristiano Ronaldo has said that this Saudi Pro League campaign will probably be his last. Lionel Messi has expressed that he’s lacking motivation to continue to play, too. So, what’d come next?
Legends Set to Call it a Day
With another World Cup in the books that somehow featured goals from both Messi and Ronaldo, all eyes have turned back to the domestic seasons and the lower-tier leagues the two titans continue to dominate. Major news for the Argentine broke earlier in the summer that, after a long illness, his father had passed away.
Messi posted online that he’s “not sure if [he’ll] carry on doing it for much longer”. The Inter Miami forward returned to the pitch shortly after arriving back in the US from the funeral in Argentina, but was unable to feature in the 2-1 loss in the Leagues Cup to Monterrey.
Over in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo was given time off to enjoy his wedding and take a bit of time to work his way back into the squad under new manager Ange Postecoglou. However, with his colossal contract expiring in June 2027, he has said that this is “probably my last year of football”.
The 41-year-old, who’s two years older than Messi, had warned last year that he’s likely only got one or two years left in him, per ESPN and then went to North America with Portugal to extend his season that little bit more. He wants to leave a “spectacular legacy,” and has certainly achieved that before he even scores his next goal.
What’s Next for Messi and Ronaldo?
Being such big earners, fans can rest assured that both will be able to pursue just about any pursuit they want once they hang up their studs. Earlier this year, both Ronaldo and Messi became billionaires, and shortly after Ronaldo became a co-owner of Spanish second-tier side Almeria, Messi bought into UE Cornella of the fifth-tier in Spain.
Looking at their sprawling business portfolios, there simply aren’t many adjacent arenas that they don’t already have a stake in. One they might wish to consider is the rapidly-growing space of iGaming. From the newer market of the US to casino sites UK players have frequented for over a decade, there’s an opportunity to continue to connect to fans. The world of online casinos is already home to a great many football and other branded sports slots, like Euro Legends, AP McCoy: Sporting Legends and Frankie Dettori: Sporting Legends. Having a Messi or Ronaldo-branded game in the same vein that delivers their best goals and special features based on their iconic moments could be wildly successful.
Perhaps more interestingly, even with the potential Spanish league clashes to come down the line, it’d be interesting to see them collaborate. By combining their immense star power for a new business or sporting venture, they could simultaneously co-own and co-promote it to its maximum market potential.
Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the biggest sport in the world for decades and will rightly get to decide when and how they retire. They’ll both bow out as legends, but it seems very unlikely that they’ll be able to escape the spotlight even when they’re away from the pitch.