Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will go down in history as two of the greatest players to have ever graced the beautiful game. Over the years, the pair have claimed countless trophies and delivered a never-ending catalog of precious moments that would take us far too long to list. Now in the twilight of their careers, the pair continues to age like fine wine.
Messi and Ronaldo's Last Dance
Messi's 2025 season in MLS could well end in silverware, with Inter Miami currently in the playoffs as they hunt for a first championship; CR7, meanwhile, has lifted Al-Nassr to the summit of the Saudi Pro League for the first time in his three-year tenure with the club. Next summer, the two superstars could well face off for one final time as the FIFA World Cup takes center stage, with anticipation of the last dance of two of the all-time greats spreading to the unlikeliest of sources.
One such source is the world of online casinos. The popular Joe Fortune Online Casino has rolled out the slot game World Cup Football, a game that captures the excitement of the greatest footballing party on earth. The title has been lauded not just for its riveting gameplay but also for its accessible nature, with the game being offered to Joe Fortune players around the clock, bringing them closer to the action than ever before.
Whether Messi and Ronaldo face off one final time, either in your virtual arena playing World Cup Football on the grand stage in North America next summer, there is no denying that the two superstars have already played out their fair share of crackers over the years. But which of their clashes against one another are up there with the very best? Let's take a look.
2009 UEFA Champions League Final
The Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry truly kicked off back in 2008, when the former's Barcelona met the latter's Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. It was CR7 and the Red Devils that won that contest 1-0 on aggregate, thanks to English midfielder Paul Scholes' wondergoal, before going on to lift the trophy in Moscow courtesy of a victory over Chelsea, with Ronaldo scoring in the final.
The following year, however, the two sides met once again, this time in a true clash of champions in the final. Barcelona was managed by the iconic Pep Guardiola, who had built his entire team around Messi. United and Ronaldo were the favorites to defend their title in Rome, and the billing looked accurate as the Red Devils dominated early on. Then, however, Samuel Eto'o gave the Blaugrana the lead against the run of play, and they never looked back.
With the lead safely in their hands, Barca set about dominating with their new possession-based tiki-taka football. They would dominate throughout the second period, before Messi added a majestic second with an uncharacteristic header from Xavi's sublime cross. Barcelona won 2-0, and the Argentinian genius was crowned as the best player on the planet.
2011 Copa Del Rey Final
By 2011, Ronaldo had joined Real Madrid and was facing rivals Barcelona on a regular basis. In fact, toward the back end of the 2010/11 season, the two sworn enemies faced off in four El Clásicos in less than a fortnight. One of the biggest of them was the Copa Del Rey final in Valencia's Mestalla, a game in which Barca were favored to win.
Real boss Jose Mourinho was acutely aware of the danger that Messi possessed, and he duly ensured that the little magician had no time on the ball whatsoever, regularly being closed down by Pepe and Sami Khedira in midfield. The game finished goalless and went to extra time, and it was there that Ronaldo would become a hero.
13 minutes into the additional period, CR7 struck. Angel Di Maria's floated cross found the talismanic attacker toward the edge of the area, allowing Ronaldo to plant a bullet header past stand-in goalkeeper Pinto. Barcs were unable to find an equalizer, and Los Blancos emerged with the first trophy of the Mourinho era. More were to come.
Ronaldo Ends Real's La Liga Drought in the Camp Nou
One year on from that Copa Del Rey triumph, Guardiola's Barcelona and Mourinho's Real battled it out for the La Liga crown. With five games remaining, Los Blancos were four points clear, but they had to head into the cauldron of the Camp Nou and avoid defeat in order to maintain their advantage. They would do far better than that.
Khedira would bundle Real into the lead after just 17 minutes, following up on a saved Ronaldo effort. Messi was unusually quiet, but teammate Alexis Sanchez managed to drag the hosts level with 20 minutes to go. With the hosts sensing a winner, Ronaldo stood up to be counted. Barely two minutes on from the equalizer, CR7 broke free of the defence, rounding goalkeeper Victor Valdes before slotting home and celebrating with his now iconic 'calma' celebration.
The Camp Nou was silenced. Ronaldo and Real won 2-1, extended their lead in the title race to seven points, and would go on to win La Liga for the first time since 2008.