It was the game that was destined to break the internet: If Argentina and Portugal won their groups, as expected, then Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would meet in the World Cup quarterfinals.
They have faced each other in competitive matches 36 times during their illustrious careers. Messi has won 16 of those games, scoring 22 goals; Ronaldo has won 11, scoring 21 goals. Their most recent encounter was in an exhibition match in January 2023 between Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain and a Ronaldo-led team of Saudi Pro League all-stars.
At the 2026 World Cup, the path was set for the pair to do battle perhaps for the last time on soccer’s biggest stage, and for two weeks, it was a case of “so far, so good.”
Messi scored five goals as Argentina waltzed past Algeria and Austria, cementing their place as group winners before their final match against Jordan on Saturday.
Then, Portugal ruined it by finishing second in Group K, thanks to a 0-0 draw Saturday with Colombia, who topped the group.
It places Portugal in a different side of the knockout stage, where they will face Croatia in the round of 32 before a potential clash with Spain in the round of 16. Meanwhile, Argentina have a date with underdogs Cape Verde.
It also means that Ronaldo and Messi, who now play on different continents and might not play at the next World Cup in 2030, could have faced off for the final time — unless Portugal and Argentina make it to the World Cup final.
Most memorable clashes
There have been some truly memorable encounters between Messi and Ronaldo. Here are six of the best.
Barcelona secured their third European Cup #OTD in 2009! 🏆
What do you remember most about this final?#UCL #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/LsLsf823KQ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 27, 2021
The 2009 final in Rome was hyped as a gladiatorial clash between the two best players in the world, and this time, Messi came out on top. Barca successfully kept United at arm’s length in a 2-0 win — with Messi scoring a rare header for his team’s second goal — and secured their first-ever league, domestic cup and European Cup treble.
🔙 # OTD 2010
5️⃣-0️⃣
🔥10 years since the exhibition 🆚 R. Madrid at the Camp Nou! 😍 pic.twitter.com/8MF77o0Eaw— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 29, 2020
The game that was seen as something of a proving ground for Messi and Ronaldo, who were both Ballon d’Or winners by this point, veered off script as Camp Nou witnessed a historic humiliation of Real and their coach, Jose Mourinho. Messi didn’t score, but he set up two goals and played a pivotal role in Barca routing their foes, who had started the game on top of LaLiga and were unbeaten in seven matches. The hefty scoreline was immortalized by Gerard Pique’s five-fingered “Manita” (“Little Hand”) salute.
🏆💫 👑 Nine years ago today we clinched our 18th Copa del Rey!
⏳ On April 20, 2011 we ran out 0-1 winners against @FCBarcelona in a dramatic extra-time victory at Mestalla!#RMHistory | #RMFansEnCasa pic.twitter.com/ROTmQPygFZ— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 20, 2020
Ronaldo finally triumphed over Barca as a Real player. The Madrid forward was the only scorer as his trademark 103rd-minute header helped Los Blancos snatch the Copa del Rey from Barca. However, that final at the Mestalla came in the middle of an intense run of four Clasicos in three weeks, culminating in Barca reaching the Champions League final at the expense of their bitter rivals.
Vuestros votos mandan…@Cristiano encarriló así el último título de #LaLiga que conquistó el @realmadrid. 💥#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/cthVTRbxEX
— LaLiga (@LaLiga) December 1, 2016
Ronaldo again prevailed when the longtime adversaries met at Camp Nou toward the tail end of the 2011-12 league campaign. Barca surrendered their hopes of defending their league title as a winner from Ronaldo put Los Blancos seven points ahead at the top of the table with four matches to play. Ronaldo’s goal, which he marked in unusually understated fashion by gesturing for “calm” as his teammates celebrated, also helped Real break the Spanish league scoring record with goal No. 109 of the season, and they romped to the title soon thereafter.
Ronaldo again inflicted Copa del Rey heartbreak on Catalonia when he turned in a star performance to send Barcelona packing. After the first leg had ended 1-1 at the Bernabeu, the Portugal forward scored twice — via a penalty that he earned after being fouled by Pique, and then a towering header — and almost single-handedly wrapped up a 3-1 win at Camp Nou in the return match to seal Real’s place in the final.
🍿 #ElClasico
🤝 Drawing 2-2
⌚️ 10 seconds on the clock#OnThisDay in 2017… who else but Messi? 👽#StayHome #LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/8JFtK9qeIi— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) April 23, 2020
Messi, once again, seized the headlines after a 92nd-minute winner from the Argentine talisman at the Bernabeu kept Barca’s title aspirations alive. Having already scored in the first half, Messi kept his cool to slot home an injury-time winner amid a hostile atmosphere and then celebrate by reminding the Real supporters of his name.
If there is one statistic or fact to sum up the greatness of the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo, it is this: In the nine-year period they were together in Spain, there was never a goalless Clasico.
Box office, guaranteed.
Information from ESPN’s Chris Wright contributed to this report.
