Messi and Ronaldo: The end of an era?

Manchester United were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday by Athletico Madrid after losing 2-1 on aggregate.

While that defeat has capped off a near-failed season and the need for urgent changes at the club, it might also be an indication of the end of two of the best players to ever play the round leather game.

When both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo failed to qualify for the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League last season for the first time in 16 years, many overlooked their exit at that stage of the competition because the competition itself is deemed as one where upsets were bound to happen.

But with both players failing to qualify for the quarter finals for the second consecutive season in a competition they had dominated for years, it might not be just a mere coincidence but a sign that their successful spell on the field of play might be coming to an end.

When Lionel Messi won the Balon d’Or for the 7th time in his career last year, it looked as though he was going to continue performing at the highest level, but with the sort of performance he has pulled off this season, it is evident the Argentine no longer possesses that magical touch we saw in the last two decades.

No doubt, his 17 goal contributions – 7 goals and 10 assists – in 26 matches for Paris Saint Germain in all competitions this season would be considered a superb performance for any average player, but for a 7 time Balon d’Or winner who happens to play in the least ranked league out of Europe’s top 5 leagues, his average of a goal every 307 minutes shows that he is just not the man he used to be.

The same can be said about his counterpart, Cristiano Ronaldo.

When Ronaldo made the 15m move from Juventus to Manchester United, he made it clear that “History has been written in the past and history will be written once again”.

But the Portuguese has only managed 4 goals in the year 2022 and has seen his Manchester United team get knocked out of the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

Although he scored a total of 6 goals in 7 appearances in the UEFA Champions League before his eventual exit this season, he has failed to replicate that prolificiency in the Premier League.

No one expected him to register just 9 goals in his first 23 appearances in the English Premier League, not the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson who convinced him to make the move to the club, and certainly not the 400,000 plus fans who purchased his jersey in the first 12 hours of its release.

Both players, no doubt, have left their mark and a lot of memories in the world of football, the latter which will be remembered for years to come.

They have both played at the top level for almost two decades, winning trophies for both club and country, winning a joint total of 12 Balon d’Ors and scoring a massive joint total of 1,566 goals.

Nevertheless, their form in recent years have declined, a result of their old age perhaps.

They have both scored a combined 14 league goals for their respective clubs so far this season, a tally which should be considered as poor considering the fact that Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski has scored 29 league goals so far this season and Lazio’s Ciro Immobile has 21 league goals to his name already.

While their performances as individuals have fallen short of expectations, what they have been able to achieve with their respective clubs is nothing to write home about.

Manchester United lost their last hope of winning a silverware this season when they got knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday and their chances of finishing in the top 4 in the Premier League are even slimmer considering the fact that they trail fourth placed Arsenal by a point despite playing two games more.

The same can be said about Paris Saint Germain. When the Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) took over the team in 2011, it made it clear that it wanted to form a team capable of winning the UEFA Champions League.

They have not been able to that in 11 years and their exit at the round of 16 in the competition is just another blow to their current season, one which might still be considered a partial failure even if they end up winning the league title and domestic cups.

Although there seems to be a decline in their performances in recent months, their achievements in the world of football cannot be undermined. They have achieved various historical milestones together and are considered as two of the greatest players of all time.

Messi on one hand has won a record 36 major trophies which include 10 league titles, 4 Champions League titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 3 European Super Cups, 3 FIFA Club World Cups and 1 Copa América title.

He has also won the most number of Balon d’Ors and is Laliga’s all time top scorer as well as having the most number of assists in the competition history.

Ronaldo on the other hand has won a record 34 major trophies which include 7 league titles, 5 Champions Leagues titles, 2 league cups, 4 national cups, 7 national super cups, 3 European Super Cups, 4 FIFA Club World Cups, 1 European Championship and 1 UEFA Nations League trophy.

He has the most number of international goals, holds the record for the most goals and assists in the UEFA Champions League and is also the all time leading goalscorer in world men’s football.

But while one era is ending, a new one seems to be dawning as fans are already pointing to the likes of PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland to take over the stage from the dynamic duo.

The former overtook Lionel Messi last year to become the youngest player in history to score 25 Champions League goals while the latter finished as the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League last season despite exiting the competition in the quarterfinals.

It remains to be seen, however, if both Messi and Ronaldo will continue playing at the top level despite a gradual decline in their on-field performances.

While Messi made it clear in November 2021 that he has no plans of going into retirement even after the World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo stated that he still has passion for the game and feels motivated regardless of his age.