Lionel Messi soaked in every moment as a packed Estadio Mas Monumental rose to applaud Argentina’s greatest footballing hero one final time in national colours. The occasion even brought teammate Enzo Fernandez to tears, with the midfielder seen sobbing amid the emotional farewell. In stark contrast, Messi’s long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo finds himself staring at a potentially bitter end to his international career, following a fallout with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus .
More than 85,000 spectators stood to salute the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, a player who not only mastered football’s geometry but seemed capable of bending it to his will.
Ronaldo and Jesus were all smiles less than three weeks ago when the manager announced his first Portugal squad after succeeding Roberto Martinez following the World Cup. For nearly two decades, Ronaldo and Messi mirrored each other’s greatness, pushing the boundaries of football while trading records and honours. Their rivalry split the sport into two camps, as if every football pitch had become a border.
Things are believed to have gone from bad to worse following Ronaldo’s social media remarks, with none of his teammates publicly liking or reacting to his post. The apparent silence from his teammates could mean that the Portuguese captain, the national team’s all-time leading scorer, is, more than ever, on his own. Ahead of Portugal’s Nations League title defence, Jesus had publicly praised Ronaldo in front of a packed media room, describing the 41-year-old as a player who embodies the spirit of Portuguese football. Fast forward to October 8, and the player and the manager, who were together at Al-Nassr and helped the club end its league-title drought, have polarised Portuguese football in the space of just a few weeks. Ronaldo, in his viral public statement, accused the manager of forcing him to watch the entire game from the bench despite asking him to warm up during Portugal’s 4-2 win over Denmark in Copenhagen. Given that the post has garnered more than 18 million likes on Instagram, the silence from Ronaldo’s teammates could, it is safe to say, be worth a thousand words.
