Will Ronaldo face Messi again on a football pitch?

The Riyadh Season Cup, featuring Al Nassr hosting Inter Miami and Lionel Messi, was anticipated as a showdown between two football legends, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Ronaldo’s recent injury ruled him out of the game, leaving fans and organizers disappointed. The match was initially dubbed “The Last Dance,” reminiscent of the epic Netflix documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ final season and glory years.

The exhibition match between a Riyadh Season Team, featuring Ronaldo, and Messi’s then-club Paris Saint-Germain marked their 37th meeting. While it was possibly their last encounter, it is not definitively so. The scheduled match on February 1 was considered a potential farewell between the two football icons, but given their schedules and the lucrative nature of exhibition games, another matchup in the future is not out of the question.

The era of guaranteed meetings in La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League came to an end when Ronaldo moved to Juventus in 2018. Their last competitive club encounter was on December 8, 2020, in a Champions League match where Ronaldo scored twice in Juventus’ 3-0 victory over Barcelona.

Although the recent “Last Dance” was impossible due to Ronaldo’s injury, the possibility of another matchup in the future remains open. Both Messi and Ronaldo are known for their incredible longevity, and they may continue participating in exhibition games. While the 2026 World Cup could be a fitting stage for a final showdown, with Messi turning 39 and Ronaldo into his fifth decade, their participation in the tournament is likely, making it a potential platform for an Argentina vs. Portugal matchup.

In total, Messi and Ronaldo have met 34 times in club competitions, with the majority of these encounters taking place in El Clasico. They have faced each other twice in international friendlies, with each team winning once. A competitive fixture between their national teams remains a hope for the future.