The war between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is in its final battle. Away from the spotlight of elite football, the Portuguese and Argentine striker is enjoying a golden retirement in Saudi Arabia and the United States, two leagues that have been competitive for years in the Europa League.
The battle between the two stars has been fierce in recent years, both at club level and national team level. Messi appears to have won the battle after winning the World Cup in Qatar last year.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo is not giving up and hopes his presence in Portugal’s national team will make them one of the strong contenders for next year’s European Championships.
Led by Roberto Martinez, Portugal is one of the continent’s contenders and won the title in 2016.
The Saudi Al Hilal No 7 appeared before media in his home country on Wednesday, hoping to resolve any dispute with Lionel Messi once and for all.
“If you love Cristiano Ronaldo, you don’t have to hate Messi,” he said, adding that “we all changed the history of world football.”