By Gbeminiyi
For the first time in two decades, football superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be part of the Champions League, which starts this Tuesday.
Messi is now with Inter Miami in the MLS, while Ronaldo has joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. They’ve chosen new paths, marking the conclusion of their long reign in European football.
These two legendary players have been hugely influential in the world of football. Cristiano began his Champions League journey in 2003 with Sporting Portugal and played his last game in 2022 for Manchester United.
End of an era
On the other hand, Messi debuted in 2004 with FC Barcelona and ended his European chapter with Paris Saint-Germain in 2023. They both enjoyed 19 seasons in the Champions League.
But all good things must come to an end. It’s time for a new generation of leaders to emerge in the Champions League. The era of the famous ’10’ and ‘7’ jerseys is over, and it’s the moment for rising stars like Mbappé, Haaland, Pedri, Gavi, or Vinicius to shine.
Messi and Ronaldo have left their mark on the Champions League record books, topping the charts in categories like most matches played, most goals scored, most assists provided, and numerous titles won.
Leo Messi
Games: 163
Goals: 129
Goals per game: 0.79
Assists: 37
Trophies: 4
Teams scored against 40
Braces: 28
Hat-tricks: 8
Four goals in a game: 1
Five goals in a game: 1
Cristiano Ronaldo
Games: 183
Goals: 140
Goals per games: 0.77
Assists: 42
Trophies: 5
Teams scored against: 38
Braces: 30
Hat-tricks: 7
Four goals in a game: 1
Five goals in a game: 0
