After both stars got eliminated in the Champions League this week, Messi and Ronaldo mark the end of a golden era in European football.
It was beautiful while it lasted but, the Messi vs Ronaldo era may have ended today after 16 years of joy they brought to the world with their football. At least one of the two greatest players who ever lived had been involved in the Champions League quarterfinals since the 2004-05 season. That changed today as both were eliminated in the Round of 16. But out of all those years, Messi won four titles and Ronaldo won five. Cristiano currently sits at 134 goals and Leo at 120.
We can’t deny they came to completely revolutionize the most important football tournament in the world. The whole world will be forever grateful for what they’ve done until today. Nobody is saying they won’t have at least one more chance to win this competition again, but today sure does feel like we are witnessing the end of an era. A few years ago as we saw the end coming near, most of us were depressed because this rivalry was over. But the recent years have given us a new rivalry to look forward to.
Enter Haaland vs Kylian Mbappe.
We honestly didn’t think we would get another rivalry of this magnitude in our lifetime, but evolution is accelerating at a never-before-seen rate. It took only a few years while Ronaldo and Messi are still active to give us two new players who are making the headlines. We are in the presence of a generational shift that sports don’t usually produce this quickly. While Ronaldo and Messi failed to meet the standard in the round of 16, both Haaland and Mbappe scored four goals each.
Regardless of how this season ends for either one of these players, we can’t deny the undertones of history in the making. We can only hope that these two new prospects can be half as successful as the other two veterans were for the last 16 years. But just by looking at their numbers, we have a good feeling about their careers. Get ready for another wild ride with these two young stars. It also has the potential to be glorious.
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