Cover Story - The Avengers

Photos: AFP | Reuters | EPA By: IOL SPORT TEAM

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have once again embarked on another journey to complete their destiny as ‘the greatest footballer ever’.

THE stellar careers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, undoubtedly and by a country mile the planet’s two best footballers over the last decade, took an unexpected turn during arguably the most dramatic transfer window yet this past European summer.

The festival of unimaginable transfers kicked off when Messi officially put pen to paper for Paris Saint-Germain on 10 August in what was the singular most important moment in the 51-year-old history of the Parisian club.

Following a decorated 17-year long career with Barcelona, in which his ridiculous 672 goals in 778 outings for Barca yielded an incredible haul of 35 major trophies, Messi signing a twoyear deal signals PSG’s boldness in their quest to finally win the Champions League.

The Argentine’s intelligence on and off the ball, electric burst of speed when scything past defenders and legendary vision to pick a pass through the eye of a needle will have PSG purring.

But Messi’s biggest rival Ronaldo was not to be beaten to the headlines and the Portuguese star was also on the move this summer, almost breaking the internet when Manchester United announced his return to the club 12 years after he left for Real Madrid having helped the club to nine major honours during his first stint there.

Ronaldo, now 36, refined his game during that period away from Old Trafford. In the past, he was involved all the time; now he often drifts in and out of action, sometimes even quite anonymously. But, rest assured, he is always thinking, always scheming and, when you’ve forgotten about him, that’s when he strikes.

He has also added 20 more major titles at club level with both Real Madrid and Juventus, including four Champions Leagues won with Real and two Serie A titles with Juve, but returns to a distinctly different United to that which he left 12 years ago.

He now finds himself returning to a club that has fallen behind Premier League champions Manchester City, Liverpool and Champions League holders Chelsea as the dominant teams in the English game.

In the same way that United had proverbially knocked Liverpool off their perch as English football’s dominant force of the 1970s and 80s courtesy of a dominant era under the wily Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils have themselves been unceremoniously usurped as the English game’s most feared outfit.

So, as Messi and Ronaldo take their places at their respective new clubs, they once again embark on yet another journey to complete their destiny as “the greatest footballer ever” for altogether different reasons.

A SENSE OF SOMETHING SPECIAL

MANCHESTER’S Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Uefa Champions League group F soccer match between BSC Young Boys and Manchester United at the Wankdorf stadium in Bern, Switzerland, 14 September 2021.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi in action during the French Ligue 1 soccer match against Stade Reims at Stade Auguste-Delaune II in Reims, France, 29 August 2021.