Messi and Ronaldo could finally play together

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could finally line up on the same team, nearly two decades after defining football’s greatest rivalry of their generation. Their former teammate Carlos Tevez wants to bring them together at a farewell match in Buenos Aires.

According to Argentine outlet TyC Sports, Tevez is planning the event for December at La Bombonera, the stadium closely associated with Boca Juniors. He reportedly hopes to invite around 60 former teammates and friends, with Messi and Ronaldo among his most desired guests.

The proposal remains in its early stages. Neither player’s appearance has been confirmed, and the teams have not yet been decided. Tevez reportedly wants one side to feature his closest friends from football and private life, while the other would include players who shared dressing rooms with him during different periods of his career.

Tevez has a direct connection to both stars. He played alongside Messi for Argentina and with Ronaldo at Manchester United. English media figures cited in the report say Tevez played 47 matches with Messi, assisting six of his goals, while Messi assisted four of his. Tevez and Ronaldo appeared together in 80 matches for United, with Tevez setting up four goals for the Portuguese forward and Ronaldo assisting five for the Argentine.

Tevez and Ronaldo were part of the highly successful Manchester United side that won the 2008 Champions League and two English league titles. Tevez later played for Manchester City, Juventus, Corinthians and Shanghai Shenhua, but retained his strongest emotional connection with Boca Juniors. He began his professional career there and played his final matches for the club in 2021. A farewell match at La Bombonera would symbolically bring that story to a close.