Between gold and shock: Ronaldo and Messi, an epic beginning and an exceptional ending!

The international journeys of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi with Portugal and Argentina were never ordinary careers. They were tales spanning many long years, packed with joy, heartbreak and historic moments.

Here lies the irony. The two stars who shared the throne of world football for years chose two completely different paths when the moment of international farewell arrived.

Ronaldo announced his decision to end his international career on the fifth of November, posting a video clip on his official accounts. The move shocked Portugal's supporters and the fans of the veteran star, who chose to bring down the curtain on his journey far from the atmosphere of the pitches and public celebrations.

Messi went the other way. His farewell came on the sixth of October, surrounded by his family and Argentina's fans, with thousands of supporters gathering to salute him. It was an emotional scene brimming with appreciation for the player who returned his country to the summit of world football. Barely a month separated the two dates, yet the difference in the manner of farewell was enormous.

A heroic start: Ronaldo puts Portugal on the map of the greats

Ronaldo began his international journey with great ambitions. Never, though, did he imagine he would become one of the greatest icons in the history of Portuguese football.

Years of attempts and failures followed, before he led his country to the UEFA European Championship in 2016. That historic achievement handed Portugal their first major title, and he went on to add the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.

Titles alone do not capture his impact. He became the all-time top scorer for the Portugal national team and for international football as a whole, with a tally of 146 goals. That record puts his name at the very top of the list of international scorers in history and leaves a legacy that will be difficult to replicate.

One final personal challenge remains despite his decision to end his international career. He sits just 15 goals away from his 1000th goal as a footballer, the figure he wants to reach before he finally retires.

Messi: from years of struggle to global glory

Messi's road with Argentina proved far rockier. Harsh criticism followed him for years as the titles refused to come, even after he reached the biggest finals of all: the 2014 World Cup final, then back-to-back Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016, all of them lost.

The Argentine refused to let those defeats write his ending. He dragged his country to two Copa America triumphs, the 2022 World Cup and the Finalissima, flipping the criticism into praise. One of football's most gripping stories was complete, the dream Argentina's fans had waited a lifetime for finally delivered.

A different ending: Ronaldo's video and Messi's celebration

For all the similarities, the final scenes could hardly have been more different. Messi got a moving send-off surrounded by his family and his country's fans, the celebratory mood a measure of the gratitude for everything he gave in an Argentina shirt. Ronaldo chose to announce his decision through a video on his official accounts, a quieter and altogether more surprising moment.

The gulf ran deeper than the manner of each goodbye. It reached into the circumstances that shaped the end of the road. Ronaldo made his call amid disputes and tensions with coach Jorge Jesus, a rift that soured his relationship with the national team and became one of the defining factors behind the announcement that his international career was over.

Messi's moment arrived to appreciation and celebration. He had fulfilled most of his dreams in the Argentina shirt, and his country's fans turned out to toast what he had given rather than mourn a journey ending in crisis or conflict.

Two exceptional careers, one final paradox. Ronaldo's ending carried the weight of shock and dispute. Messi's farewell brimmed with celebration and gratitude. The beginning was epic for both of them, yet the road to the end could not have looked more different, even if football handed them an era that will not easily be repeated.