Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did not face each other in the FIFA World Cup 2022.
If you thought the dream clash between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer possible, think again. Paris Saint-Germain FC, the star-studded French club that has Messi, Neymar Jr, Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi playing for them, could meet Ronaldo's new club, Al-Nassr, in a friendly match.
Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi was earlier welcomed like a king in Paris on January 4. When Messi returned to training at the Parc des Princes stadium, he was given a guard of honor by his PSG teammates and support personnel. After the guard of honour, PSG advisor Luis Campos presented an award plaque to the Argentine star.
On the other hand, as he was greeted with thunderous applause at his new club Al Nasser in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo referred to himself as a "unique player" and claimed that his career was not over. On January 3, Ronaldo was greeted with loud applause and fireworks at Al Nasr's Mrusool Park Stadium in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. He later said that he had achieved everything he could in Europe and was eager for a new challenge.
Meanwhile, media reports have claimed that PSG are expected to fly to Saudi Arabia in January itself to play for Al Nassr. PSG were to play the Saudi club as part of their January 2022 tour, which they postponed due to COVID-19. It was a contractual duty, thus delayed but not cancelled. The schedule of the PSG vs Al-Nassr match is yet to be decided. This game should be decided by PSG soon.
Fans were expecting Messi and Ronaldo to face each other in the FIFA World Cup 2022. However, this was technically only possible if both Argentina and Portugal reached the final. While Messi's team managed to reach the final, Ronaldo's team lost 0–1 to Morocco in the quarter-finals.
There were two separate exits by two legends of the game. While Messi won the trophy for his country for the first time in 36 years and received the Golden Ball for being the best player in Qatar 2022, Ronaldo got an unceremonious exit. In the final World Cup match of his career, CR7 was not allowed to play full-time and was only used as a substitute.
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