The two outstanding players of the 2010s fail with their clubs in Saudi Arabia and the USA in the respective international competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo in the middle circle stood in the middle circle and mourned his first desert title in Saudi Arabia. What the 40-year-old did not know late Wednesday evening: Lionel Messi was supposed to suffer the same fate in the USA only hours later. Ronaldo and Messi, the two players of the 2010s and at the same time eager title hamster at the best clubs in Europe, leaves happiness in their trophy hunt with Al-Nassr and Inter Miami.
Ronaldo, under contract with Al-Nassr since 2023, lost the semi-finals with his team in the AFC Champions League against Kawasaki Frontale with 2: 3 (1: 1). The former super striker of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus Turin went on the square with himself – and then wrote on X: “Sometimes the dream has to wait. I am proud of this team and everything we gave on the field.”
The Portuguese itself could have taken the lead for his team in the first half. However, he failed with his header on the latte (34th) after the former Bayern star Sadio Mané had previously achieved the meantime 1: 1 (28th). So, like shortly afterwards, Ronaldo fared his eternal competitor Messi, with whom he had a bitter competition for the title of the world footballer for a decade.
Messi’s shine also faded somewhat in the Stolen football age of 37 – with Inter Miami, the Argentinian failed on Thursday night in the semi -finals of the Champions Cup and missed his first big title in the USA. Against the Vancouver Whitecaps it set a 1: 3 defeat; The Canadians had already won the Canadian 2-0.
Unlike Ronaldo, Messi managed to fuel hopes for the final in the final – the world champion from 2022 was involved in the emergence of the leadership by Jordi Alba (9th). But three goals conceded in the second half destroyed the title dream of the former miracle dribbler from FC Barcelona. Like Ronaldo, he will now take a new attempt – the two aged idols don’t have much time.