Two of the biggest names in world football, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, continue to have memorable chapters in their careers, standing out once again in the history of World Cups. While the rivalry between the Argentine and Portuguese has dominated the sporting scene for almost two decades, a series of notable coincidences reveals that the connection between them goes far beyond the pitch.
Football stars have been in fierce competition for individual prizes and records in club and national team competitions. For more than ten years, they alternated in awarding the best player in the world, with Messi winning eight Ballon d’Ors and CR7 five. In the UEFA Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo leads as top scorer with 140 goals, followed closely by Messi, who found the net 129 times. In Champions League titles, the Portuguese also has an advantage, with five wins compared to the Argentine’s four.
Delving into the details of the trajectories, it is possible to find similarities that seem to defy probability. Away from the spotlight of the competition, the personal and professional lives of the two athletes intersect at remarkably similar moments.
Coincidences in age between parents and children
One of the most striking similarities is the age difference between the players and their first-born children. Cristiano Ronaldo, who is currently 41 years old, is 869 days older than Messi, who is celebrating his 39th birthday. The Portuguese star’s first son, Cristiano Júnior, was born on June 17, 2010. Exactly 869 days later, on November 2, 2012, Thiago, Messi’s first son, came into the world.
Interestingly, despite the exact difference between the children, the parents were not the same precise age at the birth of their first-born children. Ronaldo was 35 years and 132 days old, and Messi was 35 years and 131 days old. The discrepancy of just one day is explained by the fact that Thiago Messi was born in a leap year, changing the day count.
Identical names for second children
The surprising correspondences don’t stop there. The second children of both players bear the same name. Mateo Messi was born on September 11, 2015. Just under two years later, on June 8, 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo had twins Eva Maria and Mateo. This repetition of names suggests mutual admiration, even in the midst of historic rivalry.
Age records for World Cup goals
Both athletes also marked their names in the history of World Cups as the youngest and, now, the oldest to score goals for their respective teams. Cristiano Ronaldo became the youngest player to score for Portugal in a World Cup at the age of 21 years and 132 days, in the 2006 World Cup. In the same competition, Messi was the youngest player in Argentina to score a goal, at 18 years and 257 days. In this current edition of the World Cup, with Messi just a few days away from turning 39 and CR7 41, both also stood out as their teams’ most experienced scorers.
Two decades and six days separating achievements
The timing of their World Cup careers is even more remarkable. Messi scored his first goal in a World Cup on June 16, 2006. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his the following day, June 17, 2006. Twenty years and six days later, the two players scored again in sequence, with Messi finding the net on Monday and Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday.
The date July 10th marks the first cups for national teams
The search for a title with their national teams was a remarkable challenge for the two stars. Both had already won a vast gallery of club trophies before finally lifting a cup for their countries. The surprising coincidence is the date: Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2016 Euro Cup with Portugal on July 10th. Messi, in turn, won the 2021 Copa América with Argentina also on July 10. The date 10/7, which refers to the numbers on their legendary shirts (10 for Messi and 7 for CR7), is a detail that does not go unnoticed. Furthermore, Ronaldo secured Euro 2016 by defeating France at the Stade de France, while Messi won the 2021 Copa América by beating Brazil at Maracanã, adding even more uniqueness to these victorious journeys.