Life is full of variety, and as they say, when a person sets their mind to it, anything is possible!
Let’s talk about destiny. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—what kind of fate were they born into! You could say they are the headline in football’s individual rivalry chapter. But this isn’t just about destiny; it’s about their constant battle to push themselves higher through talent and hard work. However, when you look deeper beyond their rivalry, you can see that somewhere, somehow, the Creator has placed similarities between them.
Yes, both are footballers. They’ve played for years in Europe’s top leagues, won multiple Champions Leagues, and earned several Ballon d’Ors. But even with all these achievements, it’s clear that talent and hard work are the key ingredients, though the Creator’s hand may have guided them. The real question is—where can we find a similarity that goes beyond human effort?
Let’s take a look at their birthdates. Messi was born on June 24, 1987, while Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985. There’s a gap of 869 days between them. Now, let’s look at their sons: Ronaldo’s eldest son, Cristiano Jr., was born on June 17, 2010, and Messi’s eldest son, Thiago Messi, was born on November 2, 2012. Again, the gap is exactly 869 days!
When discussions and debates about Messi and Ronaldo arise, one common remark is that without the talent given by the Creator, this wouldn’t be possible. Of course, talent plays a role in their achievements. But the real difference lies in the effort they put in and the paths they’ve taken to rise to the top. If you look at their journeys, you can truly say that when people set their mind to something, they can accomplish anything!
In February, Ronaldo will turn 40. What do most people at this age think about or do? And then there’s Ronaldo, who scored twice in Al Nassr’s 2–0 victory over Damac in the Saudi Pro League last night. He’s still running, scoring, and celebrating with the same youthful joy. This energy is what’s taking him closer to the dream of scoring 1,000 goals. He needs just 85 more goals to reach that milestone, which, given his fitness, age, and hunger for goals, makes it seem entirely possible.
Out of his 915 career goals for club and country, 452 have come after he turned 30. That’s just 12 fewer than his total before turning 30! Rumors are even suggesting that Ronaldo could play in the 2026 World Cup. While nothing is confirmed, his incredible fitness and goal-scoring drive could take him to the next World Cup. Imagine, in two years, by the time the tournament kicks off, Ronaldo could have already reached his 1,000 goals. Will he play in that World Cup? It’s a possibility, and Messi stands at the heart of this scenario!
During their time in European club football, both Messi and Ronaldo have often said that they’ve helped each other improve. How? You can understand this better by looking at the rivalry between Pakistan’s cricket legends, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Wasim once said, “If he (Waqar) takes 5 wickets today, why can’t I do it tomorrow?” This competitive mentality has pushed them to be better, and that same mentality could drive them both into the 2026 World Cup.
Since winning the World Cup, Argentina has been hoping for Messi to play in the 2026 World Cup. However, Messi is taking it day by day, enjoying the present moment without making promises for the future. The major reason for this is that Messi has already achieved the greatest honor of his career. Everything else is a bonus. Meanwhile, Ronaldo, having given up hope on winning a World Cup, is chasing the dream of scoring 1,000 goals. Messi could win another World Cup, but Ronaldo is determined to hit that goal milestone before retiring, at least ensuring he’s ahead of his eternal rival in the individual race.
Currently, Messi trails Ronaldo by 65 goals in the all-time tally, with Messi at 850 goals. After turning 30, Messi has scored 285 goals, just slightly behind Ronaldo in that regard. Looking at these statistics, it would be foolish to downplay Messi’s achievements. Both Messi and Ronaldo are revolutionizing football on two different continents, each making significant progress toward winning hearts and breaking records. What else would you call this kind of effort, especially at their age? Yes, the same old saying applies: when a person wants something, they can achieve it!
This shared desire is what unites Messi and Ronaldo, just like how their birthdates and their children’s birthdates match up in an uncanny way. The gap in their birthdates can be written down as a mere fact, but that inner desire, which is invisible, is reflected in everything we see from them. Isn’t that the real similarity given by the Creator? It may be invisible, but the direction is the same.
The question of who is the greatest between Messi and Ronaldo will never have a definitive answer. Even if we try to find differences between them, what we should really focus on is the similarities. The real question should be how these two marvels of the world have been continuously giving people joy day after day, driven by the same desire.
And isn’t the fact that we’re talking about two special individuals itself a similarity?
