Football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on Saturday put up a post on Instagram together which has gone viral on all social media.
The post, sponsored by Louis Vuitton, went up around 7 pm West African time from both Messi and Ronaldo’s respective social media handles and as of the time of filing this report, it has become the post with the most engagement on Instagram in a space of one hour.
The post tread:
“Victory is a State of Mind,” read the post.
Argentina plays its first match of the World Cup against Saudi Arabia on November 22. Portugal, on the other hand, goes up against Ghana on November 24.
There is a chance of a Portugal vs Argentina match-up in the 2022 World Cup, where Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will lock horns against each other.
The World Cup stage is set for perhaps one final shootout between the two greatest football players of the generation — and to many, the two greatest of all time.
This year’s tournament in Qatar presents Messi and Ronaldo with one last chance to win the ultimate trophy. Even by their own remarkable powers of endurance, it is unlikely either will be around for the next tournament in 2026 when Messi will be 39 and Ronaldo 41.
Pele and Diego Maradona — perhaps the only two players who can still challenge the supremacy of Messi and Ronaldo in the history books — earned their reputations from their achievements on this stage.
Pele won the trophy thrice with Brazil, while Maradona led Argentina to the title in 1986 with a performance of such individual brilliance that it left an indelible mark on the tournament.
For all their genius, Argentina’s Messi and Portugal’s Ronaldo have yet to emulate the two men they have spent their careers trying to surpass.
These are the final stages of their storied careers, which have seen them share 12 Ballon d’Or awards, nine Champions League titles, 18 league titles, and plenty of other accolades. But to add the World Cup would be the ultimate at a time when both players are seeing their powers wane.
