Even though they are well past their peak, players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to be extremely appealing to fans. There is no indication that this will change in the near future.

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo never fail to generate a lot of buzz whenever they are brought up in conversation. Not only did these two superstars produce a multitude of heated battles at the club level, but they also created a great deal of competition at the individual level over the decade that lasted from 2009 to 2019. The Real Madrid Club was where Ronaldo was playing at the time, whereas Barcelona was where Messi was playing. The presence of the two superstars described above makes the already intense matchup between these two rival teams even more intense. Throughout the course of history, these two teams have played each other in classic El Clasico contests.

Both Ronaldo and Messi demonstrated their prowess against one another in the competition for the individual title by consistently competing alongside one another for the Golden Ball (QBV) trophy. Before Lionel Messi, Ronaldo was the first player to win the Ballon d’Or. He brought home the trophy in 2008. In addition to that, the Portuguese superstar was able to experience an additional four instances of happiness in the years 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. In spite of this, Lionel Messi’s accomplishment is even more remarkable when one considers that the Argentine striker has won this title eight times: in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and most recently in 2023.

Ronaldo and Messi compete fiercely for the Golden Ball title. Photo: ESPN

The names Ronaldo and Messi not only have an influence on the football field, but they also capture the attention of a large number of fans on various social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

The Al Nassr Club, which Ronaldo plays for, recently made the announcement that the squad has moved up to eleventh place among the football clubs that have the most followers on Instagram. In addition to that, the Saudi Arabian team was rated 12th on the list of the sports teams that are followed the most on this site. The record for this accomplishment was set by none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. West Asia, a region that was not particularly well known in the past, has gained a significant number of fans as a result of the Portuguese star.

Before Ronaldo joined Al Nassr, this team had only about 86,000 followers on the social network Instagram. However, after Ronaldo arrived, this number skyrocketed, including the presence of a former Manchester United player, and it has already surpassed the milestone of 25.2 million followers.

Ronaldo’s terrible influence. Photo: AZR Organization

Lionel Messi, much like his colleague, was a source of motivation for the United States of America when he joined Inter Miami Club. As was the case with Al Nassr, not a great number of people were interested in and followed this American squad until the name Lionel Messi was mentioned.

Almost immediately, “El Pulga” demonstrated his popularity by increasing the number of people who follow the team’s Instagram profile. In the past, Inter Miami had a total of only about one million followers; however, this number has climbed by sixteen times, and it currently stands at 16.4 million followers.

Messi’s attraction to Inter Miami

Obviously, Ronaldo and Messi have left a legacy for world football with what they both won during their peak years. Therefore, the attraction and influence of these two superstars is something that does not need to be discussed too much, especially at a time when both are competing in the final years of their careers. So, cherish the moments when you witness living legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi taking to the field to enjoy the moment of competition.