Barcelona were unable to repeat the Remontada against PSG, and were knocked out of the Champions League in the Round of 16, ending another frustrating campaign in European competition for Lionel Messi and co. His ‘rival’, Cristiano Ronaldo also suffered the same fate as Juventus were dumped out of the tournament by Porto.
This is the first season in 16 years that neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will be competing in the quarter finals of the Champions League. Both of them have had frustrating exits to the Champions League in recent seasons, with Juventus being eliminated by Ajax, Lyon and Porto while Barcelona being defeated by Liverpool, Bayern and PSG rather infamously in all cases.
Given that Ronaldo is 36 and Messi is set to turn 34 this June, we must slowly start accepting that the two greatest players in the world are, or rather, have entered the final years of their footballing careers.
On the other hand, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are both in the quarter finals of the Champions League this season. While Haaland became the youngest player to score 20 Champions League goals in history, Mbappe is the youngest player to score 25, dethroning Lionel Messi as the previous holder of that record.
The two players are 20 and 22 respectively, and considering the performances we have seen from them both, it’s not a question any more. We are in fact, looking at the next big rivalry in football and the heir to the Messi-Ronaldo saga that has never truly been conclusive.
