Ronaldo and Messi.. Between the "Last Tango Dance" and the "Explosion of a Crisis".. What are the reasons for the differing scenes?

An article by Obeida Nafa, sports affairs editor at Ofoq News in Arabic. The scene for Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal differs from that of Lionel Messi in Argentina. After sharing the spotlight in global football for over 15 years, each is approaching the final chapter of his football career with his national team at least. However, amidst chaos and appreciation, the scenes in Lisbon and Buenos Aires vary. What are the reasons? The last 'Tango dance' prepares Argentina and its football-loving fans for a historic night celebrating their golden star who has brought them back to the throne of the world after decades of absence.

Lionel Messi's last match in the Argentina jersey will take place on October 7th against the Benin national team at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. While the Argentine Football Association prepares for this historic match and invites the 2022 World Cup champions and their families to celebrate with their captain on this farewell night, Messi will be one of the fierce contenders for the Ballon d'Or in 2026 at the age of 39, thanks to his remarkable performance in the last World Cup.

A painful departure The scene is completely different in the Portugal national team camp, as Ronaldo left the team's camp before the match against Denmark, which ended with Portugal winning 4-2 on Thursday, due to his dissatisfaction with statements made by his coach Jorge Jesus in the press conference prior to the match. This storm has severely impacted the stability of the relationship between Ronaldo and his national team, and it is still uncertain whether Cristiano will wear the Portugal jersey again under the current coach's leadership.

A different nature The nature of Portuguese players differs from that of Argentine players, just as the mentality of Argentine fans differs from that of their Portuguese counterparts.

In Latin football culture in general, and Argentine culture in particular, fans and players rally behind the "leader" or the star player of the national team. This culture has been in place since the era of Diego Armando Maradona in 1986 and Mario Kempes, who was instrumental in the 1978 World Cup victory, up to Messi, the architect of the 2022 achievement. Despite the criticisms Messi faced over the years from fans of the Argentine national team, his winning the Copa America twice and the World Cup once has made everyone in the land of tango crown him as the king of the game in his country and the legitimate heir to the legacy of Kempes and Maradona, as all Argentine players and fans rallied behind him.

On the other hand, Portugal has not been accustomed to having a single star. Since Eusebio in the 1960s, no Portuguese player has succeeded in leading Portugal to an achievement that would make everyone rally around him until the arrival of Ronaldo. Despite Portugal winning the UEFA Euro 2016 title and two UEFA Nations League titles, the fans and players of Portugal did not designate Ronaldo as a leader that everyone should rally around, perhaps due to the lack of a World Cup title, which would have had a magical effect on Ronaldo's image in the minds of the fans of his national team.

The star struggle benefited Argentine star Lionel Messi from the lack of many stars in the Argentine national team during the generation that achieved titles between 2021 and 2026. When the Argentine team had many stars like Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain, and others, Messi did not succeed in reaching the pinnacle with the "tango". Perhaps the fusion of Argentine players with Messi's stardom made them ready to sacrifice, fight, and do all the physical work required to provide the best conditions for him to focus on the offensive roles that no player in the world can match him in, not only because they love and appreciate him but also because they know he is capable of crafting a great career for each of them and leading them to success if they make physical sacrifices for him.

Perhaps Messi's role and his football characteristics play an important role in this matter, as he is the one tasked with dribbling, creating, and scoring, rather than being a pure striker who needs players to provide him with key passes inside the penalty area, as is the case with Cristiano. On the other hand, Ronaldo succeeded in achieving his most important title with Portugal in Euro 2016 with a generation that may be considered the least star-studded in the history of the "Brazil of Europe", and this fact may clarify the reason for Ronaldo's struggles with the current generation.

After the achievement in 2016, a completely different generation emerged in Portugal, consisting of many stars in their clubs such as Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes, and others. With all those stars, it becomes difficult for a player to sacrifice for another or accept being in the shadow of others, regardless of the name, history, or achievement.

Individual impact Some fans believe that Messi's impact with the Argentine national team in the tournaments where achievements were made was very significant and cannot be overlooked. He contributed 10 goals in the 2022 World Cup, including two in the final, along with scoring and assisting, and he contributed 12 goals in the 2026 edition, where he led the 'Tango' to the final match at the age of 39. In light of these numbers, Ronaldo's scoring contributions in Euro 2016 appear slightly less, as he contributed 6 goals between assists and goals in Euro 2016, and he did not leave a mark in the final, which he left early due to injury. Additionally, he did not succeed in leading Portugal to advanced stages in the World Cup, having scored only one goal in the knockout stages despite participating in 6 consecutive editions.

The anticipated farewell Despite all these reasons, Ronaldo cannot end his long and illustrious career with his national team without a farewell match that befits his career and what he has offered when he decides to retire from international duty. Despite the conflicts that surface, the storms will calm, and Ronaldo will receive the love and appreciation he deserves from the fans who have delighted him for many long years.

On the other hand, the 'King of Argentina' Lionel will exit through the wide door in a few days and will perform the last 'Tango' dance to conclude a legendary era and make way for a new generation that will try to preserve his legacy and lead Argentina to glory once again.