Argentina's farewell protects Cristiano's throne: 5 Ronaldo achievements Messi will never touch
The first part of the conflict is over.
For more than two decades, the rivalry between two legends, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, raged on every level.
Their fiery battle over individual awards and records, with clubs and country alike, captivated football fans in every corner of the earth. The game had perhaps never seen anything like it.
Cristiano, now 41, began his international career with Portugal in 2003. Messi started his journey with Argentina in 2005.
A historic moment in Messi's career
Today brought a historic moment, ending one particular contest between the pair over their international careers.
Lionel Messi pulled on the Argentina shirt for the final time in the early hours of this Wednesday, drawing the curtain on an illustrious international career. Cristiano, meanwhile, still wants to carry on with Portugal despite his crisis with coach Jorge Jesus.
Messi walked away from the Argentina national team leaving a historic legacy behind him, headed by the 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar, alongside other titles and records that saw him surpass the legends of his country.
Ronaldo, whose international career has not officially ended, has his own historic feats to show for it, chief among them the Euro 2016 title, plus a string of other titles and records that will not fall easily either.
Messi's international retirement secures some of Cristiano's achievements
Messi retired from international football having achieved plenty his rival will never reach should he carry on with Portugal, the most notable being the World Cup. The next one is in 2030, and it is practically impossible for the Don to feature in that tournament, given he would be around 45 by then.
Yet Messi's decision also protected some of his Portuguese rival's achievements. Had the Flea pressed on for a few more years, those records were under threat.
The most capped at international level
One historic record is now safe from Messi's chase following his retirement: most appearances for a country in history.
Ronaldo tops the list on 234 matches, a tally that could still climb if the Don returns to the Portugal fold. Messi's count stopped at 208, after his final fixture against Benin in the early hours of today.
The top scorer at international level
Cristiano also leads the way for goals at international level, sitting on 146. That number, too, may rise if the Don's international career had not ended.
Messi's goal against Benin in the early hours of today took him to 126, a genuine threat to Cristiano's record. The Don is now safe from it, with the Flea's international career over.
Ronaldo also boasts the better strike rate, finding the net roughly every 127 minutes to Messi's 136.
Ronaldo has scored against the most different national teams
Messi tucked away a penalty in his final international, against Benin, taking the number of national teams he has scored against across his career to 46.
Cristiano, for his part, has found the net against 49 national teams, the player who has scored against more different opponents for his country than anyone else. Messi can no longer break that mark after his retirement.
Scoring in 6 editions of the World Cup
Ronaldo became the first player in the history of football to score at 6 different World Cups.
The Portuguese star hit the milestone at the 2026 World Cup, netting against Uzbekistan in the group stage.
It is a feat all his own, having scored at every World Cup he has taken part in since his first appearance in the tournament.
Messi also played in 6 editions but scored in only 5, drawing a blank at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
The Don, the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifiers
Cristiano Ronaldo tops the scoring charts in World Cup qualifiers with 41 goals in 52 matches. Carlos Ruiz, the former Guatemala star, sits second on 39 in 47.
Messi comes third with 36 goals in 72 matches, with Robert Lewandowski behind him on 35 in 46.
