Article written by Obaida Naffa, Sports Editor at CNN Arabic.
(CNN) - The scene of Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal is different from that of Lionel Messi in Argentina. After the two stars shared control of the world football stage for more than 15 years, each of them is close to writing the final chapter in his football career with his national team at least, but between chaos and appreciation, the two scenes differ in Lisbon and Buenos Aires. What are the reasons?
The last tango
Argentina and its football-loving fans are preparing for a historic night in which the country of silver will celebrate its golden star, which returned it to the throne of the world after decades of absence.
Lionel Messi's last match for Argentina will be held on October 7 against the Benin national team on the grounds of Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
While the Argentine Football Association is preparing to hold the historic match and invite the 2022 World Cup champions and their families to celebrate with their leader on their farewell night, Messi will be one of the fierce competitors for the 2026 Ballon d’Or title at the age of 39 due to his remarkable brilliance in the last World Cup.
Painful departure
The scene appears completely different in the Portugal national team camp, as Ronaldo left the team camp prior to Portugal's match against Denmark, which ended in a 4-2 victory for Portugal on Thursday, due to his dissatisfaction with his coach Jorge Jesus's statements in the press conference that preceded the match.
This storm has severely affected the stability of the relationship between Ronaldo and his country's national team, and it is not yet certain whether Cristiano will wear the Portugal shirt again under the leadership of the current coach.
Ronaldo, 41 years old, did not play a successful World Cup tournament with his country, which exited the World Cup in the round of 16. He also did not succeed in scoring in his country's first match in the European Nations League against Wales, in which he was substituted in the 67th minute. He did not participate in the next match against Norway, which sparked a crisis between him and his coach.
Different nature
The nature of the Portuguese players differs from the nature of the Argentine players, and the mentality of the Argentine fans differs from their Portuguese counterparts.
In Latin football culture in general and Argentine football in particular, fans and players rally behind the “captain” or the first star in the team. This culture has been in effect since the era of Diego Armando Maradona in 1986 and Mario Kempes, the maker of the World Cup achievement in 1978, all the way to Messi, the architect of the 2022 achievement.
Despite the criticism that Messi received over the years with the Argentine national team from the fans of his country, his achievement of the “Copa America” title twice and the World Cup once made everyone in the land of the tango declare him the king of the game in his country and the legitimate heir to the legacy of Kempes and Maradona, and all the Argentine players and fans rallied behind him.
On the other hand, Portugal is not accustomed to having a single star. Since Eusebio in the 1960s, no Portuguese player has succeeded in leading Portugal towards an achievement that makes everyone rally around him until the arrival of Ronaldo.
Although Portugal won the 2016 European Nations Cup and two European Nations League championships, Portugal's fans and players did not appoint Ronaldo as a leader that everyone should rally around. This may be due to not achieving the World Cup title, which would have had a magical effect on Ronaldo's image in the minds of his country's fans.
Clash of stars
Argentine star Lionel Messi benefited from the lack of many stars in the Argentine national team in the generation that won titles with him between 2021 and 2026. When the Argentine national team had many stars such as Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain and others, Messi did not succeed in reaching the top with “Tango.”
Perhaps the Argentinian players’ fusion 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 devote himself to offensive roles in which no player in the world can match him. This is not only because they love and appreciate him, but because they know that he is capable of creating a great career for each of them and leading them towards achievement if they make the physical sacrifice for him.
Perhaps the role of Messi and his football characteristics play an important role in this matter, as he is the one entrusted with dribbling, passing and scoring, and not an outright striker who needs players to provide him with decisive 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 is perhaps considered the least starry in the history of “European Brazil,” and perhaps this fact explains the reason for Ronaldo’s suffering with the current generation.
After the achievement of 2016, a completely different generation emerged in Portugal, made up of many stars in their clubs, such as Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha Ruben Diaz, Nuno Mendes and others.
With the presence of all these stars, it becomes difficult for a player to sacrifice for another or accept to be in the shadow of others, regardless of name, history, or achievement.
Individual influence
Some fans believe that Messi’s influence with the Argentine national team in the tournaments in which the achievements were achieved was very great and cannot be overlooked. He contributed 10 goals in the 2022 World Cup, including two goals in the final, between scoring and assisting. He also contributed 12 goals in the 2026 edition in which he led “Tango” to the final match at the age of 39 years.
In light of these numbers, Ronaldo's scoring contributions in Euro 2016 appear slightly lower, as he contributed 6 goals between assists and scoring in Euro 2016. He also did not leave a mark in the final, which he left early due to injury, in addition to his lack of success in leading Portugal to advanced stages in the World Cup, as he only scored one goal in the knockout rounds of the World Cup, despite his participation in 6 consecutive editions.
The expected farewell
Despite all these reasons, Ronaldo cannot end his long and busy career with his country's national team without a farewell match worthy of his career and what he presented when he decided to retire from international football.
Despite the disputes that surface, the storms will calm down and Ronaldo will receive the love and appreciation he deserves from the fans whom he has delighted for many years.
On the other hand, the “King of Argentina”, Lionel, will emerge from the wide door after a few days and will perform the final “Tango” dance, ending a legendary era and making way for a new generation that will try to preserve his legacy and lead Argentina towards glory again.
