Lionel Messi has described his long-running rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo as "beautiful", as the legendary duo prepare for their likely international swansongs at the World Cup.

Between 2008 and 2023, all but two of the 15 Ballon d'Or awards handed out went to either Messi (eight) or Ronaldo (five), with only Luka Modric in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022 breaking their stranglehold on the title of the world's best player.

The peak of their rivalry came between 2008 and 2017, when they each won the award five times in 10 years, while battling it out at club level for Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Messi helped Barcelona win 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League crowns throughout his stint at Camp Nou, while Ronaldo's shorter tenure at Madrid featured two LaLiga wins and four Champions League triumphs, with the Portugal legend scoring in two finals in UEFA's flagship competition. 

Now, they could be set for one final meeting at the World Cup, where Argentina and Portugal will both hope to compete for the trophy.

The Opta supercomputer makes them fourth and fifth favourites, respectively, with Argentina assigned a 10% chance of defending their crown and Portugal given a 7% hope of winning it for the first time.

If Argentina and Portugal both win their groups, they will potentially be on course to meet in a blockbuster quarter-final in Kansas City on July 11.

In an interview with Argentinian channel Lo Del Pollo, Messi reflected on his iconic duels with Ronaldo, saying: "It's something natural in the world of football. 

"I was at Barcelona, and he was at Real Madrid, and we were competing for everything both collectively and individually, so people were always comparing us. 

"But our relationship was always good and respectful, and everything that happened was purely athletic. There was nothing personal.

"We didn't meet often, except at matches or award ceremonies, and we were always on good terms. Now we're at different stages in our lives, but what happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry."

Inter Miami star Messi has nine goal involvements in 10 MLS appearances this season, having tallied 58 in just 34 outings during the Herons' triumphant 2025 campaign.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has netted 26 times in 28 Saudi Pro League appearances for title-chasing Al-Nassr in 2025-26, with only Ivan Toney (30) and Julian Quinones (29) outscoring him.

Argentina face Algeria in their opening Group J match at the World Cup, on June 16, while Portugal face DR Congo in their Group K opener a day later.