Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could play together for the first time in Carlos Tevez’s farewell match

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been reportedly invited to Carlos Tevez’s farewell match, set to take place at La Bombonera in December, more than five years after the Argentine hung up his boots.

According to ESPN’s Emiliano Raddi, the tribute game organized by Boca Juniors has already generated buzz well beyond Argentina, since the two players have never shared a pitch as teammates despite being era-defining rivals throughout their careers.

Nothing has been confirmed yet regarding the attendance of either Ronaldo or Messi, and it also remains unclear whether the two would line up on the same side or face off as opponents once again if they do take part.

Still, the mere possibility of seeing them share a field together, for the first time as teammates or in any capacity outside their usual rivalry, is an enticing prospect for football fans around the world.

Tevez’s connection with both legends

The connection to both Ronaldo and Messi comes from Tevez‘s own career path. He played alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United, forming a lethal attacking partnership under Sir Alex Ferguson, and later shared the field with Messi for years as a member of the Argentina national team.

Tevez remains close with both players to this day, which means there is a real chance that both superstars could make the trip to Buenos Aires for the occasion, though neither has publicly confirmed his attendance.

The last time Messi and Ronaldo shared a pitch

The two have not faced each other since January 19, 2023, when Ronaldo lined up for a Saudi all-star team against Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain in a star-studded exhibition match in Riyadh, which PSG won 5-4.

Remarkably, the pair have never once played on the same side in a professional or exhibition setting despite crossing paths for nearly two decades. Even a renewed matchup as rivals didn’t materialize this year at the 2026 World Cup, as Ronaldo’s Portugal was kept on the opposite side of the bracket from Messi’s Argentina, which fell to Spain in the final.