The idea of&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/cristiano-ronaldo/">Cristiano Ronaldo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi">Lionel Messi</a>&nbsp;wearing the same shirt has always felt like soccer’s ultimate “what if.” For more than two decades, they have defined an era as rivals, separated by colors, leagues, and philosophies. Yet, according to&nbsp;Patrice Evra, there was a moment when that line almost disappeared — and the two greatest players of their generation came remarkably close to becoming teammates.



At the time, Ronaldo was at a crossroads, Messi was still anchored to a familiar home, and one ambitious club was quietly positioning itself to change soccer history forever. The summer of 2018 was seismic. Cristiano Ronaldo had just lifted the Champions League trophy in Kyiv, completing yet another triumphant campaign. Moments after the final whistle, he hinted that his chapter at the Spanish giant was closing. Within days, the soccer world was flooded with speculation.



Offers poured in. England beckoned. Italy called. And from across Europe, one particular project stood out — bold, ambitious, and hungry for global dominance. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/patrice-evra/">Evra</a>, who knew Ronaldo intimately from their years together in England, later lifted the curtain on just how open the Portuguese star was to a dramatic move.



“He was interested in coming to Paris, believe me, he would have adapted,”&nbsp;the Frenchman revealed in an interview with&nbsp;RMC Sport.&nbsp;“That was before he signed for Juventus. He had Chelsea, Juventus, PSG… he said he would never go to Arsenal.” Those words instantly reframed the narrative of Ronaldo’s career crossroads.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/16022042/Messi-and-Ronaldo-1200x675-1200x675.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-542382" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Messi and Ronaldo</figcaption></figure>



<h2>The project that tempted Ronaldo</h2>



At that moment, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/psg/">Paris Saint-Germain</a> was already reshaping European soccer. A year earlier, it had completed one of the most explosive transfers in history, signaling that no player was beyond reach. Adding Ronaldo would not have been just another signing — it would have been a declaration of supremacy.



Evra made it clear that Ronaldo was not merely flattered by the interest; he was genuinely intrigued. “PSG was interested in the project, he would have adapted and worked hard,”&nbsp;Evra added, underlining that this was not idle speculation but a serious consideration.



The vision was compelling: a team built to conquer Europe, backed by vast resources, and determined to finally claim the Champions League. For Ronaldo, it represented both a new challenge and a chance to rewrite the script of his rivalry with Messi.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/09/11125048/Cristiano-Ronaldo-and-Messi-1200x675-1200x675.webp" alt="Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi" class="wp-image-590063" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Why it never happened</h2>



Had Ronaldo chosen Paris in 2018 and stayed beyond a short-term spell, fate could have intervened in astonishing fashion. In 2021, Lionel Messi left Barcelona and joined the French side after his contract saga came to a dramatic end. For the first time in their careers, the two icons would have shared a dressing room, a training pitch, and possibly a front line.



Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as teammates&nbsp;— not in a testimonial, not in an All-Star match, but in competitive European soccer. It is a scenario that feels almost fictional, yet it was grounded in real negotiations and genuine interest. In the end, Ronaldo chose Italy. Juventus offered a historic club, a clear sporting vision, and a chance to conquer another major league. The move was decisive.



Over three seasons, he scored&nbsp;101 goals in 134 matches, becoming the fastest player to reach 100 goals for the club and collecting multiple domestic titles. Yet one ambition remained unfulfilled: lifting the Champions League again. Meanwhile, PSG continued its own journey, eventually landing Messi — but without the Portuguese.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the same team? Premier League great Patrice Evra reveals the shocking club that nearly united the GOATs

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the same team? Premier League great Patrice Evra reveals the shocking club that nearly united the GOATs - World Soccer Talk

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In&nbsp;December 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi/">Lionel Messi</a> and Argentina&nbsp;ended their nation’s&nbsp;36-year wait for a FIFA World Cup, lifting the trophy after a breathtaking final against&nbsp;France. The clash, widely regarded as one of the greatest in soccer history, saw&nbsp;Kylian Mbappe score a hat-trick, while&nbsp;Messi struck twice, leading to an intense&nbsp;penalty shootout victory for Argentina.



However, not everyone believes the outcome was entirely fair.&nbsp;A former French international, who played a crucial role for his country in past tournaments, has now made a shocking claim, suggesting that&nbsp;La Albiceleste’s victory was preordained by FIFA. According to him, the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/world-cup/">2022 World Cup</a> was&nbsp;“given to Messi”, and even some&nbsp;French fans&nbsp;were rooting for him to lift the trophy.



The Manchester United star Patrice Evra’s&nbsp;controversial remarks&nbsp;have added fuel to an ongoing debate over whether&nbsp;FIFA’s decisions influenced the final result. While <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/argentina/">Argentina</a>’s dramatic penalty shootout win was celebrated worldwide, the Frenchman sees it differently.



“Okay, we haven’t won (a major tournament) since 2018, but we all know that in 2022, they gave the World Cup to Messi. It was all already written. Even the French wanted Messi to win it,” he said in an interview with&nbsp;RMC Sport.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="[RESUMEN COMPLETO] ARGENTINA 3 (4) - 3 (2) FRANCIA | FINAL CATAR 2022" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FA1sR2SZAlY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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This claim suggests that&nbsp;Lionel Scaloni’s players were destined to win, regardless of what unfolded on the pitch. He even pointed to&nbsp;early decisions in the final, such as the&nbsp;first-half penalty awarded to Argentina, as key moments that contributed to their success. “The penalty at the start… Personally, I congratulate Deschamps’s successor,”&nbsp;he added, implying that&nbsp;the match was tilted in favor of Messi’s team from the beginning.



<h2>Defending Didier Deschamps and France’s legacy</h2>



Beyond his criticism of the&nbsp;2022 World Cup final, the ex-<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/france/">France</a> international also defended&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/Didier-Deschamps/">Didier Deschamps</a>, who has&nbsp;led the nation to multiple major tournament finals. For him,&nbsp;Deschamps should already have two World Cup titles, and the&nbsp;2022 edition was unfairly taken away from Les Bleus.



He further questioned why&nbsp;French fans seem to be dissatisfied&nbsp;despite their team consistently&nbsp;reaching the final stages of every major tournament. “Are we not spoiled kids? Can people not stand being in the semi-final or final of every tournament? Do you prefer us to win or to play beautiful football?”&nbsp;he asked.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250320_WST_561016_France-Deschamps-Mbappe-1200x675_d3ee4356.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-543561" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/10120001/France-Deschamps-Mbappe-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/10120001/France-Deschamps-Mbappe-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/10120001/France-Deschamps-Mbappe-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/10120001/France-Deschamps-Mbappe-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/10120001/France-Deschamps-Mbappe-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/10120001/France-Deschamps-Mbappe-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/10120001/France-Deschamps-Mbappe-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/10120001/France-Deschamps-Mbappe.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<h2>Was the 2022 World Cup really ‘rigged’ for Messi?</h2>



The ex-France international’s&nbsp;bold accusation&nbsp;is bound to spark debates among&nbsp;soccer fans, analysts, and historians. While Messi’s&nbsp;heroics in Qatar cemented his legacy, questions over&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/fifa/">FIFA</a>’s influence on the tournament&nbsp;have been raised before. Some believe that the 37-year-old’s&nbsp;status as one of the greatest players&nbsp;made his triumph a&nbsp;dream scenario for FIFA and global audiences.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250320_WST_561016_Messi-World-Cup-2026-1-1200x670_b4862615.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=670" alt="" class="wp-image-511376" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/Messi-World-Cup-2026-1-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/Messi-World-Cup-2026-1-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/Messi-World-Cup-2026-1-768x429.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/Messi-World-Cup-2026-1.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



That said, many argue that&nbsp;Argentina’s victory was fully deserved.&nbsp;Lionel Scaloni’s team&nbsp;displayed resilience throughout the tournament, overcoming setbacks, including an&nbsp;opening defeat to Saudi Arabia, before beating elite teams like&nbsp;the Netherlands, Croatia, and France.

‘They gave the World Cup to Messi’: Ex-France star claims FIFA ‘robbed’ France, calling into question Argentina’s 2022 win legitimacy

'They gave the World Cup to Messi': Ex-France star claims FIFA 'robbed' France, calling into question Argentina's 2022 win legitimacy - World Soccer Talk

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the same team? Premier League great Patrice Evra reveals the shocking club that nearly united the GOATs

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‘They gave the World Cup to Messi’: Ex-France star claims FIFA ‘robbed’ France, calling into question Argentina’s 2022 win legitimacy