It’s now the second time the two “G.O.A.T.” football players of our era have been eliminated from the Champions League before reaching the quarter-finals. PSG with Lionel Messi was the first to go home, losing to Real Madrid on a 3-2 aggregate score. Shortly after, Manchester United with Cristiano Ronaldo followed next and lost to Atletico Madrid on a 2-1 aggregate.
The two stars made big news when they transferred from their former clubs to their new teams where everyone expected they’ll keep shining. But have their stars slowly started to dim? When Lionel Messi came to PSG from Barcelona, one of the trophies that the club aimed to add to their cabinet was the Champions League. Like PSG, Manchester United was banking on Cristiano Ronaldo to give them a fighting chance in the UEFA competition.
Sadly, both teams have been knocked out of the tournament. The Champions League is a big deal and one of the most cherished trophies as it crowns a club as the “The Best Team in Europe”. It’s also an amazing experience betting on the Champions League since the stakes are always high.
If you enjoy betting, you can count on the best betting sites in Uganda to offer the best odds. There’s usually so much to bet on with options such as how many goals will be scored, which player will score, whether the goalkeeper will maintain a clean sheet, or whether a team will win after a handicap?
Does the elimination of Messi and Ronaldo come as a surprise? We don’t think so. Gone are the days when fans would look forward to the Champions League because the two stars were at their prime, and they would show dominance on the pitch. Once in a while, we would even witness an epic El Classico match between the two players, which was memorable. But it seems that’s all that it is, an epic memory.
In over 25 matches in all competitions, Messi has only scored 7 goals, while Ronaldo has scored 18 goals in over 30 games, which is commendable. But, this couldn’t earn them a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
After PSG and Manchester United were eliminated from the competition, Twitter exploded and what stood out from the comments was that it was “The end of an era.” Most fans stated that the two players’ glory days were over, while some came to the rescue of the two G.O.A.T.s and said they were only having a tough time.
Now that both teams are out, we can only look forward to the 2022 World Cup, where the stakes are even higher. Argentina has already secured a slot in the competition, which will be an opportune moment for Lionel Messi to prove himself. As for Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal still has to play against Turkey, and later on, play the finals against the winner of Italy vs North Macedonia match.
All eyes will be on the two stars should both nations qualify for the 2022 World Cup Qatar that starts in November. The competition will play a big role in their legacies and can even be a great way for the two to retire from football. If not, it will be time to shine more light on young stars like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicious Jr, Erling Haaland or Phil Foden, who leave a mark on the field.
