“The chosen”. 27 footballers who played on the same team as Messi and Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have had outstanding careers and will forever be remembered by fans for their rivalry on the football field and beyond. While these legendary footballers continue to play in Asia and North America, Dailysports invites us to recall the players who spent their careers alongside Messi and Ronaldo.

The list is dominated by Argentinians who crossed paths with Cristiano at the club level and Portuguese players who defended the same club colors as Messi. Only nine footballers managed to play with these global football legends exclusively in clubs.

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Gabriel Heinze

Heinze played three seasons with Ronaldo at Manchester United and narrowly missed overlapping with him at Real Madrid – he left the club just before the Portuguese arrived. He played with Messi in the Argentine national team and participated in two World Cups.

Deco

The Portuguese played for Barcelona, where Messi took his first steps in professional football. He played with Ronaldo in the Portuguese national team at several major international tournaments.

Fernando Gago

He played for Real Madrid for a couple of years alongside Ronaldo and three times lost finals of major competitions with Messi in the Argentine national team.

Carlos Tevez

Tevez, alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United, managed to win numerous trophies. However, with Messi in the national team, they couldn't secure victory – they lost Copa America finals and the unsuccessful 2006 World Cup.

Andre Gomes

Things didn't go well for him at Barcelona, but he spent a couple of seasons alongside Messi. He became a European champion with Cristiano in the Portuguese national team in 2016.

Nelson Semedo

Played briefly for Barcelona, but won with Ronaldo in the UEFA Nations League.

Angel Di Maria

He participated in four World Cups alongside Lionel, including the victorious one for the Argentine national team in 2022. With Ronaldo, the Argentine spent several fantastic seasons in Madrid.

Gonzalo Higuain

Higuain, with Messi in the Argentine national team, lost three major finals due to missed chances and penalties. With Cristiano, Gonzalo played for Real Madrid and Juventus, winning numerous trophies.

Danilo

Danilo played for a long time alongside Ronaldo in the Portuguese national team, and recently crossed paths with Messi at PSG.

Gonzalo Martinez

This player has played only one match with Lionel Messi in the national team and just four games with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.

Gerard Pique

In his youth, Pique encountered Ronaldo at Manchester United and spent his best years alongside Leo at Barcelona, winning numerous titles.

Ezequiel Garay

He crossed paths with Ronaldo at Real Madrid, where he didn't have a regular starting spot. Together with Messi, like many Argentinians on this list, he lost a couple of final matches.

Paulo Dybala

He and Ronaldo performed excellently together at Juventus and got along reasonably well off the field. Dybala achieved his biggest triumph with Messi, winning the World Cup.

Henrik Larsson

The Swedish forward played a couple of years with Messi at Barca, while he spent only a couple of months with Ronaldo at Manchester United.

Alejandro Garnacho

The young Argentine played with Ronaldo during his second stint at Manchester United and had a few matches with Messi in the Argentine national team.

Martin Caceres

Won the UEFA Champions League with Messi when their Barcelona defeated Ronaldo's Manchester United in the final. Later, he crossed paths with the Portuguese at Juventus.

Francisco Trincao

The talented Portuguese spent one season with Messi at Barcelona, where he couldn't boast of being a regular player. He played a few games with Ronaldo in the Portuguese national team.

Arthur Melo and Miralem Pjanic

The footballers played together with the legends in Barcelona and Juventus, boasting trophies in both team setups.

Lisandro Martinez

Another new-generation player from United. He played briefly with Ronaldo and became a world champion with Messi.

Pablo Sarabia

Crossed paths with Ronaldo in the team, albeit not on the field. With Messi, he played several matches at PSG but didn't secure a stable starting position.

Nuno Mendes and Vitinha

Played alongside Messi at PSG and consistently represent the national team with Cristiano.

Renato Sanches

Celebrated victory at Euro 2016 with Ronaldo, where his goal proved decisive in the final. Together with Leo, he played dozens of matches for PSG.

Achraf Hakimi

Hakimi witnessed Ronaldo's last season in Madrid and played with Leo at PSG.

Keylor Navas

The only goalkeeper on the list. Navas spent his best years alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid, winning the UEFA Champions League three times. With Messi, the goalkeeper played in the Parisian squad.

Sergio Ramos

The defender spent many years alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid, battling it out with Messi's Barça on all fronts. After that, he spent some time in the French capital, playing alongside Messi.