On 30 April 2025, the clock ran out on two legends — Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. They got knocked out of their respective continental competitions within hours of each other.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Stumble at the Final Hurdle
Cristiano Ronaldo’s bid to win his first AFC Champions League title ended in heartbreak. Al-Nassr were knocked out in the semi-finals by Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale, losing 3–2.
Al-Nassr (2.10) fell behind early on to a Tatsuya Itō goal, and although Sadio Mané equalised, Kawasaki scored twice more through Yuto Ozeki and Akihiro Ienaga to put Ronaldo’s side 3-1 behind. A late goal from Ayman Yahya to make it 3-2 proved to be nothing more than a consolation
Messi’s Miami Mauled
Over in the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were comfortably swept aside by Vancouver. The Canadian side won 3–1 in the second leg at Chase Stadium, completing a 5–1 aggregate win.
A Turning Point
Let’s be clear: both men are still elite professionals. But what we saw this week wasn’t just a pair of defeats; it was a reminder. Age doesn’t ask for permission. Messi turns 38 in June. Ronaldo is already 40 years old.
They’re still playing, still drawing crowds, still rewriting records. But they’re no longer shaping the biggest nights in soccer.
Perhaps more than any single result, it tells us that the end of an era isn’t coming.
It’s already here.
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