The two forwards only crossed swords twice, in anecdotal friendly matches: 2-1 for Argentina in 2011, 1-0 for Portugal in 2014.
Messi, for his part, took care of his exit from the pitch. In the United States last summer, he failed to complete his work with a new trophy for the Albiceleste.
Like Messi, Ronaldo was the attraction that weighed on opponents, the one through whom the play passed, or at least its finishing.
They long embodied their teams' quest for glory, absolute superstars, sometimes to the firmament, sometimes to the point of nausea.
The icon frequently faced criticism from local media for his individual performances and his inability to weigh on the game.
He was still among the players pre-selected for the next Portuguese gathering.
With its star striker, Portugal hoped to rise to the summit of world football. It had reached the Euro 2004 final only a few months after Ronaldo's debut.
Through a slow physical decline, and even more so of involvement and attitude,"CR7"was toppled from his pedestal in Portugal.