5 times Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo met on the grandest stage

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are arguably two of the greatest players to have ever graced the game.

The two players have won a whopping 11 Ballon d'Or awards between themselves and are the only ones to amass eight hat-tricks and over 100 goals apiece in the Champions League.

Both Messi and Ronaldo, despite being on the wrong side of 30, dazzled for their national teams at Copa America 2021 and Euro 2020, respectively.

While Ronaldo's tournament-leading five goals weren't enough to avert a disappointing Round-of-16 exit for holders Portugal, Messi's four goals and five assists led Argentina to their first trophy in nearly three decades.

Over the years, Messi and Ronaldo have met on many occasions - 36 to be precise - for club (34) and country (2).

The Argentinian narrowly edges his Portugal counterpart in terms of goals scored (22-21), with Messi's team emerging victorious on 16 occasions to Ronaldo's 11.

On that note, let's have a look at the five best meetings between the legendary duo.

---

#5 Champions League 2020-21 - Barcelona 0:3 Juventus (Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace)

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace at Camp Nou.

In the only meeting between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League group stage, Juventus ran out 3-0 winners to usurp the hosts to first place in the group.

Ronaldo outshone Messi in the game by scoring a brace in that Camp Nou meeting. In the process, the Bianconeri striker ended a long scoring drought against Barcelona in the Champions League.

It was the first meeting between the two players in more than two years since Ronaldo left Spanish shores for Italy in the summer of 2018.

With both teams already through to the Round of 16 prior to this game, the usual intensity of a Champions League game featuring Messi and Ronaldo was missing.

Nevertheless, Ronaldo scored a pair of penalties to help Juventus end Barcelona's 38-game unbeaten home run in the Champions League.

Messi, meanwhile, had five shots on target but failed to beat Gianluigi Buffon as Barcelona slumped to a disappointing defeat on home turf.

---

#4 Copa Del Rey 2012-13 - Barcelona 1:3 Real Madrid (Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace)

Cristiano Ronaldo exults after scoring at the Camp Nou.

Cristiano Ronaldo dazzled at the home of Barcelona, scoring in his sixth straight visit to Camp Nou to inspire Real Madrid to the 2012-13 Copa Del Rey final with a 3-1 victory (4-2 on aggregate).

After the first leg of the semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu had ended at 1-1, it was Real Madrid who took the initiative at the Camp Nou in the return leg, thanks to Ronaldo's early opener.

With the Portuguese also scoring early into the second half, Real Madrid took a significant step towards the final.

Raphael Varane's strike twenty minutes from time rubber-stamped Madrid's passage to the title match, with Jordi Alba's 89th-minute strike proving no more than a consolation for Barcelona.

Messi was largely ineffective on the night, failing to test the Madrid goalkeeper enough and squandering a few free-kick opportunities.

#3 2010-11 UEFA Champions League Semi-final First Leg - Real Madrid 0:2 Barcelona (Lionel Messi scored a brace)

Lionel Messi scored a memorable brace at the Santiago Bernabeu in a Champions League game in 2011.

In their first Champions League meeting in two years, it was Lionel Messi who outshone Cristiano Ronaldo, doing so on the turf of the latter with a sumptuous double.

Messi broke open a cagey game midway through the second half when he connected with Ibrahim Afellay's excellent cross to give Barcelona a priceless away-goal advantage.

With Madrid having it all to do, Jose Mourinho's men fell into a deeper deficit when Messi produced a sublime finish on the cusp of full-time to silence the Santiago Bernabeu.

It was a wonderful piece of skill by Messi as he left the Real Madrid defense for dead before beating Iker Casillas for the second time on the night to put the game beyond the hosts.

The game was barred by Real Madrid's overly defensive tactics. Sergio Ramos was shown a yellow; Pepe saw red; Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands, and Cristiano Ronaldo cut a forlorn, isolated, frustrated figure up front.

---

#2 2010-11 Copa Del Rey Final - Real Madrid 1:0 Barcelona (Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game)

Cristiano Ronaldo with the 2011 Copa Del Rey trophy

Real Madrid and Barcelona locked horns four times in three different competitions in the space of 18 days.

The two giants had played out a 1-1 draw in La Liga in the first of those meetings. Despite Cristiano Ronaldo scoring from the spot, Lionel Messi's Barcelona maintained their eight-point lead atop the standings to all but confirm another league title.

Four days later, the two teams clashed in another competition - the final of the Copa Del Rey at the Estadio Mestalla.

Messi and Xavi drew saves out of Iker Casillas as the game went to extra time. There, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game - a towering header - to seal Madrid's 18th Copa Del Rey title.

Two weeks later, Messi and Barcelona would have the last laugh as they got the better of Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. The Blaugrana then went on to win the continental competition for the second time in three years.

---

#1 2009 Champions League final - Barcelona 2:0 Manchester United (Lionel Messi scored a rare header)

Lionel Messi scored a rare headed goal in the 2009 Champions League final.

Despite his other-worldly prowess on the ball, one of the few things the diminutive Lionel Messi ought not to be doing is scoring towering headers past taller, physically imposing defenders.

Yet he did just that in the 2009 Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United in Rome.

Despite starting the game with a makeshift back four, it was Barcelona who were in the ascendancy after Samuel Eto'o opened the scoring after only ten minutes had elapsed in the Italian capital.

The Blaugrana could have doubled their lead, but Thierry Henry spurned a gilt-edged opportunity, and Xavi hit the woodwork from a free kick.

With twenty minutes to go, Barcelona put the result beyond doubt, thanks to the brilliance of Lionel Messi. With United committing men forward in search of an equalizer, Xavi floated a delightful inch-perfect cross to Lionel Messi at the far post.

Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic stood transfixed as Messi ghosted in at the far post. The unmarked Argentine leaped a few feet into the air and seemingly stood there for a while before nodding the ball past Edwin van der Saar.

His first goal in 11 games against an English side made Barcelona the first Spanish team to win the continental treble.

Messi would later call it the best goal of his illustrious career.

Either side of that Messi strike, Ronaldo stung the palms of Victor Valdes with a searing free-kick and had a half-chance to reduce arrears for United. But the night belonged to Barcelona.