Could Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo finally be knocked off their throne?
LONDON — Who is the best in the world — Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Right now, it's neither of them as the superstars both continue to struggle since their summer transfers.
Argentine Messi left Barcelona after an 18-year stay in the summer to join PSG on a free transfer while Ronaldo made a shock return to Manchester United, but neither of the moves have gone to plan.
The dominance of the two stars, that have well and truly taken over football during the last decade, could finally be coming to the end with goals and trophies drying up for the duo.
The mantle of the greatest player may have to be passed over, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski and Mohamed Salah now among the topic.
But how has it got to this stage? Last season it was still very much the battle of Messi v Ronaldo with those other big name stars in the shadows.
The two stars now look frustrated and the question is, what is next? With Ronaldo seeming increasingly unhappy and Messi looking lost in France.
The season so far
Messi has endured a difficult time adapting to life in France since leaving Barca on a free transfer in the summer.
He has scored just twice in the league this season, and has a total of just seven goals — five of those coming in the Champions League.
The 34-year-old also recently equalled an unwanted record by failing to register a single shot on target for the capital outfit during their recent Ligue 1 clash with Nice.
The last time the forward failed to register a shot in a league fixture was all the way back in the 2009/10 season.
Compare that to his last season with the Catalan giants, scoring 38 goals in 37 appearances.
Just what has gone wrong since his move and why does he look so lost in the French capital - that is the million dollar question that no one has the answer to.
Statistically, Portuguese forward Ronaldo is enjoying a much better season, until of late of course as he has struggled in recent weeks and is now nursing an injury.
The 37-year-old is United's top scorer this season with 15 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions — six of those coming in the Champions League.
Only one of those goals, however, has come in 2022. In his last 10 matches, Ronaldo has scored just once — a well-taken effort from distance in the 2-0 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion on February 15.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's numbers look light in comparison to last season, where he notched 36 goals in 44 appearances for Juventus last season.
Similar to Messi, people will question what has gone wrong, as the business of Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho was expected to put United back among the contenders in the Premier League.
In fact, they seem further away than ever before.
Current situations
Messi remains a frustrated figure as he was handed just a three out of 10 rating by L'Equipe for his 'worrying' limp performance in their Champions League 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg. He somewhat redeemed himself in the second leg, despite a 3-1 defeat, which has seen the French giants crash out of Europe's elite competition.
The forward was one of PSG's more highly rated players with a 6/10 and was given a positive review, being described as 'very mobile and offering attacking options while showing his vast knowledge of the game.'
Nevertheless, Messi of old would have taken this game by the scruff of the neck to ensure his side's progression, whereas now he is out of the Champions League by the last-16 stage.
It appears he still hasn't settled in and has failed to strike up the dream chemistry that was expected from a front three including Messi, Neymar and Mbappe.
Ronaldo, however, had an electric start to life back at Old Trafford netting four goals in his opening three games. It has fallen apart since with rumours now suggesting he wants to leave the Red Devils for a new challenge.
Ronaldo missed United's heavy 4-1 defeat to rivals Manchester City on Sunday and has failed to train with the first-team since.
The former Real Madrid forward first missed training on Friday having reported the aforementioned hip flexor problem to staff.
He later flew back to Portugal and was not at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to watch his teammates.
Ronaldo's future at the club has been questioned following the uncertainty around his absence from Sunday's fixture.
Ronaldo's sister Katia Aveiro added fuel to the fire when she liked a social media picture suggesting the forward was not in fact injured.
The forward has since return to Carrington, but remains sidelined.
What's next?
Messi signed a two-year-deal when he joined PSG, therefore has just one year left after the current campaign, and seems likely that he will not opt to extend his deal with a optional third year.
You'd expect Messi to stay, but he needs to step it up if PSG are going to finally win the Champions League, especially with Mbappe expected to depart for LaLiga giants Real Madrid in the summer.
Boss Mauricio Pochettino is on the verge of being sacked after their Champions League and has also been linked with the Manchester United job, so what lies ahead is very unsure for Messi.
He has been linked with trying to force a move to Barcelona, but his former club have already begun a rebuild, and now appears to be off the cards.
Ronaldo looks set to try force a move away, with his agent Jorge Mendes hunting down a new club, as he has become embroiled in off-field leaks about dressing room cliques.
There is so much uncertainty surrounding United with interim boss Ralf Rangnick looking set to depart in the summer with PSG boss Pochettino and Ajax's Erik ten Hag as the club's top targets.
That doesn't seem to play any part in Ronaldo's decision as he appears unhappy not competing for trophies and scoring freely as the Red Devils expect an exodus of players this summer.
Although much like Messi, Ronaldo agreed a two-year-deal in the summer, therefore it could prove difficult for him to leave United.
Would big moves for both stars be another setback? Should they stay put or look at potentially taking a backwards to help their success.
One thing for certain is both Messi and Ronaldo are used to winning trophies and scoring freely. It is unusual to see anything different and both seem to be struggling with having that sort of success. —