Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are set to play on the same team for the first time in their careers, with the pair expected to unite at Carlos Tevez's farewell match at Boca Juniors' La Bombonera in Buenos Aires in December, according to reports.
Tevez, 42, who retired from professional football in June 2022, has been planning a star-studded testimonial at the iconic stadium and made reuniting football's two greatest players the centrepiece of the occasion. Around 60 prominent players are expected to feature across both sides.
The Argentine is uniquely placed to engineer such a reunion, having shared dressing rooms with both superstars at different stages of his career.
He played alongside Messi extensively for Argentina and formed part of a formidable Manchester United attack with Ronaldo during a two-year spell from 2007 to 2009.
I have always dreamed of seeing Cristiano and Leo play on the same team. They are the greatest players of all time. I told him, Cristiano, I want you and Messi to play on the same team at my farewell match, so that the whole world can witness this magic at least once.Carlos Tevez, former Argentine forward
Speaking on television, Tevez revealed he had been in direct contact with both players and was confident of making the occasion happen.
"I have always dreamed of seeing Cristiano and Leo play on the same team. They are the greatest players of all time. I told him, Cristiano, I want you and Messi to play on the same team at my farewell match, so that the whole world can witness this magic at least once," he said.
Tevez had previously declared on streaming platform Olga that he would personally ensure Ronaldo's presence.
"We will bring them together. I will personally go and get him," he said, adding that he remains in regular contact with both players through WhatsApp.
The match is expected to take place on a Friday or Saturday in the second or third week of December, with Tevez having already held discussions with Boca president and former teammate Juan Roman Riquelme, who has given the green light for La Bombonera to host the occasion.
Messi and Ronaldo have spent the vast majority of their careers as rivals rather than teammates.
Their last appearance on the same pitch came in January 2023, when Messi's Paris Saint-Germain defeated a Riyadh All-Stars XI featuring Ronaldo 5-4 in a pre-season friendly in Saudi Arabia. They have never played on the same side at club level.
Between them, the pair have collected 13 Ballon d'Or awards, with Messi winning eight and Ronaldo five. Messi, now 39, recently announced his retirement from international football following Argentina's World Cup campaign and continues to play for Inter Miami.
Ronaldo, 41, remains at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League and is chasing the remarkable milestone of 1,000 career goals, needing 22 more to reach the landmark.