Football fans around the world are talking about two of the greatest players ever to kick a ball – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But the two superstars are having very different weeks!
Messi's big goodbye
Imagine your favourite superhero hanging up their cape for the very last time. That's exactly what's happening in Argentina right now!
Lionel Messi, one of the greatest footballers, is playing his final game for Argentina. He is 39 years old and has played an incredible 208 games for his country, scoring 125 goals – that's more than any other Argentine player in history.
The match is against Benin is being called 'The Last Tango' – a nod to Argentina's famous dance. Every single one of the 85,018 tickets sold out in just two hours. That's how much people love Messi.
All of his teammates from Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad have been invited to join the party, and the team will even wear a special one-off kit just for this occasion.
Who said what?
Argentina's coach, Lionel Scaloni, said something really beautiful about Messi: "The feeling of having him on the pitch is unique. I haven't seen it in anyone else. That is what we are going to miss the most."
Messi himself said: "I swear I always gave everything. I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team."
Did you know?
It hasn't always been easy for Messi though. He was actually sent off just 47 seconds after coming on for his very first Argentina game. He elbowed an opponent! And he once quit the national team after missing a penalty in a shoot-out, only to come back and eventually win the World Cup in 2022. That just goes to show – never give up!
Meanwhile, Ronaldo's big falling out
Messi's great rival Cristiano Ronaldo is having a much tougher time. The 41-year-old Portuguese superstar has fallen out with his national team's new manager, Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo was left sitting on the bench and didn't even get to play in one of Portugal's matches. He was so unhappy about it that he packed his bags and walked out of the team's training camp. He posted on Instagram saying he would one day explain why he left.
His manager didn't back down though. Jesus said very firmly: "It won't be Cristiano, or any other player, who changes my ideas as a coach. Never."
Here's the awkward part
Portugal went on to win all three of their matches without Ronaldo. The player who played instead of him, Goncalo Ramos, scored in every single game!
The good news is that both sides seem to want to make up. Portugal's football bosses say the argument was just a "misunderstanding" and that Ronaldo will always be welcome back in the squad.
Ronaldo is still chasing his remarkable milestone – his 1,000th career goal. He has already scored 146 goals for Portugal in 234 games, both world records.
Two legends, two very different stories
So while Messi gets a massive send-off with tears, cheers and a stadium full of adoring fans, Ronaldo is sitting at home waiting to patch things up with his manager. Football really does have a funny way of writing its own stories!
