Can Messi finally play with Cristiano Ronaldo? How the two GOATs can play together

For over a decade now, the football world has been ruled by one controversy; who is better/greater between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? Many pundits, coaches, players and even political leaders have had their say on who is supposedly the better player of the two. With identical records between the two great players and identical trophies also, the argument of who is better comes down to fine margins and/or personal preference. 

Despite many similarities, both players have taken entirely different routes on the way to stardom. Ronaldo has played senior club football in Portugal, England, Spain and now Italy. On the other hand, Lionel Messi has only ever played for one club in his senior career, Barcelona. Now, with an imminent move away from Camp Nou, we are drawn to the possibility of both of the greatest players playing in the same team. There are a few possible ways this could happen, we'll explore them below.

Cristiano Ronaldo is also entering the final year of his contract at Juventus and without any renewal talks in sight, it looks like the Portuguese will be a free agent by next summer. This opens up an exciting possibility of Ronaldo completing a move to the same club where Messi would ply his trade in the immediate future. Top European clubs such as Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Chelsea and Inter Milan could be able to take on the massive salary demands that would come with having both players in a team.

Another possibility of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing together is at the Allianz Stadium in Italy. With one half of the magical duo already on the team list at Juventus, it would be an incredible feat to bring in the second half. With Lionel Messi been a free agent, the Bianconeri would only have to pay the wages of the Argentine.