Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messihave dominated all the highlights, awards, and trophies any soccer player can dream about since their rise to stardom. They’ve always been on the opposite side of the pitch and have starred some of the best matches in the history of this sport.
Messi and Ronaldo have both stayed at the top of the game for a very long time. They’ve also played for the best teams in the world, meaning they’ve had their fair share of top-notch teammates throughout their careers.
Needless to say, that means some of their teammates have had the chance to play with both. Whether if it was at Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, or the Argentina or Portugal national team, just 12 players can brag about playing with bothMessi and Cristiano Ronaldo.Note: Miralejm Pjanic (if Messi stays at Barcleona)and Arthur Melo are likely to join this list, as Juventus and Barcelona have reportedly reached an agreement for a player swap.
André Gomes
Following a great stint at Valencia,André Gomeswas supposed to be one of Barcelona’s rising stars but he struggled to establish himself in the starting XI and be a steady contributor for the Blaugranas.
Gomes played for Barcelona from 2016 to 2019. He won trophies with both Messi (1 Liga, 2 Copa del Rey, 1 Supercopa de España) and Cristiano Ronaldo (UEFA 2016 European Championship). He’s starred for Portugal and is currently playing at Everton.
Fernando Gago
Fernando Gago has been teammates with Lionel Messi since his days at the U-20 Argentina national team. Together, they wonthe U-20 World Cup and, more importantly, the Olympic gold medal in 2008.
Gago also shared the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo during his days at Real Madrid. The Argentinean midfielder made 123 appearances for Los Blancos from 2007-12 but injuries derailed his promising career.
Gabriel Heinze
Gabriel Heinze was once one of the most feared and respected center-backs in the world. His performances took him to Manchester United, where he shared the locker room with Cristiano Ronaldo for three years. They were also teammates for a couple of weeks at Real Madrid.
Heinze was one of the leaders of Argentina’s national team throughout his career, meaning he also played next to a surging Lionel Messi until his final cap in 2010. Notably, Heinze retired at Newell’s Old Boys, Messi’s homegrown club.
Ezequiel Garay
Just like Fernando Gago, Ezequiel Garay and Lionel Messi go a long way back. He’s also a product of Newell’s academy and they’ve played together since the U-20 Argentina national team, winning the U-20 World Cup and the Olympic gold in 2008.
Moreover, the Argentine center-back also joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid’s locker room. He was a part of Los Blancos from 2008-11, helping them win the Copa del Rey on his final season with the team.
Deco
Deco was one of the most disruptive players in the world when Barcelona signed him from Porto in 2004. He was as skilled as they come and a top-notch playmaker, and he served as one of Messi’s mentors in the pitch during the early stages of his career.
Notably, Deco also did the same for Cristiano Ronaldo when they shared the locker room for Portugal’s national team. They played together from 2003-10. Sadly, he was never able to win a trophy next to him.
Nélson Semedo
Nélson Semedo’s performances with Benfica drew the attention ofFC Barcelona in 2017. He’s become a steady part of their team ever since and he’s already won a couple of La Liga, one Copa del Rey, and one Supercopa de España with the Catalans.
Moreover, Semedo has now earned a spot in Portugal’s XI both as a full-back or a winger, sharing the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo since 2015. He helped his country win the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League.
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Paulo Dybala
Not so long ago, Paulo Dybala was one of the most promising strikers in the world. Now, he’s starting for Maurizio Sarri alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for Juventus. They’ve developed a strong rapport on and off the pitch.
Notably, Dybala is also called to play a major role in Argentina’s front for the future. He’s looked uncomfortable sharing the court with Messi from time to time but they’ll figure it out as all great players do.
Carlos Tevez
Carlos Tevez was one of the men in charge of Argentina’s offense before Lionel Messi broke out as a superstar. Some argue they weren’t a natural fit in the pitch but still played together in the 2010 World Cup and 3 Copa Americas.
Tevez’s golden years came with Manchester United side by side with Cristiano Ronaldo. He joined the team in 2007 until 2009 and won two Premier Leagues, 1 FA Cup, 1 Club World Cup, and 1 Community Shield.
Ángel Di María
Once again, another member of that golden U-20 Argentinean generation makes the list. This time, we’re talking about Ángel Di María, one of Messi’s closest and most beloved teammates and one of the leaders of his national team.
Di María joined Real Madrid after the 2010 World Cup and played a major part in the team until 2014. He helped Cristiano and Los Blancos win 1 UEFA Champions League, 2 La Liga, 2 Copa del Rey, and 2 Supercopa de España.
Gonzalo Higuaín
Gonzalo Higuaín has drawn plenty of criticism for some subpar performances with his national team. Even so, he’s been their starting striker for almost a decade now and has scored 31 goals in 75 caps. Most of them next to Lionel Messi.
Higuaín was also one of the world’s most prolific goal-scorers during his time with Real Madrid. He shared the locker room for 4 years with Cristiano before taking his talents to Italy. Now, they’re together again at Juventus.
Henrik Larsson
There was a time when Henrik Larsson was one of the most unstoppable strikers in Europe. His legendary performances at Celtic granted him a move to Barcelona, where he played with Lionel Messi from 2004 to 2006.
Father time eventually caught up to Larsson and he lost some ground on the team, so he was sent to Manchester United on a brief loan in 2007. He played next to Cristiano and only scored 1 goal in 7 caps for the Red Devils.
Gerard Piqué
Long before being one of Barcelona’s all-time greats, there wasn’t much room for Gerard Piqué on the team. He developed in Manchester United’s academy and made his professional debut with the Red Devils, where he shared the locker room with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Piqué later joined his homegrown team in 2008 and the rest, as you know by now, it’s history. He’s won countless trophies next to Lionel Messi and is now one of the winningest soccer players ever.