The duel never stops. Even thousands of kilometers apart, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to answer each other blow for blow, like two eternal mirrors. While the Portuguese has just surpassed the 950 goal mark, his Argentine rival seems determined to follow suit. And according to Wesley Sneijder, the former Real Madrid star, La Pulga has everything to also reach this historic figure of 1000 goals.
Messi in the wake of Ronaldo
For Cristiano Ronaldo, the mission is almost accomplished. At 40 years old, the Al-Nassr scorer does not intend to hang up before reaching four figures. Already author of more than 950 goals in all competitionshe made this quest an obsession. And it is precisely this rivalry, two decades old, which pushes Messi to prolong the pleasure. The Argentinian, crowned with eight Ballons d’Or and a World Cup title, extended with Inter Miami until 2028. An extension which, according to Sneijder, is no coincidence.
“That’s the next goal for both,” Sneijder said. “Cristiano won’t stop before 1000 goals, and Messi will get there too.”
The former Dutch playmaker even enjoys imagining a new statistical rivalry: that of assists. “Maybe after the 1000 goals, we will count the assists to know who will reach the first 2000 offensive contributions,” he quipped. In globalized football, one shines under the Florida sun, the other under the Saudi heat – but their competition remains universal.
An achievable challenge for Messi
With more than
900 goals scored for his clubs and the Argentine selectionMessi still has room to spare. His first full season in MLS saw him score 42 goals and win the Golden Boot. At 38 years old, his volume of play remains impressive and his precision intact. If he maintains this pace for three more seasons, the goal of 1,000 seems achievable — a feat that no one would have imagined for a player said to be “in late-career management.”
What if the final chapter of this rivalry played out on the biggest stage of them all? THE
World Cup 2026co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, could see the two icons face off one last time. One, title holder with Argentina, the other still in search of the only crown it is missing with Portugal. Until then, a number will guide their steps, two zeros followed by a nine:
1000. The symbol of endless rivalry and timeless greatness.
