IMPOSSIBLE: Messi and Ronaldo could finally play together in the same team after a special invitation from a former team-mate

IMPOSSIBLE: Messi and Ronaldo could finally play together in the same team after a special invitation from a former team-mate Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have spent nearly two decades on opposite sides of football’s greatest rivalry. They faced each other 37 times, won 13 Ballon d’Or between them and were matched against each other for years.Now there’s a chance the two could finally share a team.Messi and Ronaldo have both been invited to attend Carlos Tevez’s farewell match, with the former Argentina and Manchester United striker planning a spectacular reunion of his old teammates and friends at Boca Juniors’ iconic La Bombonera later this year.

Tevez wants Messi and Ronaldo in the same team

Tevez will retire in 2021 after his third spell at Boca, the club where he started his career, but after five years he is preparing the final celebration of his footballing life.According to TyC Sports’ Marcel Palacios, Tevez approached his former team-mate Juan Román Riquelme, now Boca president, to study the game at La Bombonera. Riquelme gave the green light to the plan, officials are now working on a December date that does not conflict with Boca’s plan.And Tevez has made no secret of the biggest names he wants to involve.Around 60 star players are expected to attend the match, with Messi and Ronaldo naturally among the most sought-after guests.Tevez played alongside Messi for Argentina and spent three seasons with Ronaldo at Manchester United, with both players leaving Old Trafford in the same summer.The Argentine has remained in contact with both superstars and believes he can convince them to participate.In an interview on streaming platform Olga, Tevez was asked if Messi and Ronaldo could end up on opposite sides.“We’ll put them together,” he replied.Tevez also said he still talks to both players on WhatsApp. When asked how he planned to convince Ronaldo to make the trip, his response was characteristically blunt:“I’ll go get him myself.It would be an extraordinary sight for La Bombonera if he succeeds.Messi, now at Inter Miami, and Ronaldo, who still plays for Al Nassr, have spent their careers comparing rather than combining. Their rivalry defined an era of football, especially during their years at Barcelona and Real Madrid, but they never played together at club or international level. However, Messi has officially closed the door on his international career, announcing on 31 August 2026 that he has immediately retired from the Argentina national team following their 1-0 defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. This makes the prospect of appearing together with Ronaldo, even in a testimonial, feel more significant.Tevez is now trying to change that for one night.And his guest list doesn’t end there.

Tevez has an extraordinary guest list in mind

The 41-year-old has already discussed a starting eleven full of players from different chapters of his career.For goalkeepers, he wants two of the game’s most decorated names: Edwin van der Sar and Gianluigi Buffon.At centre-back, his proposed group includes former Manchester United team-mates Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, along with Italian defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.Tevez also has a place reserved for Patrice Evra, whom he affectionately described as his “brother”.“(Edwin) Van der Sar on one side and (Gianluigi) Buffon on the other,” Tevez said.“At center back we’ll probably have Rio Ferdinand, (Nemanja) Vidic… we’ll bring in (Giorgio) Chiellini, (Leonardo) Bonucci. Patrice Evra, my brother, has to be there.”The midfield will be no less familiar to football fans, with Andrea Pirlo, Paul Scholes and Riquelme among those Tevez hopes to bring together.“The midfield… (Andrea) Pirlo, Paul Scholes, Roman (Riquelme) will definitely be there. Rooney.”

Carlos Tevez. (Photo by AFP)

This list includes team-mates from Tevez’s days in England, Italy and Argentina, as well as some of the greatest opponents he faced during his career.But even among the collection of Champions League winners, World Cup winners and international legends, there would be one sight that stands above the rest.Messi and Ronaldo standing on the same side of the pitch.It remains dependent on their availability, and neither has been confirmed for the game. But Tevez was already clear about what he wanted.After years of football history being made with Messi and Ronaldo in separate shirts, countries and rival clubs, the man who shared a dressing room with both is hoping to put them in the same one at La Bombonera – if only for an afternoon.