We’ve all dreamed about it. Imagine two of the greatest football players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, handpicking their teams to face off in an all-star showdown.
Sounds like something straight out of a video game, right? But the crazy thing is… it almost happened!
Yep, there were plans for a £90 million blockbuster match at Wembley Stadium. But for one reason or another, it never materialized. So, what was the story behind this epic clash that never came to be? Let’s dive into it.
The £90 Million Dream Messi vs Ronaldo match that almost happened
Back in 2014, in the middle of the Ronaldo vs Messi rivalry, there were serious talks about creating a special match where these two legends would face each other, not with their club teams, but with all-star teams of their choice.
Just think about that for a second. Ronaldo and Messi would have been able to pick the world’s best players to join them on the pitch.
It would have been the ultimate showdown between the two GOATs, surrounded by an all-star cast.
According to reports from The Sun and a book titled Messi vs Ronaldo, the idea was dreamt up by a ‘wheeler-dealer’ named Robert Bonnier.
He wanted to establish this insane match, and even planned for it to take place every two years in Europe. Imagine a regular all-star game, just like the NBA or the MLB does, but in football.
That would’ve been unreal! And Wembley Stadium was set to be the neutral venue for the first showdown. Can you picture the atmosphere? The place would’ve been packed to the rafters!
The Money Behind the Magic
This wasn’t just going to be any ordinary match. No, this was a £90 million event. The budget was mind-blowing. Match fees, bonuses, everything was covered.
Each player would have walked away with a fat paycheck, but it wasn’t just about the money for the fans. This was about Messi and Ronaldo going head-to-head in a way that we had never seen before.
And to make it even better, the teams would have had their own unique kits—Team Messi decked out in Adidas, while Team Ronaldo rocked Nike.
How cool would that have been? It was like the ultimate football fantasy league, only this time it would have been real.
What Could Have Been
The proposed match was meant to take place in 2017, right at the height of their rivalry. Back then, Messi was dominating with Barcelona, while Ronaldo was tearing it up with Real Madrid. It was the perfect time to make this game a reality.
And here’s the kicker—it wasn’t just going to be a football match. Oh no, Bonnier wanted this event to feel like a music festival too.
Picture this: bands performing, laser shows lighting up the stadium, and maybe even a boxing match thrown in for good measure. Bonnier wanted to create something that went beyond football and turned it into an experience like no other.
The idea was that the match would take place every two years, but only in non-World Cup and non-European Championship years.
That way, all the big-name players could participate without any conflicts. It sounded perfect. So, why didn’t it happen?
Why Did It All Fall Apart?
For a match that was this close to becoming a reality, it’s crazy that it never happened. Unfortunately, football politics got in the way, as they often do.
One of the main hurdles was getting FIFA and UEFA on board. That alone would have cost a fortune. Then there was Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
According to reports, he wanted a jaw-dropping £21 million just for any Real Madrid player to be involved. Considering Ronaldo was still with Madrid at the time, this was a major roadblock.
It wasn’t just the money though. There were so many different parties involved, from sponsors to clubs, and trying to get everyone to agree on something this massive was never going to be easy.
In the end, the logistical and financial complications were too much, and the idea was shelved. But man, were we close.
Could we see a Messi vs Ronaldo All star match?
So, is there any chance we could still see a Team Messi vs Team Ronaldo match? Right now, it doesn’t look likely.
There are no plans in place, and as both players near the end of their incredible careers, it feels like we might have missed our chance. But hey, never say never, right?
Football is full of surprises, and with both Messi and Ronaldo still being global icons, there’s always a possibility that someone could revive the idea.
TV producer David Piper, who was also involved in the project, even said, “An All-Star game is the last great frontier for football.” That alone gives us some hope that one day, the dream might still come true.
The Legacy of Messi vs Ronaldo
Even though the all-star game never happened, the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo will go down in history as one of the greatest in all of sports.
Over the years, the two have pushed each other to greater heights, breaking records, winning titles, and collecting awards like they were Pokémon cards.
Between them, they’ve won 13 Ballon d’Or trophies, scored over 1,700 goals, and lifted countless trophies.
And while we may never get to see that £90 million all-star showdown, we’ve been lucky enough to watch them face off in El Clasico battles, Champions League nights, and international tournaments.
In the end, it’s not about who’s better, Messi or Ronaldo. It’s about appreciating two of the best players to ever kick a ball, and knowing that we got to witness their greatness firsthand.
Conclusion:
The Ronaldo vs Messi match that never happened will always be one of those “what if” moments in football history.
It could have been the ultimate spectacle, a once-in-a-lifetime event where two of the greatest players of all time battled it out with teams of their choosing.
But while we never got to see Team Messi vs Team Ronaldo on the pitch, the idea alone has captured our imagination.
And who knows, maybe one day it will happen. Until then, we can only dream of what might have been.
