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The duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the game in the last two decades.
Undoubtedly two of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo and Messi have staggering tallies of 802 and 758 career goals, respectively. The two legends have been incredibly consistent, especially as they have been on the scene since they were teenagers.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have enjoyed unprecedented success throughout their careers
With 12 Ballon d'Or awards between them and a plethora of goals, the two seem to belong to a different planet. However, they have both started to show a dip in performances recently. That is something even die-hard fans would painfully agree.
Despite scoring goals, the generational superstars can no longer carry their teams single-handedly like they once did. In 2020, it was the first time in 16 years that the Champions League quarter-finals did not feature Messi or Ronaldo.
We may argue about who the better player is, but we should be grateful to have witnessed them in their prime. As both are in their mid-30s now, the smart thing would be to enjoy the pair before they hang up their boots.
On that note, here are five reasons why Messi and Ronaldo's era of dominance is likely coming to an end.
#5 Effect of age and emergence of new talent
No matter how prodigious one might be, the natural ageing process spares none. The 36-year-old Ronaldo might be a freak of nature in terms of physique. However, he no longer has the burst of acceleration that used to leave defenders waking in his trail.
Messi, meanwhile, isn't the strongest, but at times he has been untouchable with his mesmeric dribbling. That demands a lot of stamina, whose reserves are sadly depleting for the 34-year-old Argentinian.
The newer generation is coming through, and superstars like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are the torchbearers. They are currently the two most valuable players in the world.
Mbappe has scored 143 goals for PSG in just 193 appearances. The Frenchman scored a spectacular hat-trick against Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 last season. That condemned Barcelona to their earliest exit in the competition in 13 years.
Meanwhile, Haaland seems to be programmed to score goals. The Norwegian is the youngest player to record 20 Champions League goals. He is also the first player to net 25 times in his first 25 Bundesliga games. Haaland has an astonishing tally of 74 goals in just 72 appearances for Borussia Dortmund.
#4 Slim chances of 2022 FIFA World Cup glory
The biggest sporting spectacle in the world is coming up next year. Teams from all over the globe will soon embark on Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. More often than not, the Ballon d'Or award is given to the player who makes a significant contribution in the quadrennial tournament.
The award, a benchmark for the world's best, will most likely be bestowed to a player from the winning nation. Based on form and the talent in other teams, both Argentina and Portugal are certainly not the overwhelming favourites to win the competition. While Argentina have qualified for the tournament, Portugal need to navigate the treacherous playoff route to seal their spot in Qatar.
Ronaldo and Messi will be 37 and 35, respectively by the time the 2022 FIFA World Cup comes around. They could both struggle to put in performances like they used to.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won the highest continental honour for their respective countries - Copa America and European Championship. However, the World Cup is a step up.
Both Argentina and Portugal were knocked out of the previous World Cup in the Round 16. Teams brimming with talent such as France, England, Germany and Brazil are likely to win the Qatar showpiece next year, ahead of Argentina and Portugal.
#3 Decline in Messi and Ronaldo's goal contributions
In recent times, the spotlight has been stolen from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of goals.
Players such as Mohamed Salah, Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski have shone brighter than the two maestros. They have been their teams' standout performers in their respective leagues. The rate at which they have been scoring is simply staggering.
All three players have been quite outstanding this season. Salah is the leading goalscorer (14) and assists provider (9) in the Premier League. Benzema is no different, topping both charts with 12 goals and seven assists in La Liga. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski is the Bundesliga's leading goalscorer with 16 goals this season.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo haven't contributed as many goals as they would have liked to. Based on pure numbers, they trail the aforementioned trio, and a few others like Mbappe and Haaland.
Ronaldo has scored seven Premier League goals this season, while Messi has managed only one. They have two and four assists to their names, respectively. It's pretty clear their games aren't at the same level they once used to.
#2 Lacklustre Manchester United is a problem for Cristiano Ronaldo
Another criterion for judging Cristiano Ronaldo's performance is the number of trophies he wins with Manchester United. Based on how they are currently playing, United cannot be considered serious challengers for any major honours. United struggled to dominate in the Champions League group stage this season.
Ronaldo has been their saviour on several occasions, scoring late winners or equalisers. It is difficult to see the club win the tournament even with Ronaldo's immense contributions.
Meanwhile, Manchester City, Liverpool and reigning Champions League winners Chelsea are in a nail-biting title race in the Premier League, where United are only fifth.
The Red Devils are 11 points behind leaders Manchester City. United face Aston Villa in the FA Cup, and are already out of the EFL Cup following their loss to West Ham. Apart from Ronaldo, no other player has scored enough goals for United across competitions this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo's efforts will get sidelined if the team does not get the desired results. The appointment of interim manager Ralf Rangnick seems to have gone down well with the fans, but they cannot expect him to produce a miracle.
#1 Ligue 1 dominance insufficient for Lionel Messi
Paris Saint-Germain have been at the forefront of the French top flight and domestic tournaments. Teams such as Lyon and Monaco may have ruffled the Parisians' feathers in the last few seasons. However, it is clear PSG are the dominant team in Ligue 1.
This summer, Lionel Messi has become part of the much-feared attacking trio (of himself, Neymar and Mbappe) at PSG. He hasn't had as much impact he would have liked to thus far. Kylian Mbappe has proved to be the more influential player for PSG. The Frenchman has seven goals and eight assists in Ligue 1 season.
PSG's Ligue 1 win is all but guaranteed. However, to assert themselves as one of the best teams in the world, PSG will have to win the Champions League. They came close to winning it in 2020, but fell to Bayern Munich in the final. Messi will have to win the Champions League along with Ligue 1 for him to stake a claim for the Ballon d'Or award next year.
PSG have not been quite as convincing as they would have liked to in the group stage of the Champions League this season. However, Messi displayed his brilliance in the last few games, and was exceptionally splendid in the 4-1 win against Club Brugge.
If PSG have to go all the way this season, Messi will need to put in big performances, especially against tougher teams.
