Leo Messi to face Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford in Argentina vs Portugal friendly

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi pose ahead of the friendly in Geneva in 2011 which Argentina won 2-1

A showdown between two of the best players in the world- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is set to take place at Old Trafford in Manchester when Argentina take on Portugal in an international friendly. Though the fixture is yet to be officially announced it is likely to be on November 18th of this year.

This means that they will face-off just days after the El Clasico battle on October 26th th at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It will be only the second time since he signed for Real Madrid in 2009 that Cristiano Ronaldo will play at Old Trafford. He played against United at the ground in March 2013 getting an emotional reception from the fans despite scoring and leading his side to a 2-1 win.

Manchester United stars Angel di Maria and Marcos Rojo will feel right at home when they turn out for Argentina. Winger Nani, on-loan at Sporting Lisbon is also set to feature and so is rumoured target William Carvalho.

Argentina v Portugal will be played at Old Trafford. [via: ESPN Argentina] #Messi #Ronaldo

— Man Utd News (@SirAlexStand) October 1, 2014

Messi will play at Old Trafford for the first time since the 2nd nd leg UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2008 which Manchester United won thanks to a famous Paul Scholes goal.

The 27-year-old Argentine and the 29-year-old Portuguese have met on the international arena only once, in a friendly in Geneva in 2011which was settled by a last minute penalty by the Barcelona star.

Ronaldo will face former Real Madrid team-mate Di Maria and with a galaxy of stars on show, Old Trafford is set to enjoy a feast.This is perhaps the only international breaks fans won’t be complaining too much about.