Legends in the Making: 27 Players Who Shared the Field with Messi and Ronaldo

All players & game counts revealed

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have shaped the world of football like no other players. As they approach the twilight of their careers, with 38-year-old Messi playing for Inter Miami in the MLS and 40-year-old Ronaldo thriving in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, their legacies remain unmatched. Between 2008 and 2017, they collectively claimed 10 Ballon d’Or awards, with Messi adding two more after Luka Modrić disrupted their streak in 2018.

Messi’s victory at the 2022 World Cup has solidified his status in the eyes of many, yet debates persist regarding who is the superior player. While most top players gravitate toward Messi’s brilliance, some still honor Ronaldo’s goal-scoring prowess. For the fortunate 27 players who shared the pitch with both legends, it is undoubtedly a tale worth telling future generations. Thanks to Transfermarkt, we can identify these ‘chosen’ players, many of whom hail from Argentina and Portugal. But who has played the most games alongside both superstars? Let’s find out.

The 27 players who have played with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Leading the pack is Spanish defender Gerard Piqué. The Barcelona icon played 506 matches alongside Messi and 16 with Ronaldo during his early career at Manchester United, totaling 522 appearances with both. Piqué once remarked, “Cristiano is the best among humans, but Leo is an alien; he doesn’t belong on this planet.” Following him in second place is fellow Spanish defender Sergio Ramos, who played 340 times with Ronaldo at Real Madrid and 46 with Messi at PSG in the later stages of his career. After years of fierce competition in El Clásico, Ramos stated at PSG, “There was suffering for several years playing against Messi. Now, I am enjoying him. He is the best player football has ever produced.”

In third place is Ángel Di María, the first international teammate of either star, who played 148 matches for Argentina alongside Messi and 168 with Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Fourth is Gonzalo Higuaín, another Argentine, who shared 63 caps with Messi while playing 185 club matches alongside Ronaldo for Real Madrid and Juventus. Fifth is Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who played 16 matches with Messi at Paris and 125 with Ronaldo at Madrid.

In sixth place is Portuguese full-back Nélson Semedo, who has 34 caps for Portugal alongside Ronaldo and 105 games with Messi at Barcelona. Following him in seventh is former midfielder Deco, who appeared in 81 matches with Messi and 58 with Ronaldo for the national team. Former striker Carlos Tevez ranks eighth, having played 52 times with Messi and 84 times with Ronaldo for Manchester United. Paulo Dybala, in ninth, featured in 20 matches with Messi and 98 with Ronaldo at Juventus, while Gabriel Heinze rounds out the top ten with 38 international caps shared with Messi and 78 with Ronaldo. The complete list of 27 players can be explored further up the article.