The Champions League
draw for the last 16 will see Manchester United going up against PSG. While it will
be thrilling to see what Ralf Rangnick manages to achieve with the fiery
English side, when they go up against the French arsenal of sheer talent, all
eyes will be fixed on two talismanic players. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
are squaring off once again. While there have been several debates about who is
the greatest, there is no denying that Messi and Ronaldo are two of the best
players in modern-day football.

With the first leg
scheduled for February 15, 2022, now is the perfect time to delve into the most
iconic clashes between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Champions League
Final, 2009 (Manchester United 0-2 Barcelona)

When Ronaldo faces
Messi in February, he will be back in the Red Devil’s jersey, and will surely
remember this clash of gladiators in Rome. While the match was extremely hyped
as the two best players in football would be playing against one another,
Barcelona comfortably kept United at arm’s length with two goals. Messi drove a
rare header home, marking the year Barcelona won the league, cup, and European
cup treble.

Manita, 2010
(Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid)

Real Madrid faced
humiliation at Camp Nou, in what was essentially a proving ground for both
Ronaldo and Messi in the La Liga. The little magician did not score in the match,
but proved instrumental, setting up two of the five goals. The match remains
memorable for Gerard Pique’s five finger salute, that is, the ‘manita’ to viewers
around the world.

Copa del Rey, 2011
(Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona)

Ronaldo finally took
his revenge with the Los Blancos by snatching away the Copa del Rey from under
Barcelona’s noses, with a late goal that sealed the match. His iconic header in
the 103rd minute guaranteed that Real Madrid walked away with the win. However,
the fixture was smack in the middle of four El Classico fixtures in three
weeks. The victory was somewhat dampened when Barcelona managed to reach the
Champions League finals at the expense of Los Blancos.

Also Read | Champions League: Top 16 teams advancing to knockout rounds

League victory,
2012 (Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid)

This game will be
remembered as Real Madrid comfortably left their rivals behind, sealing their
victory in the Spanish League. Ronaldo’s goals allowed Madrid to be seven
points clear off the top of the table, with four matches in hand. The
Portuguese wonder also scored the record 109th goal of the season.

Silencing haters,
2013 (Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid)

This Real Madrid
victory came under Jose Mourinho’s coaching. While the first leg had ended in a
tie, Ronaldo almost single-handedly took care of the second leg at Camp Nou.
His brace helped Real slide to a spot in the finals, and the match will be etched
in our memory for Mourinho’s antics of shushing Barcelona fans, with a finger
on his lips.

Say my name, 2017 (Real
Madrid 2-3 Barcelona)

Messi shouldered the
responsibility of the team as his two goals kept Barcelona’s title aspirations
alive. The fixture was marked by a hostile atmosphere, but the talismanic
Number 10 scored a goal in the first half and kept his cool to slide in another
during injury-time. Messi then proceeded to take his shirt off and hold it up
to the viewers, reminding them of his name.

Also Read | Ronaldo hits back at Pascal Ferre, labels claim about rivalry with Messi ‘lies’

Football has rightly
been said to be an emotion and not just a sport. Messi and Ronaldo’s rivalry
has uplifted the game overall, and the magic they bring to the field will
surely mesmerize global viewers over the two legs of this Champions League fixture.