With Lionel Messi having announced his retirement from international football on Monday, August 31, it is clear that the end of an era is upon us.
Without official confirmation from either player, it was widely accepted that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be the last for both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
And now that Messi has announced that he has hung up his Argentina boots, all eyes are on Ronaldo, and whether he will follow suit.
The end of the Messi-Ronaldo era
Ronaldo and Messi have been at the centre of football’s greatest rivalry, and are arguably two of the best footballers the world has ever seen.
With the two clearly in the latter stages of their careers, the inevitable end to an amazing era has been hanging over the sport like a dark cloud.
Messi’s announcement has started the downpour, but it is light for now, as he will continue compete in club football with Inter Miami, and Ronaldo has yet to call it quits.
The Portuguese international is 22 away from 1,000 career goals, and it is widely believed that he will retire once the milestone is reached.
“It would be funny, wouldn’t it? Scoring his thousandth goal and just walking off with his arm up in the air in a salute and just going, ‘You know, that’s me done,'” said Teddy Sheringham to BetVictor Online Casino.
READ MORE: Lionel Messi hangs up international boots; hails ‘incredible experience’
What could Ronaldo do after retirement?
When a football player retires, or even begins to approach retirement, there is always the question of what they would do next.
Many former footballers have gone into punditry, ambassadorial or managerial roles, among other things.
When it comes to Messi and Ronaldo, many believe that Ronaldo would be more inclined to become a football coach because of his personality.
While his personality might suit the job, the Al-Nassr captain may decide that such a role is not for him when he eventually retires from football.
Sheringham believes that could be the case, saying: “I can’t see Cristiano Ronaldo being a manager.
“A manager is 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at whatever level you go into. I’ve known that from my short time as a manager, that it consumes your life.
“Football has consumed his life and wherever he goes, it’s nonstop for him. Same as David Beckham.
“Most footballers or ex-footballers are allowed to switch off at certain times, but when you’re at the top of your game, like Beckham and Ronaldo, you can’t do that.
“I can see Ronaldo owning football clubs, but I can’t see him being a manager. One exception could be the Portugal job.”
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SportJustSport writers 
Michael Davey