Another big week for us here at Messi-Ronaldo watch as Cristiano Ronaldo came up with some big, big news. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi's created yet another record. Of course he has.
Football
Messi:
Nothing really. Inter Miami ended the regular season with what's now become a typical performance. They took a 3-0 lead against Charlotte FC (Messi wasn't involved in any of the goals) and then promptly conceded three to end up drawing the match. New England Revolution's loss, though, meant Miami had done enough to finish second in the Easter Conference.
Meanwhile, Messi became the first player to win back-to-back MLS Golden Boot awards after he finished the regular season with 26 goals. He's also just the sixth player to finish as top scorer in multiple MLS regular seasons. He also notched up 17 assists to have a league-high 43 goal contributions.
Inter Miami's first playoff match will be at 4.30 am IST on Sunday, November 22 as they take on Columbus Crew.
Ronaldo:
Al Nassr weren't in action this week as the Saudi Pro League has postponed matches after the rescheduling of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup created "additional flexibility in the domestic football calendar". The continental championship was postponed due to regional security concerns.
Life (and Social Media)
Messi
A couple of commercials in which he appeared where posted on his Instagram profile: for MasterCard and ChatGPT. That plus a congratulations to everyone who participated in the 2026 Messi Cup.
Ronaldo
In a five-minute video posted on his social channels, Ronaldo announced that he would be retiring from international football after 23 years of representing Portugal at the highest level.
Portugal estará sempre em mim https://t.co/dnFj51rxmh
- Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 5, 2026
This comes after a fallout with coach Jorge Jesus had led him to walking out of the national camp last month, a decision that caused him to serve a 30-day suspension (which would have ended before the November international window)
In his two-decades with the national, he notched up some incredible numbers.
Words
(On) Ronaldo:
"We already had the chance to talk about this before the first squad announcement. I asked him to stay on with me," Jorge Jesus told Portugal's Channel 11. "He will always be in the hearts of the Portuguese people, and in the national team. He will always be a point of reference for our national team, for our people, and for our history."
Meanwhile, the Federation posted a statement: "It is with a sense of deep gratitude and immense admiration that the Portuguese Football Federation publicly pays tribute to and thanks Cristiano Ronaldo for his absolutely extraordinary career in the service of our country," the statement said. "More than just an outstanding athlete, our captain was an inspiring leader, a model of dedication and the ultimate symbol of the spirit of our national team.
You can read more tributes here and more reaction here
Goals and assists tracker
Messi: 937 goals, 428 assists (no additions this week)
Ronaldo: 985 goals, 261 assists (no additions this week)