Although it is not possible to say when, the reality is that there is not much time left for the farewell of the elite of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who led in a great way one of the strongest rivalries in the history of football.
No one wants to say goodbye. Like Pelé and Maradona, Cruyff, Platini, and more recent cases like Casillas, Ronaldinho, Xavi, Iniesta, Zidane, Maldini, Ronaldo, time will punish us with the end of an era of absolute domination. It may take several years for them to retire, for sure, but it is undeniable that their fullness has reached its peak and both are on an inescapable descent.
It’s not about measuring your successes. Their careers are flawless and they can still stay on top, racking up records. But the relief comes very strong and the new rivalry seems to have been born between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, as the new protagonists in not having Messi or Cristiano for the first time in the quarterfinals of the Champions League at 16 years old.
There will be plenty of time for Messi and Cristiano to cry, but they will not leave alone. Next to them, an incredible generation of footballers and cracks who dominated two decades, with a unique legacy.
It is not an urgency to remove them. It’s an anticipated bout of nostalgia. An inevitable review that will come sooner or later.
Just thinking about this group and remembering their great feats puts the skin on.
There will be no more Gianluigi Buffon, the best of his time, who could not win the Champions League as an excessive punishment. Of the most veterans, alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who despite
Thiago Silva and Giorgio Chiellini, who turn 37 this year, as well as Cristiano Ronaldo, will take their place as legends among the best defenders in history.
Luka Modric turns 36, and although he can surely perform much longer, his best time has passed and no one will be able to argue for him a place among the best players in history, mainly for what Real Madrid achieved.
There will be no more Diego Godín, Sergio Ramos, David Silva, those who turn 35 this year, real winners.
And of Messi’s generation, who turn 34 in 2021 and those who could give more of themselves in the next three or four years are Luis Suarez, Gerard Piqué, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain.
True, there is a long way to go before all of them are retired. But suddenly, this attack of nostalgia invades us because time does not forgive and in a blink we will see the decline, although we can appreciate from another perspective his legacy. A wonderful generation.