Where does football go as it moves on from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup done and dusted, we may have already seen the last of Cristiano Ronaldo and his greatest rival, Lionel Messi in national colours. Ask almost anyone to name a few footballers, and chances are those two names will be mentioned first, if not the only ones at all. Such has been the scale of their rivalry that it has become almost impossible to mention one without immediately thinking of the other. Yin and yang. Tom and Jerry. Messi and Ronaldo. A rivalry that has stretched across two decades. And now, that rivalry, one which transcended football in many ways, is approaching its final chapter. After this World Cup, although neither has confirmed it, international retirement feels inevitable, with club retirement unlikely to be too far behind. They will still play football after the World Cup, but it will likely be far away from the wider audience's eyes. That begs the question — what next? What will football do after the duopoly is done? I think football w...