Messi vs Ronaldo - the birth of a rivalry: 2009 Champions League Final, 10 years later

The day was May 27, 2009 and the venue was the Estadio Olympico stadium, Rome. The stakes? Monumental. The story of the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League, was scripted by the most sanctimonious of poets. The scene was set, as Manchester United took on Barcelona for the right to be crowned rulers of Europe.

The deafening sea of scarlet and blue, told a tale of redemption for the Spanish giants. 13 months prior, the Red Devil’s had surpassed them in the semi-finals. Paul Scholes’ ginger thunderbolt was the deciding blow, as United marched onward to claim the trophy.

United were seemingly only together in name, as a mercenary was running roughshod in the camp. It was speculated that Cristiano Ronaldo, the Golden Boy of Manchester, was being dishonourably discharged, after falling out with his senior officer Sir Alex Ferguson. This fixture was certainly a deciding factor into whether or not he remained on active duty in the Premier League.

United wielded there Excalibur, as the iconic ‘CR7’ was not fazed by the occasion. Upright with his hands on his hips, he surveyed the battlefield on the right wing. His slick black hair and pristine white shirt glistened as cameras clicked in his direction. The shining knight was ready to retain the crown.

Then out of the tunnel hobbled a short, scruffy haired antagonist to Ronaldo's spotlight. He jogged nonchalantly towards the sideline and stood hunched opposite Ronaldo, who looked on with disdain. This man was more than just 'messy' in name, as he was here to disrupt the order in Cristiano’s fairy tale ending.

Lionel Messi. The man who was biting at Ronaldo’s ankles. The man who kept the Portuguese sensation awake at night. It was now his time to take centre-stage, after finishing runner up in the previous Ballon d’Or awards. Tonight, was the end to his coming of age story, and the beginning of a decade long rivalry.

A sharp ‘Peep’ on the whistle, and the eruption of noise inside the Roman stadium echoed back to the bygone days of the gladiators. The sparring match began, and it was going to end in a ‘thumbs down’ for one contender to football’s iron throne.

10 minutes had passed, and Barcelona had one hand on the trophy. Commander-in-chief, Andres Iniesta’s pass found Samuel Eto’o, who toe poked the ball into the bottom corner, as Barcelona drew first blood.

The score line remained for the majority of the match, yet Ronaldo would not give in. A darting run along the left flank with customary step overs looked promising. In his iconic style he ran with purposeful strides, with his upper body tensed. He then cut back and levelled up to shoot... yet a loss of concentration saw him outwitted by Barca's midfield gatekeeper Sergio Busquets.

Appeals for a foul saw his frustration grow evident with an outburst of anger. He knew that his reign was slipping.

And as if it were written in folklore, Lionel Messi secured the trophy. A loose ball was picked up by midfield maestro Xavi, who crossed in the ball to find the head of Messi. The snapshot of the looping header over a stunned Van Der Sar, as the Argentine's boot slips off his foot, should be etched on a stein glass window, capturing the moment when Messi bested Ronaldo for the first time.

The goal that sparked a fire, that would burn at the top of football’s hierarchy for the next decade.

As reported by the Daily Mail In 2018, the Argentine told Sport.Es that this was his favourite goal he has ever scored. “I don't look at goals for their beauty, but their importance. The best goal of my career was the header in the Champions League final, for what that goal and that game meant. I don't have special goals marked out that I'd like to score because for me, the special goals are the important ones.”

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The final whistle sounded, and the battle was finished with Barcelona victorious. But for Messi and Ronaldo, the war was far from over. Messi claimed the Balon dO’r crown that year, with Ronaldo sulking in second place. He yearned for revenge and leapt at Real Madrid’s £84.6m record breaking transfer. All was in place for the next decade, as the two contested the Spanish top division.

For 10 years the two dominated Spain, with 1,001 goals being scored between them in all competitions. Ronaldo scored 478, and Messi with 523. The two also shared the title of Best in the World, as since 2009, Ronaldo had won four more Ballon dO’r awards. Yet on December 2nd of this year, Messi closed the decade by winning his sixth title, and was awarded the 2019/20 accolade.

It is said that the two brought out the best and worst of each other in timeless El Clasico encounters. Now with Ronaldo’s departure to Italy, Messi is alone to rule the Spanish league, and the curtain has been called on a defining footballing rivalry that divided a generation of fans.