In the last decade, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the star players for Argentina and Portugal, respectively, and they are still running great for their nations.
Both players have led their respective countries to international glory. While Ronaldo assisted Portugal to win their first major global trophy, the Euro Cup, in 2016, Messi gained his first major international title with Argentina as they won the Copa America in the summer of 2021, defeating arch-rivals Brazil 1-0 in the final.
In the international arena, Messi and Ronaldo have set numerous records. Both team members are the leading goal scorers and have the most caps for their respective countries. With 111 goals in 180 games, Ronaldo recently became the all-time leading goalscorer in international football. Messi, on the other side, has 79 goals for La Albiceleste in 153 games.
As superstars in their own right, the two players are expected to perform when their teams are in trouble. Both players have helped out their clubs on several occasions in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
In this article, we look at the times when Messi and Ronaldo have rescued Argentina and Portugal out of trouble. Only games in which the two stars assisted their sides to a draw or a win from a disadvantageous position are taken into account.
Messi has rescued his team 18 times out of the 153 games he has played for La Albiceleste, accounting for 11.76 percent of the total matches he has played. With his help, Argentina has won against dominant football teams like Portugal, Uruguay, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland, etc.
In the 180 matches Ronaldo has appeared for Seleccao, he has managed to save his team 24 times, accounting for 13.33% of the total matches he has played. Ronaldo has helped Portugal to win against countries like Croatia, France, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, and many more.
