Champions League News: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo To Clash In CL Group Stage

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will continue their rivalry at the 2020–21 Champions League. The two football icons will meet once again as Juventus and Barcelona were both selected in Group G for this season's Champions League group stage draw.

The two stars have faced off on multiple occasions in the past. During Ronaldo’s stint with Real Madrid, the Portuguese superstar had numerous La Liga bouts against Messi’s Barcelona.

Their overall career head-to-head has Messi in front with 16 wins compared to Ronaldo’s 10. The Argentine also has more goals than Ronaldo with a 22-19 advantage. Across the 35 games they’ve played against each other, nine of those have ended in a draw.

When Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018, Messi shared that he would have wanted his rival to stay in La Liga. The impact of El Clasico was elevated with how the two stars would propel Barcelona and Real Madrid in elite football competition.

“I wanted him to continue with Real Madrid,” Messi told RAC1 when Ronaldo left Los Blancos.

“He gave a plus to the rivalry in the Clasico and La Liga,” he continued.

The debate regarding who the better player is between the two hasn't stopped. The titleholder for the “greatest of all time” continues to be debated as Messi and Ronaldo are still on top of their game.

Messi has played for Barcelona for almost two decades, suiting up for 732 matches. For Ronaldo, he’s played for several clubs but remains the top player for Juventus across 91 appearances. Both superstars have won the prestigious Ballon d’Or multiple times, with Messi holding the record of six trophies.

The recent Champions League draw will be the first time Messi will face Ronaldo as part of the Serie A club. Posts in social media have circulated that this may be the last chance the world will see a matchup between these two icons.

Competing with Barcelona and Juventus in Group G are clubs Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvaros.

The first set of games will kick off in three weeks from Oct. 20 and 21.