Messi plays 2 matches and has to rest for 2 weeks
The national team training session in March 2025 was very important for Lionel Messi, because Argentina would have to face two “tough” opponents, Uruguay and Brazil. However, the 37-year-old superstar was regrettably absent. After a medical examination on Monday morning (March 17, local time), Messi suffered a muscle injury and will have to rest for 1-2 weeks.
Messi has to sit out again due to injury
It is worth noting that the Argentine striker has only returned to play in the last two matches for Inter Miami. Before that, Messi had not played for two consecutive weeks because of “risk of muscle injury”. Although coach Mascherano took all protective measures, the 37-year-old superstar still suffered an injury.
Seeing Messi having to undergo treatment, while Ronaldo continues to play for Portugal at the age of 40, some CR7 fans have affirmed that Messi can never compare to their idol. In terms of physical strength, that is probably true.
However, Mascherano and his team face a battle for a spot in the MLS play-offs and a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final against Los Angeles FC. If Messi is unable to play, David Beckham’s team will have a hard time competing with the tournament’s title contenders.
The numbers “talk”
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is still playing continuously despite being over 40 years old. The last two times the Portuguese superstar had to stop playing was because Al Nassr was concerned about legal issues in Iran. In addition, CR7’s actual minutes on the field this season have reached 2,770 minutes, while Messi’s number (including last season) is only 2,132 minutes.
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Lionel Messi | |
| Number of matches played for the club last season | 45 | 25 |
| Actual minutes for the club last season (including cup competitions) | 3,974 | 1,986 |
| Number of minutes played for the club last season (national championship only) | 2,648 | 1,756 |
| Number of matches played for the club from 1/1/2025 to present (excluding friendly matches) | 14 | 5 |
| Actual minutes for the club from 1/1/2025 to present | 1,183 | 377 |
Messi is losing out in terms of the number of matches and minutes played compared to Ronaldo in the last 2 seasons.
In terms of physical strength, Messi is clearly inferior to Ronaldo. This is understandable, because the Portuguese superstar still strictly follows his training schedule as well as his diet. Patrice Evra once had to declare that he would never have dinner at Ronaldo’s house again because there was only “water, chicken and salad”.
Of course, Messi still trains regularly, but the intensity and discipline are probably hard to compare with his great rival. Playing less means less opportunities to score and assist. Currently, CR7 has 928 goals, creating a gap of 74 goals compared to Messi. This number will likely continue to increase in the future if Messi plays 2 matches and then rests 2 weeks like this.
