The rumors about Cristiano Ronaldo's new contract have sparked extensive discussions in the global media. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
Although the Portuguese player has made his choice, theoretically, if he does not sign a new contract, he could become a free agent, and his transfer value would drop to zero. The online publication "Euro-Football.uz" analyzes the changes in Ronaldo's transfer value and compares it with Lionel Messi's value. No Messi, No Way The Argentine star footballer recently turned 38, but he continues to stand out with his brilliant play on the world stage.
The "Inter Miami" team advanced from the group stage of the World Club Championship but lost in the first match of the playoffs. The Argentina team is preparing to defend its title in the next World Championship next year.
In this process, Messi plays a crucial role. Unlike Ronaldo, Messi currently has a contract with "Inter Miami" that runs until the end of this year. Perhaps, within six months, Lionel could also attain free agent status.
A similar situation occurred in 2002, but at that time, there was no discussion about transfer value. Messi's initial transfer value was 3 million euros.
The famous Transfermarkt portal set this amount at the end of 2004 when Messi was playing for "Barcelona B." Three years later, Messi's transfer value had reached 60 million euros. Notably, in 2007, he did not yet have the "Ballon d'Or" award.
The connection between Messi and the most prestigious individual award continued from the late 2000s until 2023. Between 2009 and 2019, Lionel won six "Ballon d'Or" awards, and his transfer value increased more than twofold from 80 million euros to 180 million euros. Ronaldo's value has often been lower In 2004, Cristiano Ronaldo participated in the European Championship with the Portugal national team.
That year, his transfer value was one of the highest at 18 million euros. However, while Messi increased his transfer value fourfold from 2004 to 2007, Ronaldo only managed to double his value. The peak of the Portuguese footballer's transfer value came in 2018.
His highest value did not exceed 120 million euros. At that time, Messi was valued at 180 million euros.
Age must be taken into account regarding the difference. Ronaldo had the opportunity to break the record of Lamin Yamal, the most expensive player in modern football history (200 million euros), but such sums were not mentioned during the peak years of his career. Currently, Lionel Messi is valued at 18 million euros and is the most expensive player of "Inter Miami," as well as ranking second in the MLS league.
Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer value is 12 million euros, placing him fifth in the "Al-Nassr" team and 21st in the Saudi Pro League. Globally, Messi ranks 585th, while Ronaldo stands at 904th.
For both players, these figures are high, especially considering Ronaldo is over 40 years old and Messi is approaching that age as well. The above information illustrates how Ronaldo's and Messi's transfer values have changed over the years. The rises and falls in their careers hold significant places in football history and impact the development of world football.
