They are forever together, much as it may irritate both. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, men who have taken their games to a greater height because of competition from the other, players whose trophy cabinets would bulge still further and whose place in history would be still greater but for each other's exploits.
They entered Old Trafford together, two captains who exchanged cursory handshakes with minimal eye contact. They exited together, too, both replaced at halftime in a move that scarcely seemed coincidental. They tend to be goal-a-game men but, for once, neither scored, albeit when confined to 45 minutes apiece.
It was a draw when they were on the field. If Messi was the more prominent, it was probably a reflection of their respective teammates. Argentina possess more world-class players than Portugal. Indeed, both Messi and Ronaldo had struck in their previous international meeting, but the South Americans won 2-1. This time the Barcelona man came closer to scoring, exchanging passes with Lucas Biglia and, from an acute angle, clipping the post.
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