WHAT HAPPENED?
The former Argentina international has revealed his ambition to bring together two of football’s greatest icons – Messi and Ronaldo – for his proposed farewell match at La Bombonera, a tribute to his extraordinary playing career that spanned nearly two decades.
With Messi, Tevez shared a decade-long partnership on the Argentina national team. Their first major tournament together was the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and they went on to compete at the 2010 tournament in South Africa, as well as three Copa America editions – in 2007, 2011, and 2015.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
His connection with Ronaldo came during a memorable spell at Manchester United between 2007 and 2009. Alongside Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, Tevez helped form a fearsome attacking trio. Together, they brought immense success to Old Trafford, including back-to-back Premier League titles, the 2008 Champions League crown, and a FIFA Club World Cup triumph.
WHAT TEVEZ SAID
In an interview with Olga, Tevez said of his dream lineup for his farewell match: “Leo Messi, Cristiano… we’re going to bring them. I’ll go get them myself. I have them saved in my WhatsApp.”
Tevez also listed a number of other high-profile players he hopes to reunite with for the occasion. From his United days, he mentioned Rooney, Edwin van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, and Patrice Evra. On the Italian side, he wants Juventus legends Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Gianluigi Buffon to take part.
“(Edwin) Van der Sar on one side and (Gianluigi) Buffon on the other,” he said, referring to the goalkeepers. “At center back, we’ll probably have Rio Ferdinand, (Nemanja) Vidic… we’ll bring in (Giorgio) Chiellini, (Leonardo) Bonucci. Patrice Evra, my brother, he has to be there. Midfielders… (Andrea) Pirlo, Paul Scholes, Roman (Riquelme) will definitely be there. Rooney.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Despite never mastering English during his time in England, Tevez recalled fond memories of his time at Old Trafford. In particular, he spoke warmly about the bond he shared with Ji-Sung Park and Evra, despite all three coming from vastly different backgrounds.
“Man, the laughs I had at United,” the Argentine reminisced. “There was a Korean guy, Ji-Sung Park, (Patrice) Evra, French, and me—I didn’t understand a word of English. The Korean kind of understood, and Patrice spoke all three languages. The three of us had so many laughs… and everyone else would look at us like, ‘How do those three even understand each other?’ because they’d see us talking.”
WHAT NEXT?
Tevez’s farewell match is shaping up to be a once-in-a-lifetime football spectacle – a gathering of some of the sport’s most revered players at one of the world’s most historic venues. And if he succeeds in reuniting Messi and Ronaldo, two icons rarely seen together since their peak rivalry, the event could become an unforgettable chapter in football history at La Bombonera, the iconic stadium of Boca Juniors – where Tevez is currently working as a coach.