By admin 
Wednesday saw three of the greatest sporting stars of the last 20 years all suffer heartbreaking defeats but is it time to start preparing to say goodbye?
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James were all eliminated from their respective competitions and must now admit the reality of what lies ahead at their advanced ages.
We examine their setbacks and throw the clock forward to predict if it really is the beginning of the end.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The sight of Ronaldo seemingly arguing with himself as he played out the final seconds of Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League defeat to Kawasaki Frontale while stood alone in the centre circle will upset his biggest fans.
The Portuguese superstar had an excellent chance to grab a late equaliser but fluffed his lines as the Japanese side progressed to the final.
It prolonged Ronaldo’s wait for a major trophy with his Saudi Arabian club and he admitted afterwards “the dream will have to wait.”
But despite his advancing years, the 40-year-old shows no sign of slowing down.
He has scored an incredible 91 goals in 102 games for Al Nassr and his legendary work ethic means he is still in excellent shape.
A new contract is reportedly waiting to be signed and he is likely to want one last swansong at a major tournament with Portugal at next summer’s World Cup.
Verdict: Ronaldo’s ego will continue to push him on. Expect to see the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star go on for at least a couple of years yet.
▪️ Al-Nassr lose 3-2 in the AFC Champions League semifinal
▪️ Inter Miami lose 5-1 (on agg.) in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinalCristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi knocked out of their continental competitions on the same day 😔 pic.twitter.com/ite65RhM7f
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 1, 2025
Lionel Messi
Messi’s goal drought extended to four games as his Inter Miami side lost 3-1 at home to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the semi-finals of the COCACAF Champions Cup – the Canadians completing a resounding 5-1 aggregate win.
The 37-year-old Argentine was a peripheral figure as, for once, he failed to deliver when he was needed most.
His future appears more clear-cut than his great rival Ronaldo.
Contract talks are apparently underway so that Messi stays with Miami to be the figurehead as they move to a new stadium at Freedom Park next year, with 2026 also giving him the chance to help his country defend the World Cup crown he played such a a large part in delivering in Qatar.
After that, there seems very little for him to achieve.
Verdict: Don’t be surprised if Messi walks away after the 2026 MLS season, perhaps with another World Cup winners’ medal in his back pocket.
LeBron James
James and fellow superstar Luka Doncic were supposed to inspire the Los Angeles Lakers to NBA playoff success. Instead they were eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James scored 22 points in Game 5 but it wasn’t enough as the Timberwolves eased through 103-96.
The 40-year-old was asked afterwards how long he would continue to play and was vague in his response.
“I don’t know,” James said. “I don’t have the answer to that. [It’s] something I sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens and just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.”
LeBron James is 2-12 in his last 14 playoff games:
🧱 2023: 0-4 vs Nuggets
🧱 2024: 1-4 vs Nuggets
🧱 2025: 1-4 vs Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/q4uNjfUdB2
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) May 1, 2025
He has one year left on a 24-month contract but has the option to hit free agency this summer.
Verdict: Much will depend on the development of his son Bronny.
If the younger James can get more game time in the big leagues then it may prove too much of a temptation for LeBron and he will almost certainly see out his deal with the Lakers.
Beyond 2026, however, it starts to become murky. Enjoy James while you can as next season will likely be his last.