Check mate! Messi and Ronaldo square up in chess picture ahead of World Cup

Messi and Ronaldo release ice cold photoPair are playing each other at chessBoth set to play in their potential final World Cup

WHAT HAPPENED? Messi and Ronaldo have combined forces to release one of the coolest photos of 2022. The two legendary players are picture together playing chess with both locked in concentration about what their next move should be.

Victory is a State of Mind. A long tradition of crafting trunks photographed by @annieleibovitz for @LouisVuitton pic.twitter.com/0TsieZP40P

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 19, 2022

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The pair are widely considered as some of the greatest players of all time, with many ranking them as the top two and finding it difficult to split. With the World Cup on the horizon, many believe it is Messi and Ronaldo’s last chance at getting their hands on the trophy, being aged 35 and 37 respectively.

WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & RONALDO? Both kick off their World Cup campaigns in the coming days. Messi and his Argentina team-mates take on Saudi Arabia on November 22, while Ronaldo and Portugal face Ghana on November 24.