I support a team Messi knocked out of a tournament I wanted us to win. In the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley, Barcelona vs Manchester United, he picked up the ball outside the box, drifted into space, and swept a low left‑footed shot past Edwin van der Sar into the corner. My team lost. I rose from my chair, and I felt awe.

For twenty years two men carried this sport. Messi and Ronaldo. Billions watched them across the same decades, and fans of no other sport have watched two like them at the same time. And what did the crowd do with such a gift? They split into two camps. They picked one man to worship and one to despise. Love Messi, hate Ronaldo. Love Ronaldo, hate Messi. Choose a side and defend it against the world.