Missing stars: Champions League final will not have Messi or Ronaldo for first time since 2013

Posted Wednesday, May 08, 2019 by Goal.com

This year's Champions League final will involve neither of the world superstars for the first time in six years

For the first time since 2013, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will feature in the Champions League final.

Messi's Barcelona capitulated at the hands of Liverpool on Tuesday, losing the semi-final second leg 4-0 to go down 4-3 on aggregate.

That shock result ended an astonishing run of dominance for the star duo when it comes to Europe's top club competition. Since 2013, one of Messi or Ronaldo were involved in five successive finals – with the latter winning three straight titles and four in total.

But Ronaldo, who left holders Real Madrid at the start of the season, saw his Juventus team crash out at the quarter-final stage to Ajax in the 2018-19 tournament.

And Messi was unable to maintain the streak as La Liga champions Barca – last winners of the competition in 2015 – were sensationally beaten at Anfield despite holding a three-goal first-leg lead.

It wasn't for a lack of trying from the Argentine.

Messi was the singular creative force for the Spanish giants at Anfield. The foward created or took all eight of his side's shots on the night as they became just the fourth team in the history of the Champions League to fall in a knockout tie after taking a three-goal win in the opening leg.

Like the Portugal international, Messi is stuck on four continental crowns, having last won the crown in 2015.

Final whistle at Anfield. Liverpool qualify for the #UCL final.
🔵🔴 #LFCBarça (4-0, agg 4-3) pic.twitter.com/Q8PEIQgdkp
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) 7 May 2019

Messi and Ronaldo also saw their streak of being the only two players to win the Ballon d'Or for a 10-year period ended when Luka Modric claimed the 2018 award.

Liverpool will meet either Ajax or Tottenham in this year's Champions League final, which will be held in Madrid on June 1.

The last final without Messi and Ronaldo saw Bayern Munich defeat Borussia Dortmund – then managed by current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp - in an all-German clash at Wembley.