“Father time catches up to everyone” – Don Hutchinson feels it is ‘quite sad’ Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are declining

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest footballers of all time.

During an interview with ESPN, former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchinson claimed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s decline in recent times was sad.

Both legends of the game were knocked out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 in the last couple of weeks. The Argentine has undergone multiple disappointments in recent campaigns, especially with former club Barcelona. The Portuguese, meanwhile, is going through the first season in 13 years where he won't be winning any trophy at club level.

Both footballers have undergone a decline with respect to their individual numbers as well. Ronaldo has scored 18 goals and made three assists in 33 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United this season. Meanwhile, Messi has seven goals and 11 assists in 26 appearances in all competitions.

While the statistics are far from unimpressive, the two have set such high standards that at their advanced ages are simply impossible to maintain.

Cristiano Ronaldo has the most match-winning goals this season;

1️⃣ Ronaldo-9 goals
2️⃣ Benzema-8 goals
3️⃣ Haaland-7 goals
4️⃣ Mo Salah-7 goals
5️⃣ Lewandowski-6 goals
6️⃣ Vinicius Jr-5 goals
7️⃣ Harry Kane-3 goals
8️⃣ Lionel Messi- 1 goal

👑 Inevitable #UCL King

#MUFC|#CR7𓃵|#Atleti https://t.co/l29eb4oMKr

Hutchinson claimed that nobody wants to see the two best players of their generation coming up short and said:

“Yeah that's quite sad isn't it, no one wants to see the best 2 players to have graced the game for a long time to be in decline. Father Time catches up to everyone, when you look back in 20 odd years time when you talk about the best players of all time, people are mentioning Maradona and Pele and Cruyff, these 2 have to come into that conversation for sure.”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi era finally coming to an end?

Individual statistics aren't a problem for either player. Ronaldo only recently proved that he is still capable of winning games on his own. He scored a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur on March 12th to win the game 3-2.

Meanwhile, every football fan will testify that Messi still has the magic touch in his game. He has shown that on many occasions for Paris Saint-Germain this campaign as well.

However, the Argentine has struggled to fit into a team that already has primary goalscorers and ball handlers. Kylian Mbappe has been the main man for PSG this season, with 43 goal contributions in just 36 games in all competitions so far.

A potential Mbappe exit at the end of the season might result in a resurgence for Messi with respect to goalscoring next season. However, the legendary duo look far away from competing for the highest individual honors.

No Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in Friday's quarter-final draw. The duo miss out on the last-8 for the second season running.

#UCLdraw https://t.co/DqrqsD18Y1

The likes of Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Mohammed Salah, Mbappe and Erling Haaland have arguably been more impressive in recent times.

With Ronaldo in his 38th year and Lionel Messi soon to be 35, the two seem highly unlikely to emerge in even the top-five of Ballon d'Or next season.

At the same time, there might still be some fuel left, and fans will know better than to count either of the two out, just yet.