LOS ANGELES — Now that Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international soccer, could a similar announcement from Cristiano Ronaldo be far behind? And when it comes, what will that mean for the short-term future of the sport?

Losing two of the greatest to ever play the game just months apart will definitely leave a mark on international soccer. At the same time, the sport seems well-positioned to not only weather the blow, but perhaps even grow in its wake.

Rarely, if ever, has international soccer been blessed with a deeper, more talented and charismatic group of young stars. Kylian Mbappé of France, who has already broken Messi's record with 22 World Cup goals in as many games, is just 27. Norway's Erling Haaland, who charmed the world during this summer's tournament, has more goals for club and country at 26 than either Messi or Ronaldo had at the same age.

Spain's Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí teamed to win a World Cup title while still in their teens. Both are also on this year's Ballon d'Or short list — at 30 names, the list really isn't that short — alongside seven other players younger than 26.

(The ballot for the women's Ballon d'Or, meanwhile, contains six Spaniards, three players from both France and the Netherlands and two Japanese but just one American, Gotham midfielder Rose Lavelle. More about what that might mean for women's soccer in the U.S. in a moment.)

Messi's retirement from the Argentine national team and Ronaldo's impending retirement from Portugal's mark the end of an unparalleled era in soccer. Messi, 39, accomplished more than any player in history. He was named the FIFA world player of the year a record eight times, led his teams to 46 trophies including four Champions League titles, a World Cup win and an Olympic gold medal. He played in more World Cup games (34) than anyone, is one of just two men to play in three World Cup finals, has more assists (423 and counting) than any player ever and trails only Ronaldo for most goals for club and country with 928 and counting.

And he's not done. Less than a year after signing a contract extension that will keep him with Inter Miami through 2028, Messi leads MLS in both goals (19) and assists (11) and is chasing a second straight league title. Whether he fulfills that contract and stays another two seasons is uncertain. The announcement that he was leaving the national team came shortly after the death of his father, Jorge, Messi's first coach, primary agent and best friend.

Now, without his muse by his side, Messi may decide soccer is no longer enjoyable and simply walk away, leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table after having already made more than $1 billion from the game.

If Messi could not be ignored on the pitch, he has never sought the spotlight off it, preferring family time to interviews or news conferences. Fittingly, he shared his retirement from international soccer not in a media event but in a social media post. Ronaldo, 41, who is also a soccer billionaire, is exactly the opposite. In his hometown of Funchal, Portugal, he is director of the Museu CR7, a museum dedicated to his career, one which shares space with the CR7 hotel and is fronted by a bronze statue of Ronaldo.

The contrast between the quiet, humble Messi and the preening, ostentatious Ronaldo has defined soccer in recent times and certainly fueled its growth and popularity in the U.S. and parts of Asia. It was like a professional wrestling rivalry in which everyone cheers for either the hero or the heel, only there was no pretense to this one.

Leaving center stage will be more difficult for Ronaldo, whose contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr — a deal that reportedly pays him around $6 million a week — expires next year. A five-time Ballon d'Or winner and five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid and Manchester United, Ronaldo hasn't enjoyed the international success that Messi has, with just a European title and two Nations League trophies on his resume.

But without Messi, there is no Ronaldo — and vice versa. If one leaves, the other, diminished in solitude, cannot long survive alone. And when they are both gone, the story line will necessarily change because there is no obvious rivalry to replace the one they created.

Real Madrid's Mbappé is the most obvious heir apparent to the mantle of "greatest in the game." He has already played in two World Cup finals for France, scored a record 22 goals in the tournament and has more goals, assists and trophies at 27 than Ronaldo did at the same age.

The only player who can match Mbappé for talent is Haaland who, unlike Mbappé, has a goofy, accessible and affable persona online. But he plays for Norway — which has made one World Cup appearance this century, not exactly on the same level as third-ranked France — and in England for Manchester City. As a result, he and Mbappé have met just four times in Champions League play and only once internationally, in a game Haaland sat out.

Over time, a more substantive foil for Mbappé could be Yamal, who plays club soccer for Barcelona and with the Spanish national team, the natural rivals for Real Madrid and France, respectively. But the hyper-talented and charismatic Yamal, 19, is still a work in progress who needs more time to develop.

While Messi and Ronaldo are preparing to pass the torch in men's soccer, a significant transition may also be taking place on the women's side. Two years ago, five Americans were nominated for the female Ballon d'Or, which is presented annually to the best player in the world. In 2022, there were three U.S. players on the short list.

This year, it is only Lavelle.

The U.S. won the Paris Olympics tournament, the last major international event for women, but Spain, the reigning World Cup champion, is ranked No. 1 in the world. The country has six women on the award short list, including Alexia Putellas, who has combined with Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmati to give Spain the last five Ballon d'Or wins.

Only four NWSL players made the list.

There's no question the U.S. league is far more competitive and compelling; no team in the NWSL has fewer than four losses this season while Barcelona has lost four games over the last seven seasons combined. There's also no question the Ballon d'Or voters, made up of writers from France Football and L'Equipe, alongside international soccer ambassadors, have a European bias.

But it's also true the U.S. can no longer expect to simply roll out the ball and dominate women's soccer as it did in the past. The rest of the world has caught up.

Next summer's World Cup in Brazil will determine if the world has passed us by.

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