Ronaldo, too, debuted at 17, for Sporting Lisbon. His crossover dribble was already famous when Alex Ferguson snatched him for Manchester United ahead of the 2003-04 season and gave him the No. 7 of just-departed David Beckham. After six seasons that included three Premier League titles, one Champions League and one FA Cup, he moved to Real Madrid and scored 450 goals in 438 matches, winning four Champions League titles, and the league and cup twice each. He's set a Champions League record with 120 goals, leaving Messi a distant second.

They were soccer's yin and yang, Messi understated and distant, Ronaldo flamboyant with a model girlfriend and attention-grabbing hairdos. They are global spokesmen, Ronaldo for Nike, Toyota and many more; Messi for the likes of Adidas and Pepsi.

Ronaldo grew a goatee for this World Cup. He said it was because of a bet with Portugal teammate Ricardo Quaresma, but it coincided with the release of a commercial of Messi with a real goat — as in "Greatest of All Time."They have entertained, becoming household names in continents far afield, royalty of the internet age when satellites beamed their twice-a-week matches to homes, bars and laptops in ways Pele, Maradona and predecessors couldn't envisage.

But now their time at the top has come to an end. Mbappe, just 19, and others in the next generation are ready for leading roles. It is too soon to proclaim which will emerge to become the best. As dusk descended late on a midsummer Russian night, dawn was just ahead.