Sunday saw former Real Madrid and Barcelona legends, Sergio Ramos and Ronaldinho Gaucho, respectively, clashing virtually.
The icons played a charity FIFA ‘El Clasico’ game, as a part of the Gamers Without Borders: No One Left Behind esports festival, in which Ronaldinho emerged the winner.
The historic rivalry between football giants Real Madrid and Barcelona is referred to as ‘El Clasico’, and while the rivals have met on several Clasicos in the past, this time it was virtual and for a cause.
The aim of the Gamers Without Borders festival is to fundraise for supplying Covid-19 vaccines to countries and people in need, according to their website.
After a successful festival in 2020 that raised $10 million which was diverted to organisations like UNICEF, Gavi, IMC and Direct Relief, Gamers Without Border has returned with the festival’s 2021 edition for vaccine distribution in neglected countries worldwide.
“Not only will the festival attract the biggest names in gaming, but also the biggest names in world sport and entertainment. A live broadcast feed in multiple different languages as the best gamers on the planet compete in Fortnite, HearthStone, CS:GO, DOTA2, and PUBG Mobile. A treasure-trove broadcast schedule of magazine eSports content across the entirety of its six weeks; the most titles ever hosted within a single eSports event; supported by shows & activations; unmatched experiences; meet and greets; live concerts; 300+ community tournaments; and a learning platform that will set thousands on their way to careers in gaming and further”, read their website.
Ronaldinho raised $30K and Ramos raised $20K in their friendly fight.
In the build-up to their ‘El Clasico’ the two exchanged cheeky jabs on Twitter.
Ronaldinho posted a photograph from a 2007 Real Madrid vs Barcelona game, captioning it "Hey @SergioRamos – remember this night?!"
The former Los Blancos captain retorted by sharing a photo from one of Madrid's La Liga victory parades.
Madrid's 92:48 legend bid a teary-eyed farewell to the club after 16 long years on Thursday.