Michael Jordan, Roger Federer and Other Famous Last Dances Ahead of Messi vs Ronaldo Saudi Showdown

• The Chicago Bulls’ Last Dance yielded a championship in the 1997-98 NBA season
• Roger Federer teamed with Rafael Nadal in the Laver Cup doubles for his final match
• Serena Williams fell short in her bid to win the title in her final U.S. Open last year

The dream has finally turned into reality.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will renew their rivalry next year in the Riyadh Season Cup.

Some call Inter Miami’s preseason showdown with Al-Nassr as the two football icons’ Last Dance.

Sports Brief looks at the other sports stars who experienced a 'Last Dance' moment at the end of their careers.

Chicago Bulls’ 1998 title run

The 1997-98 Chicago Bulls team comes to mind when discussing the 'Last Dance.'

Netflix and ESPN Films made a documentary series of that legendary side, providing an in-depth look at their historic dynasty and difficult championship run in 1998.

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Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and the rest of the Bulls overcame adversity in that final season, claiming their sixth title in eight years with a thrilling Finals victory over the Utah Jazz.

Jordan starred for the Bulls in the series clincher, scoring 45 points in Game 6 of the Finals. He knocked down the championship-winning jumper with 6.6 seconds left to give Chicago a dramatic 87-86 victory.

The team disbanded after the title win, with Jordan retiring and Pippen going to the Houston Rockets via free agency.

Of course, it wasn’t Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ in the NBA as he returned to play for the Washington Wizards in 2001.

Roger Federer says farewell

Federer’s final tournament as a professional tennis player came in the 2022 Laver Cup. The Swiss maestro teamed up with his great rivals in the event, adding Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray to the European squad.

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Federer made a special request to his great rival Nadal, asking the Spaniard to be his partner for the doubles match against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.

Federer and Nadal made a dream start in that contest, taking the first set 6-4.

There was no fairytale ending, though, for the 20-time Grand Slam champion, as he and Nadal lost the next two sets, 7-6, 11-9.

The two became super emotional during Federer’s retirement ceremony, leaving fans inside the O2 Arena in tears as well, per Tennis.com.

Sebastian Vettel says goodbye to F1

Vettel said goodbye to Formula 1 and his fans during the 2022 season, ending a storied career that yielded four Driver’s Championships.

He drove his final race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the German driver finishing tenth.

Vettel did a celebratory round of donuts on the start/finish straight. He then got out of his car to celebrate in front of his loyal and adoring fans for one last time on an F1 circuit.

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Serena Williams’ tennis career ends

Serena’s 'Last Dance' took place at the 2022 U.S. Open. It is a tournament that is very close to Williams’ heart, with the 23-time Grand Slam champion winning this event six times.

She was determined to make another title run in 2022. The American sent the home fans into a frenzy when she defeated Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.

Williams then beat Anett Kontaveit 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 in the second round to set up a round-of-32 clash with Alja Tomljanovic.

Unfortunately for Williams, her magical run ended in the third round, with Tomljanovic recording a 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 victory, per Sky Sports.

She bid an emotional goodbye to the Flushing Meadows crowd after the loss.

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Messi vs. Ronaldo in Saudi

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Sports Brief previously reported on Messi and Ronaldo's upcoming showdown in Saudi Arabia.

They will renew their rivalry in the 2024 Riyadh Season Cup when Inter Miami take on Al-Nassr.