Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo – Who is the greatest?
Last night we saw another epic El Clasico where Lionel Messi and Cristano Ronaldo continued their ongoing battle for world supremacy. Barcelona and Real Madrid staged a spectacular 2-2 draw with Ronaldo and his archenemy Messi scoring all the goals. These two players are taking the art of being a footballer to entirely new levels, but while there’s no denying that they are the most outstanding talents of their generation, and perhaps of all time, the constant question is “which of the two is it? the biggest?’ While there is no definitive correct answer to this, the general opinion in recent years has been that Messi is the King and Ronaldo the very talented Prince.However, the gap between the magical Argentine and the Portuguese Adonis seems to be closing, with the feeling that Ronaldo now deserves the crown of ‘Best Player in the World’.
Despite often playing just behind the main striker, Messi seems to be able to score from anywhere and everywhere. Last season, at just 24 years old, he became Barcelona’s all-time top scorer. On top of that, he also broke the 39-year-old record set by my German super-striker Gerd Muller for the most goals in a single European season. Surprisingly, Ronaldo has achieved a similar record to Messi and his overall ‘goals per game’ ratio since 2009 is almost identical. Despite starting his career as a winger, Ronaldo’s “eye for goal” was evident with Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. His trademark free-kicks and solo goals led Real Madrid to break the world transfer record to bring the Old Trafford hero to the Bernabéu. Just as Messi can often be found picking up the ball in his own half, Ronaldo often drops back for possession, and is also found in wide positions harassing opposing left and right backs. Given the fact that neither player is what is known as a ‘goal chaser’ makes his records all the more incredible.
In terms of awards, both collective and personal, Messi is the clear winner at the moment. He has won the Ballon d’Or three years in a row (much to Ronaldo’s obvious dismay!), and his trophy in La Liga and the Champions League surpasses Ronaldo’s.
In conclusion, it is obvious that both Lionel Messi and Cristano Ronaldo are head and shoulders above any other current player in world football and there are no signs of this changing any time soon. Given their relatively young age, there is every chance that they will become the two greatest players in the history of the sport. For all the achievements of Pelé, Maradona, Eusebio, etc., it can already be argued that Messi and Ronaldo have equaled and surpassed them all. The fact that two of these players are around the same time, playing in the same league and almost the same age makes the comparison a bit easier, so here goes…
Lionel Messi is currently the ‘Best Footballer in the World’ with Cristano Ronaldo an extremely close second. The fact that Lionel Messi has officially received this title three years in a row with the Ballon d’Or adds weight to the argument. That, coupled with minor points like his superior assists record, the fact that he has made more appearances than Ronaldo, and that his overall team play is slightly better, is second only to the Argentine genius today. In Ronaldo’s defence, he is the fastest and strongest physical specimen, has better heading ability and doesn’t have a Xavi or Iniesta to link up with, but this just doesn’t level him, for now!