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Last night we saw another epic El Clásico 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 a footballer to whole new levels, but while there’s no denying that they are the foremost talents of their generation, and perhaps of all time, the constant question is “who is it?” the biggest?’ While there is no definitive correct answer to this, the mainstream opinion in recent years has been that Messi is the King and Ronaldo the very talented Prince, however the gap between the magical Argentinian and the Portuguese Adonis seems to be closing, with the feeling that Ronaldo now deserves the ‘World’s Best Player’ crown.
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 forward Gerd Muller for most goals in a single European season. Remarkably, Ronaldo has achieved a similar record to Messi and his overall ‘goals per game’ ratio since 2009 is nearly identical. Despite starting his career as a winger, Ronaldo’s ‘eye for goal’ was evident with Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. His signature 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 the ball up in his own half, Ronaldo often drops back for possession, also finding himself in wide positions tormenting the opposing left and right-backs. Given the fact that neither player is what is known as a ‘goal chaser’ makes his record all the more incredible.
As for prizes, 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 far above any other current player in world football and there are no signs of this changing anytime soon. Given their relatively young age, there is a good 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 at 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 ‘World’s Best Footballer’ 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, along 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, only tops it for the Argentine genius today. In Ronaldo’s defence, he is the faster and stronger physical specimen, has better pitching ability and doesn’t have a Xavi or Iniesta to bond with, but this just doesn’t level him – for now!