Ronaldo or Messi: who is better?
Neither man plays the game the same, but they play it better than anyone else.
It’s a debate football pundits love to weigh in on. Who is the best footballer on the planet? One thing everyone is in agreement on is the fact that it comes down to two candidates: Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid.
Both men have elevated the sport to untold heights and stand as a testament to advancements in biological healing and sporting excellence.
Ronaldo is 6’1” tall and hails from Maderia in Portugal. He combines a thunderous right foot with a dizzying array of skills. Messi is a diminutive 5’6” and favours intricate 1-2 passes before arrowing in on his target with a laser left foot. Neither plays the same game, but they both play it better than anyone else.
Physicality
Ronaldo: Ronaldo’s physicality is legendary. This is a man who trains harder than anyone else in the game. His once slight frame is now strong and muscular and very few defenders can push him off the ball. His speed is also frightening. Ronaldo is an all-round athlete of the highest order. 9/10
Messi: For a small man, Messi is surprisingly difficult to shift off the ball and when he is in full flight there isn’t a defender in the world that can bring down him down legally. With a body seemingly made out of stretch elastic, Messi is durable and consistency personified, though injuries in recent times have curtailed his effectiveness somewhat. 8/10
Ball control and dribbling
Ronaldo: Ronaldo is blessed with exceptional ball control and his step-overs turn defenders’ heads the wrong way. There is very little he can’t do with the ball, though if he is crowded out, he doesn’t always have the ability to dribble his way out of trouble. 9/10
Messi: Messi’s mazy runs through heavy traffic draws gasps from watching spectators and commentators. There is no one in the world with a first-touch like Messi and no one has his ability to run with the ball — as if it’s glued to his feet — quite the same. Messi routinely catches a pass and dribbles his way through an entire opposition defence, making it look effortless in the process. 10/10
International record
Ronaldo: Ronaldo is captain of Portugal and rightly so. As the country’s best player he holds the hopes of the nation in his hands every time he steps onto the pitch with the Portugal shirt on. However, in 111 matches he has scored 49 goals, which is a mediocre return given his record for Real Madrid. Then again, this statistic doesn’t tell the whole story. Despite being criticised for ineffective performances for Portugal early in his career, Ronaldo has come storming back in recent times and singlehandedly booked Portugal’s place in the World Cup finals at the expense of Sweden. 8/10
Messi: With the talent and natural ability Messi has in spades, coupled with his performances for Barcelona, Messi’s return for Argentina is surprisingly paltry. Sure, 38 goals in 86 games is nothing to sniff at, but considering he’s scored a goal almost every game for Barcelona, spanning 270+ matches, his international goal tally demonstrates how he struggles when playing alongside teammates he’s less familiar with. By contrast, Ronaldo’s eye for individual goals perhaps helps the Portuguese in this regard, though neither man performs for his country the way he does for his club. 7/10
