Why do people rate Messi higher than Ronaldo? I’ve got the answer.
So I was scrolling through Facebook today and someone posted this story about Pele preferring Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi.
Spoiler alert: Pele chose Ronaldo.
Now before any of you Messi Lovers throw a fit, let’s remember that Pele is from Brazil. And Brazil’s greatest rival is Argentina. And since Messi hails from Argentina, it’s no surprise Pele prefers Rocket Ronnie over La Pulga.
Regardless of Pele’s [obviously subjective] statement, the headline it generated (CRISTIANO RONALDO GETS THE NOD FROM PELE AHEAD OF LIONEL MESSI) is a breath of fresh air. I mean, c’mon, let’s face it: if you walk through any city on this planet and ask ten people their opinion on the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate, Messi will always get the majority.
I think I have an answer as to why:
Messi is a 21st century clone of Diego Maradona — minus the hijinks. Think about it: Messi is a left-footed, glaringly short, monumentally skilled player who somehow recreated his predecessor’s two most legendary moments… before he turned 20.
(legendary moment No. 1; carbon copy of legendary moment No. 1; legendary moment No. 2; carbon copy of legendary moment No. 2)
Messi is pretty much soccer’s version of AI. His programers (ie: FC Barcelona) did such a brilliant job building him that they were somehow able to code in Maradona’s soccer DNA without tainting it with the 1986 World Cup winner’s lunacy.
Watching Messi play is like hopping into a time machine. Because his style of play is synonymous with Maradona’s, modern day fans get to watch glimpses of the only player to have ever entered the same dimension as the aforementioned Pele in soccer’s pantheon.
With that said, it’s no wonder Messi has often overshadowed Ronaldo ever since he took over the [soccer] world circa 2008/09. The Argentine’s ability to nonchalantly saunter past defenders is a stark contrast to Ronaldo’s over exuberance with the ball at his feet. While it seems befitting for an orchestra to provide background music to a Messi highlight reel, it’s just as fitting for Drowning Pool to provide the theme music for a Ronaldo compilation (“LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR…SIIIIIIIIIIIII”).
Messi’s ability to operate with unbreakable grace has helped define him as a “natural”. But what exactly is a natural soccer player? Does it have to resemble someone from a bygone era?… That must be it; because past eras are our only reference for greatness.
While Messi is viewed as The Natural, Ronaldo’s natural ability is consistently overshadowed by his work ethic. Granted, that’s not a negative assessment, but it does succeed in passive aggressively claiming Messi’s superiority. And that’s plain wrong.
Why? Because soccer’s duopoly are opposites. Messi is an archetype while Ronaldo is a prototype.
If we throw otherworldly goal scoring numbers out the window, most people are able to appreciate Messi because he’s a reminder of what greatness looks like. It seems as if Ronaldo’s greatness will only be fully appreciated whenever — or if ever — a player molded after him hits the world stage.
