The Unending Debate.

Since 2008, this topic has always created an uproar among most fans. Close friends have turned into foes because of this. Everyone thinks they are right about their opinions, and surprisingly, they actually are. There is no doubt about it. If you haven’t guessed it already, then yes, it is the debate on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi: Who is the better player?

I am not going to compare the two players. However, I will talk about their abilities and what makes them stand out in world football. In 2008, Ronaldo won the player of the year and Messi came in second. Since then, except for 2010, Messi and Ronaldo have always been the top two payers in world football.

Interestingly both have a similar history. They had a difficult childhood, both came from poor families. Both struggled, made it through the youth teams, represented the biggest clubs and their respective countries, and today they are dominating world football. In terms of their playing style, both are different. Messi is a genius and Ronaldo is a phenom.

Lionel Messi:
He is a joy to watch.Despite his small stature, his effortless dribbling, precision passing, brilliant linkup play and shooting accuracy, makes him the most feared striker. The things he has done on the pitch, we have never seen it before. One can only sit back, enjoy and call him a genius. For a small guy, he is surprisingly very strong. In a contact sport, he has easily fended off some of the bigger and stronger players and dribbled with ease past them. What most people find it difficult to do, Messi makes is look like a piece of cake. Eden Hazard can dribble past players with ease, Andres Iniesta can search for passes through the tiniest of gaps, Luis Suarez is lethal in front of goal; Messi can do all these.

Cristiano Ronaldo:
The Portuguese talisman is an absolute beast. In my opinion, he is one of the most athletic footballer. He has speed, strength, power, high jumps; all combined with a never ending hunger and aggression. His aggression brings out the best in him and the rest of his team-mates. His abilities make him a complete footballer. He can dribble, pass, shoot whenever he feels like, and most importantly he does all this with both feet. However the most impressive thing about him for me is his jumping. Standing tall at 6ft, he can jump a whooping 3.5ft off the ground. That means, he can head a ball that is close to 10ft. In football, if this ability doesn’t amaze you, nothing will. Added to this, is his hang time. He can stay in the air for an astounding 0.8secs(Goal against Wales). In terms of physical attributes, he is head and shoulders above everyone.

Both, Messi and Ronaldo, train unbelievably hard every single day. With the advent of technology in football, coaches and players can see videos of their previous games and try to cut off them in the next game. However, despite this, both always perform in most matches. Whenever they play, they are a threat always, right till the last minute of the game.

Most players find it difficult to stay in top form for two consecutive seasons. Ronaldo and Messi, have been in top form for almost 8 years now. The level of consistency is absolutely mind-blowing. Yes, they do compete with each other. And this competition makes them even better year after year. This competitiveness produces absolute brilliance on the pitch and we, fans, are the lucky ones to witness it.

Now, rather than debating, just admire these two footballers. Quoting a friend of mine, “There is enough hate in the world”. If you can’t love them, just admire them. Appreciate what they bring to our sport every match they play. In my grandfather’s time, it was Pele; in my dad’s time, it was Maradona. Two generations, two different players. Whereas in our generation, we have two players. How lucky are we!

So guys, stop debating and start enjoying them play. Ronaldo(31) has entered his 30s and Messi(29) is almost there. Who knows how much time they have left in the sport! So till then, stop fighting, stop arguing and stop hating…. If you love our sport, just sit, watch their match and enjoy it. We all have seen trolls when either of them goof up like miss a penalty or worse, don’t score in two consecutive games. This just proves to us, yes they are human.

To conclude, just enjoy the sport and enjoy these two footballers…

Until next time.