Cristiano Ronaldo Vs Lionel Messi - A Great Cosmic Rivalry That Has Only Helped Football Win
We are lucky to be born in the same era - when two 'otherworldly'creatures have graced the earth and made football beautiful.
¡°Both of them are fantastic. I love Messi with the ball at his feet, he scores goals and does all the rest too. But Cristiano¡¯s numbers can¡¯t be ignored. It¡¯s a cruel comparison. Both of them deserve respect.¡±
That is how Brazilian and footballing great Ronaldo Nazario described the two when he had to choose one. You really can't pick one over the other, that would be criminal.
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For well over 12 years now, the duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, have written surreal and magnifique chapters in the football history - galore of goals, awards, and trophies have followed.
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There has been endless debate on who is better throughout these years and the subject continues to dominate the footballing circles. But you really can't separate the genius of Messi from the brilliance of Ronaldo.
The two might have different skill set and qualities, but they are both absolute freaks. They are so ridiculously consistent that a goalless game for either is considered a drought. The lethal duo share 10 Ballon d'Or trophies between them. Simply stunning.
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The wizardry of Lionel Messi has been on full display at Barcelona - he has led the line for more than a decade and been absolutely insane in front of the goal and crafty in creating chances as well.
Messi has won 10 La Liga and four Champions League titles with Barcelona, and has been a vital cog in their ever growing glory. He jas been instrumental in taking Barcelona to a different level.
On the other hand, Ronaldo has had a monumental impact in various leagues across Europe. Having come through the ranks of Sporting Lisbon, he made his name with Manchester United, early on in his career.
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The Madeira native dazzled for record English champions, showing his class and winning everything with the club. In 2009, he went to Real Madrid for a record fee for a player that time - ?80 million.
He has since gone on to win La Liga twice and Champions League four times with the Los Blancos and made the move to Juventus last year.
The scoring stats are absolutely ludicrous - both Messi and Ronaldo have scored a combined more than 1200 goals. The number are simply insane.
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The great footballing rivalry has rubbed well on the game. Messi and Ronaldo are known around the world and have brought great attention to the sport.
The fact that both came from nothing and didn't have it easy, they connect to people's aspirations and dreams. Their talents on pitch have made them true heroes and inspiration for millions.
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In the mix of their rivalry and debate on who is better, football has always emerged the winner. The fact that the rivalry finds its way into people's conversations everyday is the greatest testament to what they bring to football - the undeniable prominence.
It is a pleasure and a privilege to see the spectacle unfold every week when Ronaldo and Messi are in action. There is no better pleasure than watching the two do their magic on the pitch.
We are lucky to be born in the same era - when two 'otherworldly' creatures have graced the Earth and made football beautiful.