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Whenever one mentions the name of Cristiano Ronaldo, another head will arise to declare the existence nd superiority of Lionel Messi. In most cases, the fans of each player try to claim his idol to be better, pointing out the differences and the aspects that make them superior or inferior.
However, only a handful sit down and wonder as to how similar these two actually are.
The playing style of the two might be poles apart, but there are certain other aspects which make one wonder whether the Real Madrid and Barcelona man are one and the same.
And here are 5 such things that are similar between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi…
Lethal scoring prowess
This is the most blatantly apparent aspects of their game. With a combined 1052 goals in 1441 games for both club and country, they stamp their names in the history books as the greatest goalscorers of this era.
Within the box, there are no players that come close to the duo in terms of placing the ball into the net. Be it from the narrowest of angles or the tightest of spaces, they can be expected to score without much fuss.
Goals are what get the people talking, and puts the limelight firmly on players. And their unparalleled ability to score goals is the reason why no-one apart from these two have won the Ballon d’Or for the last 8 years.
Brand power
If one goes around randomly and asks any football fan about the most famous football personality, she/he will instantly reply with the name of either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. The two have scored so many goals and have won so many accolades over the last 8 years that they have accrued an inconceivable reputation for themselves.
With great fame comes greater power. We are not talking about the kind of influence politicians’ exercise. Rather, this is a different kind of sway, something that sweeps millions of dollars (or euros).
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not just footballers, they are living human brands that exude money with as little as a jerk of their financial muscle. Any company with one of these players as their brand ambassador automatically garner a lot of money for themselves.
After all, who wouldn’t want to use services or buy products endorsed by one or both of their idols?
National team captains
When they burst into the scene as teenagers, not many expected them to be captains. While Cristiano Ronaldo was too petulantly impulsive for many, Lionel Messi was just too shy and reserved a character to be the voice of the team.
However, about a decade down the line, the two best players in the world lead their teams whilst wearing the captain’s armband.
Even though there are those who don’t think they have the character to be captains, they have always justified the responsibility with their performances.
While Argentina has played three tournaments in a row under the stewardship of Messi, Portugal’s qualification for the World Cup 2014 and the round of 16 of the ongoing Euro 2016 had been achieved under the captaincy of one CR7.
Certainly, they have done well as captains with the resources they have.
Charitable endeavors
With great fame comes great power and with great power comes great responsibility. When one has so much financial muscle and market power, it would be a crime to not use it for the good of the less-privileged.
A google search for Cristiano Ronaldo charity or Lionel Messi charity would reveal the amount of works they have done in order to help the needy. They might be two different players and have varied personalities, but they have the same kind heart that seeks to help.
Competitiveness might set them apart, playing for two eternal rivals doesn’t bring them any closer either, but humanity is one aspect that makes them one and the same.
Insatiable hunger to win
And the biggest similarity of them all. What separates the Portuguese and the Argentine from the others, but makes them the same, is their unparalleled drive and determination to win and play a significant role in it.
In the case of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, this became highly apparent when they feature for their respective national teams.
These two have won numerous accolades at club level. However, on the international front, things have been barren for a long time for the both of them and their reactions to losses display some of that unmatched will to win. Both of them become highly disappointed, and furious when their team loses—displaying a savage hunger for success and victory for the teams they play in, respectively.
If it wasn’t for this craving, then these two would not have been the two best players in the world for the best part of the decade.
