“I am more surprised by Messi than Ronaldo” – Nicolas Anelka offers opinion on superstars ‘slowing down’ 

Former France international Nicolas Anelka has weighed in on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's recent struggles. The 43-year-old has been more astonished at Messi's poor form in front of goal than the Portuguese's.

Both the legends have failed to live up to the hype with their new clubs this season, enduring a patchy spell in front of goal. Messi ended his 17-year association with Barcelona by joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last summer, while Ronaldo made a sensational return to Manchester United.

However, neither have made as much impact as was initially expected, and both went out in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League too. PSG blew a 2-0 aggregate advantage to lose to Real Madrid. The 37-year-old joined Messi out of the competition after Atletico Madrid beat United 1-0 at Old Trafford in the second leg at the same stage of the competition.

For the second consecutive year, both the players were knocked out in the last 16, as age is seemingly catching up with them. Messi has struck only seven goals for the Parisians so far, with only two coming in Ligue 1, while only four of Ronaldo's 18 goals this season have come in 2022.

Anelka is more surprised with Messi's decline than the Portuguese's. In a discussion on RMC Sport's Rothen s'enflamme, the former striker stated (as relayed by Yahoo Sport):

“They have made their careers, and I think they are both satisfied with what they have produced for fifteen years. I am more surprised by Messi than by Ronaldo.”

Their recent struggles could mark the end of a glorious era that saw them dominate the world of football for more than a decade. It might finally be time for a new guard of players like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to take over their places.

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Anelka feels it's logical to see Messi and Ronaldo slow down

Given his goalscoring record, Messi was expected to cruise through the French top flight, given its relative lack of competitiveness compared to the other top five European leagues.

That clearly hasn't been the case, though, with the Argentine largely struggling to make a meaningful impact. He was booed by the home fans in the recent league win over Bordeaux.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, boasts a respectable 18 goals in 33 games across competitions. However, his performances have visibly declined since the turn of the year.

He scored a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend (12 March). However, Ronaldo endured a stinker on a crucial European night against Los Rojiblancos.

Nevertheless, both stars have accomplished immensely over the last 15 years or so. Hence, Anelka feels it's normal to see them struggle now, saying:

“I thought that Messi was going to stroll in the French championship and that Ronaldo was going to struggle a little more because the Premier League, for me, is a more difficult championship in terms of the impact on and around the pitch.

He continued:

"I think that there won’t be any more players like that who will dominate world football so much. They’ve been above everyone for fifteen years; it’s logical to see them slowing down. It’s normal.”

Both superstars will eye strong ends to their respective domestic campaigns.

While PSG are expected to win the Ligue 1 title on a canter, United have work to do to finish in the Premier League top four. The Parisians lead Nice by a whopping 15 points atop the table, while United trail fourth-placed Arsenal by a point, having played two more games.