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Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t play for the country, they said. He never performs on the big stage, they said.
Yet, he has proved himself again and again. The flamboyant Portuguese attacker is widely considered one of the best players on the planet. And after spending a couple of seasons in Messi’s shadow, Ronaldo emerged as an even stronger candidate this year to lift football’s most coveted individual trophy.
Portugal’s brilliant run at the Euros even after being drawn into the ‘Group of Death’ was a feat worth of appreciation and Cristiano Ronaldo was at the centre of proceedings. He wasn’t influential in the first two group games but he didn’t disappoint when his country needed him the most. He scored twice against the Netherlands and a match winning header against the Czech Republic to lead his team to the semis. He ended up as the tournament’s joint top-scorer but the eventual Golden Boot was given to Spain’s Fernando Torres.
Cristiano Ronaldo might have managed only three goals at Euro 2012 but he hit the goal post a total of five times, more than any other player and only a matter of inches separated him from bagging and even bigger goal tally. The Real Madrid man was also named in the Team of the Tournament along with fellow nominee Andres Iniesta.
Compared to Messi, Ronaldo fared much better in the Euros than Messi did in the Copa America the previous year, which a lot of people would agree to.
Plus, Ronaldo won the league title with Real Madrid in 2012 and managed to reach the semifinals of the Champions League for the second consecutive time. He also ended the season with 46 league goals, 12 assists and 7 hat-tricks, enviable stats for any player in the world. Ronaldo recorded the fastest hat-trick of the season as he managed three goals in 12 minutes 12 seconds against Levante.
He even guided Madrid to their highest ever points tally (100) in the league along with most number of away wins, overall wins, goals scored and the best goal difference the club has seen in its illustrious history. There is no doubt how integral Ronaldo’s contributions have been towards Real Madrid’s record breaking season.
He managed to score against every team in the league and has been on the score sheet in seven consecutive El Clasicos. He broke several Real Madrid records in 2012 as he become the player with most goals scored in the season and in the league for the Blancos
Although Messi had a more successful domestic season, Ronaldo performed better in international matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo might be feel a tad bit undone after Messi was awarded a fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or. However, 2012 was his year because of his achievements and consistent performances. He may not have Iniesta’s silky movement or Messi’s nitty-gritty dribbling but the Portuguese is the ‘ideal’ football player with a good physique, great strength and an indomitable spirit to win every game.
If anyone deserved the Ballon d’Or this year, it had to be the Real Madrid star, as he has time and again proved his mettle for both the Merengues and the Seleccao.
