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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been subjected to seemingly endless debate over who is the best footballer on the planet. Nevertheless, both have their mastery and has excelled in different things.
Messi, for example, has won more La Liga trophy than Ronaldo and this season, the Argentinian also has outscored his Juventus counterpart in both the domestic and the Champions League.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, has been touted as one of the greatest because of his record of winning different league titles, with Messi spending all his career in Spain. Here we will take a look at 3 reasons why Ronaldo have outshined Messi in both the Champions League and for the national team.
Vast footballing experience
Ronaldo undeniably is way more familiar with unique characteristics from different leagues than Messi. He had years of playing experience in the Portuguese league before joining Manchester United. He spent six years in the Premier League before joining Real Madrid; he spent nine seasons in Spain.
He has recently opened a new chapter in Serie A with reigning champions Juventus. His vast knowledge of other leagues and players has helped him to understands his opponents better. In competitions such as the Champions League and international tournaments, a player will have to face numerous different players from several leagues and national teams.
They all have different characteristics and playing styles at their disposal. Hence, Ronaldo could have more advantage than Messi even before the game starts. Ronaldo's experience in the Portuguese league has also made him have stronger bonds with his national teammates.
The Barcelona star, however, has spent all of his career in the highly technical La Liga, which consists mostly of Spanish players. It is understandable that Messi has also destroyed many teams from different leagues, but he might have had better Champions League and international records had he played in different leagues.
Exceptional mentality
Apart from his out of this world physical level and fitness, any football fan must admit that Ronaldo also has a great mentality. Jeers and hateful chants from fans had been his daily breakfast when the Portuguese megastar was playing for Real Madrid.
It is no secret that Los Blancos had many cases where their supporters were booing their own players due to poor performances or even for personal reasons sometimes. This unhealthy atmosphere has motivated and trained Ronaldo's mental strength to the extent that he will be getting stronger when his opponents tease him.
A strong mentality is one of the most important keys in both the Champions League and international competitions as a team's fate is determined in just one or two matches in the knockout stage.
Ronaldo's endless positivity and desire to win have always helped him to overturn a difficult situation, and the manner in which his hat-trick knocked Atletico Madrid out when Juventus lost 2-0 in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 is just one example of his never-say-die attitude.
Messi, on the other hand, has rarely got hateful chants from the Barcelona faithful. If he's on the receiving end of some harsh criticism, the 31-year old's mentality could fall apart to the extent that he decided to retire from the Argentina national team.
Better Leadership quality
Apart from his unbreakable mentality, Ronaldo can inspire his teammates and brings positivity to the team due to his excellent leadership quality. Perhaps not many football fans could argue that the former Real Madrid star would give a better quality pep talk than his Barcelona counterpart in the dressing room, although Ronaldo is not the captain at his club.
The 34-year-old is very vocal about his thoughts and will not hesitate to share his concerns or beliefs with his teammates. Messi, on the other hand, has a somewhat shy personality and he is reluctant to give the talks at times.
It has been previously stated that mentality is the major contributing factor in winning a competition with a knockout format. Hence, Ronaldo's ability to raise his teammate's morale via his leadership is also a decisive factor that has led to him winning numerous cup titles.
For example, Ronaldo's Portugal teammate Joao Moutinho was not willing to take a penalty in 2016 Euro due to his horrific experience in the previous edition of the continental competition. Nevertheless, the Juventus star forced his nervous teammates to take the kick with some inspiring talks.
In just a few seconds, the superstar managed to encourage Moutinho to take a penalty, motivated him, complimented him and exempted him of any blame should he miss. However, Messi decided to let his teammates down due to his tendency to give up and retire, despite him being Argentina's long-standing captain.
