3 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi in the Champions League and international tournaments

Exceptional mentality

Ronaldo celebrated against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League

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.