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Perhaps the most widely discussed topic in the world is the debate over who the greatest player of all time is. For many in this generation, though, the debate has been narrowed down to two players: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
These two players have dominated football for the better part of the last decade and are, without doubt, far ahead of the other competitors. Messi and Ronaldo have singlehandedly salvaged points, recued draws and moved their respective teams from losing positions on many occasions.
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It is, therefore, no surprise that both players continue to dominate the headlines despite approaching the twilight of their respective careers. They are so good that the gulf in quality between them and the chasing pack is so wide.
However, no matter how close their greatness and achievements are, one is certain to be better than the other. In this case, Messi stands tall with everything pointing to the fact that the Argentine is better than his eternal rival.
Below are three solid reasons why Messi is a better player than Ronaldo:
#3 Messi is more than just a scorer
One of the main things that separates Lionel Messi from Cristiano Ronaldo, and any other player for that matter, is the fact that there is more to his game than just goals. The Argentine comes with a complete package and his all-round play makes him a special player.
The main reason why many compare him to Ronaldo is because the Portuguese continues to score lots of goals each season. But take out Ronaldo’s goals, and you would realise that his impact in games becomes very minimal.
Messi, on the other hand, is not just about goals – he scores, controls games, drops deep to dictate play and assists his team-mates to score as well. It doesn’t come any better than this.
The Barcelona star simply influences games like no other. This season, Messi has played 37 matches in all competitions and has been involved in a staggering 60 goals. He has scored 39 goals and assisted a further 21 times.
Surely, it’s clear for all to see that the Argentine is more than just a goal scorer – unlike Ronaldo – and his diversity, coupled with his impact on games, makes him better than the Portuguese.
#2 Messi has won more individual and team trophies than Ronaldo
The Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate may never end among fans, but when personal achievements are brought into the picture, the Argentine still stands tall. While both players have had identical feats and records in their careers, Messi still edges his rival when it comes to trophies.
Not only does the Barcelona star boast more team trophies than Ronaldo, he has also actually won more individual accolades than the Portuguese. Messi has won 33 team trophies overall, while Ronaldo is five behind with 28 team trophies.
On a personal level, both players have won the Ballon d’Or five times, but Ronaldo still lags behind the Argentine when it comes to the European Golden Shoe award, which Messi has won five times to the Portuguese’s four.
Ronaldo might be more dominant when it comes to the Champions League, but Messi beats him to everything else. In fact, the 31-year-old is currently leading the former Real Madrid star with 10 goals in the European Golden Shoe race and would likely go on to claim his sixth triumph.
Winning trophies do not often tell the full story, but both Ronaldo and Messi deserve whatever they’ve won in the course of their careers, only that the Argentine has proven to be better at it.
#1 Messi is so good he makes those around him better
Most often the narrative is that Cristiano Ronaldo is an individualistic footballer. The Portuguese loves to do things his own way, and rightly so, because he has excelled at it for years. But the difference between him and Lionel Messi is that, what others exert a lot of effort to do, the Barcelona star does it so effortlessly.
Messi’s all-round play means that he often involves his team-mates in whatever he does and makes them better, too. During Ronaldo’s stint with Real Madrid, he often scored more than half of the team’s goals, with his other teammates having to sacrifice their numbers for him.
The situation is different with Messi. Although the Argentine himself scores a lot of goals, he still finds spaces to let his teammates shine. He takes away pressure to allow them space to operate, he shares penalties with them and he also assists and creates opportunities for them to get their fair share of the glory.
It is, therefore, fascinating that a player who does all these still, miraculously, finds a way to get into the opposition box to score the number of goals Messi does. He's simply the best!
