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Two of the biggest superstars the game has ever seen have changed clubs this summer, with Lionel Messi moving to Paris Saint-Germain and Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Manchester United.
All eyes will be on the world-class forwards to see how far they propel their new teams to success.
Paris Saint-Germain have enjoyed arguably the greatest transfer window in the history of the sport, while many regarded United's transfer window to be the best in the Premier League this season.
We look at four reasons why Lionel Messi will have a better 2021-22 than Cristiano Ronaldo.
#4 Ligue 1 is not as demanding as the English Premier League
There has been criticism aimed at Ligue 1 for their supposed lack of quality. While much of the criticism has gone overboard, there is no denying that the French top-flight is not on the same level as the English Premier League.
Paris Saint-Germain's monopoly of Ligue 1 has been well-covered. Last season was an exception as it saw Lille win the league, but the French champions have let go of their manager and sold some of their star players this summer.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain have added Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi to their squad.
Due to the financial strength of the Premier League, clubs are able to spend more freely.
In Ligue 1, it would be catastrophic if Paris Saint-Germain do not win the league this season. However, in the Premier League, there are at least three clear favorites for the league title this time around.
#3 Paris Saint-Germain favorites to win the Ligue 1
As mentioned above, it would be extremely shocking if a club not named Paris Saint-Germain wins Ligue 1 this season.
In the Premier League, the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, alongside Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho, has resulted in a few regarding Manchester United among the title contenders.
That might not necessarily be the case, but it is extremely evident that both Manchester City and Chelsea have a better chance of winning the Premier League this season.
In France, no team can come close to Paris Saint-Germain's incredible squad. Ligue 1 teams are renowned for their academies and they continue to produce excellent young players, but PSG's spending power makes them comfortable favorites to win Ligue 1 for some time.
Hence, Messi could begin his PSG career in stellar fashion.
Also Read: 5 richest club owners in the Premier League
#2 Paris Saint-Germain favorites to win the Champions League
Paris Saint-Germain's acquisition of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, Georginio Wijnaldum, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Nuno Mendes this summer makes them the favorites to win the Champions League as well.
The Champions League remains the dream for the Paris Saint-Germain ownership, and they have invested heavily since buying the club to fulfill that ambition. They reached the final of the tournament in 2020, but lost to Bayern Munich.
Manchester United, on the other hand, will hope to reach the latter stages of the tournament, but they are not among the favorites. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men reached the final of the Europa League last season, which they lost to Villarreal on penalties.
#1 Lionel Messi has a better supporting cast
Lionel Messi has Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as his attacking partners at Paris Saint-Germain, with the likes of Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi and Julian Draxler available as well.
The trio of Messi-Neymar-Mbappe is comfortably the best in world football. All three are superstars in their own right, and have the capacity to change games on their own.
Many neutrals were happy to see Mbappe not join Real Madrid this summer, as they eagerly waited to see the three world-class forwards combine for the first time.
Meanwhile, at Manchester United, the options are not too bad. Jadon Sancho was supposed to be the big attacking signing this summer, and the club already boasts talents like Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani alongside Ronaldo. However, Paris Saint-Germain's attack is on another level.
Also Read: 5 greatest Guinness World Records held by Cristiano Ronaldo
