'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are perhaps the greatest footballers the world has seen. The superstars have been on top of the football world for the past 10 years. They have created an incredible duopoly that will go on for a long time in the game.
They have both dominated the Ballon d'Or, the Golden Shoe, Pichichi and many other individual awards. They have also won most of the major trophies with their respective clubs, including the UEFA Champions League, La Liga as well as many other coveted trophies.
To add to that, their incredible level of performance over the years is quite unmatchable. They have been consistently racking up great numbers of goals, scoring 40, 50, and 60+ goals every season.
Their performances have placed them at a level that is quite superior to that of their peers. This is why, when any player performs extraordinarily and gets close to their level, it is usually met with great praise and comparisons.
That has been the case with some players this season. It is true that the brilliant performances of some other superstars have drawn comparisons with the two legends. However, these superstars were quick to dismiss those comparisons. Therefore, let us look at these amazing players that drew comparisons with the football legends:
#5 Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard has been a big revelation this season. His resurgence is a big surprise for many football fans across the world. The Manchester United superstar has reached new heights in his career. He has become a vital cog in Jose Mourinho's team.
This term, the attacking midfielder has scored 8 goals and assisted another 4 to keep the Red Devils in the second position of the Premier League table. He has been so influential in the team, with his playmaking skills, passing and amazing runs similar to that of Argentine legend, Lionel Messi.
This is why the English superstar was recently compared to the Barcelona icon, but he was quick enough to put the comparisons to bed, saying:
"Messi's regarded as one of the best players in the world, so it's always good for your confidence but I'm my own player and as long as I can help my team, that's all that matters," he told the Premier League website.
"I've realized it's my time now, and I have to really step up," he added.
"It's been a long time coming. I said at the start of the season I have my own objective, my own target in mind with goals and stuff and I'm on the right path at the moment and if I can keep going I'll hopefully hit that."
#4 Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City have reached an incredible level during this campaign. The Etihad outfit has been in a league of their own in the English top flight. Under Pep Guardiola, the English side has introduced themselves as one of the best attacking teams in Europe.
Their possession-based and pro-attacking style of play has proved to be a big factor in their success this season. They enjoy a lot of possession, play decent passes, score amazing goals and win with style. In fact, they have played one of the most beautiful brands of football across Europe this season.
In the midst of several talents and brilliant footballers in their squad, special praise goes to one man who has been in the center of everything - Kevin De Bruyne.
Kevin De Bruyne has been one of the most impressive players across Europe this season. His excellent performances have been highly influential. He has scored 11 goals for The Citizens throughout the campaign. He is currently atop the assist chart in the Premier League with a stunning 15 assists to his name.
His excellence has brought a lot of praise, with many fans and journalists comparing him with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. However, the player responded brilliantly after he was asked about the comparisons, saying:
"It is impossible to compare me with them," he told Het Belang van Limburg.
"Our positions are completely different.
"They are much higher on the pitch and score ten times more than me.
"If I make 10 in a season, they score a hundred. But then I have other tasks on the pitch."
#3 Harry Kane
2017 was a memorable year in Harry Kane's career. The English striker was at the top of his game, scoring freely and playing remarkably. He had a lot of success in the calendar year, breaking amazing records and setting high standards for himself.
His 39 league goals for Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 helped him to smash Alan Shearer's Premier League record for most goals in a calendar year (36). Also, he finished the season scoring a total of 56 goals in all competitions as he defeated Lionel Messi (54) as the top scorer of the calendar year across all competitions.
Due to his excellent displays, the attacker was quickly compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But, during a post-match interview on December 26, 2017, the striker dismissed the comparison, hailing the duo as 'two of the world's greatest players ever'. He said:
“I’m very proud of it. Messi and Ronaldo have dominated football for so long, they’re two of the world’s greatest players ever,” Kane told Sky Sports.
“To even be compared to them, to be up there with those sort of stats is a great feeling. All I can do is use that as confidence going into the new year.”
“It was hard not to think about it, being level going into the game,” Kane added.
“I wanted to win the game but of course I wanted to score as a striker. Getting that record was a great feeling. It has been a fantastic year. To get compared to those players."
#2 Mohamed Salah
Liverpool winger, Mohamed Salah has been a big revelation this season. The attacker joined The Reds in the summer of 2017, and since then, he has impressed in every match. He has been one of the stand-out performers since the league began.
Great efforts also deserve great rewards. Salah is on course to claim the Premier League Golden Shoe, the European Golden Shoe as well as the PFA award. This incredible level of performance has earned him great remarks from football elites, with some experts claiming the Egyptian has reached Messi and Ronaldo's level.
But, while he stated that he is ambitious, he also dismissed that he has reached such a level. He said:
“I am ambitious but realistic,"
“I think I'm a long way off the biggest players in football like Messi and Ronaldo. I have to keep working hard."
When his coach, Jurgen Klopp was asked a similar question in a post-match conference, the trainer also refuted it, claiming that Salah does not want to be compared with Messi. He said:
"Yes, I think Mo is on the way,"
"That's good. I don't think Mo wants or anybody wants to be compared with Lionel Messi.
"He [Messi] is the one that is doing what he is doing for 20 years it feels like. The last player that I know who had that influence on a team performance was Diego Maradona I think, another Argentine guy.
"Mo is on a fantastic way, that's for sure. But how it always is in life, if you have the skills, then you have to show it, constantly. And his consistency is very good for us, he helps us a lot. The boys love playing together with him."
#1 Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard has constantly been compared to both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. This is because of his impact and level of performance for the past few seasons.
The Belgian, who has scored 15 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea this season, has been one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League and across Europe, since he moved to Stamford Bridge in 2012.
His impressive displays have led some to suggest that the 27-year-old has the ability to be as impactful as the five-time Ballon d'Or winners. However, he quickly refused to be compared with them, saying:
"First it is good to be compared with the greatest ever, but I am completely different," Hazard told reporters.
"We play in different leagues. I try and do my job, I try to reach that level, their level because they are the best in the world. Every season I try and do my best."
