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4. Fitness.
A small fact-check first: The transfer of Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid happened prior to 2013-24 season. Since then, Gareth Bale has missed a whopping 63 games for Real Madrid. This is almost twice the number of games Ronaldo has missed since joining Real Madrid during 2009-10 season. Since his much-publicised, Ronaldo has missed a paltry 34 games, even though he is 5 years older to Bale.
Even Messi, who is not quite like Cristiano and Bale when it comes to physicality, has missed only 31 games since the 2012-13 season, which is astonishing, to say the least. It is much harder to bounce back after a long injury layoff (ask Marco Reus) and even if the player does make comeback, it is even much harder to remain at the peak of one's physical powers.
Neymar is another such instance, who has been guilty of being injured when his team needed him the most, most notably prior to the FIFA world cup 2014 semifinal against Germany, and also before this year's round of 16 2nd leg fixture against Real Madrid. Ronaldo and Messi have always made sure to stay fit during the crucial junctures of the season, and it has helped them to perform at the peak of their powers during the business end of the seasons.
