5 reasons why Lionel Messi could outshine Cristiano Ronaldo in the UEFA Champions League this season

#3 Messi's rigid determination

FC Barcelona v Boca Juniors - Joan Gamper Trophy — Messi has promised to do everything in order to conquer Europe once again

Having lost his European dominance to Cristiano Ronaldo in each of the past 3 seasons, it doesn't require critical thinking to realise which competition Lionel Messi has prioritised for the campaign.

Speaking at the Nou Camp for the first time as Barcelona captain, the Argentine promised the Camp Nou faithful that he would do everything to ensure that he brings back the UEFA Champions League trophy to the Catalan capital this season. He was quoted saying,

"We have a squad to get excited about this year and the signings we have made make us better than we were,"

"Although last year was good with the Cup and LaLiga, we all hurt after our Champions League elimination.

"We promise to do everything possible so that beautiful cup will be back in this stadium."

With such a rigid determination, there is no doubt Messi could conquer Europe again this season. As a matter of fact, his spectacular hat-trick against PSV on Tuesday has added some form of justification to this.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.