Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are far and away the best football players on the planet. The battle as to who is the better player has been raging on for years with no conclusion being reached.
Earlier my colleague released an article with 5 reasons as to what makes Cristiano Ronaldo the better player. It is now my turn to take a shot and build a case for Messi. Presented with the facts, the fans can then make an informed decision in order to help end this debate once and for all.
Similar player battles will be released each week.
Take a look at 5 reasons why I feel Messi is better than Ronaldo:
#1 Individual accolades
Although Ronaldo has closed the gap on Messi over the past few years, the Barcelona maestro still has more individual awards to his name.
The Argentine ace has an astonishing 5 Ballon d’Or awards trumping Ronaldo’s 4. Messi is also the only player to have laid his hands on the coveted trophy on 4 consecutive occasions between 2009 and 2012.
Leo Messi has been named the European Player of the Year on 3 occasions, the same number as Ronaldo. Messi also received the Golden Ball award in the 2014 World Cup and was named LFP League Player of the Year on 6 occasions.
Overall, Messi has a total of 44 individual awards, 2 more than the Portuguese ace.
#2 Dribbling, technical ability and decision-making
While Ronaldo relies on his physical ability and heading prowess, the little magician is by far the better player with the ball at his feet. Impossible to tackle when on the ball, Messi has consistently scored goals by dribbling past more than 4-5 players in a single attempt. While Ronaldo is often fouled and receives free kicks in his favor, the Argentine is absolutely impossible to stop once he builds up a head of steam. Where Ronaldo is extremely quick and can shred defenders using raw pace, his ability to change direction quickly is nonexistent. Messi's smaller frame meanwhile allows him to change direction almost 90 degrees without losing momentum, something no other player is capable of.
Messi’s vision and decision making is also far superior when compared to the Portugal man’s. The 29-year-old rarely takes shots from distance or when surrounded, when a teammate is in a better position. His vision to pick out the perfect pass and execute effectively is also right there amongst the best.
Luis Figo once heaped the highest praise on Messi saying, "For me, to watch Messi play is a pleasure – it’s like having an orgasm – it’s an incredible pleasure."
#3 Messi is more disciplined and has more integrity
Ronaldo has long since garnered the reputation of being a diver and someone who looks to go down at the slightest contact. He also often tries to get his opponents in trouble by play acting. Most England fans will remember his antics in the 2006 World Cup which resulted in Wayne Rooney being sent off. Ronaldo is also known to dive and has often be accused of playacting. Messi, on the other hand, tries to stay on his feet at every opportunity and defenders often find it extremely hard to take the Argentine down.
Ronaldo’s reputation is often the reason referees do not often award him genuine fouls.
When it comes to discipline, Messi is a much cleaner player than the Portuguese winger. The 29-year-old has just received 1 red card in his entire career which is significantly lower than Ronaldo’s 9.
His worst season in terms of cards was in 2013/14 where he gathered 3 yellows. In that same season, Ronaldo amassed a whopping 16 yellows, more than most defenders.
#4 Messi is more prolific overall ( better goals to game ratio)
Lionel Messi has scored goals prolifically for Barcelona year in year out as well as for his national team and has a far better goal to game ratio than Ronaldo. The Argentine has scored 533 goals in 667 appearances for both club and country excluding friendlies at a rate of 0.78 goals per game. Ronaldo meanwhile has amassed more goals overall but at a much lower rate. The 31-year-old has managed 571 goals in 826 appearances at 0.69 goals per game.
There is no doubt that Ronaldo significantly improved his conversion rate since joining Real Madrid (he has scored over a goal a game for the Los Blancos) but the fact remains that he was not very efficient at Manchester United and overall his numbers pale in comparison with the Argentine maestros.
#5 Messi is a team player
Lionel Messi not only has a superior goals to game ratio than Ronaldo, he is also a complete team player and often sets up teammates for goals and chances. His link up play is second to none and he often drops in deep to receive the ball and try to build attacks, Saying that, Messi could easily fit into any style of play while Ronaldo who is much more selfish on the ball would struggle to play for clubs like Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
"He sees passes that most people can only see whilst watching the game on TV, not ones that you can normally see on the pitch." said ex-Barcelona manager Tata Martino
Ronaldo,in fact, has received criticism from managers and players alike for his eagerness to capture the limelight while Messi likes to do what he can to help the team as a whole.
So SK fans it is now time for you to make your choice. Messi or Ronaldo? Take your pick.
