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#3 Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are great leaders
Apart from their ability to make a difference in front of goal, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are also great leaders for club and country. Thanks to their ability to motivate teammates, the two superstars have driven their teams to glory on multiple occasions.
Before joining PSG this summer, Lionel Messi served as Barcelona's captain for three years. Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to be appointed captain at club level. But the Portuguese has been a leader without the armband during spells with Real Madrid, Juventus and now Manchester United.
Meanwhile, the two superstars are the captains of their respective national teams, and they've both led from the front. Ronaldo led Portugal to Euro 2016 success, while Messi pulled off a similar feat this summer, helping Argentina to the Copa America 2021 title.
#2 Set-piece prowess
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are known for their prowess from set-pieces as much as they are from open play. Of course, there have been changes to their set-piece routines over the years, but they remain as deadly as ever from dead balls.
Ronaldo has evolved from the free-kick merchant from his early days at Real Madrid, becoming one of the finest penalty kick takers of all time. The attacker has an impressive record of 139 goals from the spot, which makes up almost 20% of his total career goals.
Messi, meanwhile, has taken his free-kick-hitting prowess to another level, scoring from different angles over the last few years. The Argentine has scored 58 free-kicks thus far in his career.
It is also worth noting that both Messi and Ronaldo have scored over 100 penalty kicks and 50 free-kicks for club and country.
#1 Marketability
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are by far the two most marketable players at the moment. The world's biggest brands have capitalised on their popularity to promote their products and services.
Over the years, the eternal rivals have served as ambassadors for the likes of Adidas, Nike, Puma, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Tag Heuer, Gatorade, Mastercard, and many more. They also have massive following on social media, which helps them earn insane revenue every month.
