What’s the story?
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard was asked the eternal question in terms of modern football, who is better, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. The midfielder was prompt in his reply, saying “Messi. By a considerable distance”.
Also Read: 5 records Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can realistically break before they retire
“Ronaldo and Messi are the standouts, but I think Messi for his individual ability when he was (is) at the top”, he continued.
“You couldn't get near him at his best. For me, he's the best of all time”, he concluded.
In case you didn’t know...
In his trophy-laden career, the English midfielder has come up against both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo multiple times. He came up against Cristiano Ronaldo when he was at Manchester United multiple times and was part of the team which was beaten by Ronaldo led United at the Champions League final in 2008.
He came up against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona in epic ties in the Champions League as well, and would have definitely seen his team’s elaborate plans for the Argentine come to no avail, and hence his assessment of the Number 10.
The heart of the matter
The Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi debate is, quite simply, the biggest debate in football at the moment. The two have been a phenomenon in recent times, having shared the Ballon d’Or in the last 9 years, and look likely to do so in the future.
They have broken records after records in modern football, and look set to do so in the future as well. Lionel Messi has scored an astronomical 556 goals in his career, just surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo who has scored 586.
What’s next?
The debate is sure to rage on in the future, with both players giving fans no hint of slowing down. Lionel Messi, individually, might have been better than his counterpart in the 2016/17 season, with 45 goals and 14 assists in 44 appearances. Cristiano Ronaldo, however, has not been far behind with 28 goals and 12 assists in 37 appearances.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team Real Madrid had the better season winning both the League and the Champions League.
Author’s take
Lionel Messi on his day is unplayable, there is no doubt about that. But, Frank Lampard’s choice has to be taken with a pinch of salt, given the for a number of years Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United and Frank Lampard’s Chelsea were competing for the same titles.
Want to weigh in on the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo debate? Tweet me @soumalyamoitra7
