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In an old interview, Liverpool legend Michael Owen explained what made Cristiano Ronaldo a more complete player than Lionel Messi. Speaking to BT Sport, Owen said that the Portuguese superstar was a quintessential goalscorer, possessing more versatility and enviable physical attributes.
The GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate, concerning Ronaldo and Messi, has been going on for a while. Almost every notable footballing personality has had their say, with some picking Messi ,while others batted for Ronaldo.
Owen, who plied his trade at Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United, joined the Ronaldo camp a few years back. He said that Ronaldo could score effortlessly with either foot as well as his head. He had more pace and was an overall all-rounder.
“Goalscoring is the hardest art in football, and (Ronaldo) makes it look so easy. Head, left foot, right foot,” Owen told BT Sport. “Messi is a decent header of a ball, but if you're looking at all-round players, you go head-to-head with Messi and Ronaldo, you'd say Ronaldo has a lot more different attributes, let's say.”
Owen continued:
“He's probably always been quicker, right foot, left foot and header of a ball. I think Messi is outstanding in certain attributes, but as an all-round physique, Ronaldo is such an all-round player.”
Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the game in the 21st century, winning a combined 12 Ballons d’Or awards. The pair, who are still going strong, have a staggering 1397 goals in club football and 216 international strikes between them.
Lionel Messi has pulled comfortably ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo this season
For a long time, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been inseparable, pulling one up over the other. The narrative has changed since the start of the 2022-23 season, though, with Messi comfortably pulling ahead of his arch-rival.
Lionel Messi has been firing on all cylinders for PSG this season, scoring 13 goals and providing 14 assists in 20 games across competitions. Ronaldo, meanwhile, scored thrice and claimed two assists in 16 appearances for Manchester United before getting his contract terminated in November. He has since signed for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
The gulf in quality between the two superstars this season came to the fore at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo scored once in five games for Portugal, who crashed out in the quarterfinals. He was also dropped from Fernando Santos’ starting XI for both knockout clashes.
Lionel Messi, meanwhile, guided Argentina to the World Cup, scoring seven goals and claiming three assists in seven games. His heroics won him the Golden Ball, making him the first player to do so twice (also in 2014).
