Opinion: Why Lionel Messi would never be ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League

Cristiano Ronaldo has won more Champions League titles than Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo has won more Champions League titles than Messi

#2 He can no longer hide behind Barcelona greats to lead the team

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FC Barcelona v Valencia CF - La Liga
FC Barcelona v Valencia CF - La Liga

Messi could previously hide behind Barcelona greats such as Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, who were all good leaders. But as he has now become the club captain, he should do the job himself.

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If we take a look at Messi's career closely, the Argentine won the Champions League mostly when the likes of Xavi, Puyol and Iniesta were still prominent figures at the club. Now that they have left, Messi has struggled to do the task. Ronaldo does not need to hide behind the shadow of anyone to lead the team because he has done things right as a leader himself.

The Portuguese star's natural character already suits him better as a captain than Messi's. He successfully led an underdog Portugal side to win the 2016 European Championship, a competition which has the same format as the Champions League.

Ronaldo could also complement other leaders such as Sergio Ramos and Giorgio Chiellini to command his team even though he was not the captain of his side..

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Edited by Samya Majumdar
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