Opinion: Why there will never be another player as Cristiano Ronaldo

The never-ending debate of who is the better player between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is still going on.

Some claim that Messi is better while others say that Ronaldo is the greatest of all time. A third group is also emerging; one that is happy with the fact that they can witness these two superstars in their prime.

People have the tendency to forget how amazing both are and compared to other players. In this article, we will analyse why Ronaldo might never find a suiting successor.

First, Ronaldo is probably the biggest marketing phenomenon of our time. He has got his own, very successful brand, the most followers on social media and his shirt sales are comparable to none. He is the first player to get such worldwide attention by the media, fans and also critics. An example is the reactions his transfer to Juventus after the deal was completed; the Italian gained 6 million followers on Instagram, which was around 30% of the clubs total that time.

On the pitch, his playing style is unique and very difficult to even replicate partially. He is fast, strong and tall at the same time, very good on and off the ball and possesses some amazing shooting abilities. The Portuguese is very skilful but still quite efficient and can score goals from every angle, with every allowed part of the body. Such a description characterizes a complete player, what Ronaldo is. Players with such abilities in every part of the offensive game never existed before and will probably also never exist again.

“CR7” the centre of every team's attack he plays for. A born leader, who often makes his team outshine the opponents, he was the main reason for the 4 Champions League titles he Real Madrid won during his tenure in Spain. Another title in this competition at Manchester United also proves that he could dominate in every squad of the world. He is also the record winner of the Ballon d'Or ( level with Messi) at 5 times. Such an incredible trophy cabinet of a single player is unique.

Real Madrid v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final

In his 695 career games, Ronaldo scored an insane 502 goals for club and country. At both Real Madrid and Portugal, he is their record goalscorer and probably, he is the biggest legend of both teams. He has also banged in the most goals in the Champions League - 124 in total. All of those records won’t be broken easily and it definitely shows his amazing abilities.

Maybe his greatest strength is his performances in the big games, with the hattrick against Atletico Madrid the latest example. He shows up when needed and can win his side any game. He manages to do that by out-of-the-world moments, which sometimes makes us forget that he is a human.

This article is not stating that Ronaldo is better than Messi or the other way around. It is just a way of showing the respect Ronaldo deserves. He is definitely one of the greatest players of all time, even though no words can describe his achievements.