The narrative-driven nature of football often pits great friends against each other, as fierce enemies. It is a game of adversaries and rivalries, of the good vs the bad. At any rate, that is how the media outlets sell it to the fans.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the best footballers of the current generation; there is absolutely no doubt in that. So it is no surprise that the two are considered the Russia and America of the footballing world – arch-rivals set to prove his superiority over the other.
After winning his fourth Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo went on record saying, “It would be interesting to see both of us on the same team. I think great players should play together. So if we were on the same team, I think I would have more than him, but he wouldn't be far off.”
This has led us to speculate five possible scenarios if the two did indeed play together for the same team.
#5 Wage bill
Ronaldo and Messi are among the highest paid footballers in the world. While Ronaldo recently signed a contract at Real Madrid that sees him earning £365,000-a-week, Messi is set to sign a new contract that will see him earning near about £400,000-a-week.
The amount that they earn is massive, even outrageous. But given what they provide to the club and their individual abilities, the salary is justified in modern day football. It would be interesting, though, to see how a club would manage to pay this massive salary to two players at the same time.
It goes without saying that for a club featuring both Ronaldo and Messi, the wage bill will go through the roof. Another important aspect will be seeing how the club manages to cope with the FFP rules, and how it pays the other players of the squad.
#4 Defensive problems for the opposition
It has already been proven difficult for teams to stop either Ronaldo or Messi when they are playing for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. If they were to play for the same team, imagine how big a headache it would be for the opposition coach.
Both of them are unstoppable when they are in peak form. Man-marking would seem to be the obvious option but then again, there are very few defenders in the world who can actually mark Ronaldo or Messi.
And when they would play together for the same team, who could possibly stop them? Even if all the 10 outfield players of the opposition manage to stop the two, there will be eight others in Ronaldo and Messi’s team other than the goalkeeper who could be easily be fed by either of the two.
#3 No more hatred between the two sets of fans
More than the actual rivalry and hatred that there is between Ronaldo and Messi, it is the rivalry and hatred between the two sets of fans that has dominated football discussions lately. Ronaldo fans and Messi fans do not see eye to eye, to say the least. They debate, argue and fight to establish that their respective hero is the best in the world.
The rivalry is not helped by the fact that they play for two of the fiercest rivals in world football – Real Madrid and Barcelona. But if the two played wearing the same colours, would the rivalry between the two sets of fans be of the same magnitude?
It is hard to believe that the rivalry would be extinguished immediately. But definitely, both sets of fans would turn up wanting to see both the stars succeed, just for the sake of the team. Even if they cannot work alongside one another, would you not love to live in a world where the Ronaldo vs Messi debate did not exist?
#2 Records would tumble every day
This is something that both Ronaldo and Messi would have at the back of their heads. It should be kept in mind that Messi is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner while Ronaldo is a four-time winner.
They both constantly strive to become the best in the world and more often than not, they thrive on the competition between themselves. Both Ronaldo and Messi have the penchant for breaking records, even more so when the record is challenging.
The top scorer for the team, the top assist maker for the team, the most number of hat-tricks scored and many such records would entice the two to compete against each other.
There is no denying that the situation may also get out of hand, with the competition turning unhealthy. But would it not be exciting to see two of the world's best players go head to head for individual glory while also keeping in mind the welfare of the team?
#1 The team would win everything
Ronaldo has won 20 trophies for club and country, including three Premier League titles, one La Liga title, three Champions League trohies, three Club World Cup titles and a Euro Cup. Messi, on the other hand, has won 30 trophies for club and country including eight La Liga titles, four Champions League titles, four Club World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal.
The number of trophies won is the ultimate benchmark on which players are graded, and both have an enviable collection. If individually they could influence their teams to as many as 50 trophies, imagine how many they would win if they played together.
With the qualities that both these superstars possess, it is probably safe to say they would help their team win everything – from the league trophy and the domestic cup to the Champions League.
