Messi is very good at football. He really is. So also is Cristiano Ronaldo. Both are very good and as with all individuals who are very good at what they do, they have a fierce rivalry. Being the best is what its all about for these two and winning stuff doesn't accomplish that need anymore. They can often be seen bullying some innocent defender into submission or running rings around players because they're bored. It has got to that point. The only way they can satisfy themselves is by chasing down records and making it their own. Every ludicrous record has to be shattered and each one knows, that only the other can break it.Messi in the past few years has kind of dominated the records, but since the last season, Ronaldo's stock has seen an upsurge. Messi, bogged by injuries and transitions in his team has slowed down, while Ronaldo has surged on. Here are 5 records of Messi that Ronaldo can break in the near future.
#1 Most goals scored in a calender year(club)
In any other epoch of football, a record of 79 goals in a calendar year would be considered an immortal record. Something that would stand the test of time and only shattered by a would be demi-god, and even then maybe not. We are witnesses to the greatest players to have ever graced the game. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Each aching and striving to outdo the other in whatever way possible, stretching so far that it wouldn't be humanly possible to replicate their feats.
Messi's record came after a superhuman season, propelling him to heights unbeknownst. Ronaldo has set his sights firmly on outdoing his counterpart. He is more ruthless than ever before and goal scoring, at times, has been frightening this season.
In 37 appearances in 2014, Ronaldo has managed 41 goals. It is not special, at least by his standards. He has comfortably scored a goal a game since his move to Madrid. Any other season and there wouldn't even be a debate about him coming close to the record, it isn't out of the norm for him to maintain such a record. But there has been a change. Some changes to the personal in the playing squad of Real Madrid has seen Madrid become a more dynamic attacking unit. The team is relentless in the pursuit of goals and their main outlet has been Ronaldo. He has amassed an incredible 15 goals from 6 appearances in league this season. An incredible scoring rate of 2.5 goals every game. Ronaldo needs 38 more goals to break the record from the remaining 15 games(can increase up to 16 if they reach the club world cup final) till year end.
If he maintains his goal scoring rate, he will have comfortably beaten Messi's record. Of course, it is easier to speculate about him maintaining his goal scoring form than for him to actually do it, but knowing Ronaldo and the lack of any tricky fixtures(barring Barcelona) till December end, it may well come to be.
#2 Highest scorer in Club World Cup
Leo Messi has 7 world records to his name, that is, records that can be universally ascribed irrespective of the players club or the league he plays in. One of the records among the 7 is, most goals scored in Fifa club world cup.
The record currently stands at 4, and is shared by Denilson and Mohamed Aboutrika. It is a very small tournament and the maximum a European team gets to play is two games, but even then, it is a pretty paltry total by the incredibly high standards Messi has set. Given another go, he'd would probably smash the record, but it will be Ronaldo who will be featuring in this years edition and he will be licking his lips at the chance of making the record his own.
Ronaldo has been embarrassing teams in the Spanish and Champions leagues this season, and scoring goals against sub-par teams in the club world cup will only need the slightest of motivation from him.
#3 Most European Golden Boots
Every year the top scorer from the top leagues in Europe is awarded the European Golden Boot. The highest number of such golden boots accumulated by a player is 3. The record, as with many other records, is shared by Messi and Ronaldo.
It must be grating for both to have to share this record, but it is unlikely that both of them will be holding on to it for long. Ronaldo, since the last season, has been eclipsing Messi in goal scoring records and will, likely, continue doing so; breaking the record in the process. Messi, under new manager Luis Enrique, has been thrust a more creative role. His numbers in assists and chances created have soared while goals have, more or less, dried up. On the other hand, Ronaldo has become the focal point of all of Madrid's attacks, ensuring an increased return in goals while his closest rival has seen a downturn. Form and injury permitting, Ronaldo should be able to rack up more than enough Golden Boots to emboss his name on this record.
#4 Most La-Liga hat tricks in a season
Most players would kill for a handful of hat tricks in their careers, and by most players I mean the extremely good ones. But with Ronaldo and Messi, the debate is on an entirely different level.
Messi holds the record for most number of hat tricks in the league in a single season. The number stands at eight(8). Yes, you read correctly. Messi's had a season where he plundered eight hat tricks against hapless defenses in Spain. Now here's the more unbelievable part - Ronaldo has already scored three hat tricks in his six appearances this season. Of course, he's not going to maintain that record, football would evanesce if he did. But with the form he's in, he's on track to break Messi's record, if not come close to it.
#5 Most Away goals in La Liga
Another impressive goal scoring feat. Another feather in Messi's cap. The man has no shortage of records but this one will probably, in the near future, be lost to the prowess of Ronaldo. This is in no way an underestimation of Messi's skills, he is as prolific as ever; but with a reduced goal scoring burden on him, he may not be as inclined to score goals as before.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, has grown his appetite for goals. He currently stands on 79 away goals in the league. The record stands at a distant 107, but without Messi aggressively adding to his tally, Ronaldo stands a very good chance of chasing it down.
