Lionel Messi has continued to win the hearts of football fans as Argentina have made a charge to the World Cup final – but Cristiano Ronaldo, his greatest rival, has taken a different path.
It’s been an inevitable conversation for more than a decade now. Two men have dominated global football, but which one of the two is better?
Of course, you have to choose. Enjoying both is, for some reason, not an option.
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Granted, they spent the peaks of their respective careers playing at Spain’s two biggest clubs, which helped stoke the fires of the rivalry – but it’s their recent accomplishments and actions outside of their Real Madrid and Barcelona days that have really begun to set them apart.
“There’s been a real separation between the two in the past year,” former Australian captain Craig Foster told Wide World of Sports.
“While Cristiano’s physical qualities are now in decline, what’s become clear is how significant his speed and strength was to his career. Whereas while Lionel Messi is slowing down, we still see the creativity, how he lifts teammates up, and how he’s still able to be the dominant figure in a game.
“The best teams in the world, with the best coaches, like the Netherlands, can’t come up with a plan to stop him. We’re seeing true genius, not just extraordinary goal-scoring feats.
Messi’s World Cup involved scoring or setting up plenty of goals, being the odds-on favourite to be crowned player of the tournament, and this upcoming Monday morning, leading his country into the final.
Ronaldo, in contrast, was apoplectic to be subbed off in a group stage game, watched on from the bench as Portugal dominated their round of 16 clash, and cut a loan figure after both that game, and their quarter-final loss to Morocco.
The backdrop to all of that was his uncoupling with Manchester United, leaving the fivetime Ballon d’Or winner without a club.
“We’ve also seen the difference in their personalities,” Foster said.
“I always felt that it was overwhelmingly about him, and the arrogance that he’s carried through his career repels many of us, while we acknowledge that he’s one of the greatest players in history.
“Whereas with Messi, his humility, his sacrifice for the teams that he’s played in, along with his extraordinary capabilities – that legacy, that image has only been enhanced in recent years.”
“Whether he wins this tournament or otherwise, he’ll finish his career with the great affection of the world, whereas Cristiano will finish his career having had an extraordinary career. That’s the difference between them.”
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