There isn’t a clear line that divides the two. So is there ever going to be an end to Messi-Ronaldo comparisons? And even if there is, will the conclusion be justifiable?
A week ago Wednesday, by bagging a hat-trick Cristiano Ronaldo helped his Juventus side overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit to Atletico Madrid. The win by a 3-2 score-line margin assured that his side is through to the last eight of Champions League.
In the days leading up to the match, this argument could be made. Cristiano Ronaldo needs to help Juventus win in the Champions League. That’s why he was brought here in the first place. His success in Serie A will count for nothing because Juventus have been winning the Scuddeti before he signed.
And guess what? Ronaldo is living up that expectation.
Had it not been of his goals, Atletico would have surely dumped Juve out of the competition. However, Ronaldo–once again–was the man for the special occasion, restoring joy among the very same fans that he was responsible for breaking hearts last year–when Juventus were stunned by Ronaldo’s former employers, Real Madrid.
And, just as we might have expected, Ronaldo’s recent performance caused some of his fans to troll his fierce rival, Lionel Messi. But those negative comments were short-lived. The next day, Messi’s Barcelona faced Lyon in the 2nd leg of the last 16 of Champions League, and Barca thumped Lyon by five goals to one. Most notably, Messi scored a brace and assisted in another.
And last weekend, Messi again inspired Barcelona to a 4-1 win over Real Betis in the La Liga Santander. He grabbed a mouth-watering hat-trick–and even got a standing ovation from opposition fans. Meanwhile, Ronaldo rested for Juventus’ match against Genoa.
Messi and Ronaldo have been playing at their peak for the past ten years–and with them doing what they do week-in-and-week-out–it remains to be seen how long the competition will last.
Ronaldo is proof that hard work can beat talent at times. Messi shows that when it’s in you, it’s in you. You don’t have to do much before it starts clicking.
What makes this comparison even more interesting is that it captures the attention of journalists. Shaka Hislop of ESPN FC wrote: “Messi can only be deemed ‘Greatest Of All Time’ if he wins something with his national team.” Meanwhile, Skysports’ Gary Lineker dubbed Messi as ‘The Greatest Of All Time.’
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Arguments regarding who is best, backed by the stats, don’t seem to be enough. There isn’t a line that divides the two. So is there ever going to be an end to Messi-Ronaldo comparisons? And even if there is, will the conclusion ever be justifiable?
