Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Messi and Ronaldo: Sizing up the two best players of the century so far

 

According to soccer fan Alexander Sabadash, one of the biggest football debates of the century so far is who’s better – Argentina’s Lionel Messi or Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. There are solid arguments for both sides, and fans of each player will ferociously dispute any argument claiming one is better than the other.

Image source: michelacosta.com

If based purely on skill alone, both players are masterful goal-making machines who show little mercy in punishing opponents’ defenders and goalkeepers, and in that, they are dead even.

As far as technique is concerned, the Juventus striker and Barcelona forward vary. Ronaldo is more of the all-around player who can score goals from various angles and during free kicks, benefiting most from his astounding burst of speed. Messi is the shorter and less-imposing athlete, but showcases superb agility, dribbling skills, and the ability to quickly change pace and direction.

Image source: the18.com

However, Alexander Sabadash says that if statistics and big-match performances are the bases for who is the more dominant superstar, the advantage goes to Ronaldo. After all, he has already brought his former team Real Madrid to the semifinal of the 2018 UEFA Champions League.

Also, the last time Messi scored a goal in the UEFA Champions League was years back, while Ronaldo has scored a lot more often in the big tournaments and matches.

Again, all this is for naught for devoted fans of each star. And maybe the better take on this is not to get into a debate, but to simply acknowledge that we are all fortunate to witness in our lifetime two of the most gifted footballers the game has ever produced.