Introduction
Soccer is one of the most popular sports on the planet, with hundreds of millions of watchers worldwide. The title for the best player in the world is currently contested between two remarkable and highly-talented players – Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Although the impact of a single player is hard to determine in a game of two teams of 11 players each, it is possible to compare their playstyles, dynamics, and results. The purpose of this paper is to provide an accurate comparison between Ronaldo and Messi and determine the best player out of the two.
Playing Styles Comparison
Ronaldo is classified as a fast striker who uses his superior athletics and agility to get in position and deliver accurate goals, using his head and both feet. Ambidexterity, in that regard, makes it easier for him to strike from unexpected angles (“Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi”). Messi’s playstyle has some similarities in the athleticism part, as he has a good pace and dribbling. However, he has a lower center of gravity and uses it to bypass and outmaneuver opponents. Unlike Ronaldo, he is a predominantly left-foot player with a more complex playing style involving around engaging with the rest of the team (“Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi”). Based on the playstyle alone, it is impossible to determine a better player.
Statistics
In the scope of his career, the results between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been close to comparable. As of the end of 2020, Ronaldo managed to score 790 goals, having played in 1080 games (“Messi vs. Ronaldo”). Messi’s track record is a bit shorter, with 752 goals in 935 games (“Messi vs. Ronaldo”). So, the overall number of goals is in Ronaldo’s favor. The scoring rate, however, is in Messi’s favor, as he has a 0.80 goal rate per game versus Ronaldo’s 0.73 goal rate (“Messi vs. Ronaldo”). Since Ronaldo played 145 games more than Messi, he can be considered a more experienced player (“Messi vs. Ronaldo”).
At the same time, Messi has shown to be a better team player, with 88 assists more than Ronaldo despite having a shorter career (“Messi vs. Ronaldo”). Based on these statistics, it can be concluded that Messi is a better team player and is more likely to score goals than Ronaldo, despite having played fewer games in his career.
Career Info
Leonel Messi’s career, until recently, is associated exclusively with FC Barcelona, along with frequent appearances on the rosters of Argentina’s national soccer team. Ronaldo had a different career path. Besides his matches in Portugal’s national team, he played in Sporting, Juventus, Manchester United, and Real Madrid, with the latter two comprising the majority of his matches (“Messi vs. Ronaldo”). It is harder to estimate Messi’s performance outside of Barcelona, where he is not complimented by the strength of his team. Ronaldo showed unremarkable results in Sporting and Manchester United, between 0.16 and 0.40 goals a match, demonstrating how important the overall strength of the team is in empowering individual stars (“Messi vs. Ronaldo”).
Ronaldo played more seasons as a professional player compared to Messi, with 18 complete seasons versus 16. At the same time, Messi sports a better tournament statistic, with 35 tournaments out of 75 being won against Ronaldo’s 32 victories in 78 tournaments (“Messi vs. Ronaldo”). Based on this data, it can be concluded that Messi had a more successful career, though it is unclear how big his team’s contribution was to that result.
Conclusions
Ronaldo and Messi offer two different playstyles to the table and have led their teams to victories on numerous occasions. Though Messi has proven to have a slight edge in terms of playing statistics and overall career achievements, it could have come from playing in a strong, dominant team for his entire career. Ronaldo’s performance in Real Madrid outdoes that of Messi, showing that different circumstances outside of the player’s control may have a direct influence on performance. The results over a long-term scale do not allow for determining the best player between the two.
Works Cited
“Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi.” Diffen, 2017. Web.
“Messi vs. Ronaldo.” Sportskeeda, 2021. Web.