This debate will run and run until the winner is announced in December. Cristiano Ronaldo who has sensationally netted 40 goals for Manchester United this term versus Lionel Messi, trickster extraordinaire and Barcelona's young magician.
It's easy to see why both these players are a county mile ahead of their nearest rivals and with current holder Kaka floundering in 4th in Serie A, it's a straight shootout
The argument for Ronaldo is compelling and simple to understand. 40 goals in all competitions from a player who isn't a striker is scintillating. The tricks the Portuguese maestro pulls out of the bag are breathtaking and bamboozle many Premier League defenders.
Many of Ronaldo's critics point at a poor final ball, only six assists all year for a player who's official position is a winger is a poor return. Looking at the players he has to aim at gives him no excuse, Rooney and Tevez are well capable of finishing inside the 18 yard box.
Another argument of Cristiano's is the constant failure to perform in big games. This year both his performances against Arsenal and Chelsea have been poor, a coolly taken penalty against the former doesn't hide a poor all round game.
His displays against Messi's Barcelona ranked among his worst for the club. A missed penalty and constant diving lowered his estimation among neutrals on the stage he was supposed to shine on.
Lionel Messi has had an injury ravaged season yet has plundered 16 goals. Stand out performances include a two goal master class at Parkhead to see off Celtic's challenge.
Even the most die-hard Man Utd fan will admit to the fact Messi gave Evra and Ferdinand a torrid time in both legs. The players around him failed him and sadly Messi will not be in Moscow.
Messi, unlike Ronaldo, does not throw himself to ground and always looks for a team mate unlike his competitor. Messi does not dive.
When the voting comes around in December the voting will be the closest in a long time and Ronaldo also has EURO 2008 to impress but Messi's attitude and displays will give him an equal if not better chance than Ronaldo of lifting the much coveted FIFA World Player of the Year Title.
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from 5 days ago
Messi for me. He is a fantasic footballer and plays with humility and doesnt throw himself to the ground whenever an opponent makes the slightest physical contact.
from 4 days ago
*cough* Del Horno...
from 4 days ago
Del Horno? Are you for real? The dude run over Messi like he wasn't there. If you say "he rolled over too many times..." he rolled over as many times as Del Horno did.
from 5 days ago
Lionel Messi. Better Vision, Better passing skills. The only thing Ronaldo has on Messi is his eye for goal and physical strength and I wouldnt be at all surprised if Ronaldo got it. Having said, Messi eye for goal aint all that bad either...
Its as you said though, this comparison will go on and on untill the winner is announced.
from 5 days ago
Messi does not cheat? yeah right. What about the "hand of God" he used last year when they were battling for the title. I believe it was the second to last game. He doesn't dive? I have seem him many times fall to the ground very easily. Don't get me wrong he is a great player and I enjoy watching him, but to say he doesn't cheat is just false. Cristiano Ronaldo does fall pretty easy from time to time, but I think that his reputation for doing it when he was younger is still haunting him, because he defenders do knock him down and it is a foul everyone assumes that he flops. If Man U win the EPL and the CL, than there is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo derserves the award. If not then its up for grabs
from 5 days ago
Thats actually a fair point....
from 5 days ago
Messi all the way.
from 5 days ago
Yes I do agree messi is a great player. However, people are always talking about ronaldo diving or easily falling. First no one talks about the way Ronaldo is vitiously fouled to the point where he may be injured. He is so talented that fouling him is the only way players can stop ronaldo. Second, Messi is a ball hog who loves to run the field and score for himself. Messi only has 10 assits this year in all competions and Ronaldo has 8. You also failed to mention that Ronaldo is the top scorer in the champions League. Before Ronaldo arrived to Manchester united, United did not win a premiership title for over 6 years including there last champions league win in 1999.. Since the arrival of ronaldo Man-u won the premiership last year, may win it this year and has a good chance to win the champions league.. Furthermore, barcelona has Messi and there in 3rd place in the spanish league and are knoked out of the champions league. Cristiano Ronaldo like it or not will soon be to soccer as tiger woods is to golf. He brings excitment to the game that has been long lacking.. By the time he retires He will have won more golden boots then any other player. The only way he will not reachthe best player to ever step on the field status is if some no talent player ends his career...
from 5 days ago
" By the time he retires He will have won more golden boots then any other player. The only way he will not reach the best player to ever step on the field status is if some no talent player ends his career..." ??
-- Those are the kind of statements that makes Non-United fans hate him --
-- I think your exaggerating his talent. I wouldnt call him "Great" yet but he's heading in that direction. But your completely over-rating him...
from 5 days ago
You have to re-check what you said, i think you have it all backwards. Ronaldo is the ball hog, is only looking for opportunities to help himself and not his team mates
from 5 days ago
I agree
from 5 days ago
If you add the 6 assists to the 40 goals then it looks to me like he only has 6 assists because he just usually does it himself. Nothing too much wrong with that.
I think Messi's time will come but this year is Ronaldo's. Especially if he helps them to a league and European double.
from 5 days ago
For me MESSI. C Ronaldo is to arrogant, he thinks to high of himself. Ronaldo is a great player but not the best. Messi has quick feet, good passing and keeps an eye out for his team mates. Messi is a better team player and after all soccer is a team sport, not an individual one. Messi is the Best.
from 5 days ago
Christiano Ronaldo is insane. Lionel Messi WILL BE better than him. However, he is not yet because he has not proven himself the way Ronaldo has. Don't get me wrong, Ronaldo jumps on the ground like a little girl and complains whenever he can get an audience to watch his tantrums, but he is still a great footballer, and Messi is on his way to that level. They both lead their teams. This year is Christiano.....great article Marc sparking up debate is what its about.
from 5 days ago
Well, both healthy I would have to fall towards Messi. However, Messi has been injured alot this season while Ronaldo stands tall. Plus, Ronaldo has completely dominated the best european league and probably the world. This year is no doubt...Ronaldo!
from 5 days ago
ALL HAIL RONALDO..!!!
not just because i'm a Utd fan but because after the performance he has given this season,he well and truly desreves it.
from 5 days ago
I think this year it has to go to Ronaldo, you cannot give it to someone because of potential, Messi was injured this season and so did not make the impact he could have, I think he is a great player, and would prefer him in my team then Ronaldo. On the fouling issue when ever a player has pace combined with a lot of skill, they are always are going to be the target of miss timed tackles, we have to hope that these tackles don't hamper their carreers, just look at Michael Owen.
from 4 days ago
Both absolutely fantastic footballers. No doubt about that. But at the moment I think Ronaldo has the edge. He's had a much better season and he is the reason why United are where they are. You can't take anything away from him. Plus he'll shine this summer at the Euro's, while unfortunately for Messi it will be a summer w/out football. Unless there's some competition in S. America I don't know about?
But the answer has to be Ronaldo.
from 4 days ago
I really don’t understand why Messi is getting rave reviews for his performance in the CL semi-final while Ronaldo is being slated. In my eyes neither of them were anywhere near their best and were both pretty ineffectual compared to their normal selves.
Yes, Messi’s dribbling was mesmeric at times – but what did he actually create out of it? Nothing. He layed on zero chances for his team-mates to score from. His final ball was non-existant. Yes, he knocked the ball over Evra’s head in the first game – and this would look great in a Nike advert – but straight after he lost the ball/got tackled meaning that nothing actually came of it.
Aside from one shot on target at Old Trafford he did little else. Yes, he *threatened* to do something and looked dangerous when dribbling, but what did he actually do? Nothing. He rarely got anywhere and all of his dribbling was done well outside of the box which meant that even if he was fouled it was only ever a freekick. Maybe if he’d actually got in the box then he might have been able to conjure something as the defence would have been less inclined to engage him due to the risk of conceding a penalty. The only time I remember him running into the box in the second half, all he did was completely slice his shot off the outside of his left boot.
Ronaldo was also below his usual standard but what he did do was play more intelligently. Whereas Messi was happy trying to beat the his two markers every time, Ronaldo settled for drawing them in and then releasing the ball into space. See Scholes’ goal – ok, Ronaldo didn’t actually release the ball this time, he got tackled, but you wonder why Scholes had so much time to tee up his shot? Because Ronaldo had *three* men on him. Most of the time when he found himself double or triple-teamed, he released the ball so that his team-mate could enjoy the space vacated by all of his markers. This enabled his team to win, whereas Messi’s endless dribbling resulted in nothing and he entirely disappeared towards the end when most needed, dropping deeper and deeper until you could hardly notice he was still on the pitch.
By way of comparison, Messi is the better dribbler, but is much more one-footed. Ronaldo has scored countless goals with his left-foot and this marks him as more dangerous as he can go both ways. I’ve also never seen Messi head the ball (yeah, he’s small but still…) whereas Ronaldo has at least half a dozen goals from headers. In conclusion, both great players but Ronaldo has more to his game I feel, offering a greater overall threat. Plus for those who say he doesn’t “perform” in big games, these are big games he has already scored in – FA Cup Final, Carling Cup Final, CL Semi-Final, European Championship Semi-Final, plus the winning penalty in the World Cup Quarter Final. I wouldn’t bet against him notching one in another big game in Moscow…
from 4 days ago
Messi did do his job very well at OT and NC, it was his teammates that failed him. Not to mention that was his 2nd or 3rd game after he came back (the 2nd leg was his first full game in 2-3 months). Anyways I think Ronaldo deserves the awards this season. Some people will never give him credit, unless he discovers the cure for cancer or something.
from 4 days ago
Let's just think about this.Ronaldo is a winger,but still,how do you expect him to assist nicely?Rooney rocks at long balls.Think of it.Plus,Ronaldo did not score during the away match against Chelsea is because Sir Alex Ferguson did not put him in till almost two-thirds of the match are finished.If Ronaldo was in the match all along,I am sure that he would have score at least a goal.
Messi is good at dribbling,but in football,we want to see results.Take football like an art lesson.Messi,for example,is Student A.Ronaldo is Student B.Student A adds a lot of colourful decorations,plenty of colours,a result being that it is bright to look at.Too many colours,too much contrast,bleahz.The problem is,the main drawing itself is not nice.What's the use of the decorations then?Student B's drawing has colours,but not too extragavant,and his main drawing is beautiful,able to see what it is in a second.If the teacher sends both of them in to a art competition,who do you think will win?Student B!
Messi adds a lot of colour to football,but no results.Besides,he is one-footed,while Ronaldo is comfortable with both feet.Ronaldo adds colour,not too much,just nicely coloured and shaded.And,he gets good results too!We don't look at how much colour they add,we look at how much goals they score.Yes,Ronaldo has a pretty bad record in the past years,but like Rooney,he is trying to improve.So,Ronaldo is my choice.GOGO!!!
from 4 days ago
One thing people seem to forget is that Cristiano Ronaldo had 20 assist last year. Even this year he has set up goals that is team hasn't been able to finish. Its always going to be when he doesn't shot people are going to say he is afraid to do it, and when he does try taking the shots, people are going to call him a ball hog. Its really sad that his whole career is probably going to look like that because he is a great player
from 4 days ago
Cheers for all the comments
I think you can only either love or hate Ronaldo.
To all anti Man Utd he is a symbol of their sucess and to me personally just irriates me.
To all Man Utd fans, he is a symbol of their club and sucess and their new messiah.
Thats why Ronaldo arguments always attract such comments
from 4 days ago
few comments. For most of the champions league away games and also the barcelona game at old trafford, cristiano ronaldo has been played as a centre foreward because he is their tallest attacker, but this is not his natural game. That is why he didn't perform to his standard, because he wasn't on the wings. He did not have any real service given to him or any real options as he should have done. Messi in that same situation would be even more useless.
The lie that cristiano ronaldo doesn't perform in big games will continue, even though he took portugal to a major european final, and was the best player on the pitch against france in the world cup. His performance against man utd as a sporting lisbon player was amazing as well.
Messi is great, but cristiano ronaldo is greater, and can only get better.
from 4 days ago
This is Ronaldo's year it would be very cruel if he didn't get Fifa player of the Year,no other player has perform "all season" like him, maybe IF Messi wasn't injured for so long, there wouldn't be a debate, but there are no "IF's", with that said Messi is the most influential player in the world when he is healthy, he can tear apart your defense single handily with one of his famous runs or a splitting pass, Ronaldo needs a team to work with him, if Messi could get a team where everyone gives atleast half of what he gives to in the field then things would be so much different.
from 4 days ago
40>16
Champions League + Premier League> Nothing
Cristiano Ronaldo > Lionel Messi
from 3 days ago
For me it has to be Messi. He is one of the most unselfish players in the world, he is such a team player. He is so entertaining. When he gets the ball you cant help but watch because who knows what he will do! Ronaldo is a disgrace to football. He has so much talent but he chooses to waste it diving. If you want to stop Ronaldo all you have to do is tip him, he will roll around for about 5 minutes and cry to the ref for at least another 2. Messi is practically unstopable. The only way people can stop him is by kicking the s**t out of him! And now it has become acceptable that you foul him. I have heard commentators who are ex footballers say 'well they really had to take him down or that was a goal, just as long as they do it outside the box'. Thats ridiculous! Have you ever heard of player protection? Half the fouls on him are not even given free kicks because he dosnt fall down and roll over thousands of times, he actually tries to stay on his feet and play football (after all isnt that his job?). Most people who say Ronaldo is better hardly watch Messi play. If you watch him regularly you will know he is far better than Ronaldo. I am not denying that Ronaldo is good, I just know that Messi is way better!
from 3 days ago
I see Messi play regularly and he is good, but I also see ronaldo play regularly and he is better. Ronaldo scores with his left foot, right foot, heel, hip, head, and part of his body. Messi only relies on his left foot. I'm sure he can score from his right and I know he is to short to be a real threat with the head. Lets not forget about the free kicks. So if your going to judge a player you need to judge him for his overall game not just his dribbling abilities.
from 3 days ago
The only way to stop Ronaldo at the moment is by "kicking him" aswell.....
from 3 days ago
it has to be ronaldo..yeah messi is a good player...but he still needs to improve and at the moment ronaldo is the best player in the world..scoring 40 goals in a season is not easy...and so what he is not assisting many goals...he's scoring goals which is really important if you want to win any trophies.
from 3 days ago
MESSI is d finest player at this moment....ya ronaldo has the capacity 2 contest..bt tht's not enough...see the last match bt man u n barcelona, MESSI's quality delivers through out d game nt ronaldo's...
from 3 days ago
What did Messi do against United? All he did was dribble...wow(!) He didn't make any successful killer passes, he didn't look like scoring or even creating chances. Whereas Ronaldo was very quiet but earned a penalty, could've got another two legit penalties and create a very good headed chance for Nani by making Puyol look like an amateur before crossing the ball. Doesn't matter if Messi had the ball more, its what you do with it that counts. Ronaldo has been more decisive in the last two seasons than Messi. Messi has won nothing in the last two seasons whilst Ronaldo has won PL, possible CL winner and second time PL winner. Another point is Ronaldo is far better than Messi at international level. Ronaldo was a regular at the age of 18 and reached the European Championship final. Was the best young player at World Cup, would've won the award if it wasn't for the Rooney incident. He has a better goalscoring ratio at international level than Messi as well as better domestic goalscoring ratio.
from 3 days ago
It is not just about the Man U Barca match, its overall performance. If it was about that match all that needs to be said is that Ronaldo was outclassed and Messi showed what it really is to be a professional. It takes a whole team to win the league, not just one player so you really cant compare them on that. And talking about their international teams I would have to disagree with you. I love the Portuguese team but no offense to the they are not as good as the Argentinean team. Argentina have far better players on their squad and it would have been far more difficult for Messi to have been selected for the Argentinean team than it was for Ronaldo to be selected for the Portuguese team. And Messi was chosen for the World Cup 2006 squad despite only recovering from injury and his young age.
from 3 days ago
Messi does not dive? lol good joke!
Messi also cheats by scoring with his hand which he did last season!
Get your head out of Messi's bottom!
from 3 days ago
He doesn't dive, diving is when you fall to floor after the slightest physical contact, i.e drogb and ronaldo.
his one hand of god weighs up quite insignificantly to all of Ronaldo's acts of cheating in the gone by years!
Ronaldo is a great player as is Messi and we'll see who wins!
from 2 days ago
Lionel Messi is the best football player now. He can do anything he never says that he is good but Ronaldo show off ALOT. Lionel Messi should be palyer of the year!!!
from 2 days ago
Messi is a great player but please dont take anything away from Christiano. He has matured very much and does not hold on to the ball as long as he used to,he is more of ateam player.Ok Ok "maybe" Messi out played Christiano over the two legs but Messi was very greedy with the ball.Had he passed it around more im very sure Barca would be in the final,esp in the secound leg at Old Trafford.He was trying to do too much alone when he had other team mates. A good player makes those around him even better,something Ronaldo has done very well this season and thats why hes is a better player than Messi. C Ronaldo will be player of the year
from 2 days ago
Messi...
From attitude to skill and dominance of a game Messi for me, he is unique a player for all time...
AC
from 2 days ago
Al U MANZ SHUT UR MOUF
CHELSEA ALL DAY EVERY DAY
KAKA
MESSI
JOE COLE
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