Cristiano Ronaldo Transfer Prioritised over Lionel Messi by Orlando City Owner

Flavio Augusto da Silva, the owner of Major League Soccer franchise Orlando City, has revealed he would rather bring Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo to his club over Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Da Silva said he feels as though the Portuguese is “more physically complete” than the Blaugrana star, per Marca (h/t ESPN FC), and he was unashamed in revealing his ambition to lure the Blancos man to the United States quickly. “Hopefully, we can sign him for this upcoming season,” said Da Silva. “We've always heard that he'd like to come to the United States to play.”

Gary McCullough/Associated Press

It’s a pretty fanciful proposition. Ronaldo, after all, remains one of the two greatest players in world football and a forward still doing it at the very highest level for Real Madrid.

As we can see here, courtesy of BreatheSport, Ronaldo is one of the very best goalscorers of this generation:

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Cristiano Ronaldo's 501 career goals: Right Foot: 327 Left Foot: 91 Headers: 83 Penalties: 81 Free Kicks: 45 pic.twitter.com/0MdOWHTvfy

— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) October 1, 2015"

He still seems to have plenty left in the tank too. The Portuguese has kept himself in tremendous shape and, despite bursting onto the scene at such a young age, has showcased few signs of wear and tear since turning 30 last February. If anything, his instincts in front of goal are sharper than ever.

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As such, signing him ahead of next season is probably a little too much to ask for Orlando, even though they attracted a player such as Kaka for their maiden campaign in MLS. But further down the line, it’s not something that seems out of the club’s reach, especially with the popularity of football consistently on the rise in the U.S.

Ronaldo’s influence is certainly wide-ranging too, with his iconic celebration being mimicked by NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. for the New York Giants earlier this season:

The claim Ronaldo is more “physically complete” than Messi is an intriguing one. While there’s no doubt the Real Madrid man is more dynamic, that’s an attribute that will deteriorate regardless of how well the forward keeps himself in shape. If anything, the more cerebral style of Messi means he will be able to play for longer at a higher level.

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That could make Ronaldo a little more attainable than Messi in years to come. In addition, the Barcelona man has such a huge affinity with his club, whereas the Blancos No. 7, while revered by the Madridistas, seems a little more detached from the club’s supporters. There is also regular speculation about his future.

Still, in terms of raw ability, there’s little to separate this illustrious pair, as BBC’s John Bennett noted:

Signing Ronaldo in the next few seasons, regardless of how good he is, would be a major boost for Orlando. The commercial benefits of bringing in a player of his popularity would push the club to new heights off the pitch—and if the move occurred while the ex-Manchester United man was still near his very best, on it too.

Of the two, Messi is the man most likely to preserve his impeccably high standards because of his intangible, imperishable qualities. So while Ronaldo’s brutish build may be a major asset for him now, as the effects of arduous career inevitably take their toll, it means the Portuguese may struggle to have quite the same influence on matches in the twilight of his playing days.