UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin Talks Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo Debate
New UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin believes the longstanding rivalry between Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo is "good for football."
As the two best players in the world plying their trade for two of the biggest rival teams in the sport, debate has raged for years over which of these football juggernauts is the best. Ceferin wouldn’t provide an answer on who he prefers, although he championed the merits of both players.
"They're both good for football, one has certain things better than the other," the 48-year-old said to a question asked by Marca, per Football Espana. "Ronaldo is pure power, strength, determination whereas Messi is more of an artist. Who is better? It's the same question for Real Madrid and Barcelona—they are both good for football!”
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As noted in the piece, Ceferin was elected to the top job in UEFA on Wednesday, taking an impressive haul of 42 votes from 55.
The dynamic between Messi and Ronaldo seems to have spurred the duo on down the years. Each player has maintained an incredible level on the field in terms of goalscoring, creating chances and troubling defenders for almost a decade, cementing their respective statuses as the finest players of this generation.
They’re still at it, too. Messi netted a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League against Celtic on Tuesday, while Ronaldo scored a stunning free-kick against Sporting Lisbon a night later.
As we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, since Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid, nobody can come close to him and Messi in terms of goalscoring in the Champions League:
It’s tough to disagree with Ceferin’s assessment that the rivalry between these two to be the best is “good for football.”
Of the two, Ronaldo is arguably the player most motivated by this individual tussle and a willingness to prove himself as the game’s apex goalscorer. While that single-mindedness is something that’s been used as a stick to beat him with in the past, Real Madrid and Portugal—winners of the Champions League and UEFA European Championship, respectively, this year—have benefited.
Messi seems to be less immersed in the rivalry, and the manner in which Barcelona play—operating with Luis Suarez and Neymar in a front three—means he isn’t as individualistic in his work on the field. Nonetheless, some prefer his cerebral, intricate style to the dynamic, powerful play of Ronaldo.
As reported by Ben Hayward of Goal, Messi’s former Barcelona team-mate Xavi recently had his say on the debate:
However, Ronaldo has been tipped to win the Ballon d’Or for the fourth time early in 2017 by Barca star Neymar. “Conquering trophies counts for a lot,” he told Lance (h/t Anthony Hay of MailOnline) in July. “He won the Champions League and now the Euros. He’s very close [to the Ballon d’Or].”
What will be even more fascinating when it comes to this debate is how the two players evolve as they approach the twilight of their careers. Ronaldo, with his sharp instincts and brute power, is becoming more like a centre-forward, while Messi’s ability on the ball and penchant for finding space will likely see him drop deeper.
It means the stylistic contrasts that exist between the two already will be further emphasised by completely different positions on the pitch. And while there will always be discussion on who trumps who until the day the pair hang up their boots, perhaps these shifts will lessen the intensity of the debate.
