What Makes Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Lionel Messi So Good?

Undoubtedly the three best footballers in the world today are Real Madrid stars Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo and of course the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year himself, FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.

Messi could potentially be even greater than Diego Maradona himself, whilst both Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo have held world record transfer fees (£68.5 million and £80 million respectively), and both have also been crowned with the greatest honour in football, the FIFA World Player of the Year accolade.

They will most certainly continue to excel at the highest level in their sport, and will surely be considered absolute legends in the game once they retire.

They all have phenomal talent, with all the skill and technique that dazzle almost a billion football fans across the world.

And what makes them so good at their sport?

A lot of hard work on the training pitch, and therefore brilliant skill and technique, as well as an undying love for the game are all obviously factors.

But what separates them from the likes of your average Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A stars is that they have really tapped into sports psychology, and in particular things like the cognitive-behavioural approach.

Not that they're fully knowledgable of all the science of course, but in conjunction with the sports psychologist they have developed "mental success", i.e. all the mind characteristics which give you that edge over your opponents.

They're not the only players who have this approach, obviously. You can bet your other superstars like Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Steven Gerrard, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, John Terry, and Wayne Rooney all have this "mental success" as well.

All these players have got the key factors you could highlight, such as the motivation to succeed, determination, and high self-confidence.

But there also a few more, rather subtle, factors that place Kaka, Ronaldo, and Messi ahead of the players listed above.

A fine example—Ronaldo vs. Rooney

Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo worked well together at Manchester United and became great friends, and still are.

However, as we all know, things got ugly between them at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, when England played Portugal in the quarter final.

This a great example of how the right mentality and 'mental success' can lead to actual success on the pitch.

In that match, Wayne Rooney was sent off after he lashed out on Portugal and Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho as both were tussling for the ball.

He couldn't control his emotions, and let his team (and nation) down by getting on the wrong side of referee Horacio Elizondo and being sent off.

Putting aside Ronaldo's actions in helping get Rooney sent-off (and the infamous wink), there were occasions in the match where things were getting desperate for Portugal as well as England, and Ronaldo had similar tussles for the ball like Rooney had with Carvalho.

Did Ronaldo lose control of his emotions during matchplay and lash out at the opponent in frustration? No, he didn't of course, and his side went onto win, albeit via a penalty shoot-out.

For no moment in that match did Cristiano Ronaldo forget about that winning mentality (i.e. wanting to win).

And for no moment did he respond to mistakes, like Wayne Rooney did, by getting angry and subsequently trying too hard.

Instead, the former United winger took a relaxed, problem solving approach, despite the incredibly high pressure situation, meaning his game behaviours were more solution orientated.

And thus Portugal went onto win, and progressed through to the semi finals.

That's just one example; the same applies to Kaka and Lionel Messi also.

David Beckham and the bricklayers

One final example of sports psychology at its finest in football would be the case of AC Milan midfielder David Beckham, and the psychological re-programming done to him in his trophy-laden Manchester United days.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson brought in a sports psychologist ahead of their unprecedented season of Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League successes.

Bill Beswick was his name. He worked at Derby County as well, and also the England national team, albeit in the dire Steve MacLaren era. However, it was indeed Beswick who built that famous 1999 winning mentality in the Manchester United squad.

He once told the United players a parable about three bricklayers who were each asked what they were doing.

The first said "laying bricks", the second "earning £10 an hour", but the final brick layer replied "helping to build a beautiful cathedral where I can bring my kids".

In the training match that followed, Beckham netted an exquisite goal and reputedly looked to Beswick and said, "Cathedral 1 Bricklayers 0."

Before of course going on to claim that unprecedented famous hat-trick of major titles with his club...the treble.

That is just another fine example of how 'mental success' separates the best from the rest. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kaka all have that in abundance.