Lionel Messi vs. Ronaldo: Which Superstar Is Really More Valuable to His Club?

After another season of mesmerizing play in La Liga, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have further established themselves as the two best forwards in the world. 

If you've watched either play at all, there shouldn't be any argument against that statement, but here's some statistical proof:

Last season, in La Liga, Ronaldo either scored or assisted 50 times. Messi did it 49 times. That's 1.56 and 1.58 times per game (Messi played one less game), respectively. 

The next closest in La Liga? Alvaro Negredo with 25 (0.86 per game).

Tops in the EPL? Carlos Tevez at 26 (0.87 per game).

Serie A? Antonio Di Natalie, 35 (one per game). 

Granted, pace and level of play are different throughout all three leagues, but those are some big gaps between Ronaldo and Messi and everyone else.  

But which of the two is better? Or, more importantly, who is more important to his club?

This is a question that has been debated fiercely for a long time now, and even more so since Ronaldo joined Messi in La Liga two years ago. 

And it's a question that will never easily been answered.

Cristiano Ronaldo's skills and tricks on the ball are unrivaled, as are his free-kick taking abilities. He can whip in crosses just as well as he finishes them with his head. At this point in time, no one can score like Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, might be the most feared player in the world once he gets moving with the ball at his feet. His pace is incredible, and he's put together some absolutely unbelievable runs from midfield. He can score and he can pass, but at 5'7", however, Messi obviously isn't as good in the air as Ronaldo.

Clearly, these are two very different players we are dealing with.

Messi is an artist. Ronaldo is a rock star. Both will get people out of their seats in their own, special way.

When it comes down to it, however, there's not enough of a difference here to deem one more valuable to their respective club.

First, we need to extend the definition of value. 

Without being able to go on forever, let's simplify the definition and say that a valuable player is someone who gives a team the most bang for their buck (money equals value), makes his teammates better and has undeniable overall talent.

We've already determined that the overall talent of these two, at this point in time, is too close to separate them. So, it comes down to dollar value and their effect on others.

Ronaldo cost Real Madrid an insane £80 million, and they still have to pay his salary of £11 million per year. That's the highest salary of any football player in the world. 

Lionel Messi, while still expensive, is only making about £8.1 million per year. However, Messi has been with Barcelona throughout his whole career, so they have never had to pay a ridiculous transfer fee to the tune of £80 million. 

It may not seem important, but when you are talking about a player's value, a discussion on money has to be involved. Barcelona and Real Madrid can pretty much spend all the money they want without worrying about anything, sure, but that's irrelevant. 

The fact of the matter is, Messi and Ronaldo give similar production, but Messi does it for cheaper. 

Now, as far as making their teammates better, Messi has to have the advantage again. 

On Messi's ESPN page, it states that he "often searches for a way to finish moves by himself without looking for teammates in a better position to shoot at goal."

Funny then, that Messi's weakness put him at first in assists in La Liga this past season. In fact, in all club appearances, Messi totaled 21 assists in 47 appearances while Ronaldo accumulated 14 in 51 appearances.

Messi, more often than not, finishes his runs with a pass or a shot. Ronaldo, all too much, finishes his runs on the ground writhing in pain. 

Therein lies a big difference. I could probably count the times on my hands that I've seen Messi fall down, even if a defender makes a nice play. Ronaldo, on the other hand, seems to let his ego take over. He would rather make it look like he's fouled every time a defender stops him.

Ronaldo doesn't need to fall. He's got the skills to fly by people, but it's become habit for him to hit the ground every time he's touched. It often creates set pieces in nice positions, yes, but it also often kills breaks. 

This is all a way of saying that if I'm making a run (and in this hypothetical situation, I'm about 45 times faster than my real life self), I'm much more expecting the ball to get to my feet if Messi has it than if Ronaldo has it. In this sense, Messi makes those around him better.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are world class players in every sense, and there is no team in the world that wouldn't want to have either of them. However, at this point in time, and by the definition I have layed out, the 24-year-old Messi is more valuable to Barcelona than the 26-year-old Ronaldo is to Real Madrid.