Lionel Messi .v. Cristiano Ronaldo

[Pepe Silvia]

No contest

 

[10Rivaldo]

Messi's ten times better, it's no contest. They're not in the same league.

 

[ViscaBarca914]

They're not in the same league. It's no contest...Messi is 10 times better.

 

[putogusiluz8]

Messi is definitely in a different category of skill. Roughly ten levels above Ronaldo's I would say. There's really nothing to dispute.

 

[Jordzibob]

 

[Abaddon]

No points for originality.

 

[Gnegneri]

Well as good... impossible to say, but there is no reason to think he wouldn't have a very good game. He has proven plenty of times what he can do with that kind of space.

I'm just saying, I can respect your opinion of Messi being the better player (though not by a huge margin, cause that's just bs), but I don't see how last clasico proved that, when you take context into account.

I was only refering to this clasico. Ronaldo might have done good things (you know the things he always does, stepovers, punt and run, ...) with the space he would have got but that is something that does not make the Barcelona team play this way. Pedro sort of does the same but not so much as Ronaldo AND he adds the team play.

Ronaldo will get you goals but he just isn't up to the level of play of Messi. Goal statistics would be the same for both, I think, but I don't think Ronaldo can bring on the beautiful passing and team game (nor the slick dribbling Messi provides, Ronaldo does his dribbles in a different way and less with the ball) which defines (this) Barcelona. The Villarrealgoal from Messi, that's something I don't see Ronaldo do, and that is what makes Pep's Barcelona so different from all the rest.

Another thing is the work Messi delivers at the front row. He presses, gets his positional shit together to block passing lines, ... That is another thing Ronaldo would not do. Or maybe he could but I don't see him do that now, which would be even worse than not being able to do that.

Statistics would be the same, but CR would not deliver the overall game Messi has.

Everything you say is right but certain people on this board seem to downplay the rest of the team because they are so in love with Messi. I can't blame them because the kid is fucking irresistible but it's a chicken/egg effect where Messi takes this team to another level and can bail us out by himself but wouldn't be anywhere near this dangerous on any other team, and it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

On the other hand any "underachievement" for Argentina can be credited to a dysfunctional mess with selfish, corrupt pieces of shit on all levels from Grondona to Maradona to Riquelme. All the greats had elite support from Pele to Cruyff to Ronaldo (the real one), only Maradona was able to win on every level as judge, jury and executor and even then he was always given a rough and tumble defense to protect him.

But Messi is not at that level by any means yet and I think as of right now Messi is more dependant on this team than the other way around. Disagree with me all you want but to me Xavi is still this teams MVP. Messi might individually win more games but Xavi defines a system, Spain winning the world cup to me is telling where the balance in power still lies.

But Messi is only 23 so there's no excuse for him to stagnate. He got the goal scoring and passing down but there's no reason he can't learn new tricks.

The best thing is that, unlike a lot of the fans, Messi seems to understand this.

 

[IrvDizzle]

good lord Irv... seriously man, kindergarten level that stuff.

Jordzibob, you guys just need to stop the "it's no contest", "Messi is 10 times better", "they are not in the same league", etc. It's absurd.

kindergarten my ass ... there is no debate here. Messi is better. for arguments sake, we'll say they are equal on goal scoring ability and dribbling. FKs would go to Cristiano, even though his goal to attempts percentage is probably horrific. Passing goes to Leo. Defensive pressure and the ability to create scoring chances when winning the ball back goes to Leo. He certainly doesn't pout or berate the refs like Cristiano does. And he's performed better the last five Clasicos than Cristiano has. i know it's cliche, but really, there is no debate here. Leo is better.

 

[Red Devil 2]

I've had the pleasure of seeing my side beat a Barcelona team in the flesh with Messi in it. How we kept him out that night is beyond me but we did.

Messi is the better player in fact he is one of the greatest of all time.

 

[yusuf]

I've had the pleasure of seeing my side beat a Barcelona team in the flesh with Messi in it. How we kept him out that night is beyond me but we did.

Messi is the better player in fact he is one of the greatest of all time.

exactly....even when barca lost to mancs team in the CL with ronaldo on the winning side many watching around the world witnessed that messi was the superior player in the tie even though he was on the losing side

 

[Abaddon]

kindergarten my ass ... there is no debate here.

I was talking about that terrible piece you wrote about Messi being god.

Messi is better. for arguments sake, we'll say they are equal on goal scoring ability and dribbling. FKs would go to Cristiano, even though his goal to attempts percentage is probably horrific. Passing goes to Leo. Defensive pressure and the ability to create scoring chances when winning the ball back goes to Leo. He certainly doesn't pout or berate the refs like Cristiano does. And he's performed better the last five Clasicos than Cristiano has. i know it's cliche, but really, there is no debate here. Leo is better.

It remains ridiculous to say Messi is far above Ronaldo. Outside of his perfect setting, Messi has never proven to be above Ronaldo. His performances for Argentina have ranged from average to dreadful.

 

[Cal-FCB]

The debate will keep on going in the media because it's entertaining for them. They've always done it. Even when Gaucho was at his peak you still had the media here comparing Henry with him and who was better. Some people just won't be told.

 

[Neji1o]

Common man tell what all big things Ronaldo has done for Portugal. Messi did better things for Argentina than Ronaldo's contribution to Portugal. Messi has done all the things to prove that he is the best at present. No need to count on the games they played against each other, just hear the words from the players they play with, most of them will say Messi is the one they dont want to play against but i hardly remember anyone saying like that for Ronaldo.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

Fact: it takes a competent/experienced defender to contain Cristiano Ronaldo but it takes a team's parked bus to contain Lionel Messi.

 

[Abaddon]

Common man tell what all big things Ronaldo has done for Portugal. Messi did better things for Argentina than Ronaldo's contribution to Portugal. Messi has done all the things to prove that he is the best at present.

CAn't wait to hear what Messi has done with Argentina that is supposed to be impressive.

Fact: it takes a competent/experienced defender to contain Cristiano Ronaldo but it takes a team's parked bus to contain Lionel Messi.

Don't try to sell your crap as facts.