Football's greatest - where does Lionel Messi rank?

[triggs]

Someone once asked me who I'd rather have in my team,Messi or Ronaldo.

 

I chose Ronaldo.

 

I don't think there's no right or wrong answer tbh,people will always have different opinions.

 

But for me in my make believe fantasy team and the style and system I would play,Ronaldo would be far more effective than Messi.

Sorry but there is a right and wrong answer. Messi is a much better player. There is a reason why Messi is often called the best player of all time while Ronaldo has never once been called the best player of all time. If you look at both of them play, Ronaldo is a poacher, an exceptionally good one obviously while Messi is involved in everything as well as being as good a goalscorer as Ronaldo. I usually don't mind people having different opinions but Messi is clearly better than Ronaldo in almost every way.

[Scotty66]

But others think the complete opposite. It really is just a matter of opinion.

 

The only thing everyone can probably agree on is that they're both absolutely exceptional footballers.

 

That's why they've both ended up at the two biggest clubs in the World.

[triggs]

But others think the complete opposite. It really is just a matter of opinion.

 

The only thing everyone can probably agree on is that they're both absolutely exceptional footballers.

 

That's why they've both ended up at the two biggest clubs in the World.

Well they're wrong. I'd love somebody to give me a reason why Ronaldo is better because I can't think of any

[triggs]

Ronaldo is better at penalties tbf

[sixx]

Someone once asked me who I'd rather have in my team,Messi or Ronaldo.

 

I chose Ronaldo.

 

I don't think there's no right or wrong answer tbh,people will always have different opinions.

 

But for me in my make believe fantasy team and the style and system I would play,Ronaldo would be far more effective than Messi.

Sorry but there is a right and wrong answer. Messi is a much better player. There is a reason why Messi is often called the best player of all time while Ronaldo has never once been called the best player of all time. If you look at both of them play, Ronaldo is a poacher, an exceptionally good one obviously while Messi is involved in everything as well as being as good a goalscorer as Ronaldo. I usually don't mind people having different opinions but Messi is clearly better than Ronaldo in almost every way.

Fucking hell. I agree that Messi is probably the best football player ever but this is just nonsense. He's no more a poacher than Messi and there's probably a lot more variance in Ronaldo's goals than Messi's.

[Guest n4e]

Ronaldo has over 100 assists for Madrid. Not bad for a poacher.

[triggs]

Someone once asked me who I'd rather have in my team,Messi or Ronaldo.

 

I chose Ronaldo.

 

I don't think there's no right or wrong answer tbh,people will always have different opinions.

 

But for me in my make believe fantasy team and the style and system I would play,Ronaldo would be far more effective than Messi.

Sorry but there is a right and wrong answer. Messi is a much better player. There is a reason why Messi is often called the best player of all time while Ronaldo has never once been called the best player of all time. If you look at both of them play, Ronaldo is a poacher, an exceptionally good one obviously while Messi is involved in everything as well as being as good a goalscorer as Ronaldo. I usually don't mind people having different opinions but Messi is clearly better than Ronaldo in almost every way.

Fucking hell. I agree that Messi is probably the best football player ever but this is just nonsense. He's no more a poacher than Messi and there's probably a lot more variance in Ronaldo's goals than Messi's.

A poacher as in doesn't get involved in the build up at all and stays forward. This is why he is generally anonymous against Atletico, they cut out the space up top and he has no impact on the game. He is capable of creating goals as seen the other night in setting up Hernandez but rarely bothers to get involved in the build up play because that would take away from his personal goals tally

[The College Dropout]

There's never been a player in the world who is "much better" than Cristiano Ronaldo.

 

Cronaldo is a GOAT contender. Messi has the stronger case. But both are absolutely out of this world. In career terms - both have the best i've ever seen by a distance. Messi has the edge on Cronaldo but that's all it is.

[HawK]

Goat?

 

I give up on trying to paste a youtube link.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I don't think it's ever been put better than by Arda Turan in terms of the whole Ronaldo vs Messi thing.

 

“Messi or Ronaldo best player in the world? In the world, I would say Ronaldo. Messi is from another planet.”

 

CRonaldo has never been anywhere near Messi imo. Fantastic player, one of the best I've ever seen, but the gap between what Messi can do and everyone else is frightening. Original Ronaldo before he fucked his knee is the only player that's been anywhere near that. Everyone else is in the distance, despite still being absolutely brilliant.

[Froggy]

I think it's tough because Messi is the better footballer but Ronaldo is every bit as effective or possibly even more so. When you ask who's the better footballer it's clearly Messi, but if someone says they'd rather Ronaldo in their team it's completely acceptable IMO.

 

Going by stats Ronaldo has been better since going to Spain right?

[Froggy]

302 in 293 games since moving to Madrid and over 100 assists. To say somebody is on a different planet to that is batshit crazy.

[Collage]

I don't think it's ever been put better than by Arda Turan in terms of the whole Ronaldo vs Messi thing.

 

“Messi or Ronaldo best player in the world? In the world, I would say Ronaldo. Messi is from another planet.”

 

 

Love that quote.

[Guest firetotheworks]

302 in 293 games since moving to Madrid and over 100 assists. To say somebody is on a different planet to that is batshit crazy.

 

Not if you're going on what they're capable of doing, rather than what they do. Messi is a goal machine, but he's also a genius who can make something out of absolutely nothing. Ronaldo can't take on 4 or 5 players like Messi does and then score, he doesn't do that and it's much more difficult.

 

Messi and Ronaldo's stats are pretty much the same since Ronaldo joined Real, but overall I think Messi's are still better. I'll check.

[Mole_Toonfan]

302 in 293 games since moving to Madrid and over 100 assists. To say somebody is on a different planet to that is batshit crazy.

 

In terms of general footballing ability he arguably is, in terms of goalscoring obviously not you could even argue Ronaldo has an edge.

 

I wouldn't but you could.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Since Ronaldo joined Madrid.

 

Goals

Messi: 321

Ronaldo: 302

 

Assists:

Messi: 117

Ronaldo: 83

 

Appearances:

Messi: 312

Ronaldo: 293

 

Ronaldo has more Champions League goals, that's the only area in which he's marginally better, it's 60/58

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Messi is the greatest of all time without a shadow of a doubt like. You can't quantify what watching him is like imo

 

Agree.

 

I have got equal enjoyment from watching other players, Zidane and Pirlo for example, but the things Messi can do consistently are crazy.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I remember being in awe of Ronaldo very, very briefly at Barca and then only watching Football Italia on Sundays for him, watching him as a kid was incredible but it was short-lived. Messi makes me feel the same way and I'm not even a kid anymore, I can't imagine what it must be like watching him as a 10 year old, I honestly cannot get enough of watching his highlights or ramming on about him like.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Aye, Ronaldo was unbelievable as well. That clip where he skins the guy down the line at high speed with a little change of feet never gets old. He would just force his way to goals

[Mole_Toonfan]

Put it this way only Messi can be man of the match against City while not getting a goal or an assist.

 

He impacts the game in so many different ways, while Ronaldo if he's not scoring isn't really impacting the game at least nowadays anyway.

 

That's the difference, Messi doesn't even have to score to be the best performer on any given night, Ronaldo does.

 

Not to take anything away from him though, as he's one of the most lethal goalscorers I have ever seen and he deserves all the respect in the world for becoming the player he has.

 

I never in my wildest imagination saw this from Ronaldo when he first turned up in Manchester.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I also don't think that Ronaldo would be as good without the rivalry, I think Messi too to an extent. I actually thought Ronaldo was more impressive as a player for Man United, but at Real he's become more of a machine than before.

[Ronaldo]

Nah, sounds like you don't watch Madrid too often. He's been absolutely amazing for them.

[The College Dropout]

Ronaldo's much more than a goalscorer man.

 

I'm sure his assists over that period would put him in the top 5 in Europe, easily. Ronaldo was the difference in the CL QF. Important contribution again yesterday. People always under-rate him. No, he doesn't have that #10 element to his game but he does have the ability to play like a devastating winger. Attacking defences, crosses & cut-backs.

 

Aye, Messi is probably slightly better. But Ronaldo is insane. Over the last 20 years, his consistency is only surpassed or matched by one person.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Nah, sounds like you don't watch Madrid too often. He's been absolutely amazing for them.

 

Of course he has, but in terms of the 'magic' for want of a better word, I think back to him at Man United despite him not being as good there as he has been at Real Madrid. I think of him being more of a football machine now. Need to watch him more this season mind, I've hardly watched Real at all for about a year.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Ronaldo's much more than a goalscorer man.

 

I'm sure his assists over that period would put him in the top 5 in Europe, easily. Ronaldo was the difference in the CL QF. Important contribution again yesterday. People always under-rate him. No, he doesn't have that #10 element to his game but he does have the ability to play like a devastating winger. Attacking defences, crosses & cut-backs.

 

Aye, Messi is probably slightly better. But Ronaldo is insane. Over the last 20 years, his consistency is only surpassed or matched by one person.

 

You've invented that argument in order to make that point, so I'm not sure what the point was. The exact point that was being made was that Ronaldo cannot do the things that Messi does, there's no 'but' beyond that because that was the entire basis of the point.