Messi vs Ronaldo

[Craig_H]

Just for the record, after 21 league games, the top scorers in La Liga are:

19 - Eto'o (Barcelona)
17 - Villa (Valencia)
16 - Messi (Barcelona)
12 - Henry (Barcelona)

No wonder they're blitzing the league.

[McDermotX]

this is his 2nd goal from last weekend

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eusk40iAog

That lad couldn't finish his dinner.

Best player in the world..........Fact! (as Rafa would put it)
Plays the game the way it should be played unlike certain other "great" players out there.........even with the goal above, he stayed on his feet despite the trip..

Sorry secret Ronaldo fans, this fella is on a different level...........just imagine how much your senses would be assaulted by Sky if he was playing in the Premiership.....Hype certainly works for the other fella

[dww]

That's the key isnt it?

All the true greats of all time can point to at least ONE major international finals where they've shone.

Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Brazilian Ronaldo, Zidane, Moore, Lineker, Charlton, Baggio, Romario, Figo, Muller, Beckenbauer, Matthaus, Platini, Van Basten, Zico...the list is endless and they've all delivered on the biggest stage of all.

That's what Messi needs to do, and then he'll have ticked every box and will go down in history as one of the legends of the game.

Aye it does seem the barometer of real class. I agree with PTP that it is hard to see Messi not doing it at some point.

Ronaldo is an odd one to judge by these criteria as he often pops up with goals/assists in big games but they always appear to be set pieces and he rarely seems to have had a blinding game.

BTW for PTP: The last Copa America I watched was the one where Brazil somehow managed to get to the final, Argentina looked like gods all tournament until the final. Where they got beaten by a very dull Brazil team who had Alves on one of his godlike days. Messi's tournament IIRC followed almost exactly the trajectory of the Argentinian team.

[McDermotX]

Messi gets assaulted on a regular basis in Spain but still destroys opponents with his ability. Ronaldo gets a fraction of what Messi does, in terms of opponents trying to batter him, but he moans and whinges non stop.

Messi actually DOES get brutal treatment and just gets on with it. He barely whinges, whines or dives.
.

[Craig_H]

- i think he will - i do believe he missed the world cup through injury, or was injured but picked and wasn't really fit enough to play in the last world cup?

also messi could well have been a superstar in the copa america and we'd never know cause noone watches it haha

The Copa America isnt really the highest level though mate. Shy of Brazil and Argentina, the rest are fairly average.

[Craig_H]

That lad couldn't finish his dinner.

Best player in the world..........Fact! (as Rafa would put it)
Plays the game the way it should be played unlike certain other "great" players out there.........even with the goal above, he stayed on his feet despite the trip..

Sorry secret Ronaldo fans, this fella is on a different level...........just imagine how much your senses would be assaulted by Sky if he was playing in the Premiership.....Hype certainly works for the other fella

Nail on the ****ing head mate.

As he chests it down, he gets caught in the box, but he keeps his balance (reminded me a little of Maradona there) and went on to score.

Ronaldo would've gone down, clutching his knee and crying about it.

Greatness is about attitude and mentality as well as footballing ability.

[PTP]

Aye it does seem the barometer of real class. I agree with PTP that it is hard to see Messi not doing it at some point.

Ronaldo is an odd one to judge by these criteria as he often pops up with goals/assists in big games but they always appear to be set pieces and he rarely seems to have had a blinding game.

BTW for PTP: The last Copa America I watched was the one where Brazil somehow managed to get to the final, Argentina looked like gods all tournament until the final. Where they got beaten by a very dull Brazil team who had Alves on one of his godlike days. Messi's tournament IIRC followed almost exactly the trajectory of the Argentinian team.

so messi was god like all tournement except for the final when the whole team crumbled and he was marked by a god like performance from the right back.

[dww]

so messi was god like all tournement except for the final when the whole team crumbled and he was marked by a god like performance from the right back.

So basically he failed in the only big game of the tournament

[PTP]

So basically he failed in the only big game of the tournament

i don't know? i didn't watch it - but it do believe he went on to win young player of the tournement so he hardly flopped.

[wiw]

What was that tournament recently, was it the under 21s? Does that count as top level? He played an absolutely unreal pass, splitting about 6 players to set up someone. One of the best passes I've ever seen

[wiw]

What was that tournament recently, was it the under 21s? Does that count as top level? He played an absolutely unreal pass, splitting about 6 players to set up someone. One of the best passes I've ever seen

[JohnDoe]

If I had to pick one for my team, it would definitely be Messi.

Ronaldo's a moody cunt and not as reliable. One of the best still.

[lickedlollipop]

Messi is a genious!

[Joe King]

I can understand dww's case of Messi not influencing big games i.e. Manchester United however you haven't taken into account that Messi was far from his token best due to the amount of injuries he was carrying. Ronaldo had a perfect season last season, didn't suffer any bad luck and looked unbeatable in a very rugged United side.

More often than not, Ronaldo hasn't performed at the big occasions because he comes up against more shrewd managers and better defenders. As Sid Lowe said, Messi is not a football fan so he just gets the ball and runs without thinking about the consequences, not saying Ronaldo is a football man - far from it judging his ludicrous statements about his abilities.

Messi, this season is showing the form that we all knew he had. He was unlucky when Barcelona won the Champions League to not pick up a medal - I have no doubt in the next few years, Barcelona will win that title and Messi will be at the heart of it along with Xavi, Iniesta and possibly Eto'o.

Back to the original point of influencing big games, more often than not, Messi has picked up the Barcelona team from the scruff of the neck and won games especially recently from the bench (last week and Shaktar Donetsk) Ronaldo this season, hasn't had a real stand out performance and I think is feeling the pressure of being targeted from his opposition. Messi, on the other hand, shrugs it off and goes for the defender time and time again which is what football fans like about the little Argentinian - he is a throwback of the footballers of those from twenty or thirty years ago. Messi is the football fans dream player.

[Mike]

Messi is the better player, hands down.

His performance against Santander was amazing, 2 goals in 3minutes and he won the game for barca.

Defenders cannot get near him, you try and bring him down and he makes you look like a ****house as you sit on your arse and watch him drift away. Fantastic player.

I know who i would rather have in my team.