I am reading a lot of articles about who is better between Ronaldo and Messi. Obviously, this has been a long debate and no useful conclusion has ever been drawn.
Before I begin the comparison, let us just state the assumptions so that everybody starts on the same level, i.e, that everybody is on the same page.
The assumptions I will be making when comparing Ronaldo and Messi for the season 2010-2011 so far are#
- Both are great players and probably two of the best of their generation so if someone (for example Borris Becker) proves that one player is better than the other one, this does not mean that the other player (ie Messi or Ronaldo) are poor players. They are still better than the rest of the world. We are talking “relatively” here.
- Both are at that stage of their career where most of their skills on the ball are perfect so we are not going to go into the debate of whether Messi is faster or Ronaldo.
Not many is the answer. His highest tally of goals throughout his career is 15. Which is by no means a hard mark to achieve or even beat so does that mean Zidane was not as good as say someone like Luis Fabiano or even Messi, so regularly score over 25 goals a season and 35 goals a season respectively.
Again, I do not think so. So I think we should not rank players on the basis on pure number of goals and assists. One should always judge by watching actual matches and then observing the impact of the player.
I think on this note. Ronaldo is a better player than Messi in the sense that he has more impact on the field of play than Messi and that is more because Messi plays in a team that is filled with Superstars and less because Messi is so good. He is very very good.
But if you look at the matches of both Barcelona and Real Madrid. You would see that C.Ronaldo is much more of a team player than Messi. Ronaldo has sacrificedhisstyle of play, all those years of mesmerizing the defenders with his step overs and what not are gone now, just because he wants the team to do better and not himself only.
Messi, has therefore not changed his game at all and that is not to say that he needs to change at all. He is a complete player in the sense that he has perfect control of the ball and has unmatched speed. Ronaldo is a complete player in the sense that he can do everything and that is the edge that Ronaldo has over Messi, he can contribute to the team in so many more ways than Messi can.
But we all know that Messi is so good that he does not need to do many things in order to be useful. His speed and dribbling alone are enough to make him one of the all time greats.
This season we have seen that Mourinho has basically used Ronaldo as a sort of a decoy. While he has scored a lot of goals and the ball always go to him whenever there is a counter attack (that is the only way you can play as a team when you have someone has fast as Ronaldo on your side) , in most games he just runs around with 3 markers on him and makes space for other Real Madrid players.
With Messi, we see that he rarely makes sacrificial runs for his teammates but again, the fact comes that he does not need to. Atleast not at the moment.
Here are the statistics so far for the season for both players.
Messi : 19 goals in 16 games.
Ronaldo: 13 goals in 17 games.
So even though Ronaldo is not getting the media attention when it comes to scoring lots of goals, we clearly see that he is not far behind Lionel Messi after all. Add to that the fact that Barcelona’s game play is suited to Messi’s style. It augments his already massive skill on the ball.
I do think that Messi has the better control , better sense, better dribbling and better vision for the game than Ronaldo and not to mention the fact that Messi is younger than Ronaldo.
That is why Barcelona win their away games with relative ease. It always goes this way, Messi takes the ball in the 15nth minute and produces a moment of magic or two and Barcelona go 0-2 up away in the 32nd minute. The rest of the game they just play around with the opponents.
While for Real Madrid the situation is pretty different. Real Madrid has to work very hard in order to get results away from home because Ronaldo is marked pretty tightly and he cannot move around as he likes too. Ronaldo tries hard to produce a magic of his own but he is not able to do so on the same scale as Messi.
Messi is far more consistent than any other player on the planet in terms of producing unbelievable moments in any given match at any given time. Even Ronaldo is not that consistent, he tries hard but somehow I get the filling that Ronaldo has a cap to the amountof3damage he can do. His potential is not unlimited, whereas for Messi, sometimes you wonder if he has any cap at all.
It is also true that both are not (yet) at the level of Figo, Zidane or the old Ronaldo. These were players who performed on the biggest stages did it while they were pretty young (except Zidane you can say) and they scored magic goals against teams like Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid (yeah Real Madrid) in tournaments like Champions League and crucial stages in the league as well.
I do not remember a big match where Messi has produced magic apart from that Classico couple of years ago against Real Madrid which Barcelona drew 3-3 and Ronaldo. Oh well, we all know how well he performs in big match (just kidding!!!).
This post could get very very long and I will probably need some more posts in order to establish who has been the most effective player so far.
At this moment, I think it is Ronaldo but I also think, in fact I know, I would choose Messi over Ronaldo any day right now. One other point I totally forgot to mention was the fouls committed on Ronaldo and Messi this season.
For some bizarre reason, Ronaldo gets hacked at more times than Messi. That is really amazing since Messi runs with the ball at his feet going past defenders more than Ronaldo. Ronaldo has changed his style a bit and now looks for the killer passes as well along with his own thing with the feet.
I think the reason for that is, Messi goes past players with his dribbling, not with his trickery. Ronaldo goes past players with his trickery and that is why he gets fouled a lot more. Messi is even difficult to make a foul at. He is very very fast. Messi changes his direction a lot more than Ronaldo which enables him to go past players with relative ease and that is also the reason defenders are unable to have a hack at him.

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to be the best and to be the best you have to beat the best, the best is Messi.
Ronaldo mostly, beats players with his step overs or that behind the leg trick (cannot remember its proper name) and most of the team when a players gets tricked into going the other way, as a last resort, he pulls Ronaldo down either by pulling his shirt off or by having a hack at his legs.
So Ronaldo’s effectiveness is also hampered by the fact that defenders are able to foul him more than they are able to foul Messi and that again is a credit to Messi’s genius.
I will be updating the rivalry between the two. One thing is for sure and that is, both want to be the best in the world and that both want to beat each other at everything in football. Right now, Messi is winning the battle, but the war is not over.
Update: 31-12-2014

Thanks to Ivan from Guarantee Tickets for the Info graphic on Messi vs Ronaldo. Originally this was posted here http://guaranteetickets.com/blog/messi-vs-ronaldo-infographic
this makes no sense, have u seen how messi is a team player, while ronaldo is selfish. and have you seen how messi is comparedto maradona or pele or how he has got three player of the year awards? Messi’s goal is to get as good as pele. ronaldo’s is to get as good as messi. and now, most people say that messi IS better than pele
I agree with you my guy this makes no sense messi is more of a team player unlike Ronaldo please just get your facts right
Hi Sipho.
Thanks for the comment.
Messi is definitely a team player. But only if the team is helping him as a player.
Ronaldo can fit into any system.
Messi can’t.
That’s the difference.
wow..messi is better.he is the one who can do unbelievable things in a needy time. remember the games which barca plys with big teams ,always messi is outshining and precious foot baller ….remember alex ferguson in the 2010/11 champions league final.he cant even control his body position.and he says” messi is un controllable player..”
you forgot to mention the trophies
messi is cleaver then ronaldo
becasue he took alot of cups for BARCELONA
I won’t deny that Messi is a gr8 player but I think some people are forgetting dat Messi plays as a striker and Ronaldo currently plays as a midfielder so Messi only strikes for the goals and Ronaldo plays way back and builds up goals.If Real Madrid play him at strike he can outplay Messi. CR7 > LEO MESSI
totally bias…messi is better as a solo player, as a team player. He is very humble as a person and a very good personality. CR7 is just a proud person. He could not continue with his step overs not because he changed his style of play but because he met with a better side that won’t fall prey to his tricks.
Messy is way better…you know that deep down inside you. Anytime both players meet messi ALWAYS have the edge.
Both of them show there game at the pitch but in my mind Messi is the best because he make many goals and does whatever it take for barcelona to win and not selfish for pass at all.Ronaldo and the goal are like twins whenever he has the ball in position the opponent fear for a hat trick
Messi is the best. He is the reason I watch football!
can some one please tell me the stats for how long it took messi to get 100 and how long it took Ronaldo?
Ronaldo best
haha did u see when other players score when Madrid plays with other teams?he is always unhappy.u know why ?b/ce he is selfish.please guys don’t compare messi with ronaldo. messi is the gratest player of the earth.
you can’t say that messi is better because he scored 4 goals vs arsenal. c. ronaldo also scored the same aginst racing de santander.
IF you dont proud ………ALL the 65 % football lovers like MESSI ……HE is really top and
best
fahim
i would say messi is better purely for the fact that he is more consistent and able to perform at his best on the biggest stages (this is what ronaldo can’t do due to his poor footballing attitude on the pitch). however ronaldo is a fantastic footballer , his trickery and free kicks make for good viewing when he has a good game.
ronalo is better than messi he is fast feeted by his step overs or signature skill the ronaldo can beat defenders easily ronaldo is good in all foot ball tricks freestyle freekick, on ground skills
messi is the best and always will be ronaldo aint better because of his selfish games he would much rather score for himsels than past the ball to a open player you can even see in the status messi got twice as many assist than ronaldo
ala and all messi is best…………………………………..
messi will never live up to ronaldos skill
u damm rite he wil neva cz he is beter den ronaldo
Ronaldo has no footballing brain…
messi is the best
Messi is a more complete footballer. Ronaldo is a more complete ATTACKER. and what bullshit messi has the best balance you’ve ever seen. search up Messi doesnt dive. and then search Ronaldo dives.
In my opinion. Messi… winner FIFA ballon d’or 2011!
and btw. Why would messi go to EPL? does he want to? does he need to? and have you seen how messi dominating EPL big teams on his own? even while losing?
And messi out performs ronaldo easily if you look at big matches where messi ends up as man of the match playmaking, dominating, scoring against the big guys.
Such a little guy, but still the biggest that you will ever see.
Ronaldo is easly better he is stonger and better at shooting (free kick), messi is just fast and good ball control and go’s down easy because he is weak
joe i dnt tink u no wot u talking about
messi is best but ronaldo is best of best
Ask Messi to strike a free kik or a header or a shot wid right foot or a long range shot
Ans Nooooooooooooooooooo always
Heheh Best player in the world my foot
you are not ashamed of yourself, which fan are you?madrid, chelsea or manU.take it or leave it, messi will be crown the next world best player.
Messi is a far better player than Ronaldo. Some of the comments in this are completely untrue. Example, Ronaldo is a more complete player? Messi is play-maker as well as a goal scorer his passing, vision, movement, dribbling, speed, finishing, determination and even his long shots are so accurate and always catches the keeper out. He uncompareable to any other player. Ever
i believe in all ramifications messi is better than ronaldo and crowned best
ronaldo SUCKS! messi……..SUCKS! I………..ROCK!
ronaldo is not a goal scoring person but messi scores goals everytime so dont think messi is the best.still ronaldo takes the battle of so messi not equal to ronaldo if compared
wow i think most of world ronaldo;funs are doesn’t watch any game in 2010&211 ….the question is answerd in 2009”man utd vs barsa” in this season ronalo is a king in p.league but in that game he can’t do any thing with out untargeted shoots…….
ronaldo must lernt this qualities from messi .i.e how to pass balls ,how to play impressive game for pleasure of the funs, and many un belivable tactics. messi is the best of best’s he can world’s best player atleast for the next 2& 3 years……surly….this is never do by any man
messi is better than ronaldo in d aspect of goal
i think ronaldo is best then messi
and another reason ronaldo gets fouled more than messi is, i believe, because ronaldo dives at the slightest touch from a defender, while messi fights on. some one search for “messi dont dive” on youtube and you get a picture of what am talking about. secondly, i dont think messi more selfish than ronaldo, if selfish at all. come to think of it, messi leads the la liga assists charts, that alone goes to show that he is a more team player than ronaldo. but at the end of it all, both players are just nothing short of incredible. Messi=pilot, CR7=co pilot
I think ronaldo and messi are equal even though ronaldo scored a goal for real madrid in the copa del rey final.
I like both of them but as per my 5 years observation i found messi is not only best player in the but too he is the best person but ronaldo doesnot accept other player is better then he thinks that he is everything i hate him very much when he is acting like he can do everthing and 100% it is marked ronaldo is vry much jealous of messi because messi is only player who made his popularity go down.
about that last topic about fouls…I believe that Ronaldo gets fouled more than Messi simply because, in my opinion, messi is like air and ronaldo is like water….by this I mean that messi gets through those tight spaces and ronaldo kicks the ball farther out and has to rescue it by putting his leg first and receiving the kick…now don’t get me wrong it’s a foul but ronaldo gets it by himself…all in all they are both great and nobody is like either…maybe just nani like ronaldo but who for messi.
I think Christiano is the world`s best player at the moment.
ronaldo d bst d bst n d bst
this is a real madrid blog…so am not gonna comment…but always remember that when messi retires he will definitely become the best player to have graced this planet…………
ronaldo is never comparable with messy.ronaldo should learn football from messy.messy is a icon.
remember that messi is the play maker while ronaldi is selfish goal scorer
ronaldi haha but yeah its just how you said it
I respect Zidane, Figo and Senior Ronaldo. I agree, that Zidane and Senior R are among the best of the bests. But I donot agree on Figo. Also, Messi and C Ronaldo are more successful than Figo.
Also, Zidane is not the only one best as mid fielder. What abt Maradona and others…??
Hi guys.. i just feel Ronaldo is better.. I mean he has scored 31 goals in 34 games in 07/08 premier league season. Premier league is the ultimate league.. if u succeed there… u just have gotta be the best player…. Messi hasn’t gone there yet.. Messi is not taking the challenge which surprises me… he wants to remain in Barca for life.. Whaa… U have gotta play for the BPL and succeed there if u are the best player.. Ronaldo has done that task .. Messi hasn’t .. So i’m not saying anything now.. We’ll talk when Messi goes to BPL and lets see how well he plays there… And I’m a die-hard CR7 fan… But .. Let Messi play in BPL… Lets see guys.. 🙂
You don’t have to play in the vastly overhyped Premier League to be the best player. Look at Pele, Maradonna, Zidane, Figo, Maldini, Xavi, Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, etc…
Come on dude … what are u talking about .. u dont necessarily hae to play in BPL to be the best. Its the overall performance that matters. FIFA Player of the year and Ballon D’or are the proof at the end of every season. Thats It !
The second thing is that … Messi doesn’t plays for other clubs. Yes !
But did even tried to find the reason. No, because you are a die hard CR7 fan !
If you ever have a peek at his early life … definitely, you’ll get the answer.
you are talking s***!!! come and take him to epl ,let us see how it will work.messii is the best.
so you are saying that pele too is nothing as he only palyed for brazilian club
CR7 is a great player but MU win with and without CR7. so this can’t be use as measurement that CR7 is better than Messi just be cause he win the EPL.
It was Messi who made the then EPL champions Manchester United bite the dust not once but twice in Champions League finals. Where did Ronaldo go when Messi was scoring cor Barca at the first final encounter. I could clearly remember Ronaldo gesturing as if “don’t worry” to his team mates when Barca scored the first goal. But Messis header not only sealed the match but also zipped overspoken Ronaldo’s mouth.
ronaldo is the greatest player to ever be on d surface of this earth
no man; try to see how messi runs the show……….
that is bullshit messi is better
messi owns ronaldo… are you from earth?
i disagree with HalaMadrid when he says that madrid depends less on ronaldo than barca on messi. as far as this season is concerned it has been the complete opposite. but great blog!, xtremely unbiased and honest 🙂
I am surprised by and much appreciate your honesty about this topic, inspite of being a RM fan. Thumbs up boss.
Both are great players. Nobody can match the speed and power of Ronald and he is brilliant with free kicks. But with the ball close to his feet, Messi’s speed and his ability to change directions is mind blowing. His vision for producing and receiving (the telepathy with Xavi) great passes is much more than excellent. Messi doesnt produce many tricks on the pitch, unlike Ronaldo. Since Football is a beautiful game, here the bonus point goes to Messi as he passes the ball into the goal. BOth of them are great scorers too. But at least 35% of Messi goals are not typical calls, there is a kind of artistry behind it, which makes this kid an eye kandy.
In contrast I can only laugh at dives of Ronaldo. I would pay to watch both of them, any day.
Hala Madrid!
Yeah agree with it
Been reading your blog frequently though never commented. It’s so hard to find English blogs on Real Madrid. Not many around. You are in my bookmarks! See if you can host your blog link with other bloggers and vice-versa. That way you can get more traffic as well I feel.
As far as Messi v Ronaldo is concerned, I will agree with your remarks. And to add to it I feel Farcelona depend more on Messi than Madrid does on Ronaldo.
Messi 4-1 Arsenal. Messi singlehandedly tore Arsenal, remember?
I do not think that you are the best because you do not have game tactics.
I thought this post would have been biased (wasn’t even planning on reading it)since it is on a real madrid blog, but I stand corrected. You’re spot on. In the end both of them have their plus and minus, we are just lucky that they are in the same league competing. I don’t like Real but I respect them and thats why I watch them to see how they improved. This is the first classico that I believe Barca could go down. But Cheers. We shall wait and see. Catalan Blood for life.
“May the Gods keep the wolves in the Hills and the women in our Beds!”