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The Messi vs Ronaldo debate continues to loom large over the football community. Whilst we should definitely appreciate the impact these men have both had on the sport, it’s tough not to compare their careers to date.
The two have had incredible careers both domestically and in Europe, but there are several key areas where Ronaldo has outperformed his rival. This is to take nothing away from Messi, who has had an incredible career and continues to have a very solid season in La Liga.
This definitely isn’t set in stone either. There are definitely realistic things Messi can do in the next few seasons to regain top spot. Without further ado, I’ll take a look at the 4 things Lionel Messi must do in order to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo.
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#4 Prove Himself in a Different League
One black mark on the career of Messi so far is that he’s only played in La Liga. He hasn’t tested himself in other leagues like Ronaldo, who has thrived in both the Premier League and the Serie A.
The gap between the Premier League and La Liga continues to rise each season and it’s clear Messi isn’t facing the best competition. Both Athletico and Real Madrid have fallen off this season, giving Messi a very clear path to the title.
Whilst this does add to his list of career accomplishments, it simply doesn’t do as much for his legacy as proving his talents in another league would. It would be fantastic to see Messi in the Premier League next season, proving himself against the world’s best and having success in the Champions League at the same time.
Perhaps even more impressive would be if he took up Ronaldo’s direct challenge and joined him in Serie A. If he could take a contender like Roma or Inter Milan and have them topple Ronaldo’s Juve for the title, this could do wonders for his legacy going forward.
#3 Overtake Ronaldo in Champions League Medals
Cristiano Ronaldo made history late last season by winning his 5th Champions League medal. Especially in recent seasons, he put the Real Madrid squad on his back and carried them to 3 straight Champions League triumphs. His monumental impact has been missed this term as Los Blancos fell to Ajax in the Round of 16.
Whilst Messi has 4 Champions League medals to his name, he only actually made appearances in 3 finals. This is admittedly an impressive accomplishment but still lags behind the incredible pace set by Ronaldo.
To overtake Ronaldo, Messi will need to win 2 more Champions League titles than his Portuguese counterpart over the remainder of their careers. Both men have a shot again at the title this season, facing relatively weak quarterfinal opposition. That said, surging English sides like Man City and Liverpool will provide some very stiff competition in the coming seasons.
#2 Lead Argentina to a Major International Title
Another area where Ronaldo has clearly outperformed Messi over the years is on the international stage. Not only does he have 20 more international goals than Messi, he also led his side to a major tournament win in Euro 2016.
Given some of his incredibly talented teammates, you’d think Messi would’ve been able to lead this Argentina side to some major titles. They’ve come close a few times, finishing as Runners-Up in the 2014 World Cup, as well as 2007, 2015, and 2016 Copa America tournaments.
That said, Messi has seemingly crumbled in some of the biggest moments of these tournaments. He was relatively lackluster in the 2014 World Cup Final and delivered an epic penalty miss in the 2016 Copa America loss to Chile. Given that the Euros are somewhat more prestigious than Copa America, Messi’s best bet to overtake Ronaldo would be leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022.
#1 Become the all-time leading Champions League goalscorer
The statistics suggest that Messi and Ronaldo are clearly the two best Champions League players of all time. Whilst he does admittedly have more appearances, Ronaldo still sits 16 goals above Messi, scoring 124 compared to 108 from his Argentine counterpart.
With both of these men expected to stack league titles in the coming seasons, dominating the Champions League will have a huge impact on their respective legacies. In addition to overtaking him in Champions League medals, gaining the Champions League goals record would be a strong argument in Messi’s favor.
Given some of the incredible talent he has alongside him at Barcelona, this is a realistic possibility for Messi. Should he manage to eclipse the 150-goal mark, this could very well put him ahead of Ronaldo. Until then, it’s safe to say Ronaldo has had a much better Champions League career to date.
