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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest footballers of all time and are considered by many to be the two best players ever. They have both battled for supremacy for over a decade, and have amassed huge fanbases in the process.
The two have also won numerous individual awards. Cristiano Ronaldo has five Ballons D'Or and four European Golden Boots, while Lionel Messi has six of each.
However, the 36-year old Portugal superstar is coming to the end of his illustrious career. However, Cristiano Ronaldo still manages to play at the highest level, which was evident during the 2020-21 season. The forward showed that he still has a lot left in the tank, winning the Serie A top-scorer award, as well as the Golden Boot at UEFA Euro 2020.
Ronaldo bore the brunt of the outrage at Juventus's disappointing 2020-21 campaign, with many people associated with the club calling for him to be sold this summer. However, Massimiliano Allegri has decided to stick with the forward for the upcoming season. Lionel Messi, on the other hand, left Barcelona earlier this summer to join French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
It is up to Cristiano Ronaldo to prove his doubters wrong once again and prove to the world why he is still the best player in the sport. With Lionel Messi joining PSG, many will be wondering who will have a better campaign this season. So without further ado, here are
5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo will have a better 2021-22 season than Lionel Messi
#5 Massimiliano Allegri
Following Juventus's poor performance in the 2020-21 season, the club decided to sack Andrea Pirlo and reappoint Massimiliano Allegri as its new manager. The Italian previously coached the club between 2014 and 2019, during which the Bianconeri won the Scudetto every year and reached two UEFA Champions League finals.
Allegri is a manager of high tactical intelligence and man-management ability. The Italian has coached many superstars in the past and knows how to deal with players with big egos. He also knows how to get the best out of his squad, which was evident in the progression of players such as Paul Pogba, Juan Cuadrado and Paulo Dybala during his previous stint as manager.
With Allegri at the helm, Cristiano Ronaldo will now be used as the focal-point in Juventus's attack, as the Italian prefers to play with one target man upfront. The Portuguese forward thrives as the lone striker and should be the favorite to finish at the top of the goalscoring charts next season.
#4 He does not need time to adapt unlike Lionel Messi
A huge advantage Cristiano Ronaldo has over Lionel Messi for the upcoming season is that he will not need to adapt to the league or the team around him. The forward has lit up Serie A since his arrival and is expected to do the same in the 2021-22 campaign.
Lionel Messi, on the other hand, is in completely new surroundings and playing in a new system with new players around him. Although it is unlikely to take him too long to adapt, the Argentine will still have a settle-in period at PSG and in Ligue 1.
This gives Cristiano Ronaldo the edge heading into the season and could help the Portuguese superstar pull away in the race for some of Europe's biggest individual accolades.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo will want to make up for last season's embarrassment
Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus had an embarrassing 2020-21 season. The Turin-based club inexplicably finished 4th in Serie A and were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by Porto in the Round of 16 of the tournament.
Andrea Pirlo and Cristiano Ronaldo were made the main scapegoats for the club's shortcomings last season, with people associated with Juventus calling for both of them to leave the club this summer.
With Andrea Pirlo already gone, Cristiano Ronaldo will now have no choice but to step up and help Juventus reach their dominant best once again. It will be unacceptable if the Bianconeri repeat their disastrous performance from last season, and the Portuguese superstar will want to make sure that does not happen.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo is in the final year of his contract
At 36-years old, Cristiano Ronaldo is reaching the twilight of his illustrious career. Although it may be a few more years until he retires, the Portuguese superstar will know that his next contract will be the final big one of his career.
Ronaldo has one year left at Juventus, after which he will move to what will probably be the club where he retires. The forward will know that he has to play at a high level next season if wants the contract that he deserves.
Most clubs will not pay over the odds for a 36-year old, but if Cristiano Ronaldo proves he can still perform for Juventus at a high level, it is very likely he will have multiple suitors next summer.
#1 Lionel Messi has taken the spotlight
For much of this summer, Cristiano Ronaldo's future had been up in the air with people in and around football speculating about where the forward will end up playing next season.
However, with Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona sending shockwaves throughout the sporting world, Cristiano Ronaldo's future has now been put on the back-burner.
It is no secret that the Portuguese superstar loves the attention he gets from fans and footballers alike. But now, with everyone's eyes on Lionel Messi next season, Cristiano Ronaldo has even more of a reason to step up his game and outperform the Argentine in the 2021-22 season.
It wouldn't be out of character for Cristiano Ronaldo to go into next season with a new-found drive that will take his performances to the next level and he very well may outperform Lionel Messi by the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
