5 Reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi 

#5 His drive and determination to be the best

Ronaldo is a product of hard work

In terms of pure talent and footballing genius, Cristiano Ronaldo cannot light a candle to Lionel Messi's ability, or many others throughout history for that matter, but what he lacks in talent, the Portuguese international more than makes up for in drive and determination.

There is an abundance of stories highlighting Ronaldo's legendary work ethic, with teammates and coaches pointing out that he is usually the first at the training ground and the last to leave it.

Plenty of teammates have tried and failed to keep up with his training regime, while he also has strict dietary patterns that he follows to the letter.

This is in no way to suggest that Ronaldo is not talented, as there is only so far that hard work can take you without an iota of ability, but it is undeniable that hard work and dedication brought the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to the level he currently operates from.

By contrast, Lionel Messi is one of the most gifted players in history and few things give as much joy as watching him glide effortlessly across a lush green field with the ball seemingly glued to his feet.

The things Messi does with a football are almost unbelievable and the ease with which he does them shows that his talent in the game is at genius level.

Messi is so gifted that he is supposed to be playing at a different level to every other player in his generation, essentially as a god among men, but the fact that a mere mortal like Ronaldo was able to train his way to dine and wine at the same table with the gods is symbolic of how extraordinary a human being he is.