5 things Lionel Messi does better than Cristiano Ronaldo 

#3 Playmaking

FC Barcelona v Elche CF - La Liga Santander

Lionel Messi's playmaking skills are much better than that of Cristiano Ronaldo's. Messi is a product of Barcelona's famed youth academy, La Masia. As a result, he has all the attributes one would expect from a great Barcelona player.

He has also been able to play with some of the best technicians in the game. Messi used to share the pitch with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr. not long back.

Messi has the ability to complement the styles of those around him. He also has an eye for a pass and his passing range is second to none. This has enabled Messi to always keep his playmaking skills at par with his goalscoring.

In 894 official matches in his club career, Ronaldo has provided 229 assists. That almost pales in comparison to Lionel Messi's 305 from 778 games.

Lionel Messi - Playmaking pic.twitter.com/KsUTojFS5p

— ً (@LSComps) April 1, 2021

#2 Freekicks

FC Barcelona v Real Betis Balompie - La Liga

This is quite an interesting point because Lionel Messi wasn't much of a free-kick taker in the first half of his career. In the recently concluded Copa America, Messi scored his 57th career free-kick. In doing so, he overtook Cristiano Ronaldo's haul of 56 free-kicks.

Ronaldo and Messi's free-kick techniques are completely different. While the former goes for power, swerve and dip, Messi's free-kicks are more about precision and swing. In recent years, the Argentine international has evolved into the best free-kick taker in the business.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo's free-kick taking powers seem to have waned in recent years and he is no longer considered a very reliable free-kick taker.

#1 Dribbling

FC Barcelona v SD Eibar SAD - La Liga

Dribbling continues to be one of Lionel Messi's strongsuits. He continues to be incredible at taking players on and beating them. Messi's dribbling has always stood out thanks to his immaculate control over the ball and the ability to take nimble touches on the ball. It often feels like the ball is glued to his feet.

When Cristiano Ronaldo first started making waves, he was famous for his quick feet and trickery. But over the course of time, Ronaldo has lost a yard of pace. Even though he is still extremely reliable with the ball at his feet, he is not as prolific at taking players on and beating them like he used to be.

Since 2014, Ronaldo has averaged less than two dribbles a game. Messi continues to average more than four dribbles per game. During his time at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo averaged a little more than four dribbles per game.

At the same time, Messi was playing under Pep Guardiola and he used to average just short of 9 dribbles per game.

Lionel Messi | Art of Dribbling pic.twitter.com/ic9vSUOebW

— #LM7 🐐🇦🇷 (@MessiStan02) July 19, 2021