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The Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate has divided the football community for the better part of a decade. Both players have had incredible careers and it has been a pleasure to watch their rivalry develop.
Particularly when they were both in the La Liga, any Barcelona vs Real Madrid game was must-see TV. They represent an interesting contrast in styles, with Messi reliant more so on skill and technique and Ronaldo combining a smooth skillset with a fantastic physical profile.
Whilst I’ve seen arguments for both players as the 'Greatest of All Time', I have to give the strong edge to Ronaldo. This isn’t to dismiss the accomplishments of Messi, but merely to rightfully pronounce Cristiano as our sport’s best ever player.
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Don’t just take my word for it. Throughout this article, I’ll take a comprehensive look at 4 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo has had a better career.
#1. Champions League domination:
Whilst Messi has been a consistently strong performer in the Champions League, he just hasn’t been at Ronaldo’s level. The Portuguese superstar has by far the most goals in the history of the competition, banging in 124 over his illustrious career.
Not only that, but he has also had more success in the competition in general. Ronaldo has also tasted Champions League success more often, lifting the trophy 5 times compared to 4 for Messi.
This included 3 straight victories with Real Madrid, who struggled mightily this season as soon as he departed. Having already won the trophy with Manchester United, he has his current Juventus side well-poised to take the trophy this season.
Should he continue to deliver epic performances like his hattrick against Atletico Madrid last time out, a 6th Champions League crown would further cement his dominance in this category.
#2. Success in 3 of Europe’s top leagues:
The fact that Messi has stayed his whole career in Barcelona isn’t a huge problem. Besides Manchester City, there are few clubs of similar stature he could conceivably go to for a new challenge.
That said, the fact that Ronaldo has done it in multiple leagues is incredibly impressive. In what is commonly referred to as the world’s best league, he was a key component of a dominant United side for a prolonged period.
The fact that he then had the ambition to go to Real Madrid is also remarkable. For the better part of a decade, he was the best player in La Liga, banging in 450 goals during his stay at the Bernabeu.
Even now in Serie A, his new club Juventus are flying. Comfortably top of the league and with a relatively simple Champions League quarter-final, big things could be coming for Juve this season.
#3. International trophies:
A black mark on the career of Lionel Messi has been his inability to succeed on the international stage with Argentina. He has been at the center of some high-profile failures, particularly in the Copa America of late. Things got so bad for Messi that he actually opted to retire, before finally coming to his senses.
In contrast, Ronaldo has had a storied career for both country and club. He has regularly given it all he has for Portugal, finally winning a major trophy in Euro 2016.
Perhaps the most impressive thing is that he has succeeded with a relative lack of talent in the Portugal squad. Whilst they do have some very promising young talent, they are clearly inferior to the teammates Messi has at Argentina. If their two nationalities were reversed, I’d argue that Argentina may have won a World Cup and Copa America in recent years.
#4. Performances on the big stage:
Cristiano Ronaldo is the textbook definition of a big-game player. He thrives under pressure and makes key plays in the biggest of moments. Look no further than his epic hat-trick against Atletico Madrid last month in an absolute must-win situation.
The moment that cemented this for me was Ronaldo's winning Champions League penalty against Atletico Madrid in 2016. Whilst a lot of his rivals have failed under this kind of pressure, Ronaldo continues to make his presence felt in the biggest of moments.
Messi just hasn't enjoyed the same success on the big stage as Ronaldo. A notable example of this was his penalty miss against Chile in the 2016 Copa America. Where Messi essentially cost his side a title, you have to think that the consistent Ronaldo slots this one home to lift the trophy.
