FIFA President Gianni Infantino picks between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

What’s the story?

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi – football’s eternal debate has seen FIFA President Gianni Infantino voice his opinion, although the Swiss-Italian administrator was diplomatic when responding to the question. He picked the Portuguese star, saying “It has been great competition. Officially Cristiano is recognised as the best by FIFA.”

Previously

Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned FIFA’s Best Men’s Player of the Year in January, with the Portuguese star beating out Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann to the award. Ronaldo earned 34.54% of the vote, while Lionel Messi was not too far behind on 26.42%, despite Cristiano having a stunning year in terms of trophies, lifting the UEFA Champions League and Euro 2016.

The heart of the matter

Speaking in ‘Football Talks’, a conference organised by the Portuguese Football Association, Gianni Infantino was clearly aware of his audience when answering whether Ronaldo or Messi was better. He went on to explain what he truly felt about the rivalry, saying “I think there are big differences between Cristiano and Messi. They have different styles, they are physically different and are two incredible footballers. One year one is a bit better, the next year it's the other and it has been like that for the last 10 years.”

The duo have shared the Ballon d’Or / FIFA BEST award since 2008, with Messi leading his Portuguese counterpart 5-4. It seems that Messi is on track to regain the award yet again, as the Argentinian leads the race for Pichichi, with Ronaldo far behind. The Argentinian leads the way with 41 goals in 40 games this season (all competitions), while Ronaldo has 26 goals from his 34 games.

Parallels in history

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter infamously picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo, while also mocking the Portuguese star’s behaviour on the pitch. The disgraced former FIFA chief later apologised to Ronaldo over the remarks, which stands in stark contrast to Infantino’s diplomatic answer.

Author’s Take

Infantino’s opinion was typically diplomatic of the neutral Swiss administrator, as he copped out by using the word ‘officially’. Given the ire faced by Blatter in the past, it’s perhaps better judgement on Infantino’s part.