Page 3 - Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo - 2018 Ballon d'Or Race (H2H Battle, Stats Comparison)

#2. UEFA Champions League

Juventus v Real Madrid - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One — Can you remember this fantastic Cristiano Ronaldo's goal?

The UEFA Champions League is Europe's most coveted trophy, and it has played vital roles in deciding the winner of the Ballon d'Or for the past few years. The tournament has been fantastic this season with a lot of giant clashes, magic moments and interesting events.

As usual, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the forerunners, but the Portuguese superstar has been the better player in the competition. In fact, Ronaldo has reinstated his stand as one of the greatest players the tournament has witnessed, with many unbelievable displays this year.

The winger has been the best player in the Champions League so far and is currently the top goalscorer in the competition. He has already scored 15 goals and bagged 3 assists to lead Real Madrid to the semi-finals, as they attempt to defend the trophy for a record consecutive third time.

Lionel Messi has also been a brilliant player in the Champions League this season scoring 6 goals and assisting twice. However, the Argentine failed to inspire his team as they were disqualified from the competition by Roma in the quarter-finals.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Anirudh Menon