7 differences between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

#5 Pace

Cristiano Ronaldo

One of the more lethal aspects of his game is pace. He can outrun almost every defender there is in world football. His incredible thigh muscle strength allows him to burst forward with long strides and cover a lot of ground in a very short space of time.

His running style is really advantageous when there is free space to run into. However, where the space is little, he can rarely function at top speed there.

Lionel Messi

While the Argentine is also quick, his sprinting style is a lot different than the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. He runs with short strides – as one can expect from looking at his height – and that allows him to twist and turn more and wreak havoc against defences.

This sprinting style is what allows him the extra yards and seem almost uncatchable.