Remember back to the Ballon D’or? That picture of the 4 top contenders, Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi and Iniesta standing, waiting, and anticipating a decision. Whilst Ronaldo stood there and smugly smiled and posed for the camera, the Barca trio stood and contemplated their fate. Then there was the 2006 World Cup Quarter Final. Rooney stamps on Ricardo Carvalho. Cue Ronaldo to aggressively confront the ref (like a ‘typical German’, Sir Alex?) and get Rooney sent off. To pompously place the icing on the proverbial cake of hatred incitation he winked at the Portugal bench after these antics. Back in the start of the 06/07 season he was met with mass booing condemning his actions, and an array of abuse from the English press.
Then we have the boy Lionel. The little lad, the cheeky chappy is almost the opposite in his self-presentation. Quiet, withdrawn, an introvert of sorts, yet with this unimaginable talent on it. After the Arsenal game he didn’t gloat, he just wanted the ball he earned with his magisterial 4-goal performance. The opposition love losing to Messi, and respect his talent, whilst they always seem to be bitter when they lose to Ronaldo.
In terms of talent, there one word for Ronaldo. Tekkers. Whilst he has re-written the textbook in many ways, he is still supremely technical, but his way of playing isn’t always appreciating. Just imagine to yourself his running style, rigid, upright, streamlining his jaw for the extra half-yard of pace. How about another word – Robotic. It just isn’t natural, not like Messi. Leo has a natural free-flowing mantra that he stamps with very touch of a football. He will bring it so close to defenders they could touch it, but before they can think about it, he whips it away and leaves them for dust. A footballing style born out of South America, and loved by the world.
There was some criticism of Ronaldo at United that he didn’t shine in the big games, the Cup Finals. He was a stranger in Rome last year, whereas Messi was pivotal in the win. Cris has scored 3 times in Cup Finals (but missed a penalty against Chelsea in Moscow) whilst Messi has netted 5.
For their national teams, both are cornerstones, always willing to run at defenders in both cases, yet Messi often chooses to provide Tevez with the ball and let him do the scoring. Both are flair players, but are so in different way. It cannot be denied that they are breaths of fresh air; do we have to choose one? Well in the Ballon D’Or last year Messi achieved 240 more points than Ronaldo. Whilst a team sport, it has become clear now Lionel Andrés Messi is the undisputed footballing champion of the world right now. And at a mere 22 years old, with the current world at his feet now, he could have the world transcended through generations at his feet soon enough – and become the greatest ever.
I take sport on from an irreverent perspective – hoping to induce laughter and inspire nostalgia. We all have an opinion on the sole activity of a nation, the unification vacation that get us Brits talking, so this is mine, written from the terrace and behind the ropes.