Cristiano Rolando Vs Lionel Messi: The GOAT Dilemma
Dribbles entertain you, goals win you matches and trophies. Perhaps the most difficult situation you can ever be in life is having to choose who the GOAT is between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Think about it too deep and you end up catching an incurable migraine and eventually go insane.
A hundred people might be good at doing a particular thing. From the hundred, there would be the top ten, then the best three and definitely the standout. There cannot be a tie. Although sometimes we find it hard to choose the overall best, with two or three people seem to be in a tie. However, there will always be the best, the last man standing.
Who Is The GOAT? CR7?
In today's soccer world, choosing the best player seems to be a pain in the arm. Funny, the best player happens to be the Greatest of All Time. In fact, having to choose between the two GOATs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is practically inexplicable. After judging the two with an open mind, we eventually pick one over the other because we love him the more. That is a pure sentiment.
Let's Talk About "Ronaldo"
The name "Ronaldo" is not just a random name in the football world. Many of the icons to have graced the game bore this name and hence, it has become a symbol of total perfection, legendary and pure talent. It has as well, become a burden. No one expects a player with the name "Ronaldo" to play soccer like an amateur.
Hey! Are you for real? Ronaldo means machine! A soccernator. A cyborg. A robot. Okay, enough of all that.
Before CR7 rose to the stardom were insane players of soccer in Nazarius De Lima Ronaldo and Ronaldo de Assis Moreirasimply and commonly known as "Ronaldinho". Of course, there are more of them. These two were millions of miles away.
Image sourceWith hundreds of professional goals for clubs and country, De Lima was seen as the man gifted enough to fill the void left by the legendary Pele. This is a man with the physique of a rugby player, weighing several pounds but could still move at speed of sound. Oh okay, that is hyperbolic, he was no M16 nor AK47. Yet, his pace and intelligent movements with the ball is insane. Same as his sight for goals. Legendary.
Then came Ronaldinho, arguably the most skillful player the soccer sphere has ever seen. If you think otherwise, lock up yourself and shoot yourself. He scored wonderful goals for Brazil and have countless inexplicably insane skill displays wearing the number 10 jersey for Barcelona.
These two, together with the Portuguese Ronaldo raised another debate on who the real Ronaldo is among the three. Well, the later has taken it fro where tho two left it and beyond, becoming the greatest player of all time.
Is there any scorer more ruthless than CR7?
When it comes to goal-scoring ability, no one comes near Ronaldo. He is the most ruthless scorer out there. He could score with all parts of his body; left foot, right foot, head, backheel, chest, name it! We even easily forget that he was a wing-back in his early days, then a winger before perfecting his way into the finest striker.
You cannot argue with the records
Simply put; he breaks records, even the ones set by himself.
CR7 has scored the most goals in the modern game having 700 career goals for both clubs and country. He has scored 95 goals for Portugal over 115 appearances from 2003 to this moment. He could make it a century in the coming European games.
He has a record-high 127 UCL goals, 15 more than his closest rival, Messi. What is more, CR7 has more UCL trophies than any player (5), since the competition was renamed, with more decisive goals (over 60 knockout goals).
In all, he has scored 605 goals over 814 appearances for four clubs in different leagues. 5 goals over 31 apps for Sporting CP, 118 goals in 292 apps for Manchester United, 450 goals in 438 apps for Real Madrid and 32 goals in 51 apps for Juventus.
Talking of trophies? You may get tired of counting
There is less value for goals when you do not have trophies to show for them. Trophies follow CR7 everywhere. Even before leaving Sporting CP where his career began, he on Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira with them in 2002.
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His 118 goals for Manchester United yielded 3 back-to-back English Premier League trophies(between 2006 and 2009), 1 FA Cup, 2 Football League Cups, 1 FA Community Shield, 1 UCL title and 1 FIFA Club World Cup.
A record 450 goals for Real Madrid brought about 2 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey, 1 Supercopa de España, 1 UCL titles in 5 years, 2 UEFA Super Cups and 3 FIFA Club World Cups.
His 32 goals for Juventus have already brought him two more trophies in Italiana Scudeto and Supercoppa Italiana.
Again, Ronaldo has something to show for his goal exploits with Portugal. He led the team to a UEFA European Championship glory in 2016, scoring important goals and playing a huge coach role despite being injured in the final. As well, his hattrick as Portugal met Netherland in the semi-final of the UEFA Nations League helped them with another European crown. He is responsible for the current rank being enjoyed by the team that was underdogs for a long time in Europe.
Individual awards? Simply phenomenal
Is there anything more beautiful than looking at Cristiano Ronaldo individual awards? Perhaps the only thing hotter than CR7 is his trophy closet.
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5 Ballons d'Or, 5 FIFA World Player of the Year, 1 FIFPro World Player of the Year, 3 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, UEFA Club Forward of the Year, 2 FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year, 4 European Golden Shoes, FIFA Puskás Award, 12 times FIFA FIFPro World11, 12 UEFA Team of the Year, FIFA World Cup Dream Team, FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball, 3 FIFA Club World Cup Silver Balls and so many more.