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| [Greatest Of All Time] |
Everytime I read or hear people arguing about Cristiano and Messi, it sounds like another jab at the obvious truth. If we judge using only FIFA Best or World Player of the Year (Ballon d'Or) awards, then it is clear that Messi is supreme with six, the next one in line is CR7 with five while the third ones all have three. I wish Messi was a Gunner!
Pele is inadvertently the Greatest Footballer because he is the only player with three World Cup medals. When it comes to inter-club football, Lionel Messi is the Greatest because he is the only player who has scored in three FIFA Club World Cup Finals, winning all three plus other trophies with Barcelona.
Noone denies the fact that Cristiano scores many goals, even if they include many penalties, but there are over 20 players with more career goals than CR7. There are also players with more total cups won than Messi. The vote is always a fan preference debate, but comparing Cristiano to Messi is like comparing Miroslav Klose to Pele (Goalscoring Machines v Trophy Champions) and the argument keeps alternating.
What makes Messi more appealing is his humble sleekness, Mercedes Class. His dribbling is not mechanical but agile and he definitely can run naturally at full speed past four or five opponents. Cesc Fabregas thinks Messi is more talented plus complete "tactically and footballwise" than Cristiano.
Furthermore, Messi is not selfish. He believes in winning trophies as a team instead of individual accolades and assists his teammates immensely though he still wins the individual accolades anyway.
At a certain period, only Mesut Oezil provided more assists in Europe than Messi, but I guess he overtook the German.
Messi chooses his moments of brilliance meticulously making him exciting. Romario was deceptively sluggish but quick and lethal in the penalty box. Messi is a modern upgrade of Romario, still short in height but fast and lethal all over the pitch.
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| Messi and his wife Antonella arrive at the Zurich Venue to receive his 2015 Ballon D'Or... |
Even without a World Cup medal nor Copa America (the only two trophies to elude him), Messi is a very exemplary player because he brings quality to the beautiful game. He's an Olympic Gold Medalist (Beijing 2008) and won the Under 20 World Cup with Argentina besides winning a lot at the Nou Camp.
It is amazing that he started his senior club career with an unforeseen red card on his debut plus tears but now smiles and jubilates like a natural born champion.
Truth be told, Messi is the Greatest Club Footballer on Earth, Mars and nearby planets. Like he says, "You have to fight for what you want in life!"
Even this media-created rivalry with Cristiano will end someday. CR7 is a "goalscoring machine" but Messi has better all-time statistics in many areas and yet is two years younger. In 2018, Messi surpassed CR7 as the real Goal Machine with five European Golden Shoe Awards, one more than the Portuguese. In 2019, he extended the gap to two more and even won the UEFA Champions League Golden Boot (12 Goals), UCL Goal of the Tournament (v Liverpool in the 1st Leg of the Semis), UEFA Best Striker yet he is from South America plus FIFA's Best Men's Player of the Year for a record sixth Time (Debate Over).
He does not have to feature outside La Liga to prove himself. He has outclassed foreign teams in the UEFA Champions League for instance AC Milan, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, just to mention a few big ones. Messi actually has better statistics than CR7 against FIFA Top 50 Teams. In 2020, Lionel Messi became the First Footballer to win the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award.
As a Gooner, I did not feel hurt when Messi scored four goals in one game against Arsenal on Super Tuesday 6th April 2013. All I felt was: RESPECT! Arsenal only beat Messi once during a Game where Jack Wilshere overperformed in the Midfield; van Persie equalised and Arshavin netted the Winner from a Nasri Assist. Besides, the 2004 Invincible Gunners achieved immortality plus the 2005 FA Cup while facing Cristiano. Manchester United did melt my heart in 2010 during a Champions League tie at the Emirates but that was the Deepest I felt CR7's threat even though he is a great player, no Argument...
