The contemporary history of the world's favorite game spans more than 100 years and it all began in 1863 in England. Since, the game has entertained millions of people across the globe and handpicking a few brilliant footballers is one of the most difficult tasks.
It has been a debate that will never end but it is a debate that will intrigue us forever. Every player who ever took the football field dreams and strives for a place among the best, because it is a fact known: History remembers only the greatest.
Who is the best football player in the world?
Ask anyone between 2010 and 2020 and you’d get one of two answers: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Today, we are all witnesses of one of the biggest sports rivalries in history, the one between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. These two soccer superstars are in their 30s now, but they still fall among the world’s best players, and they keep breaking each other’s records, scoring goals and winning big titles.
There is no definitive answer as to who is a better player between these two. Some prefer Messi, claiming that he is a better passer that possesses better dribbling skills, while others make an argument that Ronaldo’s athleticism and speed are unmatched.
It is measured that Lionel Messi scores a goal approximately every 138 minutes, while Ronaldo needs almost 15 minutes more than that. However, CR7 is the better player when it comes to penalty shots. He makes around 82% of his attempts, 5% more than Messi does.
Messi’s fans like bringing up the fact that his Barcelona is better when facing Ronaldo’s teams. Namely, these two players competed against each other 35 times over the past 11 years. Messi came out as the winner 16 times, while Ronaldo only celebrated 10 times. The games ended in a draw 9 times.
However, individually, Ronaldo can be proud of the fact that he scored 20 more goals than Messi in his career. Nevertheless, the Portuguese player is two years older than the Argentinian and had over 100 more appearances for his clubs.
However, the debate is shifting and these two unprecedented talents have entered the autumn of their careers. Next-gen superstars are making their presence felt and under-appreciated icons of the game are continuing to rack up marvelous performances.
Ronaldo and Messi have swung from tournament to tournament with more medals draped around their necks than their orthopedists would recommend. However, is their reign coming to a close?
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