Messi vs Ronaldo – The Silent Rivalry

Rivalries happen when two closely matched opponents or teams meet face-to-face. They develop when both of them have similar goals in mind. In the case of sports, such rivalries have produced some of the best moments in sports competitions history, so it is no wonder why people love them and talk about them. It also explains why the media often fuel them with bombastic headlines usually massively supporting one or the other.

If you ask any sports fan who the greatest football player or today, or of the modern era, is, you will likely get one of two answers: Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Personal opinions aside – and since there are hardly rational sports fans out there – the guys at betting-sites.me.uk have put up some statistics with data from the last decade. Some numbers are shown just to get a glimpse of just how closely these two are matched.

Silent and Effective vs. Aggressive and Flamboyant

Such is the reputation of these players. Leo being the silent yet effective one, Ronaldo being aggressive with flashy moves. Also, sometimes the numbers are right. Leo received just one red card in his whole playing career, while Ronaldo has been sent to the locker room 53 times.

Let’s take a look at effectiveness. When it comes to success, both hold multiple records, with Leo slightly leading with 15 compared to Ronaldo’s 13. Their number for individual honours is the same. Skills such as dribbling, scoring, and passing analyzed by experts are virtually the same. Looking at team honours, Leo brought 21 to Barcelona, while Ronaldo brought 15 to Manchester United and Real Madrid combined. Most goals in one match? An equal and admirable 5. International success? Similar in appearances, goals, and assists. Whatever the stats tell you, there isn’t a club in the world which wouldn’t welcome these two with open arms.

From a more personal standpoint: Leo is married and has three children, while Ronaldo has four with multiple partners. Social media activity? That is one area where Ronaldo dominates, having a lot more followers than Leo: 160 million and 113 million respectively. Brand earnings, which amount to a large portion of modern era footballers income, is one area in which Ronaldo also leads. He recently signed a lifetime contract with Nike worth 1 billion dollars! And both own several brands to their name.

There Can Be Only One – And We Can’t Tell You Who That One Is

Even after all of this data, we doubt that we have changed many opinions. Let’s face it, football isn’t just about numbers. Some people like Leo’s a more tactical approach to football, some like Ronaldo’s out-of-this-world dribbling skills which are part of many Youtube videos.

But, the point is not to say who the greatest is once and for all, but to keep the stories going and to make people talk. All would agree that these two are at the head of the pack by far – and that the rivalry will be talked about for decades to come.

Infographic URL: https://betting-sites.me.uk/messi-vs-ronaldo-greatest/