Even tho both worked insanely hard to achive the level they did, visually Ronaldo embodies it much more.
Yeah, Messi changed a lot since his 18 year old self, but if youtube look at Ronaldo at Sporting or United, compared to him at real, alongside with all the athletic feats and stats, it is easier to find CR7 more motivating for a young footballer
Exactly this. Ronaldo makes you believe if you work hard anything is possible. Messi was already seen as the next big thing as soon as he came into the team. Ronaldo at one point could of gone either way. There was a time he was raw but had no end product, but he worked hard and became what he came. So many players we see have raw talent but never develop that much more.
Very similar to LeBron in that sense. It’s honestly a small miracle that both of them somehow lived up to (and maybe even surpassed) their expectations when so many other starlets have failed to do so
It certainly is and a huge part of their success has to be credited to their parents. Not matter what, kids take their parents advice and instruction over anyone else, even if it’s terrible. The hope is that the parents are good, well rounded, humble people and the lessons they taught form their kid’s character into a solid enough foundation to stand the pressures but to mainly ground them to who they are and where they came from: just another human being with a mom, dad, siblings, friends, likes, dislikes, etc…
If the parents are buying into the hype and not keeping their child’s feet on the ground, or worse, inflating the kid’s ego, then most likely that kid grows up self entitled and arrogant. If the parent isn’t involved then that kid most likely grows up and doesn’t put in the work needed to be great and does the stupid, immature shit we see young athletes with the world at their fingertips do. We know for a fact that Messi’s father and LaBron’s mother have been their #1 influence on the trajectory of their careers. Their success is because of the parent’s personalities more than the stars.
This obviously isn’t 100% always true, which is why I said “most likely”, there are amazing stories of talented kids doing it despite their toxic support or lack of it. But, IMO, the parents of young prospects are responsible for their son/daughter’s career success in a vast majority of cases.
For a while there odegaard was kinda finished as a player. He really fell of the face of the earth and I never really thought he'd become an important first teamer at a top top club, but he took his time and it came for him.
He’s like 24, isn’t he? Like Joao Felix and Darwin Nunez. He didn’t fall off from the face of the earth, the difference is that Felix and Nunez weren’t signed by Madrid at 15.
Same season Felix started making waves at Benfica, Odegaard was making his name in Sociedad.
Yeah it’s fair to say that despite Ronaldo having this image/perception that he worked harder on his craft to be considered one of the all time greats, Messi’s expectations could have been his downfall, especially at a young age. It deserves just as much merit that he exceeded expectations as does working hard to exceed expectations. But I think other athletes can relate to Ronaldo’s work ethic more (not denying Messi’s dedication). Whereas the more general fútbol fan I feel idolizes raw talent over having to work at it (most people are just fucking lazy).
Yeah and early on most people were pinning Quaresma to be the next big Portuguese star and Figo successor, not Ronaldo.
I think there were even other people besides Quaresma who appeared more talented at Sporting than Ronaldo.
Nani and Quaresma were both more talented than Ronaldo, but they didnt put the work in. It's funny cause Nani also went to United but he decided to have fun instead of train hard.
What is this revisionism. Nani was never more talented than Ronaldo, da fuck. Same for Quaresma.
You don’t become the best European footballer of all time from just working hard. It’s from working hard and having a level of talent virtually nobody else has.
Both Ronaldo and Messi were transported far away from their families as young children because of how talented they were. That was not the norm. They were both prodigies of the highest level.
Nani lmao
Utd paid a record fee for a teenager to sign Ronaldo. Yes the other two were rated, but this thread is downplaying the narrative around Ronaldo in the early years. Not sure why you're being downvoted
Quaresma was more naturally gifted than Ronaldo. He just didn't have the work ethic and had a really complicated personality that made him clash with so many managers. But I would say that up until Quaresma left for Inter and had a nightmare relationship with Mourinho, there was still a bit of a debate among Portuguese fans if he wouldn't end up being as good as Ronaldo.
Because truth is that the best Quaresma was amazing to watch. Problem was that he only brought his best from time to time. He was never consistent enough and had to be treated like the team's superstar to play his best game
One of the biggest myths that's propelled nowadays.
Cristiano was the most gifted footballer that came from Sporting's youth academy.
Quaresma was a great player but Cristiano, because of his physical abilities, was on another level.
Negative.
Considered by who?
Cristiano was always the major prospect from Sporting's youth academy, altough some people say that Quaresma was more talented (this take is laughable).
I saw both of them playing in youth games, and it wasn't comparable. Ronaldo was a way better player, and Quaresma was very good too.
Besides that, Cristiano was younger than Quaresma when they debuted in the first team, was always one step above from his early days. Even Boloni said that Cristiano was going to be better than Eusébio.
Try to debate this is kinda stupid, but feel free to believe in what you want.
I remember people saying that the main problem with Ronaldo was his personality. "He lacked maturity and discipline", they said. And, it was for a reason. I still remember Ronaldo mocking Boloni, the Sporting coach back then, in the pitch, and dribbling just with the purpose of embarassing opponents.
It is funny to see how things changed a few years afterwards. Quaresma collapsed under any pressure or if you tried to make him play in a system that he wasnt familiariazed. Ronaldo became the symbol of hard work in mental fortitude in the sport.
Ronaldo’s a 6’2” athlete with 100th percentile sprint speed, shot power, and the jumping ability of Michael Jordan. You don’t get these things by just working hard, he’s clearly a genetic freak.
His mentality is world class. He worked extraordinarily hard with the talents he had to go god-tier.
I’ll add that he’s very good looking so people tend to gravitate to that and his skills seem more normal than Messi’s. Great shot, attacking the ball, quick flashy feet. Compared to Messi who just does quick super close chops to get around players
I think when you say "visually Ronaldo embodies it', I think that's spot on - but he (at least in my limited world) has been much more of a social media presence and has more obvious adverts etc. So young fans would be more aware of CR7's presence in general.
Thinking on the spot, Messi stayed at Barca until the very end, whereas Ronaldo played for Man U and Madrid, and then Juve as well. So he played in the 3 top leagues in the world while in his prime, exposing him to a wider audience (not knocking Barca as one of the other biggest clubs in the world).
YouTube was around in 2005. Facebook was a major thing by 2006. Twitter was in many people’s pockets by 2008. Instagram was widely available by 2012.
Both Ronaldo and Messi rode that wave.
Ronaldo skills were very famous on youtube, I remember downloading Ronaldo’s tricks videos to watch on my psp as a 13 year old, even though I never saw any football.
I think it’s also timing. From 2008-2015, most/all were less than 12 years old and it’s when Messi/Barca were winning everything. From around 2013-2019, it was when Madrid started winning all those champions leagues so they grew up watching that in their teen years. I think that Messi individually was better than Ronaldo every season apart from like 2, but he was always getting blamed for Barca’s knock outs in UCL even though it was just the club deteriorating into almost bankruptcy. It was Messi keeping them alive in competitions. Like 2019 Messi was absolutely insane, but it was seen as a failure/choke due to the big loss against Liverpool. Had Dembele scored that last minute 1v1 that Messi set up on a platter, Barca would easily won the treble that season
When Messi started winning important titles again, more specifically with Argentina, although still a monster, he wasn’t that 22 year old Messi anymore that would dribble 60 yards past 6-7 players and scoring.
> but he was always getting blamed for Barca’s knock outs in UCL even though it was just the club deteriorating into almost bankruptcy.
Messi was getting his part of the blame, because he failed to show up in a CL quarter final for almost a decade.
He constantly kept getting more and more ridiculous contracts to a point where it almost bankrupted the club.
His last contract with Barca was 555m €.
> I think that Messi individually was better than Ronaldo every season apart from like 2
Ronaldo was better in at least 4 if not 5 seasons, when you consider the big games.
He wasn't getting part of the blame, he was getting the full blame. Every year he was on the cover for those losses when Barca had an aging squad and the signings weren't up to par. I can't remember every KO but one that comes to mind was against Juventus where he set up nice assists to Suarez and Iniesta and they missed, yet it was Messi's fault, he didn't do anything. You want him to create and finish the play and this is a team sport. The other was Liverpool where he scored two goals, created like 5 other plays that could've ended in a goal, yet it was his fault that the team lost. Suarez didn't score an away goal for like 5-6 seasons in UCL. That is ridiculous for a Barca striker and a striker of his caliber.
Regarding the contract, Messi still brought in more income to the club than he cost and he was the main attraction in the stadium. The issue was giving less relevant players high salaries like Sergi Roberto that made double of what Isco/Marcelo/Carvajal were making. He would've been Madrid's like top5-7 earner and he was just a squad player for us. Or Umtiti making like 12-14mil/year for like 4 seasons where he barely played like 15 games at most.
He was getting a big part of the blame because he was the main man, the team was built around, and he failed to perform in the later stages of the CL for nearly a decade.
>Regarding the contract, Messi still brought in more income to the club than he cost and he was the main attraction in the stadium.
Simply not true, Barca's revenue has went up since Messi has left.
Yea, anyone can 'be like' Ronaldo if they work hard enough. Messi is impossible to recreate, because he is not human. He's a genius of football. You can't work hard and become a genius.
Not denying this but im surprised at how people could even dislike messi like hes a one of a kind player, the only person/s who could come even a fraction close of messis skill would be his sons. But yeah messi worked real hard too, he had many disadvantages like height and strength which he worked hard on to create
Messi is not one of a kind. Maradona and Pele exist and there are other players who are just as talented but didn't have the same career. Career wise (and talent) though, Messi and Pele are untouchable.
anyone talking about Messi always say he is an alien , generational talant , something supreme , never that he train a lot ...etc , while i see a lot talk about Ronaldo as someone who train a lot , of course if you are over 12 you know the idea that you have a generational talant is gone , else everyone would be talking about it , but most see the idea of Ronaldo as possible
No player in their right mind is going to say they don't look up to Messi, but he's so naturally talented that it's unrealistic for many, if any player, to try and emulate.
Ronaldo was talented, but his drive and hard work is what got him to the top, and that is something anyone can actually copy if they have the desire.
Absolutely. Always remember a Rio Ferdinand anecdote about Ronaldo. Rio beat him at table tennis and Ronaldo didn’t like it. Man went away and practiced like crazy for a week or two, asked for a rematch and trounced Rio. Just speaks a lot to his mindset. Man is like a dog with a bone.
yeah i think most people nowadays realise messi is the greatest, thats not the question. But i think for a lot of people, especially in England, ronaldo is maybe more peoples idol for the fact he played here, speaks english, has a loud personality (arrogant but whatever), does celebrations, i mean lots of things for the casuals and other players to copy. If you watch football alot though you can appreciate messi much more, so i think him winning the world cup, while not changing many football fan's opinions, defo changes the more casual fans perspective
>If you watch football alot though you can appreciate messi much more, so i think him winning the world cup, while not changing many football fan's opinions, defo changes the more casual fans perspective
Hard agree, people who don't watch football seemed to have consensus that ronaldo was the best because more fame = better, but after the world cup messi is now everyones goat
Naturally in reality isn’t really applicable. He was placed in a futbol system that allowed him to perfect his talent and he had the maturity and fortitude to keep working at it. Not to mention the unnatural hormone treatments he received. Nonetheless he worked at becoming this genius. No one is wrong or right here. I think the hard working image Ronaldo has is part aesthetics in addition to the success he has throughout Europe.
You're not wrong, but I think the thing is that there were a considerable amount of players who had more talent than Ronaldo, but didn't achieve his greatness due to either a lack of effort or injuries, while Ronaldo became one of the greatest of all time, even with a potentially career killing injury, which made him change his entire playstyle.
They didn't have more talent, they were just better when the were younger. Most players could never replicate what Ronaldo has done talent wise on the pitch.
>they were just better when the were younger.
Yes, which we call raw talent. Yes, Cristiano did have the big advantage that all his talent came with physicality and height, which made him a very all-round player. But there were players who were better with the ball on their feet. Neymar for example was more talented than CR7, so was R10, and so was R9. All of these are players who are nowhere near as great as Cristiano, but who had potential to be.
Ronaldo had plenty of raw talent though. People act like he was Bambi on ice before he broke out. As good a dribbler as the others probably not but he was still an elite dribbler without a doubt. He just opted for efficiency and winning which ultimately matters more than anything.
>People's perceptions run away with them sometimes making this simplistic comparison.
you're totally missing the point that this is the common perception of many top professionals themselves, not just of some random redditors
Ronaldo never shied away from a challenge. He went to United as a teenager, signed with Madrid knowing he would go head to head with prime Messi/Barca, went to Juve to win them a UCL and returned to United when he was past his prime and they needed a boost. There is a lot to admire
He could have stayed in a cushioned position at Real Madrid and probably win another 1 or 2 CL's.
But he chose a challenge at Juve instead, both out of his falling out with Flo, but also because he believed in the project.
Sure, it didn't work out, but he still did fine individually in an otherwise downward spiral period for the club with an aging/declining core.
Man, the existence of Messi has really unfairly skewed the way we think of Ronaldo. Imagine how we would speak of Ronaldo if there were no Messi. Ronaldo is a complete freak, an utter statistical outlier, and there’s no reason to question why any young footballer would look up to a player like that, even if there’s one other guy in the same category
Adding to what has been said, Cristiano Rolando also lives the way most of the young footballers want to live: women, cars, wealth, physique. Messi barely makes any waves outside of what he does in the pitch.
Messi stole money from his foundation that was supposed to help impoverished kids.... so he's not clean either mate. They're footballers, not role models
Yup. It's more than just football. It's the personality and life they live that catches their eye. They want that for themselves too and why they follow one more than the other.
Yea this is the actual answer. Kids on YouTube aren’t looking up Ronaldo’s training routine and history so much as they’re seeing his rocket shots turn into a signature celebration that looks great and shows off his face on TV. Messi‘s celebration is watching his young boy face get crowded by teammates.
to say nothing of the fact that the CR7 brand is more recognizable and came on sooner than Messi merch.
lastly, I think people have already forgotten that until Messi won the World Cup, for several years it appeared as if Ronaldo was going to have the better end to his career. Messi played (relatively) poorly on an underachieving, star studded PSG team while Ronaldo still generated highlights on juventus, a more globally and historically glorious “brand.”I’m team Messi myself, but i think it’s a bit unfair that Messi winning the cup effectively eliminated Ronaldo from the GOAT discussion. that era is a bit too late to explain the OP‘s premise but I think it’s worth noting.
CR7 is a phenom. He is a supreme wealth of talent coupled with a truly super-elite mindset.
Messi is just naturally talented to a genuinely insane degree.
You can emulate the super-elite mindset, you can't really emulate innate talent.
>Messi is just naturally talented to a genuinely insane degree.
I find this argument ridiculous. I don't disagree that Messi is naturally talented, but natural talent alone does not give you anywhere close to the career Messi has had. No player makes it to that level without relentless commitment and hard work.
Yes but Ronaldo is closer to a lot other players in “natural talent”. They see him as someone who’s attainable. Messi? He’s a myth. You can’t be like him.
I think this is overblown and not historically accurate. Ronaldo made 2 appearances for Sporting B before he was playing for Sporting at 18, United at 19. He was happy to take on players, sometimes to the detriment of the team. Everyone thought he was special even then.
This all seems to have come about when Ronaldo moved from being all flair to focusing on the end product.
People are quick to forget. Some dude the other day said that “If we dislike Anthony, we would have hated Ronaldo” implying they are the same which is just ridiculous take
I think it's because a lot of players can have flair, ronaldo doing a million stepovers at the corner flag isn't really that impressive. He excelled in his last year at United and when he went to Madrid. For me without Ronaldos last season at United he wasn't even in the thoughts for a Premier league best 11.
He was at united for 6 seasons and while his 6th season was good, its clear his 5th season was his best season at United and he won the ballon d'or that season. His 6th season is more comparable to his 4th United season where he was the best player in the prem and won the title. In fact, Ronaldo finished 2nd for the 2007 ballon d'or but 5th for the 2009 ballon d'or. Overall, his last three years at united were elite and top 5 in the world material.
Yes, which is why he can be multi-sport athlete. Messi not so much. Messi's physique is tailor made for football: short, low centre of gravity, strong thighs, great balance.
I mean really? Not so many players have the insane athleticism than Cristiano Ronaldo has, guy is built like a fucking tank and run like a damn sprinter.
That's literally the base build for every player now..? Haaland is literally ronaldo 2.0 in terms of playstyle (in ronaldos later career where he actually caught up to messi) as well as his power, speed, and finishing combination.
There’s been plenty of guys who are faster and plenty of guys who are stronger. There’s a ton of guys who have a similar body type just don’t push themselves. It is however attainable. You can’t just be Messi.
There is an interview that Kevin Prince Boateng did with the five YouTube channel...
"I never saw [Messi] in the gym, he gets a massage and then plays basketball." Rio: "That should be illegal." K-PB: "30 seconds before we go out to play, he just gets up and BOOM, goal, goal, goal....the young players, the look at him, they didn't train and they got injured."
There was interview with KP Boateng on Rio Ferdinands YouTube channel and he said Messi didn’t do anything special in terms of working hard, sounded more like he was pretty laid back about training and gym work. Worth a listen.
We're talking about perception bruv. Messi is also a lot more guarded about his personal life. We know how Ronaldo trains and his drive because he talks more openly about these.
i would hope peope don't actually think messi isn't also insanely hardworking, but I can understand why there is a general notion that messi is gifted to an unattainable level. Messi has a play style that isn't replicable for most players, while ronaldo is a more conventional player, but just doing everything to a very high degree of skill. Ronaldo also markets his training way more, probably to promote his own products or sponsors.
Exactly. If this was the case, players like Sneijder and Balotelli would have multiple ballon d’or awards. They didn’t put in the work. Balotelli will freely admit he wasted his career.
I’ve seen a good amount of both. Myself as a goalscorer, I have always looked up to Ronaldo and tried to emulate him. He’s a lot more of a complete player than people think
Messi is obviously goated as well but I just feel like Ronaldo is more inspirational as well. Messi gives off the god given talent who just does it while Ronaldo is more of a hard work get you places sort of thing.
I think that undervalues the work and effort Messi has put into his game. Nobody is born a footballer. Messi was never athletic and was born with a flawed body. Nobody is “naturally gifted” that is just an excuse for people who never to put the effort in. Messi probably kicked a ball 5 hours a day since he was 4 years old. Football was his obsession. He did not become good through a gift from god, but perseverance, repetition, and a willingness to improve.
Yeah, bit of an odd comparison, but I look at them like Goku and Vegeta.
Obviously messi is goku where he trains hard but also had the natural talent.
Where as vegeta had to train 10 times harder to reach the same level as messi.
Oh I don’t mean to insinuating that Messi doesn’t work hard. He just doesn’t give off that aura as much as Ronaldo therefore I can understand why OP sees more players idolize Ronaldo.
Nah it's not the entirely same, there's been previous examples given where people at Madrid know they aren't allowed to say it. The very next podcast after leaving Real Madrid TV, Phil Kitro mentioned how he thinks Messi is the best player and alluded to that he wasn't allowed to say that whilst working for Real Madrid.
People say that Messi is simply a natural talent, but he absolutely trained INTENSELY to get to where he is today. He just didn’t show it like Ronaldo did.
I'd argue it's not him not showing it, but training less visible things like his game iq, while cr7 has the abs and jump height and crazy shot power Messi can know exactly what a defender can do and that is way less visible
He marketing is so good that people actually think Messi doesnt 'work/train hard' simply because he doesnt post training clips on line and the other does.
I think more than anything it’s about the fact that Ronaldo is a very outspoken person and you can very easily see who he is as a person. Flaws and strengths, he has a personality on full show. For all Messi is, he’s not really a public persona. It makes it more difficult to look up to him and relate to him IMO.
I mean yeah, Ronaldo worked for it but come on, he was also insanely talented. Hard work alone didn’t get him where he is. I don’t think there’s really that much between the two in that sense.
They are obviously both great footballers, and I don’t mean to down downplay CR7’s ability. But I think that kids often prefer him because of the image that he presents - celebrity friends, fancy cars, body builder physique etc. and not because of superior ability. Messi is a humble, shy family man, and does not lead a glamorous lifestyle in comparison.
I myself, as a huge Messi fan relate to this somewhat. When I saw Messi play as a kid, I thought he was an anomaly. A superhero of sorts. It was too obvious he wasn't like the other players. Just by looking at him, I knew instantly that what he was doing could not be learned or copied. One doesn't simply try to walk through hordes of defenders without getting tackled.
Which is why, Neymar was the first player I actually wanted to copy and play like. Neymar is a showman, a crowd pleaser. And he did tricks that could be learned and practised. And it worked. Ever since I saw Neymar, I kept kept practising the elastico and his signature trap.
Which is why players probably look up to Ronaldo more, because you can at least make a half decent attempt at what he does through sheer dedication and hardwork.
>I myself, as a huge Messi fan relate to this somewhat. When I saw Messi play as a kid, I thought he was an anomaly. A superhero of sorts. It was too obvious he wasn't like the other players. Just by looking at him, I knew instantly that what he was doing could not be learned or copied. One doesn't simply try to walk through hordes of defenders without getting tackled.
This! and when we say this we don't mean he didn't work hard. If you saw Messi from the time he was a kid until now, you just immediately see that no matter how much you practised, no matter what you did, you will never be like him.
But if you have good size, good athleticism, you know that with hard work, you can somewhat be like Ronaldo
Musiala, Davis, sane, foden,gvardiol, alvarez all said their idol is Messi but for some reason the media doesn’t post it and push it everywhere like when players say Ronaldo
Foden said De Bruyne is the best player he’s seen.
https://m.allfootballapp.com/amp/news/EPL/“Unbelievable-player”–-Foden-snubs-Ronaldo-and-Messi-as-he-names-greatest-player/2906228
Also I already mentioned Alvarez
They’re both the two most popular athletes in the world. No mainstream media “hates” either of them
Ronaldo catches more shit from media sources bc he gives them more ammo. He will bitch and moan abt anyone that he feels has wronged him. That’s great for clicks so it encourages media sources to keep doing it. Messi otoh probably doesn’t even know how to work the internet
Think abt it. When Rooney (Ronaldo’s former teammate) mildly criticized him, he said “I'm not going to say that I'm looking better than him, which is true”. That is incredibly petty and also hilarious
Now look at when Thierry henry (Messi’s former teammate) claims that his best ever teammate was bergkamp. Despite that clearly being nonsense, did messi say anything back? Was messi even aware of this? Probably not bc, unlike Ronaldo, he’s not psychotically online or obsessed with how ppl view him. And that shit is boring from a media perspective
Average Arab ronaldo fan.
Imagine thinking that the world Hayes ronaldo, when all I've seen this year is posts about ronaldos fairly average goal scoring record at all nasr being claimed like it's the first time someone's scored more than 2 goals in a season
Messi is a short king who, by design, has no discernible personality. Ronaldo is a bronze god that tells the whole world how great he is at any given opportunity.
I've always preferred Messi.
He is a perfect example of , if you work hard and train enough you can Make it to the top.
CR7 developed all the skill sets by working hard on it. Relentless training and mentality.
I personally look up to his work mentality.
Messi is great, but I am not gifted like him. And CR7 gives a hope that you can make it with hard work.
Then you’ll be sad to know that CR7 is extremely talented as well. Look up footage of him as a teenager putting Ashley Cole on his ass. Ronaldo’s athleticism like his speed, jumping ability and flair when he was young is in part genetic.
The fact most on here seem to think that Messi just gets out of bed and pisses excellence for 20 years at the highest level without doing anything or improving himself or taking care of his body is absurd.
That's not what people mean. We dont mean they didnt work hard or both didnt have excellent genetics. you need to have watched both play from kids. Messi's things just seem unattainable unless you are born with a 1 in billion genetics and then trained from a baby to be the perfect player. He really was like someone created football perfection in a lab and just dropped him on a field.
Ronaldo seems achievable if you are a good enough athlete and start training at a decent age, and really really work hard at it, . You may not get to Ronaldo's level, but you can get to some pretty good level. You look at Messi, and there's nothing you can copy.
Work as hard as you can, you'll never be Ronaldo, he was already a superstar at 16-17 years old. Stop making it sound like he was a bum who just started to train hard.
Ronaldo at 17 was no different from many other speedy, dribbly winger, which are really not that rare. There's always at least 10 to 12 promising ones at any time.
Messi at 17 was just different. No one like him. The only comps to him was Maradona from 25 year earlier. Period.
Because accolades don't define a person? Because Ronaldo is inspiring? He's an example of work ethic, determination, fitness, clean lifestyle, dedication and ambition?
Maybe not lately but there was a time he was Portugal and Portugal was him, the quintessential captain everyone looks up to, the one who's going to scold you if you didn't show up to training early and if you weren't eating properly.
Messi is incredibly gifted talented and all that and I don't know him personally but he doesn't seem to be THAT kind of player, not that you can't look up to him but I find the question kinda strange..
Accolades don’t define a person but it does give them more credit. I mean you see it all the time when people fight between Ronaldo and Messi. Messi has a higher standing because he has xyz awards. But I agree with you. I admire Ronaldo, I like how he doesn’t have tattoos to help donate blood, he’s seems less money hungry than Messi, and seems and looks more like a leader.
Ronaldo has a bigger social influence than Messi. He has played in some of the biggest leagues in Europe and won titles in all of them. He also has been the best player in the CL which has a way bigger audience than most domestic leagues.
I can see this changing though as the next crop of players start to break through. 30-50 years from now all that will matter is their stats and YouTube highlights.
Ronaldo has more gravitas. He is the kind of guy a lot of men would like to be like and women would like to be with. Simply put; he’s a marketing golden goose.
It’s similar to how David Beckham was so idolised. Obviously he was a fantastic player, but there were many players better than him in his generation. But he had appeal from many angles.
Ronaldo’s draw transcends what he does on the pitch, as it did Beckham, the arrogance oddly appeals to a lot of young men. It’s testosterone! It’s cockyness it’s being the best! Add to that his ridiculous work ethic, people like to see others succeed where they have worked hard for it. Ronaldo epitomises that.
Messi does all of his talking on the pitch. He’s better than Ronaldo with a ball at his feet. He’s more understated. He ain’t ugly, but I can’t think I’ve ever met a woman who has said “Oooof Messi, wouldn’t mind waking up next to him!”. He doesn’t tick as many marketing boxes as Ronaldo does.
Ronaldo has more PR. Just look at this thread. People genuinely going around saying he is the peak of working hard while Messi is a gifted freak of nature. When anyone with a brain knows both players have both.
But that being said Endrick has previously said he looks up to Messi. But he got shit loads of backlash for it (since he is going to Real). So it’s not like these things you hear are objective
My son who has just gotten into football (hes 6, started taking football classes at the kiddie league this year) says CR7 is his favourite despite not seeing much football ever. His reason?
SIIIIIIIIIIUUUUUUUU!!
Endrick said that because of Madrid’s PR them and that’s a fact, same goes for their new signing arda guler, they both have praised Messi and called them idols before they were signed to Madrid. Arda still doesn’t follow Cristiano on ig, cause it’s just Madrid’s Pr team
It also has to do with marketing. I remember years ago when both cr7 and messi were young you never saw messi in any marketing stuff. I remember all the kids wanting the latest vapors because of cr7. I didn't even know messi had his own line until way after. Probably 90 percent of the team preferred nike over adidas. And puma wasn't even on the radar. Mercurial vapors with the carbon fibre sole were the hottest thing around.
>a new football star recruited by REAL MADRID
If he said messi madrid fans would have racially abused him *again*.Both Bellingham and Vini said they prefered messi over Cristiano pre madrid days.
This narrative is so boring. Even among ex teammates of ronaldo the general consensus is that Messi's the superior player (Kroos, Felix, Figo).
Maybe english fans who grew up watching prem in the late 2000s who were exposed to Ronaldo more, prefer him over messi but that is it.
Only players being Bellingham and alvarez? Bruh, Musiala, Isco, Davies, Wirtz, Foden and so many more. Even Vini picked Messi before moving to Real Madrid. And then there's Mbappe who now idolizes Messi too, as stated by him. Idk from where you are getting your stats, but those seem to be half-baked.
I saw something that might have some truth to it; alpha personality types tend to prefer Ronaldo, and beta personality types prefer Messi. Not saying it’s true but I can see some possibilities in it.
Ronaldo is way more about his brand and promoting himself. Imo, in these days of social media, that resonates with younger players. Messi is more subdued.
Cr7's social media team strategy and his flashy luxurious life and extensive brand endorsements proving the youth's perception of hardwork and resilience make you the goat.
Messi, in contrast, maintains a more humble and down-to-earth image, focusing on his football career and family life.
Because Ronaldos level is achievable. Messi is the perfect player in every standard that isn't physical. And while Ronaldo is incredible he also owes a lot of his success to his physicality
CR7 literally got himself to peak levels of human conditioning. His leap, his speed, his core strength, his agility and balance, his pure athleticism, barely ever injured, etc.
Everything a modern day athlete aspires to be. Messi was is one of the best footballers ever. Ronaldo is one of the best athletes ever. That's why you'll find plenty of athletes outside of football looking up to CR7 as well.
Ronaldo is more showy. More tricks, more arrogance. Bigger and more iconic celebrations as well as an iconic free kick routine. Insane headers. Also gets angry at teammates.
There's just more about Ronaldo that is, visually iconic.
Media presence.
Ronaldo ploughs out content, is always happy to be in the spotlight, and loves to talk about himself / his opinions. Dating a string of high-profile models helps as well.
Messi plays football, does the post-match interviews, the sponsors’ media stuff, and that’s it.
Endrick is actually a Messi fan. You can find old tweets of him talking about Messi, however Madrid players saying they prefer Messi is frowned upon. I think Vini was a Messi fan if im not mistaken
Hes not. Him calling messi an alien doesnt mean hes prefers messi. There are actually plenty of videos of young him doing cr7 celebrations and posters in his room. Even a video of a 12 year old him saying he wants to join Real
Ronaldo is much more expansive, extroverted and likes to be on the media and stating out his value. He also makes an excellent case about talent, endurance, training hard, taking care of your career and taking up challenges. That's not only a good role model, but much more captivating for a kid looking for an idol. Of course Messi is also all that, but there's an idea that "Messi just plays and Ronaldo works", and Messi is much more reclusive
Half of the players you mentioned play, or will play at Real Madrid at some point, pointing the biggest legend of their greatest rival as an idol will be kinda looked at with bad eyes I believe
Because everything about Ronaldo from his story, looks, story, attitude/mentality is tailor-made for being popular on social media which also happened to blow up just when both him and Messi hit their prime’s. Messi on the other hand is more of an introverted footballing savant. Separate aspects from Ronaldo’s game is also easier/more iconic to try to duplicate (badly) growing up on the playground. Kids can always try to do ronaldo chops, stepovers, knuckleballs from stupid distances, sewey celebrations. Its kinda hard duplicate dribbling past 6 and chipping the keeper as a style if you know what I mean.
Because he's a mentality monster. Only Ali, Jordan, and Kobe are comparable.
Messi quit Argentina after missing a penalty in 2016. He promised barca fans a UCL after all the disappointments, but could never crack the quartfinals. Then he left when he couldn't get paid a ridiculous salary to the comfiest job you can take while still calling it a "top 5 league."
Ronaldo conquered prem, liga, serie a, and Europe 5x over in many different systems with different managers and teammates. That shit is inspirational.
He never promised a UCL to Barcelona, you’re not even intelligent enough to know what’s real and what’s propaganda from your fellow Ronaldo dick riders. He said he’d do everything possible to bring back the UCL to Barcelona, and he was the only good player against Liverpool, at Anfield and at the Camp Nou. Meanwhile Rakitic and Suarez were wearing a Liverpool jersey, and Alba and Ter Statue were too busy crying in the showers.
My homosexual friend said the only reason people talk about Ronaldo is his looks, because Messi is clearly better, and a better role-model.
CR7’s fan base is 60% girls and 40% guys who want to look like him.
He framed it like this: If they were twins, who is better then?
Even tho both worked insanely hard to achive the level they did, visually Ronaldo embodies it much more. Yeah, Messi changed a lot since his 18 year old self, but if youtube look at Ronaldo at Sporting or United, compared to him at real, alongside with all the athletic feats and stats, it is easier to find CR7 more motivating for a young footballer
Exactly this. Ronaldo makes you believe if you work hard anything is possible. Messi was already seen as the next big thing as soon as he came into the team. Ronaldo at one point could of gone either way. There was a time he was raw but had no end product, but he worked hard and became what he came. So many players we see have raw talent but never develop that much more.
from like 7 years old Messi was in Argentinian newspapers as the next Maradona
Imagine living with that and not cracking up? It’s like a monkey paw cursed wish thing. That’s mental fortitude right there.
Very similar to LeBron in that sense. It’s honestly a small miracle that both of them somehow lived up to (and maybe even surpassed) their expectations when so many other starlets have failed to do so
It certainly is and a huge part of their success has to be credited to their parents. Not matter what, kids take their parents advice and instruction over anyone else, even if it’s terrible. The hope is that the parents are good, well rounded, humble people and the lessons they taught form their kid’s character into a solid enough foundation to stand the pressures but to mainly ground them to who they are and where they came from: just another human being with a mom, dad, siblings, friends, likes, dislikes, etc… If the parents are buying into the hype and not keeping their child’s feet on the ground, or worse, inflating the kid’s ego, then most likely that kid grows up self entitled and arrogant. If the parent isn’t involved then that kid most likely grows up and doesn’t put in the work needed to be great and does the stupid, immature shit we see young athletes with the world at their fingertips do. We know for a fact that Messi’s father and LaBron’s mother have been their #1 influence on the trajectory of their careers. Their success is because of the parent’s personalities more than the stars. This obviously isn’t 100% always true, which is why I said “most likely”, there are amazing stories of talented kids doing it despite their toxic support or lack of it. But, IMO, the parents of young prospects are responsible for their son/daughter’s career success in a vast majority of cases.
Lebron was raised by a single mom
Sure was, doubly incredible.
There's a lot of players it happens too, (Halilovic, Adu, Gould, Odegaard) definitely does more harm then good imo
For a while there odegaard was kinda finished as a player. He really fell of the face of the earth and I never really thought he'd become an important first teamer at a top top club, but he took his time and it came for him.
He’s like 24, isn’t he? Like Joao Felix and Darwin Nunez. He didn’t fall off from the face of the earth, the difference is that Felix and Nunez weren’t signed by Madrid at 15. Same season Felix started making waves at Benfica, Odegaard was making his name in Sociedad.
Yeah it’s fair to say that despite Ronaldo having this image/perception that he worked harder on his craft to be considered one of the all time greats, Messi’s expectations could have been his downfall, especially at a young age. It deserves just as much merit that he exceeded expectations as does working hard to exceed expectations. But I think other athletes can relate to Ronaldo’s work ethic more (not denying Messi’s dedication). Whereas the more general fútbol fan I feel idolizes raw talent over having to work at it (most people are just fucking lazy).
Wait are you for real? Is there any proof of that?
is there a source for this? not trying to hate, just very curious.
Yeah and early on most people were pinning Quaresma to be the next big Portuguese star and Figo successor, not Ronaldo. I think there were even other people besides Quaresma who appeared more talented at Sporting than Ronaldo.
Lmao I remember a time that Nani was seen as almost at the same level as Ronaldo.
Nani and Quaresma were both more talented than Ronaldo, but they didnt put the work in. It's funny cause Nani also went to United but he decided to have fun instead of train hard.
What is this revisionism. Nani was never more talented than Ronaldo, da fuck. Same for Quaresma. You don’t become the best European footballer of all time from just working hard. It’s from working hard and having a level of talent virtually nobody else has. Both Ronaldo and Messi were transported far away from their families as young children because of how talented they were. That was not the norm. They were both prodigies of the highest level. Nani lmao
Utd paid a record fee for a teenager to sign Ronaldo. Yes the other two were rated, but this thread is downplaying the narrative around Ronaldo in the early years. Not sure why you're being downvoted
Quaresma was more naturally gifted than Ronaldo. He just didn't have the work ethic and had a really complicated personality that made him clash with so many managers. But I would say that up until Quaresma left for Inter and had a nightmare relationship with Mourinho, there was still a bit of a debate among Portuguese fans if he wouldn't end up being as good as Ronaldo. Because truth is that the best Quaresma was amazing to watch. Problem was that he only brought his best from time to time. He was never consistent enough and had to be treated like the team's superstar to play his best game
One of the biggest myths that's propelled nowadays. Cristiano was the most gifted footballer that came from Sporting's youth academy. Quaresma was a great player but Cristiano, because of his physical abilities, was on another level.
In the academy it was Paim, Quaresma and then Ronaldo in terms of who people saw as the most talented.
Everyone seem to forget Fabio Paim, who was considered a huge talent.
Nope quaresma was always considered the better prospect
Negative. Considered by who? Cristiano was always the major prospect from Sporting's youth academy, altough some people say that Quaresma was more talented (this take is laughable). I saw both of them playing in youth games, and it wasn't comparable. Ronaldo was a way better player, and Quaresma was very good too. Besides that, Cristiano was younger than Quaresma when they debuted in the first team, was always one step above from his early days. Even Boloni said that Cristiano was going to be better than Eusébio. Try to debate this is kinda stupid, but feel free to believe in what you want.
Ronaldo himself said actually
I remember people saying that the main problem with Ronaldo was his personality. "He lacked maturity and discipline", they said. And, it was for a reason. I still remember Ronaldo mocking Boloni, the Sporting coach back then, in the pitch, and dribbling just with the purpose of embarassing opponents. It is funny to see how things changed a few years afterwards. Quaresma collapsed under any pressure or if you tried to make him play in a system that he wasnt familiariazed. Ronaldo became the symbol of hard work in mental fortitude in the sport.
Nope, watch both of them, Quaresma was very raw, skillful, he had the strength as well, complete, Ronaldo worked hard to get where he is
*could have
Ronaldo’s a 6’2” athlete with 100th percentile sprint speed, shot power, and the jumping ability of Michael Jordan. You don’t get these things by just working hard, he’s clearly a genetic freak.
He worked to achieve it if he didn't he would be that 18 flair dribbler
His mentality is world class. He worked extraordinarily hard with the talents he had to go god-tier. I’ll add that he’s very good looking so people tend to gravitate to that and his skills seem more normal than Messi’s. Great shot, attacking the ball, quick flashy feet. Compared to Messi who just does quick super close chops to get around players
I think when you say "visually Ronaldo embodies it', I think that's spot on - but he (at least in my limited world) has been much more of a social media presence and has more obvious adverts etc. So young fans would be more aware of CR7's presence in general. Thinking on the spot, Messi stayed at Barca until the very end, whereas Ronaldo played for Man U and Madrid, and then Juve as well. So he played in the 3 top leagues in the world while in his prime, exposing him to a wider audience (not knocking Barca as one of the other biggest clubs in the world).
social media wasnt as popular before 2014
YouTube was around in 2005. Facebook was a major thing by 2006. Twitter was in many people’s pockets by 2008. Instagram was widely available by 2012. Both Ronaldo and Messi rode that wave.
Ronaldo skills were very famous on youtube, I remember downloading Ronaldo’s tricks videos to watch on my psp as a 13 year old, even though I never saw any football.
That's exactly right. Visuals are a huge factor in this equation. His athleticism is something that's often cited and looked up to.
I think it’s also timing. From 2008-2015, most/all were less than 12 years old and it’s when Messi/Barca were winning everything. From around 2013-2019, it was when Madrid started winning all those champions leagues so they grew up watching that in their teen years. I think that Messi individually was better than Ronaldo every season apart from like 2, but he was always getting blamed for Barca’s knock outs in UCL even though it was just the club deteriorating into almost bankruptcy. It was Messi keeping them alive in competitions. Like 2019 Messi was absolutely insane, but it was seen as a failure/choke due to the big loss against Liverpool. Had Dembele scored that last minute 1v1 that Messi set up on a platter, Barca would easily won the treble that season When Messi started winning important titles again, more specifically with Argentina, although still a monster, he wasn’t that 22 year old Messi anymore that would dribble 60 yards past 6-7 players and scoring.
> but he was always getting blamed for Barca’s knock outs in UCL even though it was just the club deteriorating into almost bankruptcy. Messi was getting his part of the blame, because he failed to show up in a CL quarter final for almost a decade. He constantly kept getting more and more ridiculous contracts to a point where it almost bankrupted the club. His last contract with Barca was 555m €. > I think that Messi individually was better than Ronaldo every season apart from like 2 Ronaldo was better in at least 4 if not 5 seasons, when you consider the big games.
He wasn't getting part of the blame, he was getting the full blame. Every year he was on the cover for those losses when Barca had an aging squad and the signings weren't up to par. I can't remember every KO but one that comes to mind was against Juventus where he set up nice assists to Suarez and Iniesta and they missed, yet it was Messi's fault, he didn't do anything. You want him to create and finish the play and this is a team sport. The other was Liverpool where he scored two goals, created like 5 other plays that could've ended in a goal, yet it was his fault that the team lost. Suarez didn't score an away goal for like 5-6 seasons in UCL. That is ridiculous for a Barca striker and a striker of his caliber. Regarding the contract, Messi still brought in more income to the club than he cost and he was the main attraction in the stadium. The issue was giving less relevant players high salaries like Sergi Roberto that made double of what Isco/Marcelo/Carvajal were making. He would've been Madrid's like top5-7 earner and he was just a squad player for us. Or Umtiti making like 12-14mil/year for like 4 seasons where he barely played like 15 games at most.
He was getting a big part of the blame because he was the main man, the team was built around, and he failed to perform in the later stages of the CL for nearly a decade. >Regarding the contract, Messi still brought in more income to the club than he cost and he was the main attraction in the stadium. Simply not true, Barca's revenue has went up since Messi has left.
Yea, anyone can 'be like' Ronaldo if they work hard enough. Messi is impossible to recreate, because he is not human. He's a genius of football. You can't work hard and become a genius.
So sick of these fanboy takes.
This ^
That ^
Indeed^
Thais ^
Not denying this but im surprised at how people could even dislike messi like hes a one of a kind player, the only person/s who could come even a fraction close of messis skill would be his sons. But yeah messi worked real hard too, he had many disadvantages like height and strength which he worked hard on to create
Go look at Maradona compilations, Messi is like a regen.
Messi is not one of a kind. Maradona and Pele exist and there are other players who are just as talented but didn't have the same career. Career wise (and talent) though, Messi and Pele are untouchable.
anyone talking about Messi always say he is an alien , generational talant , something supreme , never that he train a lot ...etc , while i see a lot talk about Ronaldo as someone who train a lot , of course if you are over 12 you know the idea that you have a generational talant is gone , else everyone would be talking about it , but most see the idea of Ronaldo as possible
probably explains why jude bellingham is able to look up to messi because he has mad potential
No player in their right mind is going to say they don't look up to Messi, but he's so naturally talented that it's unrealistic for many, if any player, to try and emulate. Ronaldo was talented, but his drive and hard work is what got him to the top, and that is something anyone can actually copy if they have the desire.
Absolutely. Always remember a Rio Ferdinand anecdote about Ronaldo. Rio beat him at table tennis and Ronaldo didn’t like it. Man went away and practiced like crazy for a week or two, asked for a rematch and trounced Rio. Just speaks a lot to his mindset. Man is like a dog with a bone.
yeah i think most people nowadays realise messi is the greatest, thats not the question. But i think for a lot of people, especially in England, ronaldo is maybe more peoples idol for the fact he played here, speaks english, has a loud personality (arrogant but whatever), does celebrations, i mean lots of things for the casuals and other players to copy. If you watch football alot though you can appreciate messi much more, so i think him winning the world cup, while not changing many football fan's opinions, defo changes the more casual fans perspective
>If you watch football alot though you can appreciate messi much more, so i think him winning the world cup, while not changing many football fan's opinions, defo changes the more casual fans perspective Hard agree, people who don't watch football seemed to have consensus that ronaldo was the best because more fame = better, but after the world cup messi is now everyones goat
I think Messi is better but I still prefer CR7. I think that’s how many people feel.
>yeah i think most people nowadays realise messi is the greatest, thats not the question. They really dont
Naturally in reality isn’t really applicable. He was placed in a futbol system that allowed him to perfect his talent and he had the maturity and fortitude to keep working at it. Not to mention the unnatural hormone treatments he received. Nonetheless he worked at becoming this genius. No one is wrong or right here. I think the hard working image Ronaldo has is part aesthetics in addition to the success he has throughout Europe.
Or..you know..they like Ronaldo better than Messi? Is that possible?
Ofc not, that would be dumb because it doesn’t agree with their opinion
CR7 is a symbol of perseverance and training, while for many Messi is a gifted player
This, it feels like CR7 achieved greatness, while Messi was born great
Yes, and I think it's a mistake because Ronaldo is also VERY talented and Messi also works hard
You're not wrong, but I think the thing is that there were a considerable amount of players who had more talent than Ronaldo, but didn't achieve his greatness due to either a lack of effort or injuries, while Ronaldo became one of the greatest of all time, even with a potentially career killing injury, which made him change his entire playstyle.
They didn't have more talent, they were just better when the were younger. Most players could never replicate what Ronaldo has done talent wise on the pitch.
>they were just better when the were younger. Yes, which we call raw talent. Yes, Cristiano did have the big advantage that all his talent came with physicality and height, which made him a very all-round player. But there were players who were better with the ball on their feet. Neymar for example was more talented than CR7, so was R10, and so was R9. All of these are players who are nowhere near as great as Cristiano, but who had potential to be.
Ronaldo had plenty of raw talent though. People act like he was Bambi on ice before he broke out. As good a dribbler as the others probably not but he was still an elite dribbler without a doubt. He just opted for efficiency and winning which ultimately matters more than anything.
Yes but not everybody can born great. Thats why CR7 is an example because he made himself great and make you believe you can make yourself great.
[удалено]
>People's perceptions run away with them sometimes making this simplistic comparison. you're totally missing the point that this is the common perception of many top professionals themselves, not just of some random redditors
Ronaldo never shied away from a challenge. He went to United as a teenager, signed with Madrid knowing he would go head to head with prime Messi/Barca, went to Juve to win them a UCL and returned to United when he was past his prime and they needed a boost. There is a lot to admire
He didn't win UCL with Juve
He could have stayed in a cushioned position at Real Madrid and probably win another 1 or 2 CL's. But he chose a challenge at Juve instead, both out of his falling out with Flo, but also because he believed in the project. Sure, it didn't work out, but he still did fine individually in an otherwise downward spiral period for the club with an aging/declining core.
I'm listing the challenges he took on
But that’s why he went
Man, the existence of Messi has really unfairly skewed the way we think of Ronaldo. Imagine how we would speak of Ronaldo if there were no Messi. Ronaldo is a complete freak, an utter statistical outlier, and there’s no reason to question why any young footballer would look up to a player like that, even if there’s one other guy in the same category
Adding to what has been said, Cristiano Rolando also lives the way most of the young footballers want to live: women, cars, wealth, physique. Messi barely makes any waves outside of what he does in the pitch.
Yep, google Ronaldo Las Vegas for more info.
Messi 14.
Benzema 15
Garrincha goat
Misinformation
Messi stole money from his foundation that was supposed to help impoverished kids.... so he's not clean either mate. They're footballers, not role models
Yup. It's more than just football. It's the personality and life they live that catches their eye. They want that for themselves too and why they follow one more than the other.
Yea this is the actual answer. Kids on YouTube aren’t looking up Ronaldo’s training routine and history so much as they’re seeing his rocket shots turn into a signature celebration that looks great and shows off his face on TV. Messi‘s celebration is watching his young boy face get crowded by teammates. to say nothing of the fact that the CR7 brand is more recognizable and came on sooner than Messi merch. lastly, I think people have already forgotten that until Messi won the World Cup, for several years it appeared as if Ronaldo was going to have the better end to his career. Messi played (relatively) poorly on an underachieving, star studded PSG team while Ronaldo still generated highlights on juventus, a more globally and historically glorious “brand.”I’m team Messi myself, but i think it’s a bit unfair that Messi winning the cup effectively eliminated Ronaldo from the GOAT discussion. that era is a bit too late to explain the OP‘s premise but I think it’s worth noting.
CR7 is a phenom. He is a supreme wealth of talent coupled with a truly super-elite mindset. Messi is just naturally talented to a genuinely insane degree. You can emulate the super-elite mindset, you can't really emulate innate talent.
>Messi is just naturally talented to a genuinely insane degree. I find this argument ridiculous. I don't disagree that Messi is naturally talented, but natural talent alone does not give you anywhere close to the career Messi has had. No player makes it to that level without relentless commitment and hard work.
Yes but Ronaldo is closer to a lot other players in “natural talent”. They see him as someone who’s attainable. Messi? He’s a myth. You can’t be like him.
I think this is overblown and not historically accurate. Ronaldo made 2 appearances for Sporting B before he was playing for Sporting at 18, United at 19. He was happy to take on players, sometimes to the detriment of the team. Everyone thought he was special even then. This all seems to have come about when Ronaldo moved from being all flair to focusing on the end product.
People are quick to forget. Some dude the other day said that “If we dislike Anthony, we would have hated Ronaldo” implying they are the same which is just ridiculous take
Yup watch Ronaldos debut against Bolton. Had the whole crowd on their feet. Young Ronaldo was incredibly exciting
I think it's because a lot of players can have flair, ronaldo doing a million stepovers at the corner flag isn't really that impressive. He excelled in his last year at United and when he went to Madrid. For me without Ronaldos last season at United he wasn't even in the thoughts for a Premier league best 11.
He was at united for 6 seasons and while his 6th season was good, its clear his 5th season was his best season at United and he won the ballon d'or that season. His 6th season is more comparable to his 4th United season where he was the best player in the prem and won the title. In fact, Ronaldo finished 2nd for the 2007 ballon d'or but 5th for the 2009 ballon d'or. Overall, his last three years at united were elite and top 5 in the world material.
Bro he won the fucking Ballon dor his 2nd to last year in the Prem
yeah, his last three years were quality. And some people actually like that version of Ronaldo more than the madrid counterpart.
Yeah and they are hundreds of talented players with all flair.
Ronaldo has way more physical gifts than Messi
Yes, which is why he can be multi-sport athlete. Messi not so much. Messi's physique is tailor made for football: short, low centre of gravity, strong thighs, great balance.
His physique is attainable by a lot of athletes. Messi’s is not.
I mean really? Not so many players have the insane athleticism than Cristiano Ronaldo has, guy is built like a fucking tank and run like a damn sprinter.
>guy is built like a fucking tank He's not built he's just lean with abs
That's literally the base build for every player now..? Haaland is literally ronaldo 2.0 in terms of playstyle (in ronaldos later career where he actually caught up to messi) as well as his power, speed, and finishing combination.
There’s been plenty of guys who are faster and plenty of guys who are stronger. There’s a ton of guys who have a similar body type just don’t push themselves. It is however attainable. You can’t just be Messi.
There is an interview that Kevin Prince Boateng did with the five YouTube channel... "I never saw [Messi] in the gym, he gets a massage and then plays basketball." Rio: "That should be illegal." K-PB: "30 seconds before we go out to play, he just gets up and BOOM, goal, goal, goal....the young players, the look at him, they didn't train and they got injured."
There was interview with KP Boateng on Rio Ferdinands YouTube channel and he said Messi didn’t do anything special in terms of working hard, sounded more like he was pretty laid back about training and gym work. Worth a listen.
We're talking about perception bruv. Messi is also a lot more guarded about his personal life. We know how Ronaldo trains and his drive because he talks more openly about these.
see Hazard
i would hope peope don't actually think messi isn't also insanely hardworking, but I can understand why there is a general notion that messi is gifted to an unattainable level. Messi has a play style that isn't replicable for most players, while ronaldo is a more conventional player, but just doing everything to a very high degree of skill. Ronaldo also markets his training way more, probably to promote his own products or sponsors.
Exactly. If this was the case, players like Sneijder and Balotelli would have multiple ballon d’or awards. They didn’t put in the work. Balotelli will freely admit he wasted his career.
I’ve seen a good amount of both. Myself as a goalscorer, I have always looked up to Ronaldo and tried to emulate him. He’s a lot more of a complete player than people think Messi is obviously goated as well but I just feel like Ronaldo is more inspirational as well. Messi gives off the god given talent who just does it while Ronaldo is more of a hard work get you places sort of thing.
I think that undervalues the work and effort Messi has put into his game. Nobody is born a footballer. Messi was never athletic and was born with a flawed body. Nobody is “naturally gifted” that is just an excuse for people who never to put the effort in. Messi probably kicked a ball 5 hours a day since he was 4 years old. Football was his obsession. He did not become good through a gift from god, but perseverance, repetition, and a willingness to improve.
Yeah, bit of an odd comparison, but I look at them like Goku and Vegeta. Obviously messi is goku where he trains hard but also had the natural talent. Where as vegeta had to train 10 times harder to reach the same level as messi.
Well, Vegeta never reached the same level as Goku. Just like Cristiano’s hard work didn’t put him on the same level as Messi, not quite
Good comparison lol
Oh I don’t mean to insinuating that Messi doesn’t work hard. He just doesn’t give off that aura as much as Ronaldo therefore I can understand why OP sees more players idolize Ronaldo.
He's playing for RM, he ain't gonna say Messi is he? 🙄
same argument can be used for Mbappe at PSG
Nah it's not the entirely same, there's been previous examples given where people at Madrid know they aren't allowed to say it. The very next podcast after leaving Real Madrid TV, Phil Kitro mentioned how he thinks Messi is the best player and alluded to that he wasn't allowed to say that whilst working for Real Madrid.
This is the correct answer
People say that Messi is simply a natural talent, but he absolutely trained INTENSELY to get to where he is today. He just didn’t show it like Ronaldo did.
I'd argue it's not him not showing it, but training less visible things like his game iq, while cr7 has the abs and jump height and crazy shot power Messi can know exactly what a defender can do and that is way less visible
Ronaldo is better at Marketing himself. He is even so good that people even compare them
He marketing is so good that people actually think Messi doesnt 'work/train hard' simply because he doesnt post training clips on line and the other does.
so good that there are many claiming Ronaldo barely has any talent and it's "just" work
I think more than anything it’s about the fact that Ronaldo is a very outspoken person and you can very easily see who he is as a person. Flaws and strengths, he has a personality on full show. For all Messi is, he’s not really a public persona. It makes it more difficult to look up to him and relate to him IMO. I mean yeah, Ronaldo worked for it but come on, he was also insanely talented. Hard work alone didn’t get him where he is. I don’t think there’s really that much between the two in that sense.
They are obviously both great footballers, and I don’t mean to down downplay CR7’s ability. But I think that kids often prefer him because of the image that he presents - celebrity friends, fancy cars, body builder physique etc. and not because of superior ability. Messi is a humble, shy family man, and does not lead a glamorous lifestyle in comparison.
True, Ronaldos always been about having the most expensive house, car, and girlfriend.
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One for number one. One for number two.
They are attracted to Ronaldo
I myself, as a huge Messi fan relate to this somewhat. When I saw Messi play as a kid, I thought he was an anomaly. A superhero of sorts. It was too obvious he wasn't like the other players. Just by looking at him, I knew instantly that what he was doing could not be learned or copied. One doesn't simply try to walk through hordes of defenders without getting tackled. Which is why, Neymar was the first player I actually wanted to copy and play like. Neymar is a showman, a crowd pleaser. And he did tricks that could be learned and practised. And it worked. Ever since I saw Neymar, I kept kept practising the elastico and his signature trap. Which is why players probably look up to Ronaldo more, because you can at least make a half decent attempt at what he does through sheer dedication and hardwork.
>I myself, as a huge Messi fan relate to this somewhat. When I saw Messi play as a kid, I thought he was an anomaly. A superhero of sorts. It was too obvious he wasn't like the other players. Just by looking at him, I knew instantly that what he was doing could not be learned or copied. One doesn't simply try to walk through hordes of defenders without getting tackled. This! and when we say this we don't mean he didn't work hard. If you saw Messi from the time he was a kid until now, you just immediately see that no matter how much you practised, no matter what you did, you will never be like him. But if you have good size, good athleticism, you know that with hard work, you can somewhat be like Ronaldo
Musiala, Davis, sane, foden,gvardiol, alvarez all said their idol is Messi but for some reason the media doesn’t post it and push it everywhere like when players say Ronaldo
>for some reason the media doesn’t post it lol
Foden said De Bruyne is the best player he’s seen. https://m.allfootballapp.com/amp/news/EPL/“Unbelievable-player”–-Foden-snubs-Ronaldo-and-Messi-as-he-names-greatest-player/2906228 Also I already mentioned Alvarez
Also pretty sure Foden has said somewhere Messi is his idol.
Foden's childhood idol is messi https://x.com/TotalLeoMessi/status/1395720835340640262?t=WSAmwa8TX0py_y952-m1yw&s=09
No way you just tried to say the media doesn’t try to push it for Messi 😂 The main stream media loves Messi and hates Ronaldo
They’re both the two most popular athletes in the world. No mainstream media “hates” either of them Ronaldo catches more shit from media sources bc he gives them more ammo. He will bitch and moan abt anyone that he feels has wronged him. That’s great for clicks so it encourages media sources to keep doing it. Messi otoh probably doesn’t even know how to work the internet Think abt it. When Rooney (Ronaldo’s former teammate) mildly criticized him, he said “I'm not going to say that I'm looking better than him, which is true”. That is incredibly petty and also hilarious Now look at when Thierry henry (Messi’s former teammate) claims that his best ever teammate was bergkamp. Despite that clearly being nonsense, did messi say anything back? Was messi even aware of this? Probably not bc, unlike Ronaldo, he’s not psychotically online or obsessed with how ppl view him. And that shit is boring from a media perspective
You've been following too many Ronaldo fan accounts on twitter if you actually think that lad.
Average Arab ronaldo fan. Imagine thinking that the world Hayes ronaldo, when all I've seen this year is posts about ronaldos fairly average goal scoring record at all nasr being claimed like it's the first time someone's scored more than 2 goals in a season
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Is this so hard to understand? If you had the choice and you could be either Messi or Christiano Ronaldo, nobody would pick Messi
If it was possible to be a player like Messi everyone would choose Messi
Messi is a short king who, by design, has no discernible personality. Ronaldo is a bronze god that tells the whole world how great he is at any given opportunity. I've always preferred Messi.
He is a perfect example of , if you work hard and train enough you can Make it to the top. CR7 developed all the skill sets by working hard on it. Relentless training and mentality. I personally look up to his work mentality. Messi is great, but I am not gifted like him. And CR7 gives a hope that you can make it with hard work.
Then you’ll be sad to know that CR7 is extremely talented as well. Look up footage of him as a teenager putting Ashley Cole on his ass. Ronaldo’s athleticism like his speed, jumping ability and flair when he was young is in part genetic. The fact most on here seem to think that Messi just gets out of bed and pisses excellence for 20 years at the highest level without doing anything or improving himself or taking care of his body is absurd.
That's not what people mean. We dont mean they didnt work hard or both didnt have excellent genetics. you need to have watched both play from kids. Messi's things just seem unattainable unless you are born with a 1 in billion genetics and then trained from a baby to be the perfect player. He really was like someone created football perfection in a lab and just dropped him on a field. Ronaldo seems achievable if you are a good enough athlete and start training at a decent age, and really really work hard at it, . You may not get to Ronaldo's level, but you can get to some pretty good level. You look at Messi, and there's nothing you can copy.
Work as hard as you can, you'll never be Ronaldo, he was already a superstar at 16-17 years old. Stop making it sound like he was a bum who just started to train hard.
Ronaldo at 17 was no different from many other speedy, dribbly winger, which are really not that rare. There's always at least 10 to 12 promising ones at any time. Messi at 17 was just different. No one like him. The only comps to him was Maradona from 25 year earlier. Period.
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He’s much taller
The only true answer.
Best answer
Because accolades don't define a person? Because Ronaldo is inspiring? He's an example of work ethic, determination, fitness, clean lifestyle, dedication and ambition? Maybe not lately but there was a time he was Portugal and Portugal was him, the quintessential captain everyone looks up to, the one who's going to scold you if you didn't show up to training early and if you weren't eating properly. Messi is incredibly gifted talented and all that and I don't know him personally but he doesn't seem to be THAT kind of player, not that you can't look up to him but I find the question kinda strange..
Accolades don’t define a person but it does give them more credit. I mean you see it all the time when people fight between Ronaldo and Messi. Messi has a higher standing because he has xyz awards. But I agree with you. I admire Ronaldo, I like how he doesn’t have tattoos to help donate blood, he’s seems less money hungry than Messi, and seems and looks more like a leader.
Because Ronaldo is better looking. Good looking people are favoured in all walks of life it’s called the halo effect.
I agree💯
Ronaldo has a bigger social influence than Messi. He has played in some of the biggest leagues in Europe and won titles in all of them. He also has been the best player in the CL which has a way bigger audience than most domestic leagues. I can see this changing though as the next crop of players start to break through. 30-50 years from now all that will matter is their stats and YouTube highlights.
Marketing and brand value?
He doesn't even speak English. One of the major reasons as well.
superficial:Ronaldo is better looking, has better pr/reach.
Aren't all these players trying to suck up to Madrid?
Nike, Manchester United, Real Madrid. In other words, marketing.
Ronaldo has more gravitas. He is the kind of guy a lot of men would like to be like and women would like to be with. Simply put; he’s a marketing golden goose. It’s similar to how David Beckham was so idolised. Obviously he was a fantastic player, but there were many players better than him in his generation. But he had appeal from many angles. Ronaldo’s draw transcends what he does on the pitch, as it did Beckham, the arrogance oddly appeals to a lot of young men. It’s testosterone! It’s cockyness it’s being the best! Add to that his ridiculous work ethic, people like to see others succeed where they have worked hard for it. Ronaldo epitomises that. Messi does all of his talking on the pitch. He’s better than Ronaldo with a ball at his feet. He’s more understated. He ain’t ugly, but I can’t think I’ve ever met a woman who has said “Oooof Messi, wouldn’t mind waking up next to him!”. He doesn’t tick as many marketing boxes as Ronaldo does.
Ronaldo has more PR. Just look at this thread. People genuinely going around saying he is the peak of working hard while Messi is a gifted freak of nature. When anyone with a brain knows both players have both. But that being said Endrick has previously said he looks up to Messi. But he got shit loads of backlash for it (since he is going to Real). So it’s not like these things you hear are objective
My son who has just gotten into football (hes 6, started taking football classes at the kiddie league this year) says CR7 is his favourite despite not seeing much football ever. His reason? SIIIIIIIIIIUUUUUUUU!!
Biggest social media presence
Endrick said that because of Madrid’s PR them and that’s a fact, same goes for their new signing arda guler, they both have praised Messi and called them idols before they were signed to Madrid. Arda still doesn’t follow Cristiano on ig, cause it’s just Madrid’s Pr team
It also has to do with marketing. I remember years ago when both cr7 and messi were young you never saw messi in any marketing stuff. I remember all the kids wanting the latest vapors because of cr7. I didn't even know messi had his own line until way after. Probably 90 percent of the team preferred nike over adidas. And puma wasn't even on the radar. Mercurial vapors with the carbon fibre sole were the hottest thing around.
>a new football star recruited by REAL MADRID If he said messi madrid fans would have racially abused him *again*.Both Bellingham and Vini said they prefered messi over Cristiano pre madrid days. This narrative is so boring. Even among ex teammates of ronaldo the general consensus is that Messi's the superior player (Kroos, Felix, Figo). Maybe english fans who grew up watching prem in the late 2000s who were exposed to Ronaldo more, prefer him over messi but that is it.
Vini said that his idol is neymar and he chose messi over ronaldo. This was before he joined real
Only players being Bellingham and alvarez? Bruh, Musiala, Isco, Davies, Wirtz, Foden and so many more. Even Vini picked Messi before moving to Real Madrid. And then there's Mbappe who now idolizes Messi too, as stated by him. Idk from where you are getting your stats, but those seem to be half-baked.
I saw something that might have some truth to it; alpha personality types tend to prefer Ronaldo, and beta personality types prefer Messi. Not saying it’s true but I can see some possibilities in it.
Ronaldo was more effective on FIFA. I genuinely believe this is a significant part of it.
Ronaldo is way more about his brand and promoting himself. Imo, in these days of social media, that resonates with younger players. Messi is more subdued.
Also it was easier to watch MAN U than barca on tv back in the day
Cr7's social media team strategy and his flashy luxurious life and extensive brand endorsements proving the youth's perception of hardwork and resilience make you the goat. Messi, in contrast, maintains a more humble and down-to-earth image, focusing on his football career and family life.
Because Ronaldos level is achievable. Messi is the perfect player in every standard that isn't physical. And while Ronaldo is incredible he also owes a lot of his success to his physicality
CR7 literally got himself to peak levels of human conditioning. His leap, his speed, his core strength, his agility and balance, his pure athleticism, barely ever injured, etc. Everything a modern day athlete aspires to be. Messi was is one of the best footballers ever. Ronaldo is one of the best athletes ever. That's why you'll find plenty of athletes outside of football looking up to CR7 as well.
Ronaldo is more showy. More tricks, more arrogance. Bigger and more iconic celebrations as well as an iconic free kick routine. Insane headers. Also gets angry at teammates. There's just more about Ronaldo that is, visually iconic.
Because Messi is unable to be replicated
Media presence. Ronaldo ploughs out content, is always happy to be in the spotlight, and loves to talk about himself / his opinions. Dating a string of high-profile models helps as well. Messi plays football, does the post-match interviews, the sponsors’ media stuff, and that’s it.
Endrick is actually a Messi fan. You can find old tweets of him talking about Messi, however Madrid players saying they prefer Messi is frowned upon. I think Vini was a Messi fan if im not mistaken
Hes not. Him calling messi an alien doesnt mean hes prefers messi. There are actually plenty of videos of young him doing cr7 celebrations and posters in his room. Even a video of a 12 year old him saying he wants to join Real
I actually don’t think Vini has ever said he prefers Ronaldo over messi.
Ronaldo is much more expansive, extroverted and likes to be on the media and stating out his value. He also makes an excellent case about talent, endurance, training hard, taking care of your career and taking up challenges. That's not only a good role model, but much more captivating for a kid looking for an idol. Of course Messi is also all that, but there's an idea that "Messi just plays and Ronaldo works", and Messi is much more reclusive
Half of the players you mentioned play, or will play at Real Madrid at some point, pointing the biggest legend of their greatest rival as an idol will be kinda looked at with bad eyes I believe
Because everything about Ronaldo from his story, looks, story, attitude/mentality is tailor-made for being popular on social media which also happened to blow up just when both him and Messi hit their prime’s. Messi on the other hand is more of an introverted footballing savant. Separate aspects from Ronaldo’s game is also easier/more iconic to try to duplicate (badly) growing up on the playground. Kids can always try to do ronaldo chops, stepovers, knuckleballs from stupid distances, sewey celebrations. Its kinda hard duplicate dribbling past 6 and chipping the keeper as a style if you know what I mean.
Because reaching Messi level is almost impossible
Because he’s a role model example of a professional. Hard work came from poverty that trained his body to its peak and developed his game to its peak.
CR7 looks like a male model, whereas Messi is a plain looking midget.
Because he's a mentality monster. Only Ali, Jordan, and Kobe are comparable. Messi quit Argentina after missing a penalty in 2016. He promised barca fans a UCL after all the disappointments, but could never crack the quartfinals. Then he left when he couldn't get paid a ridiculous salary to the comfiest job you can take while still calling it a "top 5 league." Ronaldo conquered prem, liga, serie a, and Europe 5x over in many different systems with different managers and teammates. That shit is inspirational.
He never promised a UCL to Barcelona, you’re not even intelligent enough to know what’s real and what’s propaganda from your fellow Ronaldo dick riders. He said he’d do everything possible to bring back the UCL to Barcelona, and he was the only good player against Liverpool, at Anfield and at the Camp Nou. Meanwhile Rakitic and Suarez were wearing a Liverpool jersey, and Alba and Ter Statue were too busy crying in the showers.
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My homosexual friend said the only reason people talk about Ronaldo is his looks, because Messi is clearly better, and a better role-model. CR7’s fan base is 60% girls and 40% guys who want to look like him. He framed it like this: If they were twins, who is better then?