Topics: FIFA World Cup, World Cup 2014, Argentina, Portugal, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The debate between Messi and Ronaldo sparked interest in light of the upcoming World Cup where both will be leading their respective countries.

World Cups are a source of entertainment, but most of all, they usually come with great duels on and off the pitch. One of the never-ending debates, Messi vs Ronaldo, resurfaced immediately after Portugal clinched a World Cup seat after beating Sweden.

As the tournament gets closer the curiosity rises amongst all football fans. Just recently, Gary Lineker made his vote known, picking the Argentine as the better player, despite Ronaldo having just won the Balon d’Or. The Englishman picked Messi due to his phenomenal skills, his honesty, and his ability to play as a team player.

Meanwhile, Joachim Low said that his team will be able to stop Ronaldo. The courageous statement makes sense, especially since CR7 will almost certainly not be fully fit, due to a tendonitis. We all saw what he is capable of when he is fit against Bayern Munich at the Allianz. The German manager stated:

“Portugal are a great team and Cristiano's a fantastic player, but we've got the players and methods to stop him.”

The two wonder-players have been head-to-head since they became professionals

Zlatan Ibrahimovic concludes the debate by picking Ronaldo; except the Swedish player means the Brazilian one. El Fenomeno won two World Cups and, despite his many injuries, still managed to score 350 goals in 500 appearances. Zlatan commented:

“The best opponent of my career? […] I would say Ronaldo, 'El Fenomeno'. Because he was my idol and because, as a football player, he was complete. There will never, in my view, be a better player than him.”

VIDEO: watch how Ibracadabra challenges Ronaldo with the longest stare in history

Zlatan and Ronaldo battled for a spot in the World Cup during the playoffs

The reality of the debate however is that a comparison is unnecessary as well as misplaced. If you would not compare Higuain to Nani, or Postiga to Lavezzi, you should not compare Ronaldo to Messi and vice versa. They play different positions and have completely different characteristics.

The two legends were seating next to each other during the Balon d'Or initial press conference