The two maestros have been in the twilight of their careers and have taken world football by storm with their performances. The Ronaldo vs Messi era truly began when Barcelona demolished their archrivals from Castilla 5-0 at the Camp Nou back in November 2010.
Messi was clearly victorious in that contest, scoring for the very first time against a team managed by Mourinho. The rivalry between La Pulga and CR7 has come a long way since then and both men have been very influential every time the two sides have faced each other in El Clasico.
It is impossible to express their quality in words and in their case it sounds true that actions speak louder than words. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine wizard Lionel Messi are in a constant battle against one another for the right to be called football’s greatest ever player.
Last Sunday, the Bernabeu crowd applauded as Cristiano Ronaldo completed a brilliant hat-trick against Getafe. The Camp Nou, on the same day, heaped praises on its wonder kid as Messi touted the Osasuna defence with four brilliant goals.
The records of these two megastars prove that they are in a league of their own. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 60 goals for Real Madrid last season. This impressive tally – especially for a winger – was only bettered by Lionel Messi who managed to reach a massive total of 73 goals in all competitions for Barcelona. As expected the two lead the scoring chart in La Liga this season; Messi with 33 and Ronaldo with 21 goals this season.
El Clasico’s stage has gradually transformed into a success for Ronaldo who has managed to score in six consecutive matches against Barcelona. The Real Madrid number 7 player will be looking forward to improve his tally which currently stands at 10 goals in 16 Clasicos. Messi, on the other hand, has scored 17 goals in 22 Clasicos and will be starting Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg clash in a blistering form, even by his own standards.
For millions of soccer coaches, fans and pundits, it is difficult to conclude as to who is the better of the two. Both players have a knack of producing extraordinary performances consistently. Much to Ronaldo’s agony, it is Messi who has been walking away with the biggest accolades in the game.
The Copa del Rey Clasico on Wednesday night will not only decide which is the better team between Barcelona and Real Madrid; it will also add more ink and lines to the never-ending Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate. Will any of these two stars steal El Clasico’s spotlight or will the public witness a tie like it happened when both last confronted each other in October 2012?
