3 reasons why Lionel Messi must accept Cristiano Ronaldo’s challenge to test himself in another league
One of the hottest, unending debates this generation has seen is the one between fans of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Both players have dominated football in the last decade and continue to excel for their respective clubs.
Messi and Ronaldo are considered two of the greatest players of all time, but their rivalry extends beyond that. Rather than compare them to football greats of old, like Diego Maradona and Pele, fans are eager to argue out who is better between the Portuguese and Argentine.
Having both competed in La Liga for nine years, Ronaldo opted to swap the Spanish league for Serie A, making it the fourth different league he has played in his career. Messi, on the other hand, is a one-club man, having played for Barcelona all his life.
That brings us to the main point of this article. Last December Ronaldo challenged Messi to prove himself in another league, as he himself has done.
"I'd like him [Messi] to come to Italy one day. I hope he accepts the challenge like me, but if he's happy there then I respect that," Ronaldo said, as quoted by the BBC.
Now, here are three reasons why Messi must accept Ronaldo’s challenge to test himself in another league:
#3 It’s a chance prove himself outside La Liga
Lionel Messi is undoubtedly a great player and his achievements speak for themselves. However, if there is one thing he is yet to convince many about, it is his ability to excel in another league. The Argentine’s commitment to Barcelona means he is yet to test himself outside La Liga.
By contrast, his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo has already tested himself four of Europe’s top leagues. The 34-year-old started his career at Sporting Lisbon and has gone on to chalk considerable successes in England and Spain as well.
Currently, the Portuguese star is also dominating the Serie A, where he is among the top scorers in the Italian top flight. Messi is yet to do all of this. The Argentine might still be achieving great things, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is yet to prove himself outside La Liga.
Accepting Ronaldo’s challenge gives him the perfect opportunity to prove himself in another league and to put an end claims that he would not be successful playing outside the Spanish league.
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