5 Reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi
Disclaimer: The views of the author do not necessarily reflect those of Sportskeeda.
Arriving at a general consensus for one deserving winner for the title of Greatest Player of All Time is a difficult matter, as subjective views, prejudices, and changing eras mean that settling on one player is almost impossible.
Notwithstanding, two players who are universally acclaimed as deserving winners of the GOAT tag are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and rightly so, as they have each attained extraordinary feats over the course of their respective careers.
Both men's track record and achievements are well documented and the fact that they have performed as direct rivals, contesting for the same individual and collective trophies over the last 15 years has pitted them against one another and forged what is unarguably the greatest individual sporting rivalry in history.
Given their extraterrestrial abilities, it comes as no surprise that the media, pundits, and especially fans are almost evenly split in their decisions over who the better player of the two is.
The Messi/Ronaldo diatribe has led to intense back-and-forths across social media and the internet, with sometimes far-reaching consequences.
While it might be difficult to successfully convince the other party that one is better than the other, Ronaldo just edges his rival slightly in his quest to be considered the best player of his generation.
In this piece, we shall be highlighting five reasons why Ronaldo is better than Messi.
#1 International success
With 34 major trophies won with Barcelona, Lionel Messi is the most successful player in the Catalans' history and he significantly thumps the 29 titles Cristiano Ronaldo has won across his spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
It is however on the international stage where Ronaldo has a significant edge over his great adversary, having captained Portugal to their first-ever major trophy when they won Euro 2016 and repeated the feat three years later at the maiden edition of the UEFA Nations League.
By contrast, Messi is yet to taste success on the international scene, despite being a part of highly talented Argentine squads over the years and was on the losing side in four major international finals, with three coming consecutively between 2014 and 2016.
Achieving success at both club and international level is a widely accepted criterion for being placed in the pantheons of the greatest of all time and the fact that Ronaldo has achieved on both stages places him on a higher pedestal than Messi.
Also check out: Champions league top scorers La liga table 2019-20 Seria A table