5 things Cristiano Ronaldo does better than Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest footballers to have ever lived. At the peak of their powers, they represented arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, going neck to neck for all records and honours.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have also dominated the sport like no other individuals have in the past. Out of the last 12 Ballon d'Or awards, the duo have won 11. Lionel Messi has won a record six Ballons d'Or while Cristiano Ronaldo has won five.
The Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi debate will rage on for eternity
It's difficult to say who the better player is. Both players have their own set of strengths and weaknesses. There are certain things that Lionel Messi is better at than Cristiano Ronaldo and vice versa.
Today, we take a look at five things Cristiano Ronaldo does better than Lionel Messi.
#5 Headers
Cristiano Ronaldo's aerial ability is second to none. Standing at 187 cms, Ronaldo is not the tallest forward around. However, he more than makes up for it with his incredible leap. Ronaldo rising above the crowd to nod the ball home is quite the sight to behold.
It's a skill that Ronaldo started working on during his time at Manchester United. He was young and was evolving into one of the main goalscorers for the Red Devils. Ronald had to add more skills to his arsenal deliver on a regular basis.
Lionel Messi is 170 cms tall and hardly ever scores with his head. Messi's strengths lie elsewhere and he often comes second best in aerial duels.
#4 Penalties
Cristiano Ronaldo is a better penalty taker than Lionel Messi. Both players are good from the spot and are their club's first-choice penalty takers. But the Portuguese international has had more success from the spot than his Argentinian counterpart.
Ronaldo has scored 139 out of the 166 penalties he has taken in his career. He has a penalty conversion rate of 83.7%. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has scored 100 out of 129 attempts. He has a conversion rate of 77.5%.
Cristiano Ronaldo seems to deal with the nerves a tad bit better than Messi. He scored from the spot thrice in the recently concluded Euro 2020 and is always happy to take up the responsibility.