Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi fails to secure no. 1 spot in poll to decide greatest rivalry in sports history
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's rivalry remains a hot topic among football lovers across the globe. The two superstars continue to bring the best out of each other, with their immense motivation and insatiable thirst for success every season. However, how does their rivalry compare with other rivalries in sports history?
According to research commissioned by gaming company Nintendo, Messi and Ronaldo's rivalry isn't the biggest sporting rivalry of all time. The duo were beaten to the top spot by tennis stars Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the football world for well over a decade now. Fucking unreal. Arguably the greatest rivalry in sports history, as well as the greatest to athletes to ever grace the sport of football.
The two tennis legends faced each other 14 times between 1978 and 1981, clashing in the biggest tennis tournaments around the world.
Although the Messi-Ronaldo duel didn't take the top spot, it wasn't far behind, as it ranked second in the list. Another footballing rivalry, that of Germany and England, follows in third position.
The research, which was based on a poll of 2,000 adults, has boxing legends Mohamed Ali and Joe Frazier in fourth position. Another set of tennis heros, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, take the fifth spot.
Interestingly, another football rivalry, that of Liverpool and Manchester United, made it into the list, in ninth position. Below is the top-10 list as it appeared on Mirror:
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1. Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe
2. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi
3. England vs Germany (football)
4. Muhammed Ali vs Joe Frazier
5. Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal
6. Nigel Benn vs Chris Eubank
7. Roy Keane vs Patrick Vieira
8. Oxford vs Cambridge (rowing)
9. Liverpool vs Manchester United
10. Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost.
What's next for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi?
The duo have had a difficult outing this season, with Messi enduring a slow start to life at PSG, while Ronaldo suffering from inadequate support at Manchester United. However, it would be an act of foolishness to write them off just yet, as they'll definitely be eager to bounce back next season.
Meanwhile, it's worth nothing that the Portuguese has a record of 23 goals and three assists across competitions so far this season. His Argentine counterpart, meanwhile, has nine goals and 13 assists this campaign.