"There is a big difference" - When Johan Cruyff highlighted the main difference between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the twilight of their careers, but the world remains divided over who reigns supreme. However, one of the pioneers of modern football, the legendary Johan Cruyff, has already had his say on who is the better of the two.
The Argentinean is currently playing out the final days of his career in the MLS with Inter Miami. The Portuguese, meanwhile, is in the Middle East, where he plays for Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.
The world first witnessed the start of the legendary rivalry when Cristiano Ronaldo was at Manchester United. Lionel Messi was rapidly rising through the ranks at Barcelona and pretty soon, the two stalwarts of modern football began to clash at the Ballon d'Or stage.
The Portuguese's rivalry with the Argentinean hit a higher gear once he joined Real Madrid in 2009. Since then, the two of them have dominated football, winning trophies and accolades, and registering statistics that defy logic. Even though they have slowed down of late, they continue to divide the world into two camps.
However, Johan Cruyff, who gifted the world the concept of 'Total Football', believes there's a clear winner between the two. Speaking before he passed away in 2016, the legendary Dutchman also outlined the difference between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Messi is much more a team player than Cristiano is. He scores but also produces many assists. For me as a player, Messi is better. There is a big difference in being just a great goalscorer and being the best player," Cruyff was quoted as saying by Give Me Sport.
He continued:
"Every person that understands football knows this. It's absolutely ridiculous to me that some people actually think Messi isn't the best. This isn't about Cristiano at all. He's a fantastic player, one of the best goalscorers ever. This is about how ridiculously good Messi is."
It is believed that the 37-year-old has put the rivalry to bed after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina, although fans of the Portuguese would disagree.
Will there ever be another rivalry like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
It is hard to imagine that there will be another rivalry like the one Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have ignited. The Argentinean has eight Ballon d'Ors to his name, along with six European Golden Shoe Awards, plus a cabinet full of trophies.
The Portuguese, meanwhile, has dominated Champions League like no other. The 39-year-old has won the Ballon d'Or five times and also has four European Golden Shoe Awards to his name.
The two of them pushed each other to the limits of their capabilities and have raised the bar very high. However, history has an uncanny habit of repeating itself, so another such rivalry, in the near future, cannot be ruled out.