Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have shared perhaps the greatest professional rivalry in the game, sharing the stage for the better part of two decades. Their ability to consistently remain the best over such a long time is beyond comprehension. Both players have had glittering careers, have won almost every trophy that exists in professional football and have shared records and accolades for the past 18 years.
Manchester United striker Ronaldo has more than 800 career goals and holds the record for the most goals in the history of the game. He is also the top scorer in international football and in the Champions League, a competition he has won five times. The former Real Madrid and Juventus forward is also a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, which places him in the elite company of Lionel Messi, who has won the most Ballon d’Or awards, with seven to his name.
The Argentine also has more than 1100 goal contributions, leading the list by quite a distance. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker also holds the record for the most goals for a single club, scoring 672 goals for Barcelona. He also has the most assists in football history, with an astounding 341 career assists.
Barcelona head coach and Messi’s former teammate Xavi Hernandez has explained why his former teammate was pushed to be a better player by Cristiano, and vice-versa. The Spaniard mentioned that each player was motivated by the other’s performance to perform better on the pitch and as a result, made each other better players.
“Cristiano gave him an extra push to become a better player. Cristiano and Leo probably won’t admit it. I am convinced they used to keep an eye on each other. If you’re competitive, you want to be the best,”
he said in the BBC documentary ‘Messi: The Enigma’.
Although both legends have reached the twilight of their careers, it appears that they are still going strong. While the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year might be the last appearance in the competition for both players, both Messi and Ronaldo look to be in no mood to hang up their boots just yet. The duo will have the support and backing of the entire football fraternity, who will hope to see these icons go strong for as long as possible.
