Messi - the greatest ever

Love them both but my personal preference is Messi, more to his game and I prefer what he does and the way he does it. Doesn't really matter though who people think is better, doesn't make any difference. I love that 2 very different players at this level exist, just shows the variety you can have in football that I don't think exists to the same degree in other sports.

comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 41 minutes ago
Love them both but my personal preference is Messi, more to his game and I prefer what he does and the way he does it. Doesn't really matter though who people think is better, doesn't make any difference. I love that 2 very different players at this level exist, just shows the variety you can have in football that I don't think exists to the same degree in other sports.
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I do love the reactionary posts though when one of them scores, which for some reason makes them so much superior only for the other to then score and even it out again

The 2 best players in the world by some distance at the moment and both have been doing it for over a decade.

comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 1 hour, 33 minutes ago
Love them both but my personal preference is Messi, more to his game and I prefer what he does and the way he does it. Doesn't really matter though who people think is better, doesn't make any difference. I love that 2 very different players at this level exist, just shows the variety you can have in football that I don't think exists to the same degree in other sports.
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I think it exists in tennis with the Federer/Nadal rivalry but I get what you mean

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But they're not that different are they? Nadal and Federer are the same height and very similar physique, they just choose different styles of play, also there are multiple positions in football that require different skills and attributes, tennis is completely different. Ronaldo is 7 inches taller than Messi (who also had to take growth hormones as a teenager) and very different physically which has a major effect on their style of play.

If there was a 5ft 5 tennis player who's game had little power and used incredible skill and technique then I'd agree but that will never happen in Tennis.

Comment Deleted by Site Moderator

But not to the contrast of Ronaldo and Messi which was my point. There is far greater variety in player's physique in football than there is in Tennis or any other sport really and that allows for such an interesting comparison with Messi and Ronaldo.

Comment Deleted by Site Moderator

True, but generally in those sports you have a set requirement for each position. I'm not really a Rugby fan but do you get much variety in one position at the highest level like the Messi/Ronaldo comparion we're on about?

I get both sides of this discussion. What I'd say elevates the Messi/Ronaldo rivalry above the rest is, on the one hand, that they are the absolute kings of what is a team sport that provides a stage for many others to shine on, that it's probably the most popular sport in the world by some distance, and that while Djokovic has definitely driven a stake into their dominance, nobody has even come close to toppling the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly.

Neymar at one point looked like he could at least outshine Ronaldo, but his injuries and career decisions, have seriously hampered his progress. Well, coupled with the fact that Ronaldo somehow managed to find an extra gear when he appeared to be entering his decline. He'll never be as easy on the eye nor capable of doing as many things as Messi, but at least on one level I think it's fair to say he's actually outstripped him when it no longer seemed possible.