Ronaldo

It is that simple, IF Messi can win the greatest football competition on the planet and emulate Maradona he will not only win the Ballon d'or he will arguably go down as the greatest player ever.

As I said, this is a huge IF though.

Bale was poor last night but Ronaldo had an absolute stinker. At least Bale created chances, he was just poor executing them. He also got the decisive goal which was massive.

I still can't believe the audacity of the caant to celebrate the way he did for what was a worthless, undeserved 4th goa, as if he had just scored a last gasp winner that edged the game. He's everything I loathe in smug footballers. Self-absorbed pr.ick.

That is if Messi won the WC single handedly like Maradona did. Argentina are already one of the favorites, If messi had a storming world cup then fair enough but if he was a crucial cog in a winning team and did not perform close to ronaldo level through out the year, aka Xavi(2010), he doesnt deserve to win it,

Yeah, Lots of IFs

Ronaldo doesnt score in big games. Unless you count:

Holding the record for El Classico Goals
Scoring the winner in an El Classico Copa Del Rey semi-final at the Nou Camp.
Scoring the first goal in an FA Cup final win.
Breaking the CL goal scoring record.
Scoring in 2 CL finals.
Scoring a hat-trick to take his country to the World Cup.
Scoring in multiple CL semi-finals against teams including Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Arsenal.
Scoring from 40 yards in an CL QF.

If you base the criteria for a big game being any game against the top 4 or a Q/F onwards in a cup competition then Ronaldo has scored over 4
50 goals in big games since 2007/8 season... averaging above 1 goal in every 2 games...

But no, he doesn't score in big games

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There aren't a lot of ifs, just one big if. He is Argentina's talisman, if they are to win it it will be largely due to him.

Yeah, "Ronaldo goes missing in big games" is one of the biggest myths going around

Not sure about that 1982. Argentina has many great attacking players. teams tend to double, triple up on Messi/Ronaldo which opens up space for other attacking players. I wont be surprise if Aguero has a better WC than Messu

The Ballon d'Or will sometimes go to the best over a season, sometimes to whoever's achieved the most with his club and/or country, sometimes to whoever had the best World Cup.

It can go to any of the above, or to someone who was there or thereabout in most departments, but I am pretty sure that regardless of anything else that's taken place during the season, it would go to Messi if he had a stellar World Cup leading Argentina to the final.

*title*, not *final*

"I wont be surprise if Aguero has a better WC than Messu"

Fair enough that's your opinion, If Argentina do well it will because Messi will have performed. Argentina have some great players but Messi is in a league of his own.