WHY JUVE’S NEW £105m MAN IS THE BEST OF HIS GENERATION

Although when I was told Juventus confirmed they had acquired the services of a 33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid for a staggering £105m. I explained it as Juventus showing how desperate they are to win the Champions League. However, I can hardly blame them for shelling out such a fee for the man who I class as the best of a generation. 

Naturally, Lionel Messi fans far and wide with scoff at this and like made scientists, will dig up a multitude of stats and figures, that they say would suggest Messi is the better player. I would respond to that by saying maybe when it comes to natural ability or raw skill, Messi is probably better. But when it comes to being a footballer. An athlete, a leader, a man to deliver on all occasions. Ronaldo is unquestionably the man.

It’s very weird as these two players career’s have been on a parallel with each other, it seems for ever. But in reality, they are two completely different players. Messi if you like, seems to be the everyday mans player and Ronaldo the professionals player.

Ronaldo has the look, the physic and the statue. He was every bit built in the gym and on the training ground. Where as Messi doesn’t exactly look like a footballer and even though he obviously worked hard. It does seem that his abilities are natural and almost God-given. 

Although for as long as you can remember, you couldn’t mention one player without the other and their careers seem to be very similar. I feel their paths couldn’t have been more different. 

For starters. I don’t think people understand how hard it is to move to another country, let alone go to huge clubs in other countries, get acclimatised in these huge clubs, then become the main man.

Messi, admittedly left his native Argentina as a 13-year-old and relocated in Spain where Barca agreed to pay for medical treatment for a growth deficiency. He was then brought up in the Barcelona way, destined to be something special and made his debut at 17. 

Ronaldo also left Sporting Lisbon at a very young age. Was the most expensive teenager in English football when he went to Man Utd for just over £12m. United were already an established superpower with big personalities and players. But that’s where the similarities end. 

Moving to Man Utd’ had serious pressure from the get go. But seven years later he left with three Premier League titles. Two FA Cups. A Champions league medal and a Fifa club World Cup medal.

Also a multitude of individual awards such as, a Ballon d’or. A World player of the year. UEFA footballer of the year. Two young player of the years. A Fifa golden show award. A pushes award. two Premier league player and players player of the seasons. 

If that wasn’t impressive enough he left Man Utd and went to Real Madrid and in his nine years there became the man. Winning two La Liga titles. Four Champions Leagues, including three in a row. Three Fife club world cups. Two super cups and two Copa del Rey’s. Individually picking up things such as four Ballon d’Or’s. Four world soccer player of the year. Two Portuguese player of the year and three European golden show awards. 

Crucially, after losing the Euro2004 final in his own country as a 19-year-old. 12 years later, he led his team to an unexpected Euro2016 win against France, in France. Though he got injured in the final and had to come off, there was no doubting he led his country, all the way from the qualifiers to the final. 

It’s sad that Ronaldo and Messi’s name come hand in hand and when you mention one, invariably, you will mention the other. You cant help but compare the two, even though they are very different players. 

However, as stated previously, Messi was more of a natural, raw talent, Ronaldo definitely worked hard on his talents and abilities and I feel continued to improve, evolve and adapt his game….

This is my reasoning. Early in his career he was a flying winger. Full of tricks and flicks. Gliding past players and beating them with ease. As he went on, he became more of a direct, goal threat, devastating in the box, but also dangerous outside it, linking up with players and revolutionised free kick taking. Now at this stage in his career, he is more static, but more intelligent, with that killer instinct in and around the box only. 

For me this a journey Messi did not have. I do not believe Messi has adapted or evolved his game much. You can argue, maybe he didn’t have to. But the journey Ronaldo had, has created more strings to this bow. This maybe has a lot to do with him playing in three different countries. Having to acclimatise to different leagues and way of playing. 

Messi has not needed to do this. He went to Barcelona at a very young age, already a young superstar prospect and everything was geared up for him and around him to develop into this superstar.

I am not saying Messi didn’t work hard to become this superstar, but his path was paved from a very early stage and Barcelona did all they could to make it happen. Not to mention having the likes of Ronaldinho who took him under his wing and allowed him to learn off him. Obviously, Ronaldo had some huge players to look up to, not to mention a father figure in Sir Alex Ferguson however. 

Now I am not saying just because you stay with one club you cannot be regarded as great. As the likes Totti, Maldini, Scholes. Tony Adams and Carlos Puyol is a testament to that. However, Ronaldo moving around, although he did stay for long periods at United and Madrid. However i’m sure that experience was huge for his development and evolution and could have been a major factor in him helping to lead his country to glory in 2016.

Messi on the other hand, is still searching for a tournament win for his country, he has four final defeats. Although he must be commended for getting to four finals. Four defeats is alarming and a distinct sore spot for him and his record.

Although he did lead his country to an Olympic gold in 2008. But it’s not exactly the same thing due to the restrictions on players. 

I am of firm belief that to be really regarded as a great. You have to lead your country to glory. I.e Maradona. Pele. Zidane. Platini Ronaldo. Ronaldinho. etc….Although there is no denying Messi is a world-class player and will go down as so. No tournament win for Argentina will always put a spanner in the works for his greatness. 

So although many may throw up stats, figures and numbers. And I’m sure many individual figures may work in Messi’s favour, although Ronaldo has his fair share that paints him in a better light than Messi. You can configure it either way for either player. 

However, when you look at individual attributes. Then combine them with collective attributes for club and country. Then you add in the difficulty level in comfortability and having to adapt and evolve. In my opinion, Cristiano Ronaldo is more impressive in almost every aspect and will go down in history as the best of this generation. Plain and simple.