In a soccer scoreboards review, we look at and compare the best two attacking players in the global game today. Soccer is the most popular sport in Europe. Practically everyone on the continent is crazy about the game and the stadiums tend to be full every time there is a match. There is no doubt that the game has produced some great players over the years, and out of today’s crop of stars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two that stand out. They play for the greatest and most supported teams in Europe: Real Madrid and Barcelona. It is very hard to compare such great players so let’s take a look at their stats and then try to make a conclusion about who is the greatest.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese player and plays as a forward for the Spanish club Real Madrid. Real Madrid bought him for £80 million from Manchester United. He is the highest paid footballer in the world as he gets £11 million per year. He is just 25 and has achieved a lot. In 2008, when he was with Manchester United, the soccer scoreboards showed that his team won the Champions League and he was named the player of the tournament. He was also named the FIFPro Young Player of the World and has also won the FIFA player of the year.
The Golden Ball is awarded to the European Football player of the year: to the player who has been the most outstanding in the previous calendar year. Ronaldo received this award when he was with Manchester United and became the first United player to receive this award in 40 years. He had a brilliant journey with Manchester United from 2003-2009. Right now he is on top of his career and is playing extremely well. His presence in his national team, Portugal is highly influential, and he brings the team a wide range of attacking options.
Lionel Messi is an Argentine player. He plays for FC Barcelona as a forward. He too is quite young as is only 23. His playing style and abilities as a teenager drew the attention of many clubs, but Barcelona was the fortunate one to get Messi on their side. He made his debut in the 2004-2005 season and scored his first goal ever in the league thus breaking the record of the youngest player to score a goal in Spain.
Lionel Messi, at the tender age of 22 received both the Golden Ball and the FIFA player of the year award. His football playing style and abilities have enable experts to compare him to the one and only Maradona, and Maradona himself has declared Messi as his successor. Messi has played some important matches for Argentina and has helped his team win on a number of occasions.
Looking at the achievements of both the players it is impossible to draw a line between the two. They are both young and are already at the peak of their careers. In a survey of neutral fans, the majority gave preference to Messi, as his performances are more consistent than the occasional erratic Ronaldo. With time, we will be able to make final conclusions about who was truly the greatest. In the meantime, we will enjoy watching them play!
For more information, go to:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo