You say Messi, I say Ronaldo
LIMBA MUPETAMI
I'm just going to get into it. For years Ronaldo has been tormented by football fans, however, many like myself continue revelling in his talent.
Marvelling at his brilliance on the field, admiring how he has been aging and getting better on the field each time he plays either at club or national level.
Friday's opener for his Portuguese side in the 2018 World Cup taking place in Russia proved his talented and hard work, as he continues to make and break records.
CR7 as he is known across the world by doting fans, scored three goals against match favourites Spain to secure a 3-3 drawn and leave Iran leading in Group B.
This was a World Cup game for the ages, as Ronaldo scored his first goal through a penalty, given to him on a silver platter by Nacho.
He then scored his second goal before the break, after David de Gea made a terrible and uncharacteristic error, fumbling a zipping left foot shot by Ronaldo, which slid through his gloves and over the line.
The third goal in the last minutes of the match was dramatic, as the maestro hitched up his shorts, shut his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and as if speaking to God, clipped a right-foot shot around the wall so accurately that De Gea did not even dive for it.
These goals means that he becomes only the fourth man in history to score in four World Cup finals and the first to do so in eight straight international tournaments. All eyes were on him; it was do or die for at that stage and he knew he had to score when he got a chance.
After the match he continued to affirm and congratulate his team, motivating them to step up. H also shook hands with his opponents. That is great character in itself. It just showed that the Portuguese are big on professionalism and true sportsmen in all senses.
Not only did he showcase his talent, but his dedication to improve all the time showed on Friday.
Which brings me to the question of whether the rest of the world is still not convinced that this fine athlete has not only stood the test of time, but has shown over and over again that he has the innate ability to withstand critics. He has incredible mental endurance and that is what makes him the best in the world and sets him apart.
When his team was down by a goal, he did not fade or hide away. He rose to the occasion.
How then do we still question him and compare him to Messi? Don't get me wrong. Messi is an incredible footballer.
However, these two players are totally different to one another, even if they are playing soccer in the same era. They are probably the greatest players to have graced the world football, but who are yet to win a World Cup. They have been going head to head for the last six to seven years, not only for individual title, but also helping in helping their club and national teams to glory.
Messi has naturals gift of balance and control over the football; he can turn and twist and accelerate with the ball at his feet better than anyone.
However, he does not step up like the maestro. He lacks charisma and flair. He fails to excite or frightened me when he moves forward with the ball, while Ronaldo does that. Ronaldo has constant energy and the drive to excel. When he has the ball, you know you have to run as a defender. You don't know whether he is going to curl or blast the ball. He has great athleticism and dedication. There is no denying that the rivalry between the two will always continue.
They have both won a combined ten FIFA Ballon d'Or awards (five each) and both are widely regarded as the two best players of their generation, and among the greatest of all time.
Both players have regularly broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season and have scored over 600 goals each in their careers for club and country. They are also the only two players to score seven Uefa Champions League hat-tricks.
They are above the rest. However, my money is on Ronaldo. He might not secure Portugal World Cup glory, but he will certainly make sure he leaves with a couple of broken records.
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I'm just going to get into it. For years Ronaldo has been tormented by football fans, however, many like myself continue revelling in his talent.
Marvelling at his brilliance on the field, admiring how he has been aging and getting better on the field each time he plays either at club or national level.
Friday's opener for his Portuguese side in the 2018 World Cup taking place in Russia proved his talented and hard work, as he continues to make and break records.
CR7 as he is known across the world by doting fans, scored three goals against match favourites Spain to secure a 3-3 drawn and leave Iran leading in Group B.
This was a World Cup game for the ages, as Ronaldo scored his first goal through a penalty, given to him on a silver platter by Nacho.
He then scored his second goal before the break, after David de Gea made a terrible and uncharacteristic error, fumbling a zipping left foot shot by Ronaldo, which slid through his gloves and over the line.
The third goal in the last minutes of the match was dramatic, as the maestro hitched up his shorts, shut his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and as if speaking to God, clipped a right-foot shot around the wall so accurately that De Gea did not even dive for it.
These goals means that he becomes only the fourth man in history to score in four World Cup finals and the first to do so in eight straight international tournaments. All eyes were on him; it was do or die for at that stage and he knew he had to score when he got a chance.
After the match he continued to affirm and congratulate his team, motivating them to step up. H also shook hands with his opponents. That is great character in itself. It just showed that the Portuguese are big on professionalism and true sportsmen in all senses.
Not only did he showcase his talent, but his dedication to improve all the time showed on Friday.
Which brings me to the question of whether the rest of the world is still not convinced that this fine athlete has not only stood the test of time, but has shown over and over again that he has the innate ability to withstand critics. He has incredible mental endurance and that is what makes him the best in the world and sets him apart.
When his team was down by a goal, he did not fade or hide away. He rose to the occasion.
How then do we still question him and compare him to Messi? Don't get me wrong. Messi is an incredible footballer.
However, these two players are totally different to one another, even if they are playing soccer in the same era. They are probably the greatest players to have graced the world football, but who are yet to win a World Cup. They have been going head to head for the last six to seven years, not only for individual title, but also helping in helping their club and national teams to glory.
Messi has naturals gift of balance and control over the football; he can turn and twist and accelerate with the ball at his feet better than anyone.
However, he does not step up like the maestro. He lacks charisma and flair. He fails to excite or frightened me when he moves forward with the ball, while Ronaldo does that. Ronaldo has constant energy and the drive to excel. When he has the ball, you know you have to run as a defender. You don't know whether he is going to curl or blast the ball. He has great athleticism and dedication. There is no denying that the rivalry between the two will always continue.
They have both won a combined ten FIFA Ballon d'Or awards (five each) and both are widely regarded as the two best players of their generation, and among the greatest of all time.
Both players have regularly broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season and have scored over 600 goals each in their careers for club and country. They are also the only two players to score seven Uefa Champions League hat-tricks.
They are above the rest. However, my money is on Ronaldo. He might not secure Portugal World Cup glory, but he will certainly make sure he leaves with a couple of broken records.
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