If he can single handedly carve open a team, why did he not register an assist or goal in the entire knockout stages of the world cup when his defence carried him to the final?

For most of his career, Barca have been the best team in the world even without him. Xavi/iniesta/busquets/david villa/henry/sanchez/neymar/suarez would have got at least 3 champions leagues in that time without him

He was good, but at no point was he a top 10 player in the world

Nedved, Figo, Zidane, Scholes, Seedorf all superior midfielders of his era

I'd recommend taking a fish oil supplement. Your memory is ****ed.

I said knockout stages

Thats him scoring against iran, below championship level players dont make me laugh

Messi at Argentina is nothing special? carrying Argentina to 3 finals in a row, losing them all aight, but that is special for me, IF just IF he was as lucky as Ronaldo with having Eder/Ramos in his team, who saved his ass in Finals, he would be a WC winner now.
Ronaldo didn't even play the EC final and still get credited for it.

but this is just our oppinions.....if u watch/read videos/interviews/books, you see players, managers, pundits all over the world rating Messi higher than Ronaldo, because of his overall abilities+scoring goals. Only players/managers who rate Cr7 higher are some Real and United people, hell even Kaka and Rooney rate Messi higher than Ronaldo, and they know their ****. Even Mourinho

Not only did messi not score an assist or goal, argentina only managed one outside of penalties/extra time

As the best player and focal point, you have to blame messi for that, 1 goal in 4 games is beyond pathetic they were carried by mascherano, rojo etc

Bill Russell wasn't even the best of his own era lol, Wilt existed lol. Messi is the dude with all the talent and Ronaldo worked hard to get where he is which I respect. Always been a Ronaldo fan from his days with the Red Devils till now. It is true though Jessi has had superior teams throughout but we can't put him down for that. Ronaldhino honestly probably had more Talent than both but alcohol and drugs destroyed his ass at his peak.Beckham was the perfect wing player back then but no where near GOAT status

Goals and assists aren't everything though which I explained in my previous post. For example, watch the very first clip in the vid I posted. Forget his goal and forget the assist. Who made something happen at the very beginning of that move?

You can say it's only Iran, but that argument gets old. He won the el clasico the other week, but it was only Real Madrid.

How did he "carry" argentina when they have world class players all over (di maria, aguero, mascherano etc) and he was the focal point of an absolutely useless attack

Copa america doesnt count, only games against brazil are worth talking about. Take out messi and argentina are still leaps and bounds the second best south american team so its no achievement

Against bosnia and herzogovina? Who cares

Clearly its not everything, hence why xavi and iniesta are some of the greatest of all time despite not registering many stats at all, but when your team scores 1 goal in 8 games clearly you havent been that great. At the end of the day goals win your games, and if Ronaldo was in that Argentina team theres no way they go that dry in front of goal

oh because teams such as Iceland, Hungary etc count...hell Hungary can't even beat Faroe Island which has a pop of 50.000..strong everything...

Argentina without Messi is basically **** and stats/points prove that, so I don't know where u get your logic...out of a cereal box like most Cr7 kids

That was the group stage, Portugal beat Croatia, Poland and Wales before beating France in the final.

Sure wales are a one man team but croatia and poland are good teams (lewandwoski,modric,rakitic etc) Ronaldo was the difference in most of those games, Portugal outside of him is an ageing defence and not much else

Argentina could still easily put out a squad that would be 5th or 6th favourites at a world
Cup without messi, youre talking nonsense

Despite thinking that Messi is the GOAT, I actually hope Ronaldo wins the 2017 Ballon d'Or.

If he wins it, they would have 5 each and I recon 2018 will be another unbelievable year for both of them with that motivation in mind.

Notice how spain from 2008-2012 (basically barcelona with ramos and casillas) won everything and were one of the most dominant international teams ever (nobody has won 3 consecutive tournaments before) thats how Messi has carrying him for his whole career. Now Xavi has retired Messi cant even win the league with Neymar and Suarez

2018 i think might be the first year the duopoly is broken, Ronaldo will be 33 then. I think it will be Neymar

go ahead...only Real and United players would have Ronaldo over Messi...any other "big"pro players/managers rate Messi higher than Ronaldo..hell even Mourinho, even tho Messi has cucked him countless times..Kaka, Gerrard, Henry, Rooney, hell even Scholes, Zlatan....eah u get the point

Didn't really think of that to be honest. That would actually be the perfect way for both of them to finish their careers. (5 Ballon d'Ors each)

Yes , probably will be 4 champions leagues a piece in a few weeks too

Pretty sure Kaka said ronnie was better than messi, aswell as pele and zidane. Each to his own though I guess. I don't think anyone can say messi is better by a landslide, it's close.

All these players have biases, plus a lot of great players are horrible judges of players see how bad maradona was as manager
Zidane played for and managed madrid, pele is brazilian, kaka brazilian and played with ronaldo

Read the entire thread, at the start you seemed ok, now you are a nuthugger.

Explain to me who has currently better team mates? Are the barca midfield more quality than the real midfield? Absolutely not. Modric and Kroos are the bosses.

Ronaldo carried a bunch of scrubs? Saying that Portugal team is crap is like saying Monaco this year is crap.

Messi didnt do shiit the entire WC2014? This is where i truly see you are lost brah. Watch the matches again. Watch the Copas again. Notice how manmarked Messi is the entire time, and not just by one player.

We gonna act like Messi hasnt smashed PL clubs constantly.

Football goes in cycles brah, Real is clearly the better side these days and it would be a shock ib Braca snook the league from them.

Ronaldo is the greatest goalscorer. And that is all he does these years as he ages. It is remarkable. But does he influence a game? Does he come back and drag the ball up? He doesnt need to of course, he is there to score, and he is damn good at it. He takes the plaudits but Modric Kroos and Marcelo absolutely dominated yesterday.

Notice how i didnt say greatest goalscorer 'ever'. Thats because Messi will have a longer career, and will score more goals than Ronaldo ever will and will win more lmao and that is the one thing i think you nuthuggers cant get over. But its alright, Ronaldo will get the balon and he got to 100goals first congrats.

Not hating but it is clear as day. Two of the greatest ever, but we know who is one and who is two.

Edit: did this guy just say Argentina would be 5th favourites to win a tournament if Messi stayed home? Now i know youre trippin. Argentina wouldnt even qualify! The country begged the mofo to come back to save their asses.

Honestly how can people even compare the two? Barca is by far a superior team player for player in at least 8/11 positions. Benzema and James even Bale is nowhere near the level of Suarez or Neymar. Iniesta is way better than Modric.

Ronaldo single handedly makes that team great.

Ronaldo > Messi

see bold

We are comparing overall careers here, messi has quite clearly had better teammates throughout, as for current iniesta,busquets, rakitic is about equal to real's midfield, but neymar,suarez >>> bale and benzena. Real does have better defence and manager though

None of that portugal team plays for top clubs except an aging pepe who doesnt start anymore, take ronaldo out and they dont even qualify for euro 2016

Based of goals they are very similar, ronaldo has been more consistent but messi had that one ridiculous year. Ronaldo has more assists total in champions league games as well, and his cl goals are statistically more important.

Saying messi has him for longevity is ridiculous, time can only tell but right now Ronaldo is flying and on course to win everything and his 5th balon d'or at 32 (10 years on from his first) so hes currently winning in that regard hands down

As for against premier league teams, Real madrid hasnt actually faced many english clubs in the PL, but when they have they've not lost. Barca have whipped Arsenal repeatedly, not just messi. And beating arsenal in the cl is completely different from dominating playing in the PL, many great players have failed

This.. Fckin this.. Ronaldo has been GOAT since 2003.. Messi wasnt even relevant until 07.. Please stop comparing the two..

Good point(s)

The GOAT taking down two top 5 teams in the world in the knockout stage of Champions League.
Just GOAT things.

Barca's front three are the best in the world for sure.... but you're massively underrating how good Modric and Kroos are together (Casemiro has been quality this season as well) Real Madrid definitely edge Barca in midfield nowadays and there's not much in the defence tbh.

Saying Barca is by far the superior team is a massive exaggeration. Are you posting from 2012 or something? There really isn't much difference in quality collectively between the two teams. If anything I'd say Real Madrid are now the slightly better team.

I think a lot of people prefer messi just out of jealousy. Ronaldo is the ultimate chad, 6'1, good looking, perfect body, confident, hes the kid you bullied you at school and took your girlfriend hes everything you love to hate.

People love a feel good story, and an underdog thats why they latch onto the short, ugly Messi hes more relatable and doesnt make you feel insecure

I think you're right, but I personally don't fall into that category. I love watching both of them and have massive respect for Ronaldo. Off the pitch it seems like he's by far the better human being. All the **** he's done for charity and he seems a genuinely nice bloke in his interviews.

But on the pitch, my opinion doesn't change. Some of the things Messi does makes you literally shake your head in disbelief. Haven't had that too often with Ronaldo.