Messi or Ronaldo? Football's Great Debate.

This is my first article. I joined Steemit today, after hearing about it in a TED talk from a few years ago. Maybe that's how some of you guys have found it as well. I've been looking for a few communities to join and how to introduce myself. The first thing I searched for was a football or "soccer" community because... well it's the best sport on earth. When I saw the sports community and the variety of culture in it, I got excited. Yo puedo hablar y escribir en espanol tambien, fluidese. Si ustedes quiren, yo puede escribir unos articulos en Español. Solo pregunatme en los commentaries.

Let me start by mentioning I'm a die hard Arsenal fan. Yes Arsenal, ha ha funny. Lets be honest, we're rebounding from Arsene Wenger much faster than Man Utd are from Sir Alex Ferguson. I love Mikel, he's smart, not scared to make hard decisions, and what he's learned from Pep is how to use analytics, leadership through relationship, and relentless focus. In my opinion. Theres more I can and likely later will say about my beloved Arsenal and our tribulations. For now, I'm just explaining what credentials allow me to write this article.

I've played at every level in the U.S. From local teams to NY Red Bulls academy (u15) and NY Cosmos academy (u11-15) teams. When playing for the Cosmos team I "met" Pele. By met I mean a bunch of us kids stood around him while he announced the return of the Cosmos Academy and professional team. Both are kind of non existent anymore... sorry Pele. Anyways, I've played with players who've made it pro (Gedion Zelalem if you know who that is... and you probably don't), I've played at U.S National Camps for the National Team (To this day I believe this bald headed coach really screwed my chances cause I didn't like one of his dumb drills). What I'm getting at here is, I've played lot, studied the game like I was going pro for years and still play to this day... I'm the Neymar of my public park pick up games.

Now, to the debate of the century. I'll get right to the point. I have and will always believe that Lionel Andres Messi, the first of his name, the Argentinian Savior, La Pulga, World Cup Finalist, and Copa America winner, is the best player to ever walk the earth. BUT. Cristiano Dos Santos Aveiro Ronaldo is as close a second as you can be.

Let us analyze them from the most important characteristics that constitute a legendary player:

Everyone's Favorite Category, Goal Scoring:

It is impossible for me to give the accolade of best goal scorer I've ever seen to anyone other than Ronaldo. If what you've seen so far this season from Ronaldo at United hasn't impressed you, sex is likely to be boring to you. Ronaldo scores goals. No matter where he is in the world, the man finds the back of the net. He accounts for 9 of 27 goals scored this season at the time of writing this, and it feels like way more to be honest. What's truly impressive is how quickly he adapted to being the team's main goal source at Real Madrid. Mourinho converted Ronaldo into a number 9 and it was devastating. He played predominantly as a winger still for Madrid over the years and at the majority of the teams he's played for but he's shown that as the focal point of the attack, he produces. It's amazing. He can score in any and every way possible. He scores in the beginning of games and in the final seconds. Rooting against him is excruciatingly maddening but when you're rooting for him, he delivers like Amazon. He often creates his own goals but he predominantly feeds off crosses and through balls. His heading ability has always been impressive, even in his early days at United.

BUT. Messi is JUST AS PROLIFIC if not a little bit less, especially this year. Lionel Andres Messi holds the record for most goals in a calendar year. "Messi has set the world record for a goals in a single calendar year, with a grand total of 91, beating the previous all-time best set in 1972 by Germany and Bayern's Gert Müller, who got 85. The Argentinian got 79 goals for Barça and another 12 for his national team." (https://www.fcbarcelona.fr/fr/actualites/1146881/messi-ends-2012-with-91-goals). Yes Ronaldo is a more complete goalscorer but Messi's formula is unstoppable, so it doesn't matter. It's a moot point, with all respect to Ronaldo. Ronaldo wins this category because of his ability to do it in different leagues for different teams and in more ways than Messi (Bicycle kick in the Champions League Quarter Finals for example

". That's not to say that Messi's trademark goals are any lesser than Ronaldo's but we'll get to that next.

The next category, Playmaking:

Playmaking is a very American term. I think of a point guard in basketball when it's used. However in football, it's about many things not just passing. I consider the ability to draw defenders and attention, deliver accurate through balls, contribute to maintenance of possession and game management, and of course the ability to beat defenders by dribbling all playmaking or a more colloquial term, chance creation. Must I say it, do you not know where I'm going with this? Yes, Ronaldo put on such a dazzling performance against Manchester United as a kid playing for Sporting Lisbon that the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson signed him on the spot at the behest of his players. Yes, Ronaldo can beat defenders and he revolutionized the Ronaldo Chop (a move I tried once and the defender was so ready for it he laughed as he took the ball away). Yes his stepover speed is a thing of legend. Yes, he can do any juggling trick Ronaldinho can do. But, and I hate to start a sentence with "but", Lionel Andres Messi is the best player of all time with the ball at his feet. I almost don't even want to try to explain. I'd rather show you:

I mean... this man moves with the ball like he's carrying it in his hands. The ball is a part of his left foot at times. Not to mention, Messi grew up playing amongst players of the likes of Iniesta and Xavi during the golden age of La Masia, Barcelona's famed academy system. He can pass like a center attacking midfielder, he can dribble like the best winger you can think of, and he can score like a technical striker. It truly makes for the most complete attacking player we've ever seen. You can debate me on this, but I think a player who can create for himself and for others at historic levels is more valuable than a player who not so simply scores goals at a historic level.

What you can use to critique Messi is the fact that he played in a system he grew up playing in. As I stated before La Masia during Messi's era brewed a group of the most talented passers we will ever see. Is that Messi's fault? Is that a result of his parents and the Barca scouts and coaches making good decisions? All possible. However I'd argue that luck and circumstances are always a factor. Messi was born with a growth hormone deficiency and he was taking medication in order to counteract it. That is the misfortune in his story. Ronaldo was gifted with height and a physical acumen that he polished relentlessly all while growing up under very underprivileged circumstances. We can nit pick the small things that added up to the greatness that we see today or we can appreciate that both players controlled what they could, masterfully. Especially if the results are this:

To conclude, because I don't want my first article to be too long... greatness comes in many forms. It can be lucky, worked for, but is usually a combination of both. The one constant is trying. Both players had no idea they'd be the players they are today. There is no way to know what the future holds, no matter how confident you build yourself up to be. Messi and Ronaldo to this day are trying to be the best in their own ways against their own own obstacles and often against each other.

Ronaldo say, "Sometimes (the comparisons with Messi) makes me tired ... for him too because they compare us together all the time. You can't compare a Ferrari and a Porsche, because they have different engines."

"... I think I am the best. Everybody should ask himself why you would not want to be the best at what you do. I think this attitude is one of the reasons why I have improved so much throughout my career and why I have achieved so much."

We can't all be the best but the only way to reach your full potential is to try!