LAST DANCE OF MESSI AND RONALDO - BATTLE FOR LEGACY
Опубликовано: 18-11-2022, 13:06, , 786, 0
So, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Here. Tie-break. One for all balls, and what is this set of balls.
When the World Cup kicks off in Qatar on Sunday, Ronaldo and Messi will be competing for more than just the most important trophy in football. They will fight for the status, now and forever, of the best player of their generation and one of the best in history.
The way things are, it's a push. Of course, everyone has their own personal favorite, but the opinions between the diminutive Argentinean genius and the stunning Portuguese showman are clearly divided enough that there is no consensus and no hope of existence.
Unless one of them reaches the coveted pinnacle of international football on December 18 and adds the only item missing from both of their resumes.
Messi was named the best player in the world in seven years. Ronaldo has received this award five times. Messi, now with French club Paris Saint-Germain, won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League medals during his two decades at Barcelona.
Ronaldo was the champion of England (Manchester United), Spain (Real Madrid) and Italy (Juventus) seven times, and won the Champions League five times. For their countries, Ronaldo has a continental trophy, the 2016 European Championship, while Messi has the South American equivalent, the 2021 America's Cup.
Or maybe not. Perhaps there must be determination, determination made by the only thing big enough to end years of deadlock. World Cup, the trophy of the highest level of difficulty in sports.
Some tiebreaks have little at stake and some have a lot. Next month will see a monumental event that could separate two lives, two legacies, two of the best careers that football has ever seen.
Four years ago, sports psychologist Bill Cole told me in an article for USA TODAY that fans' preference for Messi or Ronaldo is in some way a reflection of that person. Those who are more attracted to a big personality and brash self-confidence may prefer Ronaldo, Cole said. Those who like their heroes to be more humble and understated might choose Messi.
No one has an easy path in Qatar. Messi's Argentina is in Group C along with Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo's Portugal should face Uruguay, Ghana and South Korea. None of the pools will ever be called the Death Group, but progress cannot be considered a mere formality. Portugal almost made it to the World Cup after surviving a tight European playoff bracket.
"Epic," FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas said when asked what the Messi-Ronaldo final match would look like. "Important. Historical. That is all I have".
Ronaldo and Messi have never been friends; Playing for hated rivals Madrid and Barça guaranteed that. In recent years, a more cordial understanding has developed, although even this has been tested as this World Cup approaches - and in all its seriousness.
“Our relationship has improved over the past year,” Ronaldo said in his 2015 documentary of the same name. “I don’t see him as a rival, but as a person. he's the best player."
The way they come to the event is an accurate reflection of how they work. Messi kept everything under wraps, quietly going about his business in the French league.
Ronaldo, mired in the second period in Manchester, gave an explosive interview this week to British journalist Piers Morgan, in which he criticized his teammates at United and the club's head coach Erik ten Hag.
How deep the football world is into the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry can be summed up by the strange situation surrounding the latest Argentine teen prodigy, Alejandro Garnacho, who currently shines for Manchester United.
Argentine fans are irritated by his apparent closeness to Ronaldo and his idolization, some claiming it is unpatriotic and disloyal to Messi.
If this sounds like a soap opera, that's because it is. The Messi-Ronaldo storyline has always had a cinematic element because that's what you get when the careers of two legends collide.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about their rivalry is that after all this time, all these goals, all these magical performances, there is still no consensus on who has the upper hand.
Tie-break, this world championship, can finally change that.
If you are thinking about what to bet on and don’t know, our 1win website has a selection of the best bets on the FIFA World Cup 2022.
When the World Cup kicks off in Qatar on Sunday, Ronaldo and Messi will be competing for more than just the most important trophy in football. They will fight for the status, now and forever, of the best player of their generation and one of the best in history.
The way things are, it's a push. Of course, everyone has their own personal favorite, but the opinions between the diminutive Argentinean genius and the stunning Portuguese showman are clearly divided enough that there is no consensus and no hope of existence.
Unless one of them reaches the coveted pinnacle of international football on December 18 and adds the only item missing from both of their resumes.
Messi was named the best player in the world in seven years. Ronaldo has received this award five times. Messi, now with French club Paris Saint-Germain, won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League medals during his two decades at Barcelona.
Ronaldo was the champion of England (Manchester United), Spain (Real Madrid) and Italy (Juventus) seven times, and won the Champions League five times. For their countries, Ronaldo has a continental trophy, the 2016 European Championship, while Messi has the South American equivalent, the 2021 America's Cup.
Who will play for Portugal with Ronaldo?
They have been the faces of football for a generation and there is no doubt that each one has pushed the other to even higher levels of greatness. They may be destined to remain parallel as their careers come to an end - Ronaldo 37 and Messi 35.Or maybe not. Perhaps there must be determination, determination made by the only thing big enough to end years of deadlock. World Cup, the trophy of the highest level of difficulty in sports.
Some tiebreaks have little at stake and some have a lot. Next month will see a monumental event that could separate two lives, two legacies, two of the best careers that football has ever seen.
Four years ago, sports psychologist Bill Cole told me in an article for USA TODAY that fans' preference for Messi or Ronaldo is in some way a reflection of that person. Those who are more attracted to a big personality and brash self-confidence may prefer Ronaldo, Cole said. Those who like their heroes to be more humble and understated might choose Messi.
No one has an easy path in Qatar. Messi's Argentina is in Group C along with Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo's Portugal should face Uruguay, Ghana and South Korea. None of the pools will ever be called the Death Group, but progress cannot be considered a mere formality. Portugal almost made it to the World Cup after surviving a tight European playoff bracket.
Messi's goal marks 101 greatest moments in World Cup history
Two teams cannot meet until at least the semi-final stage - make it final if both win (or both finish second) in their groups."Epic," FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas said when asked what the Messi-Ronaldo final match would look like. "Important. Historical. That is all I have".
Ronaldo and Messi have never been friends; Playing for hated rivals Madrid and Barça guaranteed that. In recent years, a more cordial understanding has developed, although even this has been tested as this World Cup approaches - and in all its seriousness.
“Our relationship has improved over the past year,” Ronaldo said in his 2015 documentary of the same name. “I don’t see him as a rival, but as a person. he's the best player."
The way they come to the event is an accurate reflection of how they work. Messi kept everything under wraps, quietly going about his business in the French league.
Ronaldo, mired in the second period in Manchester, gave an explosive interview this week to British journalist Piers Morgan, in which he criticized his teammates at United and the club's head coach Erik ten Hag.
How deep the football world is into the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry can be summed up by the strange situation surrounding the latest Argentine teen prodigy, Alejandro Garnacho, who currently shines for Manchester United.
Argentine fans are irritated by his apparent closeness to Ronaldo and his idolization, some claiming it is unpatriotic and disloyal to Messi.
If this sounds like a soap opera, that's because it is. The Messi-Ronaldo storyline has always had a cinematic element because that's what you get when the careers of two legends collide.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about their rivalry is that after all this time, all these goals, all these magical performances, there is still no consensus on who has the upper hand.
Tie-break, this world championship, can finally change that.
If you are thinking about what to bet on and don’t know, our 1win website has a selection of the best bets on the FIFA World Cup 2022.
