Cristiano Ronaldo has a chance to finally do it. Finally, Ronaldo has a chance to step out of Lionel Messi’s shadow and become the greatest player of his generation, and by greatest player of course that really means better than Messi. Sounds simple enough. All Ronaldo has to do is win something that has alluded both he and Messi for their entire careers up to now.
In order to do that, Ronaldo has to win a major international trophy with his country (Portugal) and on Wednesday afternoon against Wales he can get one step closer. If Ronaldo and Portugal beat Wales on Wednesday they’ll be in the UEFA European Cup final on Sunday and if Ronaldo can lead them to the most unlikely of victories over either Germany or host nation France, history will be made and Ronaldo will be the best.
As mentioned above, Ronaldo and Messi have dominated their generation of football since they both burst onto the scene over a decade ago. In particular, Ronaldo and Messi have dominated club football and their respective club careers has been nothing short of a glut of trophies. When closely examined one finds many similarities between the two men’s club careers.
Ronaldo has won four domestic league titles (3 Premier Leagues, 1 La Liga Title), five domestic cups (2 Copa Del Rey Trophies, 2 Football League Cups, 1 FA Cup), two FIFA Club World Cups (1 with Manchester United, 1 with Real Madrid) and three UEFA Champions League titles (1 with Manchester United, 2 with Real Madrid).
Messi on the other hand has won eight domestic league titles (all trophies with FC Barcelona), four domestic cup titles, three FIFA Club World Cups and four UEFA Champions League titles. Other than Barcelona’s dominance over the domestic league in Spain, Ronaldo and Messi records make for pretty similar reading, both win a trophy almost every season they play football. Not bad, although expected when you play for two of the biggest clubs in the world and are the two best players on the planet.
Ronaldo, who is well-known to covet individual accolades, has three Ballon d’Or titles to his name. Messi, has five Ballon d’Or titles.
Ronaldo and Messi’s club and individual accolades make for very similar reading indeed, but Ronaldo can finally overtake Messi in the best player debate once and for all by winning the 2016 UEFA European Cup on Sunday with his beloved Portugal. Ronaldo can do something neither he nor Messi has done before and win a trophy as your nation’s captain and on the biggest international stage in beautiful Paris, France, no less.
Prior to this possibility for Ronaldo his greatest achievement of note for Portugal would have been a 2004 European Cup Final loss to Greece, a moment very painful for Ronaldo, I’m sure.
Messi has struggled with Argentina, where he has failed to win a single major international senior trophy despite appearing in four finals, are well documented and seem to have culminated in Messi’s early and disapointting international retirement.
