The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest in sports history, and we are all witnesses to it now. Both of these soccer greats are well into their 30s at this point, yet they remain two of the finest in the world.
They continue to compete fiercely for records in goals scored and championships won, and they often surpass one other. Both Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United failed to fulfill expectations last season, and although age may have played a role, joining new teams may have been more decisive.
It's impossible to say for sure which of these two players is superior. Some fans of the sport support Messi because they believe he has superior passing and dribbling abilities, while others defend Ronaldo because of his superior athleticism and speed.
Messi or Ronaldo: The player former legends consider to be better
Fascinatingly, a poll found that Lionel Messi's career was rated lower than Cristiano Ronaldo's among retired players. For over 15 years, people have argued passionately about which one of the two superstars' renowned playing careers is better.
However, a study conducted by The Athletic suggests that former professionals are more likely to agree that the Portuguese has had a better career. While just 34 percent of former players favored the Argentine ace, a whopping 66 percent favored the 37-year-old great.
Indeed, stats say that Ronaldo has dominated the English Premier League with Manchester United, the Spanish La Liga with Real Madrid, and the Italian Serie A with Juventus. He has an alarming goalscoring rate and has been very productive wherever he has played.
Meanwhile, Messi spent most of his career at Barcelona until moving to the French capital in 2021. But when it comes to individual honors, the PSG star has a leg up on the United front, having won an unparalleled seven Ballon d'Or awards to the latter's five.
