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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

End of an era?

By Kon KyprianouPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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The question of the last two decades: Who is the best footballer in the world? If being the best is measured by Ballon d'Ors then Messi is the best, but if it is measured by goals then Ronaldo is the best. I guess we can all agree that we may never find an answer to this question.

I was lucky enough to be alive and witness the greatness of these two footballers. I grew up watching them, watching their rivalry rising, their trophy case getting filled up with Ballon d'Ors, Golden Shoes, MOTM. They both were my idols.

Will we find ever again this kind of players? Yes of course. Before Messi and Ronaldo they had Pele, they had Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho. Players won't stop coming. But when you grow up with some specific players, you connect with them on a deeper level, that's why right now it's hard to see them getting older.

Together these 2 players, have achieved 1504 goals and 534 assists. Ronaldo with 770 goals and 225 assists in 1054 appearances and Messi with 734 goals and 309 assists in 910 appearances. Remarkable stats from the kings of football.

What each player says about each other

Ronaldo speaking about Messi: "I really admire the career he has had so far, and, for his part, he has already said that he had trouble when I left the Spanish league because it is a rivalry that he appreciates. It is a good rivalry that exists in football. but this is no exception. Micheal Jordan had rivals in basketball. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were great rivals in Formula One, the only common point between all the big rivalries in the sport is that they are healthy"

Messi speaking about Messi: "Ronaldo is always there scoring goals in all the games and taking part in his club and national side. He has been doing that for many years and whether he is at his peak or a bit below it makes no difference"

You can find what other football legends say about these 2 players here.

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As years go by, their retirement from football comes closer and closer. When both of these two sensational players retire, it will be a sad period for the whole football world. El Clasicos now are not the same without these 2 playing against each other.

They started with nothing. No fancy training equipment or someone who would show them what they should do or not in order to become the players they are today. The only thing they had was their talent and love for football.

They both grew up really poor, football was their only way out. Their talent was recognized. Ronaldo at the age of 12 signed his first contract with Sporting CP and Messi at the age of 13 signed his first contract with many footballers dream Barcelona FC.

Both struggled a lot. Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart at the age of 15, something that could make him never play football again. Later on at the age of 20, he lost his father due to alcoholism, and then he promised himself he will never drink alcohol.

Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency which basically means he would be short or he would have decreased muscle mass and poor bone density. His family couldn't pay for his treatment but Barcelona helped economically so that Messi could go under surgery.

I'm not going to write all their biography in this article. This article is basically a thank you note. Thank you for all the amazing moments you gave to the world of football. Thank you for all the goals, thank you for all the heartbreaks. Thank you for being my idols. Thank you for inspiring me to play football. If I achieve anything in the world of football it will be because of you

Thank you for everything.

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About the Creator

Kon Kyprianou

Hi, I'm Kon,

An 18-year-old boy, ready to enter the real world.

I write mostly about Digital Marketing and Marketing in general but I also like writing about soccer, or things that keep me interested.

Hope you have a nice day!

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