Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two icons that have battled against each other for nearly two decades and footballing fans all around the world have been left speechless by their ever-lasting abilities
By: Abdul Samad
With a combined 1,456 goals and 518 assists between them, it’s hard to deny that these two have paved the way for future generations and have dominated the game for more than 25 years.
To quantify the achievements of these tremendous athletes is no easy feat but to understand how much of an impact they have had on the game of football, we need to look at the most prized possession in world football, the Ballon d’Or.
Messi and Ronaldo have a total of 11 Ballon d’Or’s between them. From 2008 to 2017, only Messi and Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or, until Luka Modric broke their streak in 2018. Messi won his sixth in 2019. That is 10 years on the top of the game continuously. No other player has even come close to achieving this task.
On the back of massive fan-bases, the two supernatural football players have been at the centre of media attention for quite some time and the debate as to who is the greatest of them all is still every “twitter-head’s” favorite pastime.
But I am not here to pick a favourite, I am here to cherish the legacy of two extra-ordinary players who have provided me with some of my best memories as an avid footballing fan.
They will eventually hang their boots but until that day comes, let us reminisce.
(Abdul Samad/The Intermission)