ashwin1729
10 years ago
Strictly based on these statistics, I do not think you can separate them that much. While Ronaldo has more goals, in competitive matches, it is probably as you pointed out, a result of more time on the international arena compared to Messi. I do not think you can compare them either, Ronaldo I'd say is more well rounded while Messi is the better dribbler between the two. Simply put, both of them carry their respective teams, and are probably the best players of this generation!
International goals
Ronaldo - 50
Messi - 42
Friendlies
Ronaldo - 11
Messi - 20
Competitive tournaments (including qualifiers)
Ronaldo - 39
Messi - 22
Competitive tournaments (excluding qualifiers)
Ronaldo - 9
Messi - 7 (and counting)
Of course, Messi still has the Copa America to play because he is younger than Ronaldo, but this does raise an interesting comparison. Ronaldo, undoubtedly, has the easier teams to face during qualification. Not all European teams are at the Spanish or Italian level of play.
But it's not as if South American teams are all that good either. Over Messi's career, the only potent team besides his own has been Brazil, with other teams like Uruguay and Paraguay posing problems, but they're not teams that are unscorable against.
Along with that, there's the obvious positional play of Ronaldo being a winger and Messi playing centrally as a striker (the difference shows internationally, since Barca and Madrid both play to each player's strengths... while the national teams do not necessarily do that. Neither Portugal nor Argentina really successfully focused their game around these players until about 2011 or 2012). Add in the fact that Argentina are undoubtedly better equipped offensively than Portugal, it raises the question of who has been the better player internationally. What do you guys think? Has it been Ronaldo or Messi? Or have both been equally poor/good?
Tournaments
Ronaldo
EURO 2004 - finalist
World Cup 2006 - 4th place
EURO 2008 - quarterfinals
World Cup 2010 - Ro16
EURO 2012 - 3rd place
World Cup 2014 - Group stages
Messi
World Cup 2006 - quarterfinals
Copa America 2007 - finalist
World Cup 2010 - quarterfinals
Copa America 2011 - quarterfinals
World Cup 2014 - Ro16 (and counting)
International goals
Ronaldo - 50
Messi - 42
Friendlies
Ronaldo - 11
Messi - 20
Competitive tournaments (including qualifiers)
Ronaldo - 39
Messi - 22
Competitive tournaments (excluding qualifiers)
Ronaldo - 9
Messi - 7 (and counting)
Of course, Messi still has the Copa America to play because he is younger than Ronaldo, but this does raise an interesting comparison. Ronaldo, undoubtedly, has the easier teams to face during qualification. Not all European teams are at the Spanish or Italian level of play.
But it's not as if South American teams are all that good either. Over Messi's career, the only potent team besides his own has been Brazil, with other teams like Uruguay and Paraguay posing problems, but they're not teams that are unscorable against.
Along with that, there's the obvious positional play of Ronaldo being a winger and Messi playing centrally as a striker (the difference shows internationally, since Barca and Madrid both play to each player's strengths... while the national teams do not necessarily do that. Neither Portugal nor Argentina really successfully focused their game around these players until about 2011 or 2012). Add in the fact that Argentina are undoubtedly better equipped offensively than Portugal, it raises the question of who has been the better player internationally. What do you guys think? Has it been Ronaldo or Messi? Or have both been equally poor/good?