Ronaldo Flits Like A Butterfly, Messi Still In A Cocoon!

This World Cup may not end in an overall coup for Ronaldo as there are far too many heavy­duty adversaries, but he has already won his personal battle with Lionel Messi.

- Ayon Sengupta

AYON SENGUPTA

Blessed are we to witness one of the most enduring sports rivalries of gen­erations. The Lionel Messi and Cristi­ano Ronaldo duopoly has ruled world football from 2008 onwards when the Portuguese won his first Ballon D’Or (while playing for Manchester United). The two have dominated the global football dis­ course ever since and have left other smiles behind to make the universal arena a play­ ground for two.

Over the past 10 years, they have ap­propriated all individual honours and even their clubs— Barcelona and Real Madrid— have controlled the football narrative, win­ning seven out of 10 Champions League crowns, six Super Cups and club world cup and nine Spanish titles. While both clubs, considered European royalty, have enjoyed regular national and continental success, the degree of this dominance emphasises the roles played by the two modern greats.

They have scored, created chances and won games on their own, while often making opponents look like mere schoolboys, always a second early or a second too late in their tackles. The amount of control exercised by Messi and Ronaldo on games they play is usually very evident. They are the fulcrums of their club sides despite the presence of many other footballing greats. While Ronaldo has modelled his game on speed, force and easy power, for Messi his greatest assets have been his awesome balance and fiendishly wicked trickery of the feet.