Time To End The Debate ( Messi Vs Ronaldo)

Much like the politics of seemingly everything in modern society, there is no middle ground when it comes to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Equalising Statistics

Fans of Ronaldo will claim that his frankly ridiculous goalscoring stats, and the trophy haul that goes with them, is proof that he is the owner of the crown.They will further point to his hattrick against Spain in the World Cup on Thursday as further proof of his greatness.Those strikes took him to 84 for his country and 45 this season alone, while simultaneously making him the oldest player to score a hattrick at a World Cup. Another record to add to the plethora he already claims ownership of.

Fans of Messi, though, will tell you that his outrageous goalscoring stats, and the trophy haul that goes with them, is proof that he is the owner of the crown.He has 100 Champions League goals himself and leads Ronaldo by 72 goals when it comes to La Liga’s all-time goalscorers list.

Ronaldo:5x UEFA Champions League; 5x Ballon d’Or; 3x Premier League; 3x FIFA Club World Cup; x2 La Liga; 2x UEFA Super Cup; 2x Copa del Rey; UEFA European Championship; FA Cup

Messi:9x La Liga; 6x Copa del Rey; 5x Ballon d’Or; 4x UEFA Champions League; 3x UEFA Super Cup; 3x FIFA Club World Cup

One thing to agree

Looking at the facts simply provides further arguments that either side of the debate can use to bolster their arguments.

One fact that both sets of fans will agree upon, however, is that there can be no picking and choosing on the matter of who is the greatest. You must pick one and stick with them and from that point forwards, and dislike everything about the other, blindly ignoring all the evidence that they, too, are great.You cannot appreciate both at the same time, whether you like it or not because that is simply against the rules.

Two sides of the same coin

His ability has been one honed on the training pitches, through hard work and determination to be the best. Messi, on the other hands, is the kind of talent that is God-given.That is not to say his achievements have not taken hard work either, but he has not evolved as much as the Real Madrid man.

Indeed there is an argument that each player is simply one side of the same coin. They simply do the job of putting the ball in the back of the net albeit in a different manner.

On the one side you have the pure inspiration of Messi and on the other, you have the sheer willpower of Ronaldo. Each side is as great at the other and trying to define which is better is a pointless task.

The focus should be on enjoying the privilege of seeing these two great players at the same moment in time rather than fighting and trading insults. The latter is not only foolish but takes away from the magic that these two geniuses often weave.