Ronaldo, es o melhor?

By Dominic Vieira, writing from Lisbon

There’s no denying that the two best teams on the planet are about to go head to head in another exhilaratingly exciting El Clásico, managed by revolutionary men, armed with an elite selection of Spanish world champions, sponsored by the two leading sports brands with varying “sports betting vs. Qatar foundation” kit sponsors, featuring two electrifying forwards, the two best players in the world. 90 minutes of speechless, yet dramatic football will be played at the majestic Camp Nou, which could virtually conclude the 2011/12 La Liga season - this match is monumental!

The Ronaldo vs Messi rivalry is a constant feature in any newspaper published today. It’s an unforgettable discussion, stumble into any local café in Madrid or Barcelona and you’ll be entertained with an endless argument; nobody cares about the crisis or alarming unemployment figures in Spain today, or tomorrow. But the answer which neither side will agree on, is, who is better?

The beauty revolving around the rivalry is that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo compete and desire to be number one, both individually and with their clubs. Both players are hard workers and this rivalry is strictly competitive, where they’ve praised each other on numerous occasions, contrasting with the fiery Keane vs Vieira or a bitter Pele vs Maradona. Now the fact that they play for eternal rivals, simply intensifies a battle which has been endless since the day Ronaldo was presented in front of 80,000 roaring fans inside the Bernabeu.

And since transferring for a record to ‘Los Blancos’, he’s seen Messi consectively crowned king of the world by FIFA. Zlatan Ibrahimovic compared the two superstars perfectly during his interview, “Leo Messi is all talent, while Cristiano Ronaldo is the product of much training.” The Swede makes a point which many agree to and in order to be the best 'o melhor’, a players needs talent and must work hard.

So why isn’t Ronaldo the best?

He’s consistent, scores goals at an incredible frequency and is a complete player; dangerous in the air, lighting fast and skill full with both feet. This question was eloquently answer by former Portugal and Brazil national manager Scolari, “The only bad thing in Cristiano Ronaldo’s life is Messi”.

Perhaps he is right. Ronaldo appears to handle pressure easily but in major games he fails to shine in the limelight. This was the case at Manchester United and for Portugal where he inherited the number 7 jersey which belonged to the legendary Luis Figo, but their performances can’t be compared. The other night he played a disappointing game against Bayern Munich, where he missed an unbelievable chance in front of a goal where Özil scored moments later. This is the most recent example, but against Barcelona he disappears, with the exception being that extra time header to win last year’s Copa del Rey, his only trophy won at the club, but what else did he do that match?

If Ronaldo is the best, he must play and win like the best, because in football, the collective is always greater than the inidividual accomplishment. I’d swap those two golden boots for an outstanding performance tonight, wouldn’t you?