Who is the GOAT Messi or Ronaldo? 7 Reasons Why Cristiano Ronaldo is The Greatest of All Time

To answer the question ‘Who is the GOAT Messi or Ronaldo ?’ Let’s look at them individually first. In this article we look at the 7 reasons which make Ronaldo the GOAT.

There are many reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo is considered to be one of the best football players of all time. Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. He began playing soccer at a young age and showed a lot of talent for the sport. After playing for ‘Sporting CP’, in 2003, he signed with Manchester United, one of the most prestigious soccer clubs in England. He spent six seasons with Manchester United, scoring an impressive 118 goals in 292 appearances. In 2009, Ronaldo transferred to Real Madrid for a record-breaking $94 million transfer fee. At Real Madrid he became one of the most successful and celebrated athletes in the world.

Let’s look at the 7 reasons that makes him the Greatest Of All Time:

1) His Incredible Talent:

Ronaldo has always been a gifted individual, and his talent on the soccer field are unmatched. He can score goals in any way possible, and he is also an amazing dribbler. Ronaldo has outstanding ball control which allows him to keep the ball under tight scrutiny while running at high speeds. This makes it very difficult for defenders to get the ball away from him.

Unlike many other players, Ronaldo can play in multiple positions effectively. He is able to score goals as a striker, create chances as an attacking midfielder or a winger and even defend well as a full back. He just dominates the opposing players whenever he steps onto the football field.

2) His Athletic Ability:

Another reason why Ronaldo is the greatest of all time is because of his incredible athletic ability. He can run up to 35 miles per hour, making it almost impossible for defenders to catch up with him. His agility and strength are also second to none. Ronaldo is famous for his skill on the soccer pitch. He can score goals from virtually any position and he often fools opposing defenders with his deft dribbling skills.

Ronaldo has amazing pace which helps him sprint away from defenders or run down long balls. This makes him very difficult to defend against. He is known for his dazzling footwork which leaves defenders bamboozled. He can create chances out of nothing and score spectacular goals.

This combination of athleticism and skill makes him the greatest fear of defenders.

3) His Vision of The Game:

One of Ronaldo’s key strengths is his dominant vision which enables him to see plays develop before they happen. This gives him a distinct advantage over defenders who often cannot predict what he will do next. His vision makes it possible to create scoring chances and put the ball into the net before the defenders could figure out his play.

He reads the football field so well that it allows him to place himself on the best possible position to score the most difficult goals in an elegant and pleasant manner.

4) His Dedication:

Ronaldo is known for his dedication to soccer. He works extremely hard in order to stay at the top of his game. He has said that “There is no off season for me. I am always working out to improve my strength, speed, and agility.” This dedication has led him to achieve amazing things in soccer. His dedication shows how much he is ready to commit to the sport, it shows his love and faithfulness to give something back to football and Ronaldo loves football more than anything else in the world, and this passion shows in his gameplay. He works hard every day to improve his skills, and he never gives up no matter how tough the situation gets.

Even Indian Cricketing legend Virat Kohli is a Ronaldo fan and he states : ‘ The dedication Ronaldo puts in his game is unreal and he inspires him to do better and work harder everyday’. And if Virat Kohli praises someone, you know he is the GOAT.

5) His Accomplishments and Awards:

‘Cristiano Ronaldo’ is a name synonymous to a record breaker and he have many records to his name. He have 34 titles until now in his glorious career and he continues to mesmerise us with his achievements. Among his sea of Awards and trophies, let’s look at some major CR7s achievements:

• Five Ballon d’Or Awards: This is the most prestigious award for individual players in world football. Ronaldo has won it on five occasions, more than any other player only after Lionel Messi.
• Five UEFA Champions League Titles: This is the top European club competition and Ronaldo has won it five times with different clubs.
• First Player to Score 100 Goals in UEFA Competitions: In total, Ronaldo has scored 141 goals in UEFA competitions, which is more than any other player. He is also one of only two players to have scored over 50 goals in both the Champions League and La Liga.
• He has scored a record 819 senior career goals for club and country. He is also one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances.
• Most Goals Scored in Europe’s Big Five Leagues: Ronaldo currently holds the record for most goals scored in Europe’s big five leagues (England, Spain, Italy, France, Germany). This is a testament to his incredible goal-scoring ability.
• Ronaldo’s been included in most all-star teams. He’s been part of FIFA’s World11 and UEFA’s Team of the Year a remarkable 15 times each.
• The forward has won the prestigious European Golden Shoe – given to European football’s leading top scorer a record four times.

Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved more than anyone could have ever imagined. He got nothing more to prove to anyone anymore and these stats shows it. Check all of his achievements here – Ronaldo’s every career achievement.

6) His Legacy

A man is remembered and cherished by his legacy. How he was, what he achieved and most importantly how he inspired millions of people around the world.

Many people know Cristiano Ronaldo as being one of the best soccer players in history. However, what they may not know is that he is also an amazing person off the field. He has been known to donate money to charity, help needy children, and support various other causes. He is truly a kind-hearted individual who cares about others more than himself. He is a family guy who lives and dies for his family. He loves his mother more than anything else in the world and he is a loving father to his children.

Ronaldo has had his share of ups and downs when it comes to his image. There was a time in his career when his performance dropped down a bit and his greatest rival, Messi was performing at his peak. It was the season 2015-2016. He used to stand for everyone in their difficult times but no one stood with him, several media outlets and fans criticised Ronaldo and some even said that ‘he is finished’.

But Ronaldo came back, he came back stronger than ever and took the haters by storm. He played, he scored and he kept scoring like a machine. He won the Ballon d’Or award that season for being the best player of the year and total three Ballon d’Ors in five seasons after that criticism.

As the author of this blog and a big time Lionel Messi fan, I say that Ronaldo might be the greatest sportsperson (if the GOAT debate ever settles), but he is definitely the greatest inspiration anyone will ever have. It’s not just about Football but it’s about life in general. Every athlete works hard and the top ones work even harder. But CR7 is a beast. Criticise him, boo him, do anything, he will reply back with his exceptional achievements and comebacks every time and it’s crazy how he inspires his millions of fans over the world. Checkout his Career highlights on his own website here.

7) The GOAT Debate : Who is the GOAT Messi or Ronaldo ?

Talking about it, from the past 15-16 years there has been one debate – Who is the GOAT Messi or Ronaldo ? and there are fans all over the world who support these both legends equally. For us, we don’t believe in the GOAT debate because we know these are both once in history athletes who entertained us, inspired us, made us excited, made us laugh and even made us cry on some moments. We are in no place to judge them for being the best or for being the second best.

Both men have contributed to the sports more than any other in history and their rivalry is only fictional that is being made by the fans and media. They both just play for the joy and duty of playing. Ronaldo and Messi both have at times commented how they both pushed each other over the course of last 15-16 years to become the best players in history without keeping any sourness or unfriendly rivalry between them.

As many people say, “we are lucky enough to have witnessed the two greatest athletes that will ever step onto the football field.” and that’s entirely true. Those two teenage boys from the 2000s era have come a long way and there’s still no stoping for them. It’s time to let the GOAT debate go because if we decide to rank them we might disrespect the legends they have become.

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