The GOAT continues to rewrite football history

[Juicyhome]

Still I don't even know what we are waiting to see when going to the round of 16 would be hard for Portugal especially with the level this team is playing at. Messi has 6 goals now and Ronaldo is still at 2, I wonder how he would close the gap especially with Messi still playing and scoring goals. Let's just conclude that Ronaldo is not going anywhere close to Messi at this moment

The way Messi fans think must be studied, you guys think football begins in the world cup, Ronaldo had a good season then Messi he won the Saudi Arabia pro league title and scored more than 20 goals this season, and you want to compare Ronaldo two bad games to Messi. No doubt Argentina are performing better than Portugal in this world cup, it's sad that the Portugal manager Martinez can't bring the best out of these squad. Ronaldo is not competing with Messi in any ways, he has achieved everything in football, if the world cup will be hard for Portugal to win it, nothing changes, he's still the goat of football, if you're comparing world cup success to greatness then mbappe is better than Messi, he has played 15 games sns and has scored 14 goals in the world cup then Messi with over 29 appearance. In 202010 Messi played five games without scoring a goal in the world cup that year. In football anything can happen, if you expect Ronaldo to do all the magic he used to do when he was in his 30s then you're not a sincere footballer. Let's enjoy them for a moment.

[Ever-young]

Such a great thing indeed. He is a very incredible player. I have seen videos of him and interactions with other fans and I wish that he wasn't so full of himself and actually had a heart to at least like just acknowledge fans and interact with them like some of the other players do but hey that has nothing to do with the sport. He is an amazing player no doubt and I also agree there is probably never going to be another player like him as good as he is for a long long time.

Yes, he is ability is undeniable, its just better to concentrate on his skills and not its character or how he acts to people, everyone got their own bad side, that doesn't make them a bad person, if one is not living the kind of lifestyle you might be expecting from him, that doesn't mean one has to judge them for the way they choose to act and start talking ill about their skills, which its not right. After its all about football that makes people to gather, so focus on that.

[DiMarxist]

Still I don't even know what we are waiting to see when going to the round of 16 would be hard for Portugal especially with the level this team is playing at. Messi has 6 goals now and Ronaldo is still at 2, I wonder how he would close the gap especially with Messi still playing and scoring goals. Let's just conclude that Ronaldo is not going anywhere close to Messi at this moment

The way Messi fans think must be studied, you guys think football begins in the world cup, Ronaldo had a good season then Messi he won the Saudi Arabia pro league title and scored more than 20 goals this season, and you want to compare Ronaldo two bad games to Messi. No doubt Argentina are performing better than Portugal in this world cup, it's sad that the Portugal manager Martinez can't bring the best out of these squad. Ronaldo is not competing with Messi in any ways, he has achieved everything in football, if the world cup will be hard for Portugal to win it, nothing changes, he's still the goat of football, if you're comparing world cup success to greatness then mbappe is better than Messi, he has played 15 games sns and has scored 14 goals in the world cup then Messi with over 29 appearance. In 202010 Messi played five games without scoring a goal in the world cup that year. In football anything can happen, if you expect Ronaldo to do all the magic he used to do when he was in his 30s then you're not a sincere footballer. Let's enjoy them for a moment.

It true that Messi and Ronaldo are not in any competition for what so ever and I don't think that there is even any basis for this comparison but if you say that Ronaldo has achieved everything in football. The world cup is one trophy that Ronaldo is yet to win which is why many people are still seeing Messi ahead of Ronaldo . when it comes to football the world cup, winning the world cup is something that defines a player which Ronaldo has not won and that is a fact , that can't be argued. This is the last chance of Ronaldo to prove himself when it comes to the world cup.

[SatoPrincess]

This thread has progressed into something distasteful - a Christiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi thread. I know firsthand how crazy people get when it comes to this two players I expect this thread to be as big as a EPL or UCL league thread unless it’s locked by a moderator.

[Obim34]

It true that Messi and Ronaldo are not in any competition for what so ever and I don't think that there is even any basis for this comparison but if you say that Ronaldo has achieved everything in football. The world cup is one trophy that Ronaldo is yet to win which is why many people are still seeing Messi ahead of Ronaldo . when it comes to football the world cup, winning the world cup is something that defines a player which Ronaldo has not won and that is a fact , that can't be argued. This is the last chance of Ronaldo to prove himself when it comes to the world cup.

Who would say Ronaldo has achieved everything in football, he has not won the World Cup and he has not won enough titles to say he is ahead of Messi, people like who they like, you don't need to change their mindset, but personally, Messi seems to be my goat, even aside his achievement, I enjoy his patter of football, players who gets creative.

[icebar]

Still I don't even know what we are waiting to see when going to the round of 16 would be hard for Portugal especially with the level this team is playing at. Messi has 6 goals now and Ronaldo is still at 2, I wonder how he would close the gap especially with Messi still playing and scoring goals. Let's just conclude that Ronaldo is not going anywhere close to Messi at this moment

The way Messi fans think must be studied, you guys think football begins in the world cup, Ronaldo had a good season then Messi he won the Saudi Arabia pro league title and scored more than 20 goals this season, and you want to compare Ronaldo two bad games to Messi. No doubt Argentina are performing better than Portugal in this world cup, it's sad that the Portugal manager Martinez can't bring the best out of these squad. Ronaldo is not competing with Messi in any ways, he has achieved everything in football, if the world cup will be hard for Portugal to win it, nothing changes, he's still the goat of football, if you're comparing world cup success to greatness then mbappe is better than Messi, he has played 15 games sns and has scored 14 goals in the world cup then Messi with over 29 appearance. In 202010 Messi played five games without scoring a goal in the world cup that year. In football anything can happen, if you expect Ronaldo to do all the magic he used to do when he was in his 30s then you're not a sincere footballer. Let's enjoy them for a moment.

Now I think it is important for us to enjoy the game for a while. The 2026 World Cup is not an ordinary World Cup. This is the last World Cup for several legendary world-class players. They will then retire. The achievements of their football careers will be the last memories. I do not want to mention their names separately. If Portugal does not win the World Cup after the 2026 World Cup, will Ronaldo not be anyone's favorite? Will Neymar not be the favorite of the fans because he is not able to play at his best due to his injury? Even though some players are good, they cannot do well in everything. But their achievements will be remembered over time. The World Cup is never the scale to measure the success of a player. The success of a player comes from all the achievements before him. So, I think 2026 World Cup should be enjoyed now. Because after a few days, all these star players will no longer be seen as players on the World Cup.

[Royal Cap]

It true that Messi and Ronaldo are not in any competition for what so ever and I don't think that there is even any basis for this comparison but if you say that Ronaldo has achieved everything in football. The world cup is one trophy that Ronaldo is yet to win which is why many people are still seeing Messi ahead of Ronaldo . when it comes to football the world cup, winning the world cup is something that defines a player which Ronaldo has not won and that is a fact , that can't be argued. This is the last chance of Ronaldo to prove himself when it comes to the world cup.

I think this trophy based lens of measuring excellence deprives us of seeing many great things. When we were children, we played football with our friends on the field and we didn't count how many medals someone won.  At the end of the day we considered the best player to be the one who played the best or who could score goals. Ronaldo may not have won the World Cup but did his record of goals in the Champions League or international football happen by chance? At the level at which both Messi and Ronaldo have played football there is no room to belittle one based on the number of trophies. The way they are performing at this age is a joy for us, so it is better to enjoy their game for the remaining few days without making useless comparisons.

[hyudien]

This thread has progressed into something distasteful - a Christiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi thread. I know firsthand how crazy people get when it comes to this two players I expect this thread to be as big as a EPL or UCL league thread unless it’s locked by a moderator.

I actually didn't want to participate in this thread, it just kept popping up on the first page, a little curious and I kind of smiled reading the posts from some members, comparing Ronaldo and Messi and who the GOAT really is, which actually both players are great players with their own strengths and weaknesses. I think this thread needs to be locked immediately, as it could lead to unnecessary debate or maybe even hatred.

Ok, I'm bumping the thread back to the first page for today, and hopefully I won't visit it again.

[Crytohillss]

It true that Messi and Ronaldo are not in any competition for what so ever and I don't think that there is even any basis for this comparison but if you say that Ronaldo has achieved everything in football. The world cup is one trophy that Ronaldo is yet to win which is why many people are still seeing Messi ahead of Ronaldo . when it comes to football the world cup, winning the world cup is something that defines a player which Ronaldo has not won and that is a fact , that can't be argued. This is the last chance of Ronaldo to prove himself when it comes to the world cup.

I think this trophy based lens of measuring excellence deprives us of seeing many great things. When we were children, we played football with our friends on the field and we didn't count how many medals someone won.  At the end of the day we considered the best player to be the one who played the best or who could score goals. Ronaldo may not have won the World Cup but did his record of goals in the Champions League or international football happen by chance? At the level at which both Messi and Ronaldo have played football there is no room to belittle one based on the number of trophies. The way they are performing at this age is a joy for us, so it is better to enjoy their game for the remaining few days without making useless comparisons.

I don't believe on this because trophies are part of football, but they don't explain the whole story. People brilliance , consistency longevity and the impact a player has on the game matters just as much we have been lucky enough to witness two legends push each other to unbelievable height instead of constantly arguing over who's greater it's good to appreciate what they have given the sport while they are still playing footbal.

[DiMarxist]

It true that Messi and Ronaldo are not in any competition for what so ever and I don't think that there is even any basis for this comparison but if you say that Ronaldo has achieved everything in football. The world cup is one trophy that Ronaldo is yet to win which is why many people are still seeing Messi ahead of Ronaldo . when it comes to football the world cup, winning the world cup is something that defines a player which Ronaldo has not won and that is a fact , that can't be argued. This is the last chance of Ronaldo to prove himself when it comes to the world cup.

I think this trophy based lens of measuring excellence deprives us of seeing many great things. When we were children, we played football with our friends on the field and we didn't count how many medals someone won.  At the end of the day we considered the best player to be the one who played the best or who could score goals. Ronaldo may not have won the World Cup but did his record of goals in the Champions League or international football happen by chance? At the level at which both Messi and Ronaldo have played football there is no room to belittle one based on the number of trophies. The way they are performing at this age is a joy for us, so it is better to enjoy their game for the remaining few days without making useless comparisons.

No one is trying to belittle one player over the other. Apart from scoring goals trophies are one important aspect of football. In the years to come what a player will look back and remember most especially when looking at the impacts that a player had will be the trophies that the player was able to win, apart from scoring of goals. Of which the world cup is the highest trophy player can ever win apart from the champions League. So trophies do matter when ever we are talking about great players, looking back players like the great Pele, maradona, Ronaldo de Lima, Ronaldinho were all players that won trophies apart from scoring goals.

[Sammye3]

Some of the diehard Ronaldo and Messi fans are not looking at the brighter side of the future as football continues to advance with more and more skillful players making it into the pitch that's how we would have another generation of footballers that would do exceptionally great by creating and breaking records of previous great players before them. In football anything is possible and that includes records breaking.

Some football lovers are fans of Messir or Ronaldo and not a particular football club, which seems a bit off the purpose as a football lover. I understand that both Messi and Ronaldo are great players and has rewritten history over and over again, but it would be worthy to also acknowledge the uprising players that show the potential to perform better.

It is very frustrating when I hear someone say that they are a Ronaldo or Messi fan, that is totally unfair to other players. Football is a game that changes season, soon enough the two legends would retire and a new name would be written down into the history book.

[Odusko]

Some of the diehard Ronaldo and Messi fans are not looking at the brighter side of the future as football continues to advance with more and more skillful players making it into the pitch that's how we would have another generation of footballers that would do exceptionally great by creating and breaking records of previous great players before them. In football anything is possible and that includes records breaking.

Some football lovers are fans of Messir or Ronaldo and not a particular football club, which seems a bit off the purpose as a football lover. I understand that both Messi and Ronaldo are great players and has rewritten history over and over again, but it would be worthy to also acknowledge the uprising players that show the potential to perform better.

It is very frustrating when I hear someone say that they are a Ronaldo or Messi fan, that is totally unfair to other players. Football is a game that changes season, soon enough the two legends would retire, and a new name would be written down into the history book.

You can't really tell people who to like and dislike, that is left for them and or that reason we should allow them enjoy their fns base, what u can not do as a fan is to publicly states who are like n who I dislike and as a matter of fact both Ronaldo and Messi are Cool player's that we can't keep compering them since they both have their unique individual features that one can not replace the other as far a football is concerned.

[LUCKMCFLY]

Well it's hard to see or have another best when your best is still playing. For some, no matter how skilful other players are, their favs will always be the best as long as they are still playing, the only way these set of persons would even dare to consider other players would be if their fav has finally retired and is not longer playing, that way they'll no longer expect anything from him, so to keep the thrill going, they can consider another player whom they can be expecting from.

There's something I don't like about it. The help Messi has received in the World Cup overshadows everything. I don't know, I just don't like it. Messi was guaranteed a red card and didn't even get a yellow. That puts me in a bad mood, and I don't see him as a GOAT. A GOAT is someone who knows their stuff on the field, plays clean, and makes the difference. But with FIFA's help, it's blatant.

[Daniel91]

Still I don't even know what we are waiting to see when going to the round of 16 would be hard for Portugal especially with the level this team is playing at. Messi has 6 goals now and Ronaldo is still at 2, I wonder how he would close the gap especially with Messi still playing and scoring goals. Let's just conclude that Ronaldo is not going anywhere close to Messi at this moment

The way Messi fans think must be studied, you guys think football begins in the world cup, Ronaldo had a good season then Messi he won the Saudi Arabia pro league title and scored more than 20 goals this season, and you want to compare Ronaldo two bad games to Messi. No doubt Argentina are performing better than Portugal in this world cup, it's sad that the Portugal manager Martinez can't bring the best out of these squad. Ronaldo is not competing with Messi in any ways, he has achieved everything in football, if the world cup will be hard for Portugal to win it, nothing changes, he's still the goat of football, if you're comparing world cup success to greatness then mbappe is better than Messi, he has played 15 games sns and has scored 14 goals in the world cup then Messi with over 29 appearance. In 202010 Messi played five games without scoring a goal in the world cup that year. In football anything can happen, if you expect Ronaldo to do all the magic he used to do when he was in his 30s then you're not a sincere footballer. Let's enjoy them for a moment.

Interesting discussion and arguments.
It is true that in football it is difficult to compare players because of course teams play, not just individuals, and if you have a stronger team and greater support from teammates, as Messi and Mbappe currently have, it is easier to win team titles.
However, in football there are also individual awards for achievements during the year, and this gives a more objective picture of the individual quality of football players.
Messi has won 8 ''Ballon d'Or'' awards and Ronaldo 5 ''Ballon d'Or''.
Messi has also won 8 ''FIFA World Player of the Year'' awards and Ronaldo 5 ''FIFA World Player of the Year''.
Messi has won 6 ''European Golden Shoe'' (for the most goals scored) and Ronaldo 4 ''European Golden Shoe'', so based on these individual awards it can be objectively concluded who is the better football player.

[changaa]

The way Messi fans think must be studied, you guys think football begins in the world cup, Ronaldo had a good season then Messi he won the Saudi Arabia pro league title and scored more than 20 goals this season, and you want to compare Ronaldo two bad games to Messi. No doubt Argentina are performing better than Portugal in this world cup, it's sad that the Portugal manager Martinez can't bring the best out of these squad. Ronaldo is not competing with Messi in any ways, he has achieved everything in football, if the world cup will be hard for Portugal to win it, nothing changes, he's still the goat of football, if you're comparing world cup success to greatness then mbappe is better than Messi, he has played 15 games sns and has scored 14 goals in the world cup then Messi with over 29 appearance. In 202010 Messi played five games without scoring a goal in the world cup that year. In football anything can happen, if you expect Ronaldo to do all the magic he used to do when he was in his 30s then you're not a sincere footballer. Let's enjoy them for a moment.

Ronaldo is a great professional, as is Messi.
But i see differences between the two, beyond character, in my opinion Messi plays football because he enjoys it, because it is in his blood.
While Ronaldo plays football because he wants to be the best, in my opinion is fantasy versus control of the game in this case.

[reagansimms]

The way Messi fans think must be studied, you guys think football begins in the world cup, Ronaldo had a good season then Messi he won the Saudi Arabia pro league title and scored more than 20 goals this season, and you want to compare Ronaldo two bad games to Messi. No doubt Argentina are performing better than Portugal in this world cup, it's sad that the Portugal manager Martinez can't bring the best out of these squad. Ronaldo is not competing with Messi in any ways, he has achieved everything in football, if the world cup will be hard for Portugal to win it, nothing changes, he's still the goat of football, if you're comparing world cup success to greatness then mbappe is better than Messi, he has played 15 games sns and has scored 14 goals in the world cup then Messi with over 29 appearance. In 202010 Messi played five games without scoring a goal in the world cup that year. In football anything can happen, if you expect Ronaldo to do all the magic he used to do when he was in his 30s then you're not a sincere footballer. Let's enjoy them for a moment.

It true that Messi and Ronaldo are not in any competition for what so ever and I don't think that there is even any basis for this comparison but if you say that Ronaldo has achieved everything in football. The world cup is one trophy that Ronaldo is yet to win which is why many people are still seeing Messi ahead of Ronaldo . when it comes to football the world cup, winning the world cup is something that defines a player which Ronaldo has not won and that is a fact , that can't be argued. This is the last chance of Ronaldo to prove himself when it comes to the world cup.

Messi and Ronaldo have never competed directly, or rather, they have never had a physical duel 1v1, but they compete in every measurable metric and in fact, from 2008 to 2023, the world has kept them competing, regardless of whether they both like it or not. Ronaldo himself once said in front of the media that he really enjoyed his rivalry with Messi, he really enjoyed it and the competition made him more motivated. They compete in a healthy way, it's like they feed off each other because they are both very competitive.

Winning the World Cup trophy is often considered the pinnacle of achievement in football, the fact that Ronaldo has not yet won it is often the main argument in their rivalry as the best. But despite all that, Messi and Ronaldo have actually surpassed the boundaries in football in their own ways, their success in terms of trophies with the team and individually, is very difficult for other players to catch up.

[Lida93]

Snip

Well it's hard to see or have another best when your best is still playing. For some, no matter how skilful other players are, their favs will always be the best as long as they are still playing, the only way these set of persons would even dare to consider other players would be if their fav has finally retired and is not longer playing, that way they'll no longer expect anything from him, so to keep the thrill going, they can consider another player whom they can be expecting from.

It depends on what the upcoming generation are willing to present hence you might want to stick to the ones we have now, there was a time Ronaldinho was the favourite but Lionel Messi and Ronaldo the preferred choices because they took the competition to another dimension, but in this generation that fire isn't there, if a striker nets 20 or 30 goals in one season he is termed a legend, but with Ronaldo and Messi, the case is different because they always strive to do the impossible but i still strongly believe that these records would be broken and resets.

[Sandra_hakeem]

Well it's hard to see or have another best when your best is still playing. For some, no matter how skilful other players are, their favs will always be the best as long as they are still playing, the only way these set of persons would even dare to consider other players would be if their fav has finally retired and is not longer playing, that way they'll no longer expect anything from him, so to keep the thrill going, they can consider another player whom they can be expecting from.

There's something I don't like about it. The help Messi has received in the World Cup overshadows everything. I don't know, I just don't like it.

Help?? Seriously, in as much as this sounds very silly, I won't overreact. FIFA has always helped Messi win trophies, the ballon d'Or, UCL, Copa America, Golden boots, even the last world cup. All those empty allegations and the Man is still the most successful, the greatest name to ever set foot on the pitch to play the game. Now he is at it again, scoring his goals as usual--- you are not a licensed referee, but you know better than the one on the pitch.

Messi was guaranteed a red card and didn't even get a yellow. That puts me in a bad mood, and I don't see him as a GOAT. A GOAT is someone who knows their stuff on the field, plays clean, and makes the difference. But with FIFA's help, it's blatant.

I'm guessing your Goat is the guy in the Carmel leagues right? Lmao. What's the job of the video assistant referee? To call back such fouls if they deserve a warning or straight card.... Leave their job for them!

[DPHOR]

When talks about being skillful then Messi has the full nature of being skillful, yeah people wonders how he got his skills and become this devoted in his career as a footballer. Messi has really made their country proud couples with his performance on their match day, I do not see how could be beaten so easily when have such a skillful player.

[Tonimez]

[Edited out]

I'm guessing your Goat is the guy in the Carmel leagues right? Lmao. What's the job of the video assistant referee? To call back such fouls if they deserve a warning or straight card.... Leave their job for them!

Sometimes when guys refer to the Saudi Pro League as camel league I get curious about how they arrive at it or do you guys easily forget or have you refused to do some little searches? SPL is by far rated ahead of the MLS and you're referring to the SPL as a camel league? A league ranked 13th and another league ranked 40th, by IFFHS, wonderful! I think it's better to focus on their current forms right now instead of attacking their leagues.

Messi is a great talent and plays good football with ease, it will be right to say that he was born with it. However, hardwork pays and hard work has to receive it's credit. Ronaldo has worked so hard over the years to compete with the global talents playing various positions before becoming a striker. This world cup is really favourable to Messi because I don't know how else to describe the referee's verdict on that foul which everyone thought would be a red card and this is not the first time FIFA has been accused of playing games to make sure Messi lifts a title.

I prefer to enjoy the two of them playing the game because they may soon get phased off sooner than we expect. Messi has been scoring goals as he is known to do always and their world cup route could lead them to attract least the semi final unlike Portugal that may be leaving the tournament on Friday if Croatia takes the game seriously because the Portuguese squad seem to have some unresolved differences among them that make most of them selfish or selective about who they give the ball in the final two.