Until now, the footballing superstar most associated with oranges (and we are talking about the fruit here, not the Dutch) has been Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who once said of Norwegian former footballer John Carew, "What carew does with a football, I can do with an orange."
We, the general football-consuming public, have always assumed the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry was like this:
Photo: @jasondh153 | Twitter
But, in a recent interview, Cristiano Ronaldo has implied the relationship between him and Messi is more like this:
The 15/16 iteration of Barcelona could go down as the best attacking side of all time; the 14/15 version arguably already has. This is because the front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar Jr. has been nothing short of unstoppable when they have all shared the pitch. While the three are known to get along quite well, we are going to pit them against one another. Specifically we are going to look at Messi vs. Neymar.
An interview Cristiano Ronaldo gave back in August was released last Sunday. In it Ronaldo does nothing less than state that he believes he is better than Lionel Messi, the player widely accepted to be the best in the world.
In September, Lionel Messi injured his knee in Barcelona's 2-1 win against Las Palmas in La Liga. According to media reports, his recovery has suffered setbacks and he will not be fit for El Clasico — Barcelona's clash against fellow La Liga titans Real Madrid — on Nov. 21.
We’ve all watched our favorite players clambering down the stairs of the team bus looking relaxed and prepared, the very visage of concentration.
Making their way into the bowels of the stadium to make their final preparations before the match, there’s always one constant in their appearance: headphones.
The staple of the modern athlete, these hulking contraptions, along with a carefully crafted pre-game soccer playlist, blot out any external noise, allowing our heroes to stay focused on the task at hand.
This Luis Suarez goal vs Eibar is what soccer fans expect from Barcelona. We all know the style that Barca plays with. They execute crisp passes, everyone seems to always be in the right place, and they are miles ahead of their opponents. This goal was no different as they equalized the match at 1-1.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi need no introduction on the field. The two play for the two biggest teams in the world, are the two best players in the world, and are the two most recognizable faces in soccer. As such, every year the debate of Messi vs Ronaldo flares up, and this year is no different.
So, in order to provide some fuel for the fire, we here at The18 have taken up the task of comparing Messi vs Ronaldo in an assortment of ways: the basics, professionally, financially, and even a light social segment.
Let’s begin.
Most kids, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, will give you a different answer every time you ask them. Not Lionel Messi though. He wanted to be a footballer.
"I've never thought of any other job."
Wouldn't we all like to say that? Some of us grow up wanting do do only one thing from a very young age. Very few of us actually get to become that thing, and certainly the odds are against it.
Sharpen your proverbial knives, unabashedly flaunt your club allegiances and, if you’re Javier Mascherano, pray that Roy Hodgson has spent the year canvassing for your cause. It’s the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or shortlist!