Why Messi IS Truly Better than Ronaldo.

I'm not sure why there's even a debate to be having here. Messi is clearly better than Ronaldo. Let's look at the 'Messi is better' arguments.

1. He scored 100 goals in a year. That's pretty good. Scoring 100 goals in a year is so impressive in any level of the game, though doing at the top level is crazily impressive. 'But, Gerd Mueller did it in less games, and without penalties!' This may be true, but Mueller didn't have the offside rule to contend with, which is a big thing obviously. It's irrelevant anyway, because Ronaldo hasn't done it, so Messi is therefore the best goalscorer and the best player in the world.

2. Messi has a better scoring record and a much better assist record. Not much more to say here. Goalscoring-wise it's close, but Messi grabs more assists.

So why is there an argument? What do the people who think Ronaldo is the best say?

1. "Ronaldo is a more complete player!" If anyone ever says this, what they really mean is that Ronaldo's better in the air. That is true, but he isn't 'more complete'. I heard somebody say that Ronaldo can do things that Messi can't (score headers) but Messi can't do anything that Ronaldo can't.

Wow.

First of all, Messi has scored a header IN A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL. Not against any old mugs - against Manchester United. Yes, Ronaldo scores more headers, but Messi is decent at scoring headers, he just doesn't win many.

Secondly, have you ever seen Ronaldo dribble round a whole team and score, without the ball ever moving more than a yard away from his body?

How about splitting a defense in half with a perfectly weighted pass?

Messi is as 'complete' a player as he is a better playmaker and as good if not a better goalscorer. He can do everything except defend - much like Ronaldo. Neither is 'complete' and neither is 'more complete'. 

"But Messi is a forward! Ronaldo is a winger! His goalscoring record is more impressive because he plays wide!" 

There are two separate ways to prove this wrong.

1. Ronaldo is about as much a winger as Thierry Henry. Whilst he is a 'winger' he plays so far inside that he's essentially a forward anyway. Ronaldo is an inside forward with a free role and he actually usually plays higher up the pitch than Messi.

2. If you're going to use this argument, then please realise that an inside forward's role is to score goals, or to create chances. Seeming as he does score a lot of goals he does it exceptionally well. However, if you're saying that playing wide hinders his goalscoring because he has to create more, then he isn't doing that well, as Messi creates far more chances than he does.

"If Messi didn't have Xavi or Iniesta behind him then he wouldn't score as many goals!"

If anyone ever says this to you, you can discount their opinion immediately. Of course he wouldn't score as many goals if Barca only had 9 players.

Manuel Neuer is worse than Joe Hart, cause if Bayern played without a defence he'd concede more. Right?

People act as if Ronaldo carries a poor Real Madrid side. Barca may have Xavi and Iniesta, who are exceptional and obviously would help any forward, but Ronaldo has played with Alonso, Oezil, Bale, Di Maria, Benzema, Higuian and Isco, to name a few. They're not mugs and Oezil alone had more assists than Xavi and Iniesta put together over two years.

"Yeah, but could he do it on a cold night in Stoke?"

Could Ronaldo?

That would be a nice sunny day in Stoke that Ronaldo couldn't score against.

I realise that it's just a (incredibly irritating) way of saying that Messi hasn't proved himself in England. But does he really need to prove that he can score against Ryan Shawcross when he's scored 4 Champions League hattricks and scored 19 times against Real Madrid? The English League is massively overhyped and a player shouldn't have to prove themselves in England to be considered the best in the world.

Do people who say this really think that defenders haven't thought of just kicking Messi off the park?

"Messi has never proved himself internationally - Ronaldo is better for Portugal than Messi is for Argentina"

This one at least has some ground to it. This is probably the best argument for why Ronaldo is better but if Messi is the star of the next World Cup, then he HAS to be universally considered the best.

Messi is often played out of position for Argentina to accommodate the incredible talent that Argentina have going forward. Messi isn't exactly unbelievably good for Argentina, but his record is nowhere near as bad as made out. He has struggled for them as a right winger or an attacking midfielder, but in the last 2 years he has scored 18 goals in 16 appearances - not bad.

Ronaldo has always been the star man for Portugal and there is no way I can deny he has been better than Messi internationally. Ronaldo is a few years older, though, and it seems Messi is just growing into the International scene.

To conclude, Messi is a better player than Ronaldo, both statistically and in terms of ability. The fact that Ronaldo is compared to Messi, whereas Messi is compared to Pele and Maradona tells you everything you need to know.

I will happily have a civilised debate with anyone who disagrees, however to me it's not even arguable.