Why Is The Debate Still On?

Source

The debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been going on for over a decade and still hasn't concluded on who is the greatest of all time. Both players are phenomenal and have done incredible things on the pitch, winning a lot of trophies and have both won the Ballon d'Or multiple times more than any player in the history of football.

I have been a Barcelona fan for a long time now, growing up I have always loved watching Messi play football, the way he moves and dribbles past players was so good to watch. I did not get to watch Ronaldo during his United days in the EPL. Ronaldo was known for his ability to take long-range shots, he is so good at it, and he did some incredible things at United before making his way to Real Madrid.

Ronaldo's move to Madrid created one of the best rivalries between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in the history of football. I don't know if there will be any rivalry like the two players in the history of football to come in the future. If I remember correctly in 2011 or 2012 in an El Classico match between Barcelona and Real Madrid both players scored a brace in the match.

There is no doubt that La Liga made a lot of money with Messi and Ronaldo, the stadium of both clubs was always filled with supporters from around the world. Huge endorsement deals came into La Liga and big companies all wanted both players to be the face of their companies, even Fifa and PES(PES now going by the name E-Football) yearned to be partners with both players.

Behind all this success both players also had their fair share of criticism from fans, Lionel Messi was criticized in the past for not winning an international trophy for his country Argentina. Especially during the 2014 world cup and in 2016 after losing a penalty kick in the Copa America final against Chile, Messi was in tears after the match but the media took it to another level, some toxic fans started posting memes of Messi.

Ronaldo also got his fair share of hate from toxic fans, he was called penaldo because he takes too many penalties. Some people don't appreciate both players, they have given their all on the pitch, but it's still not enough for the media, for me both players are the greatest of all time and I am happy to be in their era.