Both players are great at scoring goals, but who is better at finishing? Ronaldo is a more powerful striker than Messi. He can score with both his head and feet, and his low center of gravity gives him an edge over most players. But while Messi plays a free-assault role, Ronaldo excels at playing the role of a playmaker. Both players are renowned for their finishing abilities, as well as their ability to dribble and pass. Ronaldo has scored 112 goals for Real Madrid and 35 for the Portugal national team.
Ronaldo is a better goalscorer and finisher than Messi
The Argentinean is a 6’2” monument of chiseled muscle. For most of his career, he played as a winger, but in recent years he has transitioned to a pure striker’s role. He can unleash a thunderous 40-yard strike, and he can leap as high as eight feet. In 2009, he won the Puskas Award for his outstanding performances. In the past, he scored a header against Real Madrid for the Argentine’s team, and he is still capable of doing that.
Although Messi is a better overall goalscorer, his season average is higher. Messi scored 73 goals in 2011-12, while Ronaldo scored 61 goals. Messi’s season average declined after joining PSG. The Argentine has been criticized for being an underperformer at World Cups. Cristiano, on the other hand, has consistently scored 20 or more goals in 12 consecutive seasons.
In terms of total goals scored, Messi has more golden boots. Ronaldo, meanwhile, has more UEFA Player of the Year awards. He has also won the UCL topscorer award more than Messi. Ronaldo has more IFFHS awards and has more wins than Messi in the last decade. Ronaldo’s consistency means he is more likely to win the World Cup in the near future.
When it comes to assists, Messi wins hands down. Both players have contributed to scores in the Champions League, and their assist totals are impressive. However, Ronaldo is better at scoring and finishing goals than Messi. He has also had better teams and higher wages. It’s hard to choose between these two players. This debate has been ongoing for decades. There are plenty of reasons why Messi is the best player of all time. But, regardless of the reason, it’s difficult to argue that Messi is the better goalscorer and finisher.
Although Messi has won the LaLiga title more often, he was not as prolific as Ronaldo. In his fifth season, Messi scored 23 goals in 31 league games and helped Barcelona win the title. In the Pichichi Trophy, Messi had the better goalscoring ratio, so he knew he had to come up with special numbers. Ronaldo scored 40 goals in 2010-11, which was nine more than Messi. Both players had peak seasons in 2011-12, and they combined for 96 goals in LaLiga.
Ronaldo has a poorer conversion rate than Messi
The conversion rate of Cristiano Ronaldo is much better than that of Lionel Messi, a player with a poorer goal scoring record. Ronaldo’s recent struggles have led many to question his ability to score goals. Real Madrid have struggled to score this season, currently eight points behind Barcelona and without a win in three games. It’s possible that the poor conversion rate is due to the smaller sample size of the Champions League, where Messi played for Barcelona.
When comparing Ronaldo and Messi’s free-kicks, Messi’s numbers are more impressive. He has taken 297 attempts from free-kicks, while Ronaldo has taken 150 times. Both players have a better conversion rate than Messi, though. However, Messi’s free-kick conversion rate is higher than Ronaldo’s. In Europe, Ronaldo has the better accuracy rate, with Messi’s conversion rate being a shade below the European average.
Despite being arguably the world’s best player, Messi is not as productive for his national team. In 2016/17, he put team goals before personal goals, missing a crucial run-in period. He is incredibly quick, and scores a lot of goals, but Ronaldo has a higher conversion rate. Cristiano, on the other hand, is prone to fouls.
Recent goals do not reflect the true capabilities of players. Despite Ronaldo’s record of 91 goals in 69 games for his country and club, his conversion rate is still above the expected goal overperformance limit. Messi is the world’s best player, but his conversion rate has fallen to an unacceptable level. In the World Cup final, Ronaldo was criticized for an offside decision against Alvaro Morata’s winning goal, a game in which he had a great chance to score.
In Ligue 1 and the Premier League, Ronaldo and Messi have the same goal-scoring percentages, although Messi’s conversion rate is far lower. In Europe, however, Messi’s conversion rate has been downright awful since his summer move from Barcelona. Messi has attempted only 44 shots in Ligue 1, while Ronaldo’s is 17.
Ronaldo has a longer career
Despite having played for two different clubs, Lionel Messi has been playing better football than Cristiano Ronaldo for many years. The two players have both broken records and won trophies in their careers. However, the question remains: Who is the better footballer? Firstly, there’s the question of age – both players are 36 years old. At that age, Ronaldo has a higher chance of winning the Ballon d’Or than Messi.
Although Messi has more major trophies, Ronaldo has won a greater number of European and national trophies. Cristiano has won five Champions Leagues and four Premier League titles, while Messi has won two La Liga titles and three Copa del Reys. In addition, both players have won three European Super Cups and four FIFA Club World Cups. This is not to mention the eight UEFA Player of the Year awards.
Although Messi has more goals overall, his season average has dropped in recent years, with a low of 73 goals in 2011-12 and a dismal PSG season in 2021-22. Ronaldo’s highest season return was 61 in 2014-15, while Messi’s peaks were around 65 in 2011-12 and 2013-14. In contrast, Ronaldo reached the 50-goal mark in every season for six years, from 2010-11 to 2015-16.
Although both players are world class, Cristiano has a longer career. Cristiano made his debut in 2002 with Sporting Lisbon and has played in ninety-three competitions since. Since then, he has played for four different clubs – Sporting Lisbon from 2002-03, Real Madrid from 2009-2018 and Juventus from 2018-20. That’s more than twice the number of years Messi has been playing at the same time.
When comparing their careers, Ronaldo’s is clearly the better player. Messi may be the better player, but Ronaldo is a far better fit for today’s game. He combines dizzying pace with the shooting and jumping abilities of a NBA star. Plus, he’s still at his peak in his mid-thirties, which makes him the ideal role model for the next generation of players.
Ronaldo has a faster sprinting style
Lionel Messi is considered to be one of the fastest players in the world, but does Cristiano Ronaldo have the same pace as him? Ronaldo has been called the best ball handler of all time, but that doesn’t mean he is the first. While Messi is the best passer and has exceptional footwork, Ronaldo has superior acceleration and stamina. Here are some facts about Messi’s sprinting style.
Although both players are natural dribblers, Messi’s pace and technique make him a superior passer. He is more efficient when using his body to create space for himself and others. In addition to this, his low center of gravity allows him to evade defenders. His ability to create space and score goals means he is an excellent free-kick taker.
A player’s first touch is an important part of his skill-set. A good first touch is the hallmark of a clever player. Although Messi’s first touch is decent, it isn’t as consistent as Messi’s. His technique is impressive and never diminishes, but his first touch is legendary when he shoots. But if we compare Messi to Ronaldo’s first touch, it is clear that Messi has a more effective first touch than Ronaldo.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have incredible dribbling skills. However, Messi’s dribbling style has made him predictable in recent years, and this doesn’t go over well in La Liga. Messi has also struggled to make good use of his dribbling style, while Ronaldo is a better ball handler. Messi has more titles under his belt than Ronaldo, and he plays for the greatest team in history.
Despite having similar speed, Ronaldo has a better finishing touch. His free-kicks swerve and his crosses are whizzing with pace. His balance is also excellent, and he can be almost impossible to tackle. The same goes for his passing skills. Cristiano has more elusive goals. A better finisher is the most valuable player in any team. In the end, Cristiano Ronaldo is the better football player.
We’ll compare Cristiano Ronaldo’s adaptation to SerieA with that of Gareth Bale in this article. In particular, we’ll look at the former Real Madrid star’s shooting distance and physical decline. We’ll also see how well he’s adjusted to the new league in terms of passing, dribbling, and other aspects. But first, let’s look at his overall improvement in recent years.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s evolution
When Juventus brought Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2018, there was plenty of speculation that he was slowing down. While this was a common misconception, the Portuguese star was clear in saying that he wanted to prove himself in a different way from other players his age. And he has done just that on the pitch. Here are five important things you need to know about the 33-year-old.
Before his move to Juventus in 2018, Ronaldo was a left-sided wide forward, where his dribbling ability dominated. As a result, he often finished someone else’s pass and dominated possession. His goal-scoring ability remained unaffected, and he was able to increase his goal tally to 42 in the following season. In the process, he adapted to the position better than any other player.
In 2009-10, Cristiano Ronaldo had a dribbling ability that had captivated many football fans. At Real Madrid, he averaged 6.2 dribbles per game, with 3.1 of them being successful. In 2011-12 and 2012-13, his dribbling ability dropped to a mediocre 1.9 attempts per game, before boosting to 2.7 in his debut season with Juventus. Despite this decline in dribbling quality, his movement and sense of where the ball is going remain impressive.
In the past, many have questioned the role of players in a team’s success. The Argentinean forward is one of the most highly-paid players in the world, but he is a far cry from the superstar he has been since his debut in Italy. Despite the media hype, Ronaldo has done a great job for both Milan and Juventus. But the controversy over his recent transfer to Italy has led some people to doubt the quality of the player.
The evolution of Cristiano Ronaldo in SerieA was a positive one. First, he has moved from a wide forward to a central striker. As a result, his role has not reduced, but rather evolved. He is no longer expected to send crosses to a forward running striker. Instead, his key passes now come from his hold-up abilities. As a result, he has become a talisman in the SerieA league.
His adaptation to SerieA
The first season of SerieA has been a struggle for Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus, with the Portuguese player struggling to score goals. His goal scoring record at Juventus is poor compared to his previous clubs, while in La Liga he scored eight goals in 19 games. The former Real Madrid striker is now starting to realize that Serie A will not be as easy as the other major leagues in Europe. Italian football tends to be more offensive than that of England or Spain, so the Portuguese international will have to learn to adapt to the style of play before he can win the Scudetto.
Despite this setback, the Portuguese star scored four goals against Porto and surpassed Rui Costa’s record of six goals in the same match. This result saw Cristiano Ronaldo surpass his previous record of six goals in the same game, and he also became the fastest player to reach 100 goals for Juventus. In addition to that, he won the Coppa Italia in 2021, and he is now on course to become the first player to score in three leagues at once.
Despite the annoyances of Real Madrid’s opponents, the Portuguese’s adaptation to SerieA is impressive. His statistics have significantly improved since his time in England. In 2004, he had a high dribbling rate, but it dropped over the next two seasons as he became more powerful and more capable. Although he has remained the top scorer at his previous clubs, his dribbling stats still show him to be a work in progress.
The former Manchester United striker enjoyed an incredible four seasons in the Spanish top division. After the final, he starred in two World Cups for Portugal. His performances in SerieA have sparked widespread interest from fans. Nevertheless, fans of the Portuguese star are waiting for the Netflix docu-series. The show will be the first of its kind and fans are hoping to see the mysterious Ana Maria Hernandez, who left the club for Juventus in the summer of 2018.
His shooting distance
In his first three seasons in Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo had a habit of “bollocking it” from a distance. In fact, he took 527 shots from distances of over 21 yards. However, his success from such distances has decreased with time. He scored nine free kick goals during this period, though. Now he is more reliant on his close-range accuracy.
The map also shows a decline in goal scoring from long ranges for the Portuguese superstar. In the 2016-17 season, he scored 19 goals, compared to just 23 goals the following season. However, during the same period, his shooting distance dropped from 12.04 to 5.88. He was not particularly effective when dribbling and only managed to score twice from outside the penalty area. He also failed to score in three games against Athletic Club and Eibar last season.
In the April 2014 match against Porto, Ronaldo scored four goals, surpassing Rui Costa as the top Portuguese scorer in Serie A. After the match, he dedicated his achievement to his old friend Eusebio and said he would never forget the help he had received from his teammate. The SerieA record for goals scored by a single player was 1948. But this new record is only achievable by a few talented players, and it was a huge achievement for Ronaldo.
De Bruyne of Manchester City, who has become an international superstar, is a long-range player with incredible shooting range. During the World Cup, he scored an incredible goal for Belgium. As an international, he is one of the best shooters in the Premier League and compares to Roberto Carlos, the greatest shooter in football history. And, he has made many beautiful free-kick goals throughout his career.
His adaption to SerieA vs Gareth Bale
The Juventus forward recently spoke to Spanish magazine ICON about his adaption to life in Italy. After nine seasons at Real Madrid, Ronaldo became the club’s all-time leading goal scorer with 450 goals. He also won four Champions League titles and two LaLiga titles. However, the Portuguese international decided to move to the Serie A to challenge himself. So far, he’s adapted well to life in Italy. With 27 goals in 40 games, he is still ahead of Bale when it comes to goalscoring ability.
As for Gareth Bale’s chances of adapting to SerieA, it would seem like the Welshman’s time is right. Bale has been a star for Wales for the past few years, and his self-esteem is high. But like Michael Owen, he would have to repay Marcelo’s favour and settle into a highly political dressing room. Whether he can flourish in Madrid is another matter entirely.
Real Madrid fans are keen to see Bale in a more prominent role. Lopetegui understands that Bale is a ‘hammer’ player, who can be decisive in key moments. However, Bale’s cultural acclimatisation is not perfect and he is prone to being labelled as a “Pepsadilla”, the Spanish word for nightmare. The Real Madrid fans may praise his performance, but it will be up to Bale to adapt and prove himself.
The Spanish club is yet to decide which player will adapt better. Real Madrid aren’t yet finalizing their philosophy. Lopetegui has yet to make a decision, but the Welsh Wizard has a long way to go. The Welsh Wizard is still a young player, and his durability and fitness level could be a factor in this upcoming season.
Having said this, he will not be the same player next season. Bale will be the focal point of Real Madrid next season, and that is an incredible opportunity for him. The Spanish superstar has been limiting his influence in the game, but Bale is showing signs that he is up to the task. With the added pressure of playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the Spanish ace has to adapt to a new environment.
