Before the endless debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, generations of Ballon d’Or (BOP) winners had an overwhelming choice with the Argentine superstar being the best.
Both Ronaldo and Messi are icons of modern football. Their dominance in an era has defined a whole new era in football history, with fierce competition and impressive records created by this two-horse race.
Amidst this debate, the Ballon d’Or is the prize at the center of the race between Messi and Ronaldo. Because both have almost monopolized this title for many years. With this competition, the views of the former owners of the World Golden Ball are still divided into two factions. However, the vast majority of them choose the Argentine superstar.
Among them, Ronaldo was only chosen by Zinedine Zidane, Michael Owen, Karim Benzema – those who played alongside him at Real Madrid. The choices of these individuals were due to the comprehensiveness and achievements of the Portuguese superstar with the Royal team.
“I think Messi stands out in certain attributes but in terms of all-round physicality, Ronaldo is such a complete player,” Owen explained.
On the other hand, Rivaldo, Andriy Shevchenko, Ronaldinho, Luka Modric, Rodri, Fabio Cannavaro all praised Messi for his natural talent and ability to make a difference in matches. In particular, Messi’s World Cup championship created a major turning point in the controversy, consolidating his position in the eyes of many colleagues and experts.
However, Luis Figo, Pavel Nedved, and Kaka are individuals who have not yet responded or chosen to lean towards a specific side when considering both strikers to be excellent.
The fact that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo shined together in the same era is a unique gift for football fans around the world, a phenomenon that may never be repeated.
With an incredible number of goals and assists, and a total of 13 Ballon d’Or titles between them, the debate over who comes out on top remains intriguing and unresolved, with no concrete verdict being given.
