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Messi vs. Ronaldo: The Greatest Rivalry
In 2009 Real Madrid paid £80m, a then record fee, to sign a ready-made superstar in an effort to keep pace with a Barcelona side that had won it all. In doing so, they sparked a rivalry like no other; Messi vs Ronaldo.
The seasons that have followed have been truly spectacular, the battle for supremacy increasing in profile and intensity all the while. Their styles, personalities and footballing allegiances continue to divide opinion, but their dominance of the record books has now put one claim beyond debate - this is football's greatest ever head-to-head.
Acclaimed football writer Luca Caioli draws on invaluable testimonies from those closest to the two stars, with exclusive insights from friends, families, teammates and managers, to tell the inside story of this fascinating rivalry.
The seasons that have followed have been truly spectacular, the battle for supremacy increasing in profile and intensity all the while. Their styles, personalities and footballing allegiances continue to divide opinion, but their dominance of the record books has now put one claim beyond debate - this is football's greatest ever head-to-head.
Acclaimed football writer Luca Caioli draws on invaluable testimonies from those closest to the two stars, with exclusive insights from friends, families, teammates and managers, to tell the inside story of this fascinating rivalry.
182 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2015
36 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Luca Caioli
193 books64 followersLuca Caioli (Milan, 1958) is the author of several novels and biographies that have been translated into forty languages and sold a million copies. Throughout a career of over thirty years as a journalist, he has covered the main sports events for the most prominent European media. He currently lives in Madrid.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 15, 2020
i imagine this was a last-minute panic buy from my dad last christmas. it was essentially an extra long wikipedia article
Want to read
January 5, 2018In the book Messi vs. Ronaldo The greatest Rivalry, Luca Caiol compares and contrasts the two best soccer stars right now. First, the story talks about the superstar’s childhood and young age. Second, he tells us about their first club and early soccer career. Finally, Luca compares then to day on how they play the game and how they live.
Messi vs Ronaldo is a good book comparing the two players.It is written and worded very well. It has real facts in it. It starts of by telling about when they were born and when they were young kids. The book’s talks about all the victories and awards the two men have had throughout their careers. It also talks about their family and life outside of soccer. In Messi vs. Ronaldo Luca has made some very good point on both of the two soccer pro’s but only you can make the decision on who is better.
Messi vs Ronaldo is a good book comparing the two players.It is written and worded very well. It has real facts in it. It starts of by telling about when they were born and when they were young kids. The book’s talks about all the victories and awards the two men have had throughout their careers. It also talks about their family and life outside of soccer. In Messi vs. Ronaldo Luca has made some very good point on both of the two soccer pro’s but only you can make the decision on who is better.
August 12, 2019
The rating I've put is sheerly for the way Luca Caioli has written the book and not for the content it encompasses.
Post-completion of the book, I checked out Luca's bibliography on Goodreads. Looks like he has written 10+ books about Messi and Ronaldo. That's a huge red flag. It clearly shows that he is focused on quantity and not quality.
The way the chapters were structured could've been a tad bit better. Some information and facts seemed repetitive and blunt. When you pick up a book about your favorite sportsperson to read, you'd expect it to present us with lesser-known facts and data. But a majority of what was discussed in the book was already available on the internet.
I was surprised to find out that Luca Caioli omitted a major life-altering incident that took place in Ronaldo's life - Racing Heart Syndrome. I mean, how could Luca oversee something that's so crucial?
The statistics and figures are outdated. Obviously, cuz the book was published on December 2015. So the achievements tally of Messi would be higher than that of Ronaldo. It was only after 2015 that Ronaldo reached his prime form adding 3 UCL titles back to back in his kitty.
As a Ronaldo fanboy, this book turned out to be a huge letdown. The color pictures of the two sporting legends in action were the only crumbs of comfort I could salvage from the book.
Wouldn't recommend anyone to read this. If I come across a comprehensive account of the Ronaldo or Messi, I'd definitely let you know.
Post-completion of the book, I checked out Luca's bibliography on Goodreads. Looks like he has written 10+ books about Messi and Ronaldo. That's a huge red flag. It clearly shows that he is focused on quantity and not quality.
The way the chapters were structured could've been a tad bit better. Some information and facts seemed repetitive and blunt. When you pick up a book about your favorite sportsperson to read, you'd expect it to present us with lesser-known facts and data. But a majority of what was discussed in the book was already available on the internet.
I was surprised to find out that Luca Caioli omitted a major life-altering incident that took place in Ronaldo's life - Racing Heart Syndrome. I mean, how could Luca oversee something that's so crucial?
The statistics and figures are outdated. Obviously, cuz the book was published on December 2015. So the achievements tally of Messi would be higher than that of Ronaldo. It was only after 2015 that Ronaldo reached his prime form adding 3 UCL titles back to back in his kitty.
As a Ronaldo fanboy, this book turned out to be a huge letdown. The color pictures of the two sporting legends in action were the only crumbs of comfort I could salvage from the book.
Wouldn't recommend anyone to read this. If I come across a comprehensive account of the Ronaldo or Messi, I'd definitely let you know.
August 12, 2017
This has been a discussion topic for every single football fanatic in the planet. Who is greater? Real Madrid's talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, or Barcelona's powerhouse Lionel Messi?
Luca Caioli fails to create competition and tension when writing about the two players, and also misses a few crucial points in el clasico matches and similarities in their childhood. Therefore it is frankly a waste of time and money. I encourage you not to read it.
Luca Caioli fails to create competition and tension when writing about the two players, and also misses a few crucial points in el clasico matches and similarities in their childhood. Therefore it is frankly a waste of time and money. I encourage you not to read it.
October 22, 2020
The title for this book is “Messi vs Ronaldo: The Greatest Rivalry”. The author is named Luca Caioli released on September 12, 2016. The publisher of this book is “Icon Books”, with 240 pages. As the title implies, this book will tell how the two of them journey in their careers that compete with each other to be the best.
So, this story is all about how their circumstances when they first discovered their talents, how they had to leave their closest people to reach their dreams, how they traveled when they faced happiness and problems, how they dealt with these problems. There’s no protagonist and antagonist here, both of them are compete each other on the field, but they’re both fine and have respects each other outside of the field. They both competed to be the best for nine years in the Spanish League, of course, with different teams. Messi with Barcelona whose team relies on a game of match domination, playing beautifully every game, as well as their philosophy that has been built since the 1970s, and the result over the last few decades they are more dominant than other rivals. Meanwhile, Ronaldo with Real Madrid, which is a club justifies any means to win to get the title, regardless of playing good or not, buying expensive players every year, they even dare to play dirty to destroy Barcelona's dominance in the 2012 era.
Mostly, both are are the best from the situation they had suffered. The peak of their competition occurred in 2009 to 2018 when they were both in the Spanish League, Barcelona and Real Madrid who both dominated the world of football, taking turns winning titles in the domestic league and at the European level. There one point on this book that I disagree with the author. Messi is often said to be a person who does not have a leadership spirit as a captain, which I disagree with. The captain must lead his team-mates properly, but not all of them have to be vocal as the writer demands Messi. I could pick up some captains in world football who are quiet like Messi, but they doesn’t got a critism as Messi got. Patrice Evra, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Harry Maguire, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Manuel Neuer. Are they getting the criticism the public did against Messi? No, they never because maybe they are not a mega star player like Messi who gets the bigger spotlight, which is the level are straggering.
So, I think the author should pay more attention to the small details before expressing an opinion. Maybe Luca Caioli never saw the video footage of Messi leading his teammate during the Argentina national team against Nigeria in the 2018 World Cup. Or the video showing Messi reminding his teammate in the dressing room against Liverpool that the previous year Barcelona was humiliated in European competition because of their own mistakes and lest we do the same thing again in the following year. I think this is because Ronaldo's agent who is a genius in terms of PR is Jorge Mendes, so people assume that Ronaldo has more leadership than Messi. Mendes is known to own some of the media that he pays for, and that media often shows Ronaldo leading his mate when his guard down, and that's fine in my opinion. Unfortunately, Messi doesn't have someone like Jorge Mendes, just look at the Twitter social media account that should be Messi's PR team, namely an account called @TeamMessi, six posts in a span of 14 months? It is very sad for the PR team of the greatest player of all time. Big fans of Messi and Ronaldo should read this book, maybe you all will have different views and opinions, it's good to add insight.
So, this story is all about how their circumstances when they first discovered their talents, how they had to leave their closest people to reach their dreams, how they traveled when they faced happiness and problems, how they dealt with these problems. There’s no protagonist and antagonist here, both of them are compete each other on the field, but they’re both fine and have respects each other outside of the field. They both competed to be the best for nine years in the Spanish League, of course, with different teams. Messi with Barcelona whose team relies on a game of match domination, playing beautifully every game, as well as their philosophy that has been built since the 1970s, and the result over the last few decades they are more dominant than other rivals. Meanwhile, Ronaldo with Real Madrid, which is a club justifies any means to win to get the title, regardless of playing good or not, buying expensive players every year, they even dare to play dirty to destroy Barcelona's dominance in the 2012 era.
Mostly, both are are the best from the situation they had suffered. The peak of their competition occurred in 2009 to 2018 when they were both in the Spanish League, Barcelona and Real Madrid who both dominated the world of football, taking turns winning titles in the domestic league and at the European level. There one point on this book that I disagree with the author. Messi is often said to be a person who does not have a leadership spirit as a captain, which I disagree with. The captain must lead his team-mates properly, but not all of them have to be vocal as the writer demands Messi. I could pick up some captains in world football who are quiet like Messi, but they doesn’t got a critism as Messi got. Patrice Evra, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Harry Maguire, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Manuel Neuer. Are they getting the criticism the public did against Messi? No, they never because maybe they are not a mega star player like Messi who gets the bigger spotlight, which is the level are straggering.
So, I think the author should pay more attention to the small details before expressing an opinion. Maybe Luca Caioli never saw the video footage of Messi leading his teammate during the Argentina national team against Nigeria in the 2018 World Cup. Or the video showing Messi reminding his teammate in the dressing room against Liverpool that the previous year Barcelona was humiliated in European competition because of their own mistakes and lest we do the same thing again in the following year. I think this is because Ronaldo's agent who is a genius in terms of PR is Jorge Mendes, so people assume that Ronaldo has more leadership than Messi. Mendes is known to own some of the media that he pays for, and that media often shows Ronaldo leading his mate when his guard down, and that's fine in my opinion. Unfortunately, Messi doesn't have someone like Jorge Mendes, just look at the Twitter social media account that should be Messi's PR team, namely an account called @TeamMessi, six posts in a span of 14 months? It is very sad for the PR team of the greatest player of all time. Big fans of Messi and Ronaldo should read this book, maybe you all will have different views and opinions, it's good to add insight.
October 26, 2024
The topic of this book is the great rivalry between Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo. This story starts off by Introducing the two amazing football players and describing them. Ronaldo grew up from a poor family, struggled with his mom, and lived for football. While Messi came from a more modest and rich family. The book continues comparing and contrasting each of the player's weaknesses and then goes over each of their strengths. It states that Messi is very weak with his right foot, while being very strong with his left foot. It states Ronaldo is weak with dribbling after his injury, but has a very very powerful shot. The book proceeds to compare and contrast many different things like, amount of followers, goals, assists, and many other valuable football information. Overall the book is summarized stating that both players are the best at what they do, they both have weaknesses that the other one is strong in and they both play for the same reason, to have fun.
This book relates to my daily life in many ways. This book talks about how interested and intrigued each player was in the sport. It talks about a man vs self conflict when both players would throw up before games, which is a problem I have faced in the past and sometimes still face. It talks about how the players would have 3 games a day which I also relate to, some weekends I will spend over 10 hours playing soccer. In the book if I had to choose I would say Ronaldo is my favorite character, I relate to him the most and personally I can infer he is better than Messi with the statistics and the information given in the story. I have read many similar books comparing different football players but I personally believe this is the best book I have read so far out of the series. Overall I relate to this book in many different ways and I believe this book is something everyone should read if they like football.
I thought this book was a really really good book that everyone should read. This book talked about the statistics of each player which I thought was very interesting. The book talks about both of the characters' lives, from them both being born in a hospital, till now both of them being the greatest athletes of all time which I thought was very fascinating. The book talks about each character's personality which was super fun to learn about, it talks about how Messi is a very patient and determined person while Ronaldo is a competitive and caring personality. Overall I personally think everyone should read this book, it could persuade you to try the sport of football or even just to learn about football in general.
This book relates to my daily life in many ways. This book talks about how interested and intrigued each player was in the sport. It talks about a man vs self conflict when both players would throw up before games, which is a problem I have faced in the past and sometimes still face. It talks about how the players would have 3 games a day which I also relate to, some weekends I will spend over 10 hours playing soccer. In the book if I had to choose I would say Ronaldo is my favorite character, I relate to him the most and personally I can infer he is better than Messi with the statistics and the information given in the story. I have read many similar books comparing different football players but I personally believe this is the best book I have read so far out of the series. Overall I relate to this book in many different ways and I believe this book is something everyone should read if they like football.
I thought this book was a really really good book that everyone should read. This book talked about the statistics of each player which I thought was very interesting. The book talks about both of the characters' lives, from them both being born in a hospital, till now both of them being the greatest athletes of all time which I thought was very fascinating. The book talks about each character's personality which was super fun to learn about, it talks about how Messi is a very patient and determined person while Ronaldo is a competitive and caring personality. Overall I personally think everyone should read this book, it could persuade you to try the sport of football or even just to learn about football in general.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2019
Messi vs Ronaldo by Luca Caioli, is about two young soccer players that came from very poor homes and have struggled throughout their lives until they found the sport of soccer and ever since then their lives' have never been the same again, they have changed the sport in so many different ways that they have become some of the best soccer players in the world.
Now Ronaldo is the number one most paid Athlete in the world, Mesi falling right behind him. Ronaldo started playing professionally at the age of 17,” but Messi on the other side started playing when he was little and he joined FC Barcelona, They have both broken record that no one will ever break and have scored more goals than some teams combined, Ronaldo has scored 793 goals in 809 games and Messi has scored 575 in 681 games. they continue to score more goals. Ronaldo has played for 4 teams in his whole career, Messi has played for only one team. Both players are considered the best players in the world today and they are rivals which makes this book more interesting.
Now Ronaldo is the number one most paid Athlete in the world, Mesi falling right behind him. Ronaldo started playing professionally at the age of 17,” but Messi on the other side started playing when he was little and he joined FC Barcelona, They have both broken record that no one will ever break and have scored more goals than some teams combined, Ronaldo has scored 793 goals in 809 games and Messi has scored 575 in 681 games. they continue to score more goals. Ronaldo has played for 4 teams in his whole career, Messi has played for only one team. Both players are considered the best players in the world today and they are rivals which makes this book more interesting.
December 26, 2019
Choáng ngợp với những con số thống kê của hai con “quái vật” làng túc cầu.
Dù sách về hai thần tượng bóng đá mình thích (mình thích Ronaldo hơn) nhưng vẫn cho 3 sao vì...toàn thông tin mình đã nắm bắt kha khá từ báo chí rồi, ko có gì mới, trừ mấy thông tin về cách làm truyền thông hình ảnh của hai người, khá thú vị.
Còn lại chả có gì để lạm bàn ngoài hai chữ “ĐIÊN RỒ”
Hai kẻ “điên” không ngừng phá vỡ mọi giới hạn của bản thân, phá vỡ mọi kỷ lục của tiền bối hay của chính người đối phương mới lập ra. Hai kình địch cũng lại là những niềm cảm hứng của nhau luôn nhìn nhau mà cố gắng một cách hăng say đến điên rồ để rồi trình làng cho thế giới hai tấm gương sáng trong 1 thập kỷ qua về sự lao động miệt mài, sự kiên trì không từ bỏ, sự ganh đua lành mạnh và hơn hết là ...niềm hạnh phúc khi được sống với việc mình yêu thích nó như một món quà mà chỉ có nỗ lực thì mới nhận được.
Lucky to watch your late career of you both and it’s still inspiring me though. Gracias !
Dù sách về hai thần tượng bóng đá mình thích (mình thích Ronaldo hơn) nhưng vẫn cho 3 sao vì...toàn thông tin mình đã nắm bắt kha khá từ báo chí rồi, ko có gì mới, trừ mấy thông tin về cách làm truyền thông hình ảnh của hai người, khá thú vị.
Còn lại chả có gì để lạm bàn ngoài hai chữ “ĐIÊN RỒ”
Hai kẻ “điên” không ngừng phá vỡ mọi giới hạn của bản thân, phá vỡ mọi kỷ lục của tiền bối hay của chính người đối phương mới lập ra. Hai kình địch cũng lại là những niềm cảm hứng của nhau luôn nhìn nhau mà cố gắng một cách hăng say đến điên rồ để rồi trình làng cho thế giới hai tấm gương sáng trong 1 thập kỷ qua về sự lao động miệt mài, sự kiên trì không từ bỏ, sự ganh đua lành mạnh và hơn hết là ...niềm hạnh phúc khi được sống với việc mình yêu thích nó như một món quà mà chỉ có nỗ lực thì mới nhận được.
Lucky to watch your late career of you both and it’s still inspiring me though. Gracias !
February 23, 2018
Entertaining read. The book compares Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi over various aspects, both on and off the pitch. Their humble beginnings are briefly talked about before moving on to their glittering club careers, memorable duels and goals, and awards won. The latter part of the book talks about their personalities, families, high and low points, social media presence, and role as brand ambassadors. Overall, an enjoyable book for fans of football, which also serves as a reminder of how lucky we are to see two all-time greats of the game being contemporaries and regularly facing off against each other.
July 12, 2019
Không phải cuốn sách nào cũng để lại gì đó trong đầu. Nhưng đó không hẳn là vô ích. Việc trôi tuột đi ấy đồng thời cũng kéo theo những suy nghĩ vụn vặt khác đang vất vưởng, lẩn khuất ở khắp các xó xỉnh trong đầu. Thế nên nếu hỏi ấn tượng về cuốn Messi vs Ronaldo thì câu trả lời là chả có gì sất.
Cuốn sách giống bảng dữ liệu điểm lại những cột mốc, thành tích nổi bật của hai cầu thủ xuất sắc nhất đương thời. Cá nhân mình cho rằng cuốn sách mang tính sưu tầm là chính, hoàn toàn thiếu vắng những câu chuyện như vài cuốn về bóng đá khác như cuốn về Ibra, Ancelotti hay Pirlo.
Cuốn sách giống bảng dữ liệu điểm lại những cột mốc, thành tích nổi bật của hai cầu thủ xuất sắc nhất đương thời. Cá nhân mình cho rằng cuốn sách mang tính sưu tầm là chính, hoàn toàn thiếu vắng những câu chuyện như vài cuốn về bóng đá khác như cuốn về Ibra, Ancelotti hay Pirlo.
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May 15, 2023Luca Caioli, periodista italiano afincado en España, ha sacado al mercado un nuevo libro de fútbol dentro de su extensa bibliografía. En esta ocasión, traza una comparativa para aproximarse a la figura de los dos jugadores que han dominado el fútbol mundial en los últimos años.
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Puedes encontrar esta review en el #Panenka49. Disponible en
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Puedes encontrar esta review en el #Panenka49. Disponible en
tienda.panenka.org.
June 10, 2022
The greatest football players in the history
July 18, 2023
2 GOATs
March 11, 2018
Bryan Ramirez
Mrs. Riggs
ELA II
6 March 2018
Who is the best?
Cristiano Ronaldo Vs Leo Messi, one of the best rivalries in the world. Most people argue whether Ronaldo or Messi is better. The Book Messi Vs Ronaldo: The Greatest Rivalry has all the stats and each of the players success, trophies, life story, and personal life. Soccer fans can read this book and compare each player to see which one is the best for them.
It is obvious that the two best players in the world are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi even tho some people say they aren’t. This rivalry is the most talked about rivalry of all time and people look at every move each player makes. As soon as someone hears Real Madrid vs Barcelona they immediately think of Ronaldo against Messi. Messi Vs Ronaldo: The Greatest Rivalry shows what Cris (Ronaldo) and Leo have gone through in life and all the goals they have reached. This book will help you see each player carefully and maybe let you decide which player you think is the best in the world. Lucas Caioli shows you how each player has done in their clubs and shows what managers and former soccer players say about the two. He doesn’t take one side instead he is balanced between the two.
“Ever since the two stars went head to head they have always been portrayed as opponents” (02). “Luca Caioli compares and contrast the two best soccer players right now” (Reilly). This is one of the best books there is to read in this genre especially if you are a Real Madrid or Barcelona fan. If you are unsure which one of these two are the best, read this book and you would most likely pick a side. Every stat, trophy, wins, goals etc. is in this book.
CR7 Vs Messi is probably the most talked about rivalry in the world and is argued a lot. Messi Vs Ronaldo: The Greatest Rivalry is the book to read if you are undesifesive of which one is better or if you just want to learn about the two best players in the world.
Caioli, Luca, et al. “Messi vs. Ronaldo.” By Luca Caioli, www.goodreads.com/book/show/28215339-....
Mrs. Riggs
ELA II
6 March 2018
Who is the best?
Cristiano Ronaldo Vs Leo Messi, one of the best rivalries in the world. Most people argue whether Ronaldo or Messi is better. The Book Messi Vs Ronaldo: The Greatest Rivalry has all the stats and each of the players success, trophies, life story, and personal life. Soccer fans can read this book and compare each player to see which one is the best for them.
It is obvious that the two best players in the world are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi even tho some people say they aren’t. This rivalry is the most talked about rivalry of all time and people look at every move each player makes. As soon as someone hears Real Madrid vs Barcelona they immediately think of Ronaldo against Messi. Messi Vs Ronaldo: The Greatest Rivalry shows what Cris (Ronaldo) and Leo have gone through in life and all the goals they have reached. This book will help you see each player carefully and maybe let you decide which player you think is the best in the world. Lucas Caioli shows you how each player has done in their clubs and shows what managers and former soccer players say about the two. He doesn’t take one side instead he is balanced between the two.
“Ever since the two stars went head to head they have always been portrayed as opponents” (02). “Luca Caioli compares and contrast the two best soccer players right now” (Reilly). This is one of the best books there is to read in this genre especially if you are a Real Madrid or Barcelona fan. If you are unsure which one of these two are the best, read this book and you would most likely pick a side. Every stat, trophy, wins, goals etc. is in this book.
CR7 Vs Messi is probably the most talked about rivalry in the world and is argued a lot. Messi Vs Ronaldo: The Greatest Rivalry is the book to read if you are undesifesive of which one is better or if you just want to learn about the two best players in the world.
Caioli, Luca, et al. “Messi vs. Ronaldo.” By Luca Caioli, www.goodreads.com/book/show/28215339-....
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January 26, 2017I think this book was really interesting. I really enjoyed and read it quick
September 13, 2017
The title of the book is perhaps one of the biggest debates of the last decade. Messi and Ronaldo are not just mere footballers, but arguably the best two humans(many doubt if they are human actually) to ever play the game, global icons, most marketable and recognisable faces on the planet. They rewrite the record books almost everyday and we are privileged to be born in this era to watch these two geniuses who continue to set new standards and prove that age is just a number.
If you do a purely objective analysis and put them head to head, then both are comparatively better at some particular aspects than the other. Messi, I believe is much better in passing, slightly better at dribbling and is better while playing through the middle and I think he will transform into a Central Midfielder in the last stages of his career seamlessly. Ronaldo on the other hand, owing to his incredible physique and height, is much better in the air, can shoot better with his weak foot, and is maybe a trifle faster. Messi has spent all his life at Barcelona who enrolled him in their academy as a kid while Ronaldo started his senior career at Sporting Lisbon, before his record moves to Manchester United and Real Madrid. What makes this rivalry the most fascinating and hotly debated is that not only are they the two finest footballers of the game but they happen to be playing at the same time. All the previous debates involving Pele, Maradona, Platini, etc were purely academic as these players were the best in the world at different times.
Now while most people are neutral on giving a verdict, many experts have given their frank opinion on who is better. I personally like Ronaldo just a little more while most people I know prefer Messi (seeing Messi play last night against JUVENTUS had me thinking again actually). Let's just hope that they keep defying age and keep pushing each other to entertain the world for another few years.
The book is very well written, similar to his other books which I've read - Ronaldo, Messi.
4/5.
If you do a purely objective analysis and put them head to head, then both are comparatively better at some particular aspects than the other. Messi, I believe is much better in passing, slightly better at dribbling and is better while playing through the middle and I think he will transform into a Central Midfielder in the last stages of his career seamlessly. Ronaldo on the other hand, owing to his incredible physique and height, is much better in the air, can shoot better with his weak foot, and is maybe a trifle faster. Messi has spent all his life at Barcelona who enrolled him in their academy as a kid while Ronaldo started his senior career at Sporting Lisbon, before his record moves to Manchester United and Real Madrid. What makes this rivalry the most fascinating and hotly debated is that not only are they the two finest footballers of the game but they happen to be playing at the same time. All the previous debates involving Pele, Maradona, Platini, etc were purely academic as these players were the best in the world at different times.
Now while most people are neutral on giving a verdict, many experts have given their frank opinion on who is better. I personally like Ronaldo just a little more while most people I know prefer Messi (seeing Messi play last night against JUVENTUS had me thinking again actually). Let's just hope that they keep defying age and keep pushing each other to entertain the world for another few years.
The book is very well written, similar to his other books which I've read - Ronaldo, Messi.
4/5.
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