It was only a few seasons ago that Cristiano Ronaldo was widely considered the best player in the world. Now, it’s probably a consensus that Lionel Messi has taken over that position. So, how do these two great players compare?

Below is the first edition of my comparison, Messi v Ronaldo. In this version (1.0), Messi clearly has the advantage in most of the categories but Ronaldo is not far behind. Both players are a step above the rest of the world.

Speed

This one is going to be split as Messi has greater quickness but Ronaldo wins out on longer distances. It’s not too complicated when you break down as Messi’s smaller size gives him better agility to sprint past defenders in a 10-15 yard sprint. Ronaldo has the advantage with longer runs as his height translates into a larger stride. To sum it up, Messi wins the short distance sprint while Ronaldo wins the longer distance sprint. It’s a split

Advantage to neither (tie)

Physicality

This is the one place where Cristiano Ronaldo has a clear advantage. His height and strength are above Messi’s. This isn’t to say that Messi is a weak by any stretch but Ronaldo is 6 feet 1 compared to Messi’s 5’7. Messi might have as strong as will as anyone but if he’s going for a ball in the air against Ronaldo, there’s little doubt who will win the header.

Advantage to Ronaldo

Dribbling

Ronaldo is known to do his patented step over but Messi wins this category. His feet are better than anyone and can dribble through multiple defenders at any time. What hurts Messi in the physicality category actually helps him in this one. His lack of height makes him have a low center of gravity and able to dribble past defenders with ease.

Advantage to Messi

Set Pieces/Free Kicks

For a while, Cristiano Ronaldo was very highly regarded as a master of free kicks. Messi, who doesn’t score a lot of set piece goals, is often underrated in this area. He’s more than capable of scoring from free kicks or set pieces. While the two may be about a draw from free kicks, it’s Ronaldo’s ability to score from corner kicks with his head that’s the difference.

Advantage to Ronaldo

Finishing/Scoring Ability

Both players have impressive goal scoring records but currently Messi is on another level. Ronaldo’s goal scoring rate is nothing to laugh at but he’s just a step below Messi. While the actual goal amount is about equal in recent seasons, Ronaldo has scored many from penalty kicks. This also isn’t about the specific numbers but who would you trust to finish goal scoring chances. Messi is unmatched in this aspect but Ronaldo is not far behind.

Advantage to Messi

Injuries

Neither player has had many significant injuries and this is even. Things could change but at the moment both have had relatively healthy careers.

Advantage to neither (tie)

Overall

A few years ago, this would have been even but Messi has clearly established himself as the best. Whether he’s going to be the greatest ever is another question but currently he’s a step above Ronaldo. Again, this is still very close and Ronaldo is still a great player. The two will likely be competing for FIFA Ballon d’Or awards for the next several years.

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FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has once again won the FIFA Ballon d’or, which is awarded to the top player. Messi, who led Barcelona to the La Liga and UEFA Champions League trophies, was the clear favorite heading into today’s ceremony. Cristiano Ronaldo finished 2nd to Messi while teammate Xavi Hernandez finished third in voting for the second straight year.

It wasn’t a total success for Messi in 2011 as Argentina struggled in the Copa America and Barcelona lost

The voting was not that close with Messi receiving almost half all votes.

Leo Messi: 47,88%
Cristiano Ronaldo: 21,6%
Xavi: 9,23%

Messi stated in his acceptance speech that credit should be given to his teammates including Xavi.

“Xavi, this Ballon d’Or is yours as well”

“We’ve shared this moment for four years. This Ballon d’Or is also yours (Xavi). Without your help I would not be here.”

The Ballon d’Or was first awarded in 1956 and changed to the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2010. It originally was only available to European players on European clubs but has recently been opened up any player. Messi is now tied with Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, and Michel Platini.

Messi is only 24 and at this point could end up winning many more Ballon d’Or trophies.

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It was a year of good and bad for the beautiful game. As 2012 nears, it’s time to reflect on this past year in the world of soccer. Who was the best player, best team, and what other moments were important? Below is my list of awards in soccer world for 2011.

Best Moment – Japan Wins Women’s World Cup

The final against the USA was a great match and there were numerous memorable moments throughout the tournament but what made this was the situation in Japan. Only months earlier, a Earthquake and Tsunami devastated the country which resulted in thousands of deaths. The Men’s National Team, scheduled to play in the 2011 Copa America, decided to withdraw from the competition. While it is only a sporting event, the win for Japan gave their country something positive and showed the effect soccer can have in society.

Best Player - Lionel Messi

Was there any doubt? Messi has consistently been one of the best for several years and helped lead Barcelona to another strong season. He’s only 24 could realistically end with over 500 goals during his club career. The only downside to Messi’s season was a disappointing performance from Argentina at the 2011 Copa America but that was hardly his fault. The interesting thing will be to see if Messi stays with Barcelona and if he can avoid any serious injuries for the rest of his career.

Best Team - FC Barcelona

The Spanish side won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, FIFA Club World Cup, Spanish Super Cup,  and UEFA Super Cup. The roster is full of world class talent like Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Fabregas, Pique, Puyol, and Dani Alves. The only question about this team is how long can they continue to be dominant and are Real Madrid the only team capable of knocking them off.

Best Transfer - Sergio Aguero

The Argentine has made Manchester City supporters forget about the drama of Carlos Tevez. Aguero has been an instant success with 13 goals through his first 17 EPL matches. While Man City did pay a significant price for Aguero, he’s only 23 and arguably one of the top 5 strikers playing today. He also allows City to move Carlos Tevez without fear that they’ll be lacking goal scoring.

Best Free Transfer - Demba Ba

The Newcastle United striker was available for free from West Ham after they were relegated to the Championship. He’s proven to be a top notch scorer who has helped led Newcastle to a strong first half in the EPL. If he continues to score goals for Newcastle, expect one of the top clubs in the Premier League to make a transfer offer. Ba is second in EPL scoring with 14 goals through 17 matches, second only to Robin Van Persie.

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The 2010 Ballon d’Or winner was announced and it is FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. The Argentine player also was in the 2010 World Cup but mainly won the award for an amazing season in La Liga that Barcelona in 2009-10. The team had a 31-6-1 record, 99 points, and +74 goal difference. Messi had 34 goals in league play and overall had 47 in 53 matches for Barcelona during last season.

The other finalists for the award were Andres Inieista (Barcelona/Spain) and Xavi (Barcelona/Spain). Below is an interview Messi did with FIFA.com after winning the award.

FIFA.com: Lionel, how are you feeling?

Lionel Messi: I’m happy, but I didn’t expect it because everyone had been talking so much about Xavi and Andres [Iniesta]. They also deserved it for the wonderful year they had. They won the World Cup, which usually goes a long way to deciding who wins this award, and they both had big parts to play in that. That’s why I thought one of them would be going up to collect the trophy. It was a wonderful surprise.

How do you think they are feeling?

I don’t think they’re sad about it. It was a great thing for the three of us and the club to have got this far. I think we all enjoyed the gala.

You obviously feel they deserved to win it, but what do you think tipped it in your favour?

Well, the people who voted decided to choose me and I’m very grateful for that. This is my second world player of the year award and I feel just as happy as I did the first time, if not more so. We’re going to enjoy it.

Did you feel that your performances at South Africa 2010 might have worked against you?

Yes. We didn’t have a bad World Cup but we didn’t achieve the goal we’d set ourselves, which was to be champions. That was the one big regret I have from last year.

Can you make up for it in this year’s Copa America?

That’s our next goal at international level and it’s in Argentina too. It would be great for the country, the fans and for us too because it will allow us to have a more relaxed build-up to the next World Cup.

It would also be something of a relief for you after all the criticism you’ve attracted with La Albiceleste.

Yes it would. I want to achieve something big with the national side and this would be a great opportunity to do just that.

Who are you going to dedicate the award to?

To all my team-mates for helping me to win it, to my family and to everyone who supports me.

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An MRI and closer look from doctors have revealed that FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi will be out for a minimum of two matches. That means he will miss this week’s matches in La Liga but unclear if he could return for the Champions League next week. This is good news for Barcelona as the injury could have been worse or even required surgery. More details are below with information from the official club’s website.

(from FC Barcelona official website) After an MRI taken this morning at the Hospital de Barcelona, doctors have concluded that Leo Messi has a sprain in the internal and external ligaments of his right ankle, but confirmed that there is no damage to the bones.

Leo Messi will definitely miss the matches against Sporting and Bilbao this week after doctors confirmed their earlier diagnosis following the nasty foul he received from Ujfalusi on Sunday. His availability after these two games will depend on how he recovers from the injury.

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Messi was visibly shaken by the injury as he knew it was not minor and it’s unclear how long he will be out. Below is a statement from FC Barcelona on the injury in which they state there is ligament damaga.

Video of the foul and injury can be seen here.

(from the official FC Barcelona website)

The first examinations by Barca’s medical team suggest that Leo Messi has suffered ligament damage to his right ankle, but there is no evidence of a broken bone. More tests will be carried out on Monday to assess the full extent of the injury.

The dramatic images of the world’s best player clearly in great pain being stretchered off after a vicious 92nd minute foul by Ujfalusi, who received a straight red, were quickly followed by initial medical explorations that showed ligament damage in the Argentinean’s right ankle, but no apparent break, as many fans watching the game must have feared.

Pep Guardiola spoke of his star’s injury after the game: “he’ll be having more tests tomorrow, but in principle a break has been ruled out. He’s injured and the doctors will tell us how he is. Let’s hope the first diagnosis is correct and we can help get him fit again. He’s very said and in tears. These things happen in football”.

Guardiola was tight lipped about Ujfalusi’s foul and called on reporters to show responsibility: “the pictures of the incident speak for themselves I imagine. I’d ask you to show responsibility about these kinds of things. This isn’t something new, it’s been going on for a while – look, if there is proof and it looks suspicious…”.

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Lionel Messi is regarded by most as the best player in the world right now but he’s still has yet to lead Argentina to a major title. A win on Saturday against Germany and a World Cup trophy would put make him a legend in his country and possibly in the same breath as Maradona. Messi has been an incredible player in the last two seasons for FC Barcelona but now it’s time for him to bring that form to the World Cup.

Through the first four matches of the World Cup, Messi has been solid but has yet to score for Argentina. He’s surrounded by many talented players but still remains the most famous player on the team. The similarities between Maradona and Messi are striking. Both are fairly short, quick, and have incredible ability with the ball to beat defenders.

While Messi doesn’t need score goals for Argentina to win, this is the kind of match where he can become a legend. He is only 23, Messi is already on his way to become of the best ever but performing at at World Cup is necessary to be considered in the same breath as Maradona.

The best players perform on the biggest stages and there’s none bigger than the World Cup. It would only be fitting if the best player in the world leads his side into the semifinals with several goals and/or assists.

This is the chance for Lionel Messi to prove that he is not just the best club player in the world but THE best player, and start to become a football legend in Argentina.

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The question now remains, how good is Lionel Messi?

The Greatest Ever?

Anyone who is claiming that Messi is the greatest player of all time is getting ahead of themselves. He is only 22 and still needs to prove himself throughout his career. If he continues to perform at the same level after 10 years then the argument is much more compelling.  While Messi does still have a lot to prove, there’s little doubt that he has the ability to become one of the greatest of all time. Many have already drawn comparisons to Argentine great Diego Maradona.

Again, it’s unfair to answer this question of if Messi is the best player of all time or even one of the best until his career comes to a close.

His Strengths

His skill with the ball makes top defenders look like amateurs and has commentators speechless. This season he’s been in incredible goal scoring form and shined in crucial matches. When Messi gets a clear cut chance, it’s almost always in the back of the net. He doesn’t convert every chance (no one does) but he’s talented that it won’t be long before another one comes along.

Messi is not very tall (5’7″) but makes up for it with his agility and quickness. He’s not afraid to take on defenders with the ball and can hold possession as well as anyone. Along with these abilities, Messi can shoot with deadly accuracy on free kicks and from outside the 18 yard box.

One aspect that Messi often doesn’t get much attention is his ability to play defense, win the ball back in midfield, and help out recover when teams are counter-attacking. In La Liga, Barcelona is known for their ability to control possession and force teams to play defense. Messi exemplifies this by his willingness to win the ball back especially if he’s responsible for the turnover.

What about his form for Argentina?

The one area where Messi has yet to prove himself is on the international stage for Argentina. He has 13 goals in 41 appearances for Argentina since getting his first cap 2005. He played a limited role in the 2006 World Cup but will get his chance in the upcoming 2010 World Cup. If Messi can translate his form from Barcelona to Argentina then he will go a long way towards becoming one of the best players of all time.

Maradona and Pele, who have been regarded by many as the top two players of all time, have both won World Cups and shined on the international stage. Messi has shown he is an unbelievable club player but he’s yet to prove that on the international level. This is not uncommon as there are other players who show terrific form for their club but can’t do the same for their country.

As I said before, Messi is only 22 and he will likely play in 3 more World Cups during his career. He will have plenty of time and opportunities to improve his form for Argentina.

Conclusion

It’s clear, at least for now, that Lionel Messi is the best player in the world. He continues to improve each season and still has his prime years of his career ahead of him. Talk of him being the greatest player of all time is too early and he needs to prove himself at this summer’s World Cup. If Messi could lead Argentina to the World Cup title, then the discussion of him in the same breath as Diego Maradona could start to begin.

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Lionel Messi wins FIFA’s 2009 Player Of The Year Award

ZURICH — Lionel Messi is the FIFA World Player of the Year after leading FC Barcelona to an unprecedented trio of Spanish and European titles.

The 22-year-old Argentine beat 2008 winner Cristiano Ronaldo, 2007 winner Kaka, and his Barcelona teammates Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta in voting among national team captains and coaches.

The award caps a perfect year for the winger.

Messi won a Spanish league and cup double and the European championship last season. He added another title with an extra-time goal Saturday to beat Estudiantes and give Barcelona its first Club World Cup.

Messi accepted the award at a FIFA gala in Zurich, and said it was the “icing on the cake.”

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Lionel Mess wins 2009 Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi has become the first Argentinian to win the Ballon d’Or, the FC Barcelona forward claiming the prize awarded by France Football magazine for the European Player of the Year.

Brilliant campaign
The 22-year-old eclipsed runner-up and last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo by a record 240-point margin. Messi earned 473 points out of a possible 480, a near unanimous verdict, in the poll of 96 journalists worldwide. The award caps a brilliant year for a player who helped Barcelona to UEFA Champions League glory – he scored nine goals in last season’s campaign including the second in the final victory against Manchester United FC – as well as to a Spanish league and cup double.

‘Fantastic’
“It’s a great honour to have won this award and the fact that I’m the first Argentinian is very exciting,” said Messi, the prize having been opened up to non-Europeans in 1995. “The Ballon d’Or is very important for me. Every single player who has won it has been a fantastic player. I dedicate it to my family who are always by my side when needed. It won’t be easy to enjoy another year like 2009 and claim this award again.”

Top ten
Messi’s club-mates Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta also feature in the top five alongside former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o, the scorer of the opening goal in the defeat of United in Rome in what was his last game for the Catalans before joining FC Internazionale Milano. The 2007 winner Kaká (AC Milan and Real Madrid CF) finished sixth, with Zlatan Ibrahimović (Inter and Barcelona), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Didier Drogba (Chelsea FC) and Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC) completing the top ten.

Past ten Ballon d’Or winners
2008 Cristiano Ronaldo
2007 Kaká
2006 Fabio Cannavaro
2005 Ronaldinho
2004 Andriy Shevchenko
2003 Pavel Nedvěd
2002 Ronaldo
2001 Michael Owen
2000 Luís Figo
1999 Rivaldo

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