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Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo (Comparative Essay)

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Never before has there been such dissent in the soccer world. Ask any fan, any expert, anyone who their favorite is, who they believe is better or simply who they prefer, and you will never, ever reach consensus. It is the never ending argument that speaks volumes and goes beyond the sport. When the best Spanish teams, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, meet, the biggest subplot of the match is Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo. But the question remains, who is better? You can reach the answer to this question by comparing the two players – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – based on shooting and goal-scoring capabilities, and mentality. Goalkeepers constantly have to stop rockets that come their way, but when it comes to shooting, Lionel …show more content…

Cristiano Ronaldo scores far more goals with his head, not afraid to go in where it hurts. He manages to apply great power to his headers and undoubtly is always going to be more effective in the air than Messi. This is due to the fact that Ronaldo stands at 6'1" while Lionel Messi stands at 5'6 ½". Messi scored the memorable second goal against Manchester United, one of England's best teams, in the 2009 Champions league final with his head. But that was the exception to the rule. Most of "La Pulga Atomica’s" (The Atomic Flea) goals come from his left foot. Lionel Messi has become a lethal intruder in the goalkeeper's area. If someone were to tell you that they've seen him gently push in 40 goals with one-touch kicks inside the goalkeeper's area the past two years, they wouldn't be exaggerating. When the play needs collected finishing, Lionel is right there to lightly push it home every time. Lastly, a player's mentality can make them or break them. It influences so much that it changes the way a player acts. Messi's mentality, suprisingly, isn't the best around. When his under pressure, it seems like the weight of the world lies on his shoulders and slows him down. This happens often when he plays with his national team, Argentina. The fact that you'll sometimes find yourself asking — Where's Messi? — is proof enough. His performance in the World Cup will never reveal his true potential. Cristiano wants to win. Badly. He wants to score and shine

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