Messi or Ronaldo - Who's best

[gawa316]

Why do footballers not live out their dreams? Why wouldn't Messi look at it and say I want to play for Utd or Liverpool or Accrington Stanley even for 100k a week and a cut of whatever merchandise I sell, I've already more money and more trophies/awards than I can shake a stick at...

Instead it's the obvious dull soulless move to PSG, nobody ever dreamt of playing for them....

Obviously Ronaldo would/will do the same in case anyone thinks it's a pop at Messi...

Agreed...deep down I was holding a little candle that Messi was thinking about the 4-0 drubbing at Anfield and thinking, 'ye know what, I want a bit of that'...Andy Robbo probably scared him off though

[Captain Scarlet]

Yeah I think Barca have to get wages down to 70%, so even if Messi played for free they still couldn't sign him up.
They are some mess and the wages they are shelling out for lads who they don't even want is nuts!
BUT, at the same time he did still take 555m over the last contract and he had them over a barrell. They could have just said no and he would have made the move then...

It's just so boring him going to PSG, I'd love if he went to the Premiership. If he is taking a pay cut even the likes of Liverpool, United or Chelsea would be more fun destinations.

It's mad to say who is better overall but I do think he gets an easier ride in terms of his image. Like he was a tax cheat and is as greedy and money-grabbing as any of them.
Like Messi is an awesome player but he is hard to warm to.

If he Messi deliver the Champions League it will be a massive failure.

[nrico2006]

Who made up the 'you have to do it, it more than one league' nonsense?

Probably the same roots who made up the won that to be the best player ever you have to have won a world cup.

As for the French League versus the Italian, as mentioned, the Italian League is no stronger than the French and I don't see it as all down to money that Messi is going to PSG as they will have a far better chance of winning the CL than Barcelona would have.

[gallsman]

Yes Messi was paid absurdly, but the fault is the club's, not his. They could have paid him and afforded him without f**king money up against the wall for the likes of Dembélé, Coutinho, Griezmann etc and paying absolutely everybody through the roof.

No, he couldn't have just played for free, for two reasons. Spanish law limits how much a new contract can be reduced by compared to the previous one and it wouldn't have got them within an ass's roar of the league requirements.

The "why couldn't be play for free" brigade really are taking the piss. What does Messi owe the club? He's more than paid back every investment and they've failed him, and the fans, abysmally since 2015. They have dug themselves into this preposterous mess, so why on earth should he throw money at an absolute black hole? They've now also absolutely fucked the fact that they have one of the best crops of young players in Europe again, all of whom could have played with and learned from him for years. Pedri, Ansu Fati, Ilaix, Araujo and Dest are up there with some of the best young players in the world in their position

Somewhat grotesquely, the best thing for all involved is that he leaves now, even if it doesn't (and it won't) fix all the financial issues and will leave them a mess on the pitch. He's the clear front runner for the Balon d'Or again, and the Copa America probably wrapped it up. Going to PSG is disappointing, as I don't think winning a CL with that squad would add anything to his CV, but realistically it was City or PSG, and I don't think City would have been any better.

All in all, a disgraceful situation and a genuinely shocking end to one of the greatest chapters in sporting history. It really shouldn't have been like this, but the fact that it is is down to years and years of mismanagement from successive Barca boards, not Messi.

[toby47]

Messi 7 -5 up in Ballon D'ors.

It's madness they have won 12 between them. Two phenomenon's.

[rodney trotter]

The first year since 2010 Ronaldo didn't finish in the top 3 players. It's some consistency by the 2 players,Messi 2 years younger then Ronaldo he might win another.

[RedHand88]

Is this based on last season or the year 2021?

[Armagh18]

Is this based on last season or the year 2021?

The calendar year. Lewandowski was robbed for 2020 since they cancelled it.

[nrico2006]

Lewandowski should have got it this year too probably, the only reason Messi got it was due to the Copa America.

[RedHand88]

Is this based on last season or the year 2021?

The calendar year. Lewandowski was robbed for 2020 since they cancelled it.

Then it's ridiculous. Messi has been average for the second half of the year. 1 league goal in 16 league games! But he sells shirts so that's the main thing.

Salah deserves better than 7th.

[Milltown Row2]

Is this based on last season or the year 2021?

The calendar year. Lewandowski was robbed for 2020 since they cancelled it.

Then it's ridiculous. Messi has been average for the second half of the year. 1 league goal in 16 league games! But he sells shirts so that's the main thing.

Salah deserves better than 7th.

So how is the voting done? Salah is in the 3 if not higher

[Mike Tyson]

Is this based on last season or the year 2021?

The calendar year. Lewandowski was robbed for 2020 since they cancelled it.

Then it's ridiculous. Messi has been average for the second half of the year. 1 league goal in 16 league games! But he sells shirts so that's the main thing.

Salah deserves better than 7th.

So how is the voting done? Salah is in the 3 if not higher

Journalists vote on it I think. Seems to be a similar scenario for when Giggs won POTY - more recognition of him finally winning a trophy for Argentina as opposed to being the best player in the world in 2021.

[Armagh18]

Salah been the best player in the world since the new season started for sure and should have been higher. Was Messi even that great at Copa? Messi's last 2 have been very iffy, Van Dijk or one of the Liverpool lads should have got it in 2019 for sure.

[nrico2006]

Salah been the best player in the world since the new season started for sure and should have been higher. Was Messi even that great at Copa? Messi's last 2 have been very iffy, Van Dijk or one of the Liverpool lads should have got it in 2019 for sure.

Both Haaland and Lewandowski have been as good as Salah since the season started.  Haaland and Salah should have been up higher in the rankings.

[yellowcard]

Is this based on last season or the year 2021?

The calendar year. Lewandowski was robbed for 2020 since they cancelled it.

Then it's ridiculous. Messi has been average for the second half of the year. 1 league goal in 16 league games! But he sells shirts so that's the main thing.

Salah deserves better than 7th.

So how is the voting done? Salah is in the 3 if not higher

Journalists vote on it I think. Seems to be a similar scenario for when Giggs won POTY - more recognition of him finally winning a trophy for Argentina as opposed to being the best player in the world in 2021.

I doubt very much if very many people outside of football nerds can definitively state who was the best player over 2021. In any case even if you watched every single match, the opinion is still subjective and depends on how you view football. However plenty seem to want to offer an opinion irrespective of how many games they have actually watched.

If you are basing it purely on goalscoring statistics without viewing the actual matches, then Lewandowski is the clear winner for the last calendar year but then you have to consider a whole range of factors such as his role in the team, level of opposition, contribution to team success, general influence on matches etc. Aesthetically Lewandowski is definitely not the most exciting player since he is simply an out and out finisher whereas Messi is an all round wizard and I imagine that is probably what has been the single biggest factor in him winning the award again together with the weight often placed on international tournaments.