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Rather than focusing too much on who was better between Messi and CR7, the right and healthy approach is to simply enjoy these kinds of players, because they do not come along often. Cristiano Ronaldo has been an extraordinary footballer, one of the greatest of all time, and like all the greats he had a single obsession: to win everything and to be the best. Anyone who claims that CR7 was only about work ethic and training has clearly forgotten the Manchester United version of him, a dazzling winger of the highest level, blessed with remarkable technique, creativity, and dribbling ability. What truly set him apart, however, was his relentless dedication to improving himself, both mentally and physically, reaching levels almost never seen on a football pitch. An elite athlete, perhaps one of the greatest ever, this mental evolution also transformed his playing style: from a winger with almost South American flair, full of tricks and at times spectacular yet inefficient plays, he evolved into a wide forward and eventually a striker of rare efficiency and ruthlessness in front of goal, almost a completely different player from the one seen in England. Alongside a top-level technical arsenal, powerful shooting, timing, and heading ability, what stands out most is his movement off the ball, his decision-making, his efficiency, and his composure in front of goal. CR7 was the perfect machine within one of the greatest Real Madrid sides ever, and he also had the courage to test himself in Italy with Juventus. Compared to Messi, the Portuguese is less dominant in terms of vision and certainly less altruistic; perhaps the only fair criticism is that he has often appeared more driven by individual glory than by the collective, whereas the Argentine, over time, underwent the opposite evolution, becoming more of a team player and less of a soloist. CR7 has won everything: league titles, Champions Leagues, countless trophies, Ballon d’Or awards, and even a hard-earned and well-deserved European Championship with Portugal.
