Messi vs. Ronaldo: El Clasico

            When it comes to discussions of the best footballers in the world, throughout seasons and tournaments, there have been only two true contenders over the last five years at least: Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Both currently playing for Spain’s biggest clubs, it has been hard to determine a clear winner of the title, and both are unquestionably phenomenal players. With Messi holding four consecutive player-of-the year awards and Ronaldo winning the most recent, it has been a close race to say the least. During this season, however, there is one more factor that adds to the discussion.

            In Spain, the most career La Liga goals is 251 and the record is held by Telmo Zarra. After today’s game against Eibar for Barcelona, Messi sits at 250 La Liga goals, and is consistently expected at least one goal per game, and delivers almost all times. This would lead to the conclusion that Messi should easily surpass the record by his next game, and this is expected. However, this game is arguably the most important one of the season, and it seems like everything is happening at this game. First, it is El Clasico, the game where the two Spanish giants play each other: Barcelona and Real Madrid. Also, a big rival to Messi’s career, Christiano Ronaldo plays for this club, and the battle is always much anticipated. Another big talking point to this particular Clasico is the fact that this is the first game that Luis Suarez will be available for Barcelona after his ban, and many are waiting to see his impact for the team. All this seems to set the perfect stage for Messi to put away one more goal and reach the record set by Zarra. All of these aspects of the game should prove to be motivating for Messi and his team, and I wonder how it will play into how the team plays.

            As to the discussion of who reigns as the best player in the world, it has previously been argued that Ronaldo is the better all-around player while Messi only plays a specific role. While this may have been true at certain times, Messi has been developing a role for Barcelona rarely seen from him before, and he is scoring less individual goals while setting up teammates all over the place. Also, both players have their problems with fitness, as to be expected with top players who start every game for club and internationally. Recently, Ronaldo has struggled with leg issues that may not ever fully recover, and Messi has had no shortage with injuries throughout his career. All in all, both players are fantastic on the pitch and to watch, and they both deserve the praise of the best players in the world, but it is impossible to determine which is the best without displaying personal affection based on team preference.