Have you ever thought to yourself, “Who is better, Messi or Ronaldo?” On a hot Qatar night, Messi proved himself in the biggest crowd a soccer game has ever seen. Argentina vs France in the World Cup final. He scored two goals and won the game for Argentina and proved he was the best soccer player the world has ever seen. That is, unless you think it’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi was born in 1987 on a stormy night in Rosario, Argentina. The young soccer prodigy was diagnosed with a growth hormone disorder at age 11. If you think that would have stopped him from being one of the best soccer players in the world, you’re wrong. Messi has gone through challenges. His family did not have enough money to pay for the needed treatment, but at age 12, Barcelona recognized his talent and paid for it. At seven years old he played for a town team, which he did six years. During that time, he played 176 games and scored 234 goals.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Cristiano Ronaldo was born, in Portugal, in 1985. Everybody knew he would be a world-wide great soccer player. One challenge Ronaldo faced was that his dad was an alcoholic and would do odd jobs. Cristiano was not that good in school. He struggled with his education and with behavior. One time he threw a chair at his teacher. However, he was very hard-working and practiced soccer whenever he could. He finally entered the big leagues.
Finally on 5/23 2008 20-year-old Messi and Barcelona took on 23-year-old Ronaldo and Manchester United in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The game was a draw, 0-0. I think Messi is better than Ronaldo because of how good he was at a young age and the facts that he went through challenges, overcame them and went on to play his game. He is a role model to young kids who may have a growth disorder. He is an all- time great who will be known worldwide forever. Cristiano Ronaldo is also a very good soccer player, but I don’t think he compares to Lionel Messi.
