Ronaldo can get one over on Messi, be regarded among the greats
It seems every time that Cristiano Ronaldo plays a soccer game, it represents an opportunity. To make a point. Or to confirm one, perhaps. But no point he could ever make would resonate louder than the one on offer this summer.
It is the broad consensus that for the last 18 months Ronaldo has been the best soccer player in the world. That means, by logical deduction, that Lionel Messi is not. The Argentinian has been hampered by injuries and the decay of Barcelona’s dynasty over the last season and a half. Ronaldo, meanwhile, has continued to soar and is fresh off leading Real Madrid to its first Champions League title in a dozen years.
But Ronaldo is forever having to defend himself. The things he does never seem to count for quite so much as Messi’s. Whereas the little dribbler, the master of the small space and the unfussy finish is considered otherworldly, Ronaldo and his rampaging runs and big swooping shots are merely superhuman. The chorus of those who prefer Messi always seems to be singing one octave higher and one decibel louder.
Sure, Ronaldo won his second Champions League. But don’t you know Messi has won it three times already? And that he’s two years younger? So say those to whom Ronaldo will always be the crass, shirt-stripping and muscle-flexing, bikini model-dating antihero to the inherently pure and humble Messi.
This summer, Ronaldo gets the chance to do something Messi never has. Neither man has won the World Cup. Both men will get a third crack at it in Brazil. But here’s the wrinkle: whereas Ronaldo thrives for his national team, playing as well as on the club scene, Messi withers. When the team doesn’t revolve entirely around him, the way it does at Barca, he isn’t quite so effective, or quite so alien.
Ronaldo fits into the system – which looks a lot like Real’s but is even more centered around counter-attacking – even though he sees less of the ball. He dragged Portugal into this World Cup with a virtuoso performance in the playoffs against Sweden, scoring all four goals in the 4-2 aggregate victory.
And now lies before him the chance to finally win something with Portugal, as he nearly did at Euro 2004 in his home country, when they lost the final to Greece, reducing the 19-year-old Ronaldo to tears. Or after they reached the semifinals at the 2006 World Cup.
Portugal are a more complete side than Argentina, who boast immense attacking powers but are pedestrian in midfield and a liability in defense. Portugal’s back line of Joao Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe and Fabio Coentrao will be among the best in the tournament. The midfield of Miguel Veloso, Joao Moutinho and Raul Meireles has perfected the art of dispatching Ronaldo and his fellow winger Nani on the break. Helder Postiga or Hugo Almeida should do the trick up front.
But the window is closing. Ronaldo is 29 and probably won’t be at the peak of his powers anymore in another four years. Of the aforementioned men, all but three are in their 30s. And the draw was unfriendly. Portugal will have to best two of their group opponents: Germany – ranked second in the world; one spot above the Portuguese – Ghana and the United States. And they’ll play the Americans in Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon, a total wild card of a game.
This has been Ronaldo’s year, just as the last year was. If he can finally get one over Messi and win a World Cup, or at least do considerably better, it will assure that he’ll be remembered among the greatest players of all time – where he belongs.
