To date, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are considered two of the best football players on the planet. This is due to the considerable number of accolades the two players have won with their respective teams and the skill sets they both have with the ball. Everything they both have achieved has been possible with their different playing styles and the physically extraordinary bodies they possess. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (Funchal, Madeira, 5 February 1985) reached the summit starting almost from scratch. He was born in Quinta do Falcao, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madeira. His father, Dinis Aveiro, supported the family by working as a cloakroom keeper for Andorinha, the neighborhood soccer team. That's where Cristiano began playing, and at 6 years old he left his neighbors speechless. Says no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayAfter a short spell at Sporting Lisbon, Cristiano Ronaldo became a world star at Manchester United. Ronaldo signed for the Spanish club Real Madrid C. F in 2009. In this club, he demonstrated all his abilities by winning numerous European championships and winning five Ballon d'Ors, which nowadays is the most prestigious award for a soccer player. Figure 1 shows Cristiano with his five Ballon d'Or trophies as he presented them to Real Madrid fans in their home stadium. On the other hand, Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini was born in Rosario, Argentina on June 24, 1987. He started playing football at the age of 5, when he joined a neighborhood club coached by his father. He moved to Newell's Old Boys in 1995, but was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at age 11. FC Barcelona's sporting director, Carles Rexach, realized his abilities and gave him an opportunity with the team, offering to pay his hospital bills as soon as he traveled to Spain. He moved to Barcelona with his father and joined the club's childhood foundation. Like his counterpart, Messi also won 5 Ballon d'Ors thanks to his outstanding performances with Football Club Barcelona, ​​the only difference is that he achieved this by winning the award in four impressive consecutive years (2009-2012) . Skill-wise, Ronaldo will take on any defender with incredible speed and mesmerizing dribbling that is very characteristic of him. His ability to beat a player and whip in crosses makes him a feared opponent. The way he takes free kicks, his pace and his power on the pitch are a tremendous asset for his team. On the other hand, Messi's ball skills are second to none, his runs from midfield are usually lethal and he is almost impossible to tackle when he gets his head down. His parity when running at top speed is extraordinary. Furthermore, his ability to score goals is amazing. Messi's skill is such that the ball can appear to stick to his feet as he comes out of difficult situations and discovers partners when he appears to be surrounded. Messi, like Ronaldo, can use the backheel for flick effect and also has a tendency to spin the ball over a defender and collect it at the other end. Figure 2 shows how Messi dribbles some defenders and how difficult it is for them to stop him, that's why the opposing team usually uses at least 3 players to stop him. Ronaldo is more of a showman than Messi and can leave you speechless with his variety of passes and gestures. Sometimes, when progress doesn't get him anywhere, he chooses style over substance. He is honored with enormous abilities.