If there ever a moment for the Messi vs. Ronaldo rivalry to reach its apex, Sunday night would have been it. For Lionel Messi it was the second game of the week while Cristiano Ronaldo was hoping to have a big impact in the Clasico to help Real Madrid move forward.
With their competition as tight as it has ever been, Cristiano Ronaldo and rival Lionel Messi sought out new ways to top one another and help their respective teams in a parallel title race in the Spanish League.
For the second straight week, Messi got two chances to top his rival and this time he did so, emphatically. He had a solid Copa del Rey game against Villarreal in which he added an assist to his totals, but it was on the weekend against Rayo Vallecano where Messi really did his damage.
Lionel Messi's big star to 2015 came to a halt last week when he went scoreless. In the meantime his rival Cristiano Ronaldo broke out of a major slump with two strong performances for Los Blancos. This week it was Lionel Messi's turn to get two games in the week while Ronaldo would have to wait until Sunday to make his mark. Which player would shine brighter?
Lionel Messi entered this past week on fire. He had left Cristiano Ronaldo in the dust in all competitions and was on his way to running away with his first Ballon d'Or in two years. But would he continue his hot streak? And would Cristiano Ronaldo continue to slump as badly as he has in 2015?
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has been the leading La Liga goal scorer this entire season. He was on pace to smash Lionel Messi's single season scoring record, but has fallen off lately. Latin Post breaks down the superstar strikers stats and lets you vote on whether or not he will break the scoring record this season.
The rivarly returned this weekend when Cristiano Ronaldo's two-match ban was finally lifted and he was allowed to compete for his club against its crosstown rivals. Meanwhile Lionel Messi and Barcelona looked to continue their hot play at Athletic Bilbao.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi looked to continue their rivalry this weekend as each got at least one game to show off their prowess. But as has been the trend, one player continued to decline and the other continued his ascension.
After a woeful start to 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi sought out new means to get back on track. Over the last two weeks the two players have gotten opportunities to pad their numbers in the Spanish League and Copa del Rey.
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manuel Neuer. In just a few days time, their fates as Ballon d'Or candidates will be determined. And then in 365 days, the world will be looking at another three candidates, possibly two of the same trio vying for that same award. Of course many have wondered whether decline is imminent for both superstars due to injury woes, overuse and in the case of Messi, a declining team. So the big question is: Will Ronaldo and Messi still be favorites to lift the Ballon d'Or in 2016?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi looked to get their respective 2015 campaigns off to a great start. Ronaldo finished the year with a bit of a slump as he struggled to score in the FIFA Club World Cup. Meanwhile his great rival had been finding new ways to consistently score for Barcelona. Heading into this week, Ronaldo had an 8-5 lead on his rival. Would he add to the lead? Or see Messi creep ever closer?
One more time and this time with some feeling. All year round, the world monitors the performances of the two best players in the entire world. Lionel Messi's rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo probably spurs more arguments than any other topic in the world with two rather decisive camps. But when all is said and done, the numbers and results do not lie. One player and one player only had the better year in the 2014.
When was the last time Lionel Messi was not in the running for the Ballon d’Or as a finalist? That would be 2007 when he finished third behind Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo for the award. This year he is up for his fifth, and while some believe that Ronaldo has the award locked up and ready to go, it is possible that the Argentine superstar, possibly the greatest to ever lace up cleats, could win the personal award.
Remember a week ago when Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi played the "Anything you can do, I can do better" game? Ronaldo scored a hat trick to break the record of recording 200 goals in Spain faster than any other player, before Messi responded with a tremendous hat trick of his own.
The Ballon d'Or is no longer at stake at this point, but the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo competition reached even greater heights this past weekend as both players continued to showcase their talents in the battle to be the best. So what did the latest batch of games bring for the superstars?
On Monday, FIFA finally announced the three finalists for the 2014 Ballon d'Or which will be handed out in January. Voting has already closed, so the winner has already been determined. But will Cristiano Ronaldo beat out Lionel Messi? Or will Manuel Neuer pull away with the trophy?
It was another terrific week for both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their inclusion among the finalists in this year's additions of the Ballon d'Or. But which one came out on top?
