The debate around who is the best in their generation has been going on for a long time. Now that their international careers have ended, Messi and Ronaldo are widely regarded as the best players of the last two decades, and both have dominated the game in every aspect. Both players have contributed to their teams’ success, and they have won every trophy in club football. Messi has won more Ballon d’Or awards than Ronaldo, but Ronaldo has been close behind in personal accolades.
A lot of people have argued that Messi is better than Ronaldo, and usually, these debates come from the quiet side of Messi, where he does not say anything, and he does his talking on the pitch. Ronaldo, by contrast, is very vocal and will make his opinions known, especially when he is unhappy; he will go to Piers Morgan and bring a club into the dispute.
Ronaldo has not had a farewell match with any club that he has played for. He left Real Madrid over contract issues; he left Juventus in a similar fashion, and in his second spell at United, he brought the club into disrepute. Similarly, with the Portugal national team, he has ended his playing career whilst not on good terms with the head coach.
Notably, the Portuguese men’s national team didn’t perform well in the 2026 FIFA World Cup because the team had to play to his strengths, and it felt like the ‘Ronaldo formation’. He wanted to be the main player, but he had lost his pace and could not run behind.
From what we have seen in the media, Messi seems like a respectable player, where his national teammates wait for him to walk out for their warm-up before games, or is it the Argentine culture where they respect their leaders?
Either way, Messi came across as a person who will not go against the leadership of a hierarchy. He cried when he left Barcelona, and even though they didn’t pay his compensation, he didn’t go to the media and let out his frustrations. It seems football fans respect Messi because of his character and personality.
In terms of accolades, football ability, and skill set, both players are on a level playing field. What separates these players is the off-the-pitch activities; some will say Messi, others will say, “Let’s focus on football and goals,” and others will say Ronaldo. Either way, we will never know who is the best footballer in this generation.