Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been compared for years and yet there is no conclusive evidence that picks either player as the clear winner.
Both players have been integral for their clubs and countries. They have a similar number of individual accolades as well.
Their goalscoring numbers at Barcelona and Real Madrid are quite identical as well.
However, a supercomputer has now chosen Lionel Messi as the clear cut winner.
As per the criterias and metrics from professors at KU Leuven university and data experts at SciSports, Messi contributes to more phases of the game whereas Ronaldo is more of a goalscorer.
Real Madrid star Eden Hazard has been judged on those metrics as well and his score seems quite similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo as well.
This is because Hazard’s game is judged on his contribution to various areas of the game.
Hazard is an excellent dribbler and creator just like Lionel Messi. However, the Argentine is far superior as a goalscorer and a passer. His vision is unparalleled as well.
While the Ronaldo fans might not be too pleased with the results, the comparison outcome certainly makes sense.
Tom Decroos, a PhD student claims: “In the first seasons, Messi and Ronaldo’s scores are very close to each other. From the 2015/16 season, Messi has stepped away from his eternal rival. We see a trade-off with most football players: either they make a lot of actions with a less high value – that’s the case with Paul Pogba, for example. Or you have players who are less likely to hit the ball, but who have a big impact. That is typical of strikers like Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah and Ronaldo. Messi is exceptional in this area: the Argentinian has a very high number of actions and they also have a high value.”
Lotte Bransen of SciSports explained: “Ronaldo is a classic scorer. His value is mainly determined by his good shots. Hazard is more involved in the game. His value is more spread over passes, dribbles and shots.”
