In a recent interview, Uruguay captain Diego Lugano insisted that Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is a better player than Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. I'm sure many Reds fans - in their infinite bias - will agree with that, but is it true? Manchester United mercenary Wayne Rooney doesn't think so.
Speaking to El Comerico in September, Lugano raved:
"Surely, after Messi, we have the best striker in the world"
In a fan Q&A this week, £35m-rated Rooney was asked who he believes is currently the best player in the world, and he said:
"Cristiano Ronaldo and probably Luis Suarez a close second."
With 31 league goals apiece this season, Suarez and Ronaldo are joint top of the European Golden Shoe rankings, but overall, Ronaldo has an incredible 53 goals for Real Madrid, which is 22 more than Suarez for the season.
Ronaldo is a machine. He smashes in 50+ goals a season, and right now, it's probably fair to say he's slightly ahead of Suarez, but the upcoming World Cup is a great opportunity for the Uruguayan to stake his claim as the World's best attacking player.
Author: Jaimie K
Speaking to El Comerico in September, Lugano raved:
"Surely, after Messi, we have the best striker in the world"
In a fan Q&A this week, £35m-rated Rooney was asked who he believes is currently the best player in the world, and he said:
"Cristiano Ronaldo and probably Luis Suarez a close second."
With 31 league goals apiece this season, Suarez and Ronaldo are joint top of the European Golden Shoe rankings, but overall, Ronaldo has an incredible 53 goals for Real Madrid, which is 22 more than Suarez for the season.
Ronaldo is a machine. He smashes in 50+ goals a season, and right now, it's probably fair to say he's slightly ahead of Suarez, but the upcoming World Cup is a great opportunity for the Uruguayan to stake his claim as the World's best attacking player.
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Author: Jaimie K
ronaldo has had more impact in big games this year.
ReplyDeleteRonaldo is superhuman, I'm afraid. Messi too (oh what a terrible season he has had- he's only scored about 40 goals and will win the title if Barca win their last 2 games).
ReplyDeleteSuarez, for the time being, remains the best of the humanoid players.
1 Ronaldo, 2 Bale 3 Messi.
ReplyDeletePah humbug - Luis every day of the week
ReplyDeleteSuarez is the best Race Horse Look-a-like
ReplyDeletemessi - best ever
ReplyDeletebale? ridiculous. Take away the pace from these players and Ibrahamovic is the best player in the world. Followed by Messi(no height at all but still brilliant) and then Ronaldo who had to work his socks off to be among the best. Suarez is 4th.
ReplyDeleteIbra is plying his trade in the easier of all those leagues and taking away someones attributes is a bit of if my auntie had boll0cks. If Ibra was shorter or not as stong etc who is better. technically Ronaldo is just as good if not better.
ReplyDeleteAgree on Bale though not sure he might make top ten but I am not certain.
Suarez has a better scoring record (per game) in the EPL compared to Ronaldo. Suarez scores a goal every 1.58 games in the EPL. Ronaldo scored a goal every 2.33 games.
ReplyDeleteYou've got to remember, Ronaldo also takes penalties for Madrid. So you could say it's been easier for him to get to 31 goals. Despite that I still think he's the better player.
ReplyDeleteThis season, Suarez no doubt. Plays in a tougher league, on an inferior team (I didn't say club!), and still boasts better numbers than both of these guys, without taking penalties.
ReplyDeleteBefore this season, Sure, Messi, then Ronaldo have been better, and Both are 2 of the greatest of all time. Ibra also gets special mention. But if we're talking about this moment in time, who is the best (not was the best) it's Suarez. And as far as the World Cup goes, Suarez has outscored both of them combined in his first World Cup, not too shabby.
I think it is too easy to say that Ibra is plying his trade in an easy league, because he has won 10 of the last 11 league titles he has competed for. I also think that in pure technique, he is better than Ronaldo.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that the 'take away his pace' is bananas though.
I'm not trying to have a go @gaz, but you can't really just leave that opinion dangling there if you want any of us to take it seriously.
ReplyDeleteTo say Gareth Bale is better than Messi is one of the craziest footballing opinions I've heard in a while. He could be eventually but right now? (I also don't think that'll happen) No way.
Messi, in what has been his worst season in about 5 years, has scored twice as many league goals as Bale and got only 2 less assists (10 to Bale's 12).
In fact, there are 10 players in La Liga who have scored more than Bale and 3 players with more assists.
I still think fitness is the only thing that prevents the following from being true:
ReplyDeleteMessi > Everyone else.
Not easy but easier. Or less competitive if you like. He is a class player no doubt but for me he only comes in at fourth.
ReplyDeleteFair enough.
ReplyDeleteBut can he do it at Stoke?
ReplyDelete1. Ronaldo 2. Messi 3. Suarez
ReplyDeleteRonaldo over Messi because he has proved himself in different leagues, he is more versatile can play in wings, center forward. Has better fitness than almost any other player in world. Let messi prove himself in a different league without the likes of xavi inesta, i would be happy to accept he's the best.
As a complete player it has to be bale, he can play everywhere except goalie & centre back, he dosnt have more goals or assists due to game time if you compare the % of games played to assists he comes out on top, in any case its not just about goals & assists its the complete package that makes the better player eg ground covered ,speed, work off the ball, tackles & consistency , you never see messi doing much in his own half.
ReplyDeletehahaha your very limited in your views & blinkered. I cant be bothered to explain further to someone who cant see in more depth than the hype. I suggest you read my comments to Vermhat below at least he put a respectful comment forward.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fair argument, but I still think Messi is better. By playing in the Champions League he has proven he can cope with different footballing cultures and still perform, just not to the same extent Ronaldo did by playing in England for years.
ReplyDeleteI think this season Ronaldo is out on his own for best player.
ReplyDeleteBale can't play anywhere. The fact he plays further forward is because he was unable to defend at Spurs. Remember the 24 games without a win?
ReplyDeleteI think Bale is less versatile than Messi. I don't think either can play any position with real defensive responsibilities. Bale is better at sticking a foot in, but you wouldn't trust either one of them in their own half. Messi is a better passer of the ball and has better vision than Bale. Bale is a better crosser though. Bale and Messi can both both play in any of the 3 positions behind the striker, but Bale can't play up front as well as Messi, nor can he come deep and control play in the way Messi does. Bale can make stuff happen in that position, but he isn't one to intelligently keep things ticking over or see a special pass. Messi is a far more intelligent player than Bale. His movement is much better. If both players lost their pace, both would lose a key element of their game but Messi would cope better.
As for consistency, Bale can't compete with Messi. Messi has scored at least 40 goals in all competitions in the past 6 seasons (including this one). Bale hasn't done that once in his career.
Messi has won several titles, European and domestic, whereas Bale hasn't proven he can do that yet. He hasn't really had the chance, granted, but it is still true that Messi has shown the consistency that wins trophies and Bale hasn't. Futhermore, Messi was the key component to his side's success whereas Bale is, at best, the 2nd most important player at Madrid. You could make an argument for any of Modric, Benzema, Di Maria or Alonso being more important to Madrid (though I'm not willing to do so myself).
Bale hasn't shown himself to be the equal of Messi in the big games either. Messi has scored a hat-trick in el Clasico and scored in a European Cup final to name just a couple of his achievements. While Bale hasn't had the chance to play in a European Cup final until now, Messi has been brilliant in this biggest games for years.
As for ground covered, Ronaldo doesn't cover as much ground as Suarez, but that doesn't change the fact Ronaldo is better than Suarez. Just depends on your system. Messi works plenty hard when he is fit- just because he isn't throwing in many slider tackles doesn't mean he isn't committing himself.
I think Bale is a better crosser, a better header, has more raw pace and tackles better (which I don't think matters in an argument between 2 players which play in a front 3) but Messi is a better finisher, has better movement, is generally smarter, is a better dribbler, is more resilient, a better passer, has better technique and has proven himself consistently in the big games.
I still disagree with you, but at least you've made your argument clear. Fair enough!
I disagree with you, but you do put up a strong & fair respectful argument. At the end of the day they are both great players & were both entitled to our opinion.
ReplyDeleteThe main point is theyre both better than suarez.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Bale is better than Suarez. That is a closer argument than the Messi/Bale one but I still think Suarezis better than Bale.
ReplyDeleteRonaldo and Messi are firmly ahead of Suarez still, for the time being.
Yup.
ReplyDeleteBased on Ronaldo's goal scoring prowess over many seasons, you have to say he's the better of the two. Some say that it's easier to score bucket-loads of goals in La Liga, but he did the same in the Premier League. One thing worth remembering though (and I don't think it's mentioned enough), is Suarez doesn't take penalties.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm correct, Liverpool had 13 penalties this season (scored 11). If he took them, and scored from 10, he'd have broken the 40 goal barrier this season, something that will very likely never happen in the Premier league.
Next season, no ban, better service, 40 goals might well happen - could have happened this year with pens as you say, also worth noting he hit the post like 8 times.
ReplyDeleteSunday he'll break Ronaldo's and Shearer's 38 game record.
It is unfair to discuss the total season goals since Suarez did not play CL, only 3 fa cup and 1 lc. We should only be comparing league goals which is 31 a piece as of today. btw Suarez scored 49 goals in his last season for ajax where he was playing CL
ReplyDeleteRonaldo all day long - the complete and consistent footballer :)
ReplyDeleteShouldn't the real question be whether Suarez and Ronaldo will be team mates next year?
ReplyDelete