There’s no doubt that both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the best players of this generation, maybe the best of all time. They’ve split five Ballon d’Or awards each over the past decade, as the eternal debate of who’s better rambles on.
Carlos Tevez, who shared one pitch with Ronaldo at club level and played with Messi on the international stage, noticed one key difference between the two.
“Lionel Messi, I never saw him in the gym. I’ve never seen him train to stop the ball or those exercises.
“It is all natural to him but on penalties, he trained: first he did not take them and now he shoots them all at the corner.”
Ballon D’Or Odds
“Cristiano always stopped in the gym after training: for him, it is an obsession and being the best in everything, he always arrived at work early.”
“When the training was set for nine in the morning I arrived at eight and he was already there.
“Even if I arrived at 7:30 he was already there.
“I began to ask myself, ‘How can I get rid of this guy?’ So one day I arrived at six but he was already there! Sleepy, but he was there.”
Ronaldo/Messi – Nadal/Federer comparison
Carlos Tevez simply summed up what we already knew. Ronaldo made himself into what he is today, whereas Messi was born with the gift of football. It’s similar to tennis greats Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Rafa too was trained into becoming a successful tennis player. Hours and hours of rigorous practice sessions taught him how to be a lefty, how to spin the ball like no one else can and be the fastest, most durable player on tour.
Meanwhile, for Federer, it all comes naturally. Training is not something he requires, it’s something he uses to improve certain aspects of his game and keep pace with the youngsters. At the beginning of his career, he struggled with the psychological side of the sport, but once he got all that sorted out, Federer immediately became a household name. The similarity between those two and the two football phenomenon’s is uncanny.
Ronaldo – Messi comparison
Cristiano Ronaldo’s collection of trophies includes a Champions League title, plus two Premier League titles with Manchester United and four Champions League titles, plus three La Liga titles with Real Madrid, where he is also the all-time record goalscorer. The 33-year-old is hoping to extend that list with more accolades at his fourth club Juventus.
Messi’s trophy case has four Champions League titles, nine domestic league titles, plus he’s the all-time leading goalscorer for Barcelona as well. The 31-year-old has never left the confines of the club which took him in while he was still a kid and helped him turn into the magician he is today.
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What is Carlos Tevez up to these days?
You might not have realized it, but Carlos Tevez is only a year older than Cristiano Ronaldo, although he’s a far cry from the player he was at his peak. The Argentinian currently plies his trade in Boca Juniors, the club where it all began.