Published 16:19 IST, February 5th 2021
Cristiano Ronaldo birthday: Viral tweet shows top difference when Messi & him don't score
Cristiano Ronaldo birthday: A fan attempts to portray the difference between Lionel Messi and Ronaldo when both the players do not score in a game.
Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his birthday on Friday, February 5, 2021, alongside Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ace Neymar Jr. Despite the Portuguese international past his prime, the comparison between him and Barcelona icon Lionel Messi has never failed to stop doing the rounds, having enjoyed a healthy rivalry to fight for every accolade for more than a decade.
Cristiano Ronaldo birthday: How old is Cristiano Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his 36th birthday while Messi's birthday is on June 24. The Portuguese international has shown no signs of a slowdown despite being past his prime. Most recently, he struck twice against Inter Milan to put his side in the front in the first leg. This season, he has racked up 15 goals along with two assists in 16 games in the Italian top flight.
With the brace against Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has overtaken Czech legend Josef Bican's all-time goal record. Bican had netted 759 goals throughout his decorated career. The former Real Madrid superstar now has 763 goals and he appears to be going strong with every game.
Fan puts up Ronaldo vs Messi thread on Twitter
Lionel Messi assisted twice against Granada in the quarter-final. And a fan has now curated a tweet comparing the game when Messi doesn't score, with the time when Ronaldo doesn't. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has a wider impact on the field as he has the ability to drop deeper in the midfield and dons the role of a play maker.
The Argentina international's key passes and dribbling stats are over and above Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar is more suited and lethal in the penalty box than away from it. Messi managed 100 more touches against Ronaldo when comparing the two games.
Ronaldo vs Messi this season
Ronaldo and Messi have competed at the top for more than a decade. This season, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has netted 22 times in 23 games across all competitions, while also bagging three assists to his credit. On the other hand, Messi has 16 goals in 25 games apart from seven assists to his credit.
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Image courtesy: Leo Messi Instagram, Cristiano Ronaldo Twitter
Updated 16:19 IST, February 5th 2021