The "Messi: the best player in the world. Is it even up for discussion?" thread

Pele wishes that was Neymar up there, but whatever...

Ronaldo and Messi in the 2011-2012 Season

72 goals Messi
59 goals Ronaldo

Is Messi getting more chances because of the team he is in?
Ronaldo has 255 shots (99 on goal) in La Liga
Messi has 195 shots (99 on goal) in La Liga

Is Messi getting easier goals as a product of the team he is in?
12/59 Ronaldo goals considered tap-ins (20.3%)
8/72 Messi goals considered tap-ins (11.1%)

14/59 Ronaldo goals from penalty kicks (23.7%)
14/72 Messi goals from penalty kicks (19.4%)

Is Messi being selfish with the ball to create more goals for himself?
28 assists by Messi out of 121 shots created (latter stat as of May 2nd).
16 assists by Ronaldo out of 81 shots created (latter stat of May 2nd).

Is Ronaldo involved more in the midfield, passing the ball?
1932/2239 passes completed by Messi (86.3%) as of May 1st.
1123/1438 passes completed by Ronaldo (78.1%) as of May 1st.

Is it perhaps that Ronaldo creates more danger with his skills and dribbling?
Messi 213 dribbles completed.
Ronaldo 94 dribbles completed.

Ok maybe not. Here are the things Ronaldo does better than Messi, but not enough to be statistically significant.

Penalty Kick Efficiency
14/16 PKs scored by Ronaldo (87.5%)
14/17 PKs scored by Messi (82.4%)

Free Kicks
4 FKs scored by Ronaldo (not sure out of how many attempts).
3 FKs scored by Messi (not sure out of how many attempts).

Wait! There is one thing Ronaldo does better than Messi, significantly.

Headers
5 headers scored by Ronaldo
2 headers scored by Messi

I was going to go with Messi being the best player this season, but after seeing the statistics for headers I have to say that Ronaldo is better and a more complete player than Messi.

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What's considered a tap-in goal?
The player received a pass from a teammate in front of goal to "tap it in" with any body part.
The player did not have to steal the ball from an opponent or recover it.
The shot did not need too much power or accuracy to beat the goalkeeper.
The player did not participate in the immediate build up.
The player did not have to beat any other players to score or beat the keeper in a one-on-one.

Messi Tap-ins
#6 Villareal
#7 Osasuna
#8 Osasuna
#18 Mallorca
#32 Real Betis
#38 Bayer Leverkusen
#49 Racing Santander
#64 Rayo Vallecone

Ronaldo Tap-ins
#1 Barcelona
#3 Zaragoza
#4 Zaragoza
#9 Ajax
#10 Malaga
#31 Zaragoza
#33 Levante
#35 Racing Santander
#39 Betis
#42 CSKA Moscow
#45 Real Sociedad
#48 APOEL

Questionable Tap-ins (not counted)
Messi
#19 Mallorca
#40 Valencia

Ronaldo
#2 Zaragoza
#12 Malaga
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Sources
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/squad/_/id/83/league/esp.1/barcelona?cc=5901
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/ed...-v-cristiano-ronaldo-head-to-head-real-madrid
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-is-better-than-cristiano-ronaldo-this-season
Messi

http://www.ronaldo7.net/video/goals-2011-2012/goals-2011-2012.html

It's easy to get carried away with statistics, but those stats support the overwhelming world-wide opinion that Messi is easily the best in the world now. In fact, only on BigSoccer is this even debated (and even here only certain sub-groups of people dispute Messi being #1 - yes, the usual suspects).

sorry crynaldo fans

It doesnt matter who's the best cause Messi is better than the best

At only 24.........

Records

• Most goals scored in a season in all competitions: 73 goals
• Most goals scored in a single league season: 50 goals
• Most goals scored in a single UEFA Champions League season: 14 goals
• Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8 hat-tricks
• Most UEFA Champions League hat-tricks: 3 hat-tricks
• Only player to score 2 hat-trick in a Champions League season
• Highest scorer in a single UEFA Champions League game: 5 goals
• Most UEFA Champions League top scorer award: 4 awards
• The only player to receive the UEFA Champions League top scorer award 4 years in a row
• Most La Liga home goals in a season: 35 goals
• Most consecutive league matches scored in: 10 matches
• Youngest player to score 150 league goals: 24 years and 270 days
• Most goals scored in the Supercopa de España: 8 goals
• Most goals scored in FIFA Club World Cup: 4 goals
• Fastest Barcelona hat-trick: completed in 17th minutes
• Barcelona Record Goalscorer: 253 goals
• Barcelona Record Goalscorer in UEFA Champions League: 51 goals
• Barcelona Record Goalscorer in European Competitions: 52 goals
• Barcelona Record Goalscorer in international Competitions: 56 goals

... and a partridge in a pear tree.

fun fact for those who think Messi isnt complete enough as a player.

CL 2009 final = header goal
CL 2011 final = Left foot goal
Club world club 2009 final = chest goal
Copa del rey final 2012 = right foot goal

That's not the first time

Can´t we just give Leo the BallondD'or already

Poor Marcelo, no matter what color shirt he's wearing it's the same story: Leo skinned him alive and was off to golazo-land.

I love how Xavi keep posting Argentina's match on his FB stats . I know Messi support Spain after Argentina lost in 2010 and certainly his fav team in this Euro

Ends up with him raging because he lost and going to the showers with a red. Same ol' Marcelo.

This doesn't get old, the biggest Ronaldo miss against Denmark. Too bad Varela bailed out Portugal. Someone needs to make a gif:

^^^ there's another fail before that when he's also one on one with the GK

This one touches on the sour economies which really are rotting in many European nations (Spain included in a major way), but on a lighter note CRonaldo is still chasing Messi: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/socce...suite-portugal-team-hotel-163208780--sow.html

Messi celebrates 25th birthday in Miami

finally he's old player

oh wait...

More stats, as if you needed them:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-is-better-than-cristiano-ronaldo-this-season

I'm guessing Messi, C.Ronaldo and Casillas will be the shortlist of three attending the FIFA Gala.
Leo the winner, of course.