Cristiano Ronaldo – The G.O.A.T.

There’s been a debate raging for years about who is the G.O.A.T.? Is it Lionel Messi? Or is it Cristiano Ronaldo? Well, after the latter’s remarkable performance against Spurs at the weekend, it’s fair to say that many are very much now in the Ronaldo camp, and for good reason.

The league fixture before Spurs visited Old Trafford was marred by controversy and ended in a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City at the Etihad. The controversy very much surrounded Ronaldo, who was absent from the squad, after travelling to Portugal. Reports suggested this happened because United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick wasn’t going to start the thirty-seven-year-old.

Let’s face it, while many have suggested that Ronaldo doesn’t fit United’s style, especially under Rangnick, he’s already posted great numbers in terms of goals and has several assists to his name too. But, after the City fallout, many started to write the Portuguese superstar off once again. So all eyes were naturally on the line up against Spurs and whether Ronaldo was going to prove his doubters wrong once again.

Ronaldo started the game, leading the line, and he bagged a hat trick to secure a crucial 3-2 victory for United. Rangnick later revealed that the former Juventus and Real Madrid man had only had one training session since returning from Portugal. Still, he had performed that well that he had to include him in the starting lineup, which ended up being the correct decision.

It's examples like this that very much make Ronaldo the G.O.A.T. Even at thirty-seven, he’s able to turn in a performance as he did against a good Spurs team managed by Antonio Conte, bagging a hat trick in the process. And, in scoring the three goals, Ronaldo is now football’s official all-time top scorer, according to FIFA. Josef Bican was the record holder with 805 goals, but CR7 is now clear with 807.

It's fair to say that Lionel Messi is the only other player in the running to be the G.O.A.T. And, it’s a debate that has been had many times. However, one thing that has always set Ronaldo apart from his Argentinian rival is that he’s produced the goods in the Premier League, La Liga Serie A, and is back in English football’s top-flight doing the business.

On the other hand, Messi is renowned for being a Barcelona legend. And, after moving to PSG in the summer, the diminutive attacker has so far failed to live up to expectations and has recently been booed by the home support. He currently has seven goals and eleven assists from twenty-six appearances, which isn’t bad, but it’s well below what you expect of a player in the G.O.A.T. category.

So, he made be three years Messi’s senior, but Ronaldo is the one to post excellent numbers in top divisions, a feat he continues to achieve. And, it’s doubtful that he will be done there, with many predicting CR7 will continue playing into his forties.

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