You clearly don't watch enough of Real Madrid then. This season, Ronaldo has worked extremely hard for the team. He ran his feet into the ground against Sevilla and played well today also. Ronaldo can single handedly carry a team as he has in the past on many occasions, Messi cannot. Messi's goals may be easy on the eye but at the end of the day, its the times the ball hits the back of the net that matters rather then whether it came after beating 5 men or not.
It's funny because I spent all of last year telling Manc fans that Messi was better but having removed my red-tinted glasses after his departure, I think Ronaldo just pips it. It seems as if you cannot separate Ronaldo, the twat, from Ronaldo the player. We'll see during the World Cup whether either of these can outperform the other, easily the best 2 players out there.
I admit I don't watch much of Madrid, but this point of carrying a team on his own is nonsense.
That's no way to judge 2 players IMO
For a start, the 2 teams are very different and set up in different ways.
Therefore, it's pointless to say that one is better because he carries that team...it's different scenarios.
All that does is suggest that the team getting carried isn't quite as good as the team that doesn't need anyone to carry it.
I'm not saying Ronaldo isn't top class...he clearly is a special player with the whole range of attacking qualities..
But the vast majority of fans worldwide acknowledge Messi as the greatest...the quality of his individual goals are the stuff of legend already...solo goals to go alongside Maradona, and that's the ultimate barometer.
He makes the game look outrageously easy and, yes, I admit, the fact he plays it with a smile adds to the image.
He's being talked about among the best ever and you don't hear Ronaldo's name in those conversations...maybe some day he will be in there, he's certainly young enough, but thus far he lags behind.
I totally agree that a great World Cup for either player will have a bearing though.
Maradona's status was sealed in 86, just like Cruyff, Pele, Garrincha etc before him