Before they meet in Rome on Wednesday 27th May, Barcelona and Manchester United could have a major say in who is relegated from their respective leagues at the weekend.
In something of a coincidence, both Champions League finalists meet teams who are deep in trouble – Barcelona at home to Osasuna in La Liga and Manchester United away to Hull City in the EPL.
The plight of those two particular sides and those around them probably won’t concern the Spanish and English giants and it’s a pretty safe best also that Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex Ferguson will rest their stars before next week’s big game.
So, we can assume that both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will turn up for the final raring to go and doubly keen to show the football fraternity just why each of them has so many fans that rate them as the number one in Europe, or indeed, the world.
But who is going to make the difference and which brand is going to emerge the happier? Ronaldo and Nike or Messi and adidas?
The decision, as they say, is yours as Messi v Ronaldo is this week’s Footy Boots debate question.
Tale of the Tape
Lionel Messi Cristiano Ronaldo
Age: 22 Age: 24
League goals this season: 23 League goals this season: 18
CL goals this season: 8 CL goals this season: 4
On the face of it, Messi has the edge with more goals both domestically and in Europe this season. But he was virtually anonymous in the semi final, second leg at Chelsea while Ronaldo proved too good for Arsenal in their semi final as he scored twice at the Emirates as United ran out 3 – 1 winners, and 4 – 1 overall.
Having also scored in the quarter-final against Porto, can Ronaldo keep up his amazing Champions League form or will the Argentine youngster proved to be a hit on the biggest European club stage of all?
Who will have the biggest impact on the Champions League final?
- Cristiano Ronaldo & Nike (53%, 2,103 Votes)
- Lionel Messi & adidas (47%, 1,896 Votes)
Total Voters: 3,999
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May 22nd, 2009 at 7:24 am
Ronaldo was immense in the quarter and semi finals but I think Messi is due a big game.
May 22nd, 2009 at 7:27 am
of course ronaldo because he is doble important to united than messi to barca i mean messi is the better player but ronaldo means more to his team than messi.
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:18 am
Messi the Messiah!
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:28 am
This season I think Messi out played C.Ronaldo. For us football lovers what else could we ask for, two of the best players nowadays sponsored by two of the most renowned football brands on the planet. We are in for a great game, no doubt.
May 22nd, 2009 at 9:49 am
Personally, I feel that Messi has outshone ronaldo, in the Primera, whilst champions league, ronaldo has shone throughout. Fair enough, a lot of you are going to argue the fact that messi has grabbed more goals, fair play, but last season, and also this season, Messi has DISSAPEARED off the park whilst playing BIG clubs, he was none existent against chelsea, I just feel that the primera league, is hell of a lot slower paced than the premiership, that was VERY apparent last season when we played barca in the semis, and the same again this year when they played chelsea. Im going 3-1 to united. I just think we have an allround better team then barca, and a lot stronger defence
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:05 am
Hello all
If Messi plays how against Chelsea London then Manchester United have the victory in the pocket, I believe that finally Lionel Messi have the biggest influence on the Champoins League.
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:14 am
What does everyone conveniently not mention how Man Utd and Chelsea played against Barca in the CL Semi’s? They parked the proverbial double decker bus.
I’d love to see how much Ronaldo can accomplish when he is TRIPLE marked by the other team. Of course he would probably just trip over a blade of grass, win a few free kicks in dangerous areas and convert one of them.
Also since this seems to be a “stats” battle, why not take the assists count into consideration as well?
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:29 am
Agree with Bon, why not put assists up too?? They are both wingers after all. Then we can see which of the two has been involved in more goals over the season.
As for the final, it will depend on who turns up. Both players have a tendency to go missing in big games.
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:30 am
messi outsone ronaldo when barcelona played man utd last season….and messi has improved from lsat season whereas ronaldo hasnt played as well as last season
undoubtly i believe messi will tear up man utd just like what kaka did
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:32 am
lol why does ronaldo look like an emo/junkie in that picture?
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:21 pm
cos he is an emo junky.
maradonna 2 is twice the player ronaldo is, with a twice as good/professional/likeable and respectable attitude.
ronaldo is a cry baby when he doesn’t get his own way - not the attitude of a role model or a legend
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:51 pm
prefer ronaldo but prefer adidas
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:26 pm
did messi do anyfin against united in the semmis last yearr…no……but messi hardly performs against big clubs…..evra is a good match for,,, him cant wait to see them against each other
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:45 pm
nike are the biggest winners…they are sponsors for both teams and a lot of the players on both sides…
p.s. ronaldo is better than messi
May 22nd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Ronaldo is better, it’s as simple as that.
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I don’t like ronaldo but I love Nike
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:45 pm
I don’t like him or Man utd but Ronaldo is better than messi! Though Ronaldo has not had the most consistent of seasons he is still high up on the Premiership goal scorers list, he also poses both an aerial threat and a huge danger from set pieces whereas messi doesn’t. Yes Messi is quick and the best dribbler in the world but he does not have the power and all round ability of Ronaldo.
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:13 am
Not any more, he was about a year ago, but messi is now better. I think ronaldo is on drugs now, same with ronaldinho and a couple of other players, he plays differently and reacts worse.
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:48 am
adidas teams have won the ucl more than nike teams but messi and barca are going to beat ronaldo and man u. Messi has a better atitude and sportsmanship and plays better ronaldo needs every player to tire the other team so he can don some thing and mesi doesnt need them
May 23rd, 2009 at 1:21 am
RONALDO!!!
He is a better overall player and is more of a threat at all times. He plays in a better domestic league where defense is actually played, and you have to work to get calls. La Liga is fun to watch because there’s no defense played, and diving is more part of the game.
May 23rd, 2009 at 3:52 am
can messi score with both feet in mid range? can he head like a beast? maybe he is the best close control dribbler right now , but ronaldo is much more complete
May 23rd, 2009 at 6:43 am
I’m going to say that Ronaldo is going to make the biggest impact in the final. But in a few years, I think Messi could be better. Wasn’t it only a few years ago where people were saying that Ronaldo was quiet in big games? But if you look at him now, he’s got no problem against big teams like Arsenal. Give Messi more time.
Coming from a Man United fan.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:38 am
Ronaldo and messi are two different players!!! however i think ronaldo is much more versatile and is more complete than messi. Messi is absolutly amazing and has had a better season based on goals but la liga is not as tough as the premier league to score and barca has not had the toughest route to the final i.e. bayern munich whist man utd have had arsenal, porto and inter. Ronaldo is a threat wherever he is…look at the goal against arsenal. the move was started by ronaldo at his own box and finished with him at the opponents box. He can defend..to an extent. He can head!! messi cant. He can score with his right foot!!! messi CAN’T even kick a ball with his right foot. He can score with his left foot and can strike a freekick from 40 yards and still beat a top class goal keeper!!!! messi is better at dribbling and his 1 foot striking is amazing but ronaldo is just more complete. Ronaldo even plays upfront if he has to!!! he can play along the front 3 or on either wing….UNITED TO WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2-1
May 23rd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Why do you all say that Messi is no good because he couldn’t play well at chelsea,Ronaldo never has a good game at chelsea and did you see how Messi destroyed Real Madrid!
Messi all the way!
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Man U fan, Messi fan, adidas fan…
Sell Ronaldo to Real or whoever… Man U will remain great without him.
May 24th, 2009 at 7:06 am
Boost do you remember the champions league final last year. or their thrashing (man utd) of chelsea 3-0?
i beleive he scored in the final, and supported 2 goals in the 3-0 game
man utd is going to win this,
try not to call messi great,
cause the la liga defence ain’t great at all.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:37 am
if you compare to age messi is way better, how good did ronaldo play when he was 22? he didn’t play so good because he only did his little tricks! so therfore messi is best he has also played best this season! but i do like nike best : )
JOGA BONITO
May 24th, 2009 at 11:47 am
messi could youse both feet dont you remember the game he scored goal nr. 5000 ?
May 24th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
How many times have united beat their rivals liverpool,chelsea,arsenal, etc,6-2.
em, never long live messi.
ps.How many times has Ronaldo played well with three men marking him the whole game.
May 24th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Ronaldo will have the greater impact on the final because he will get a lot more joy from Barca’s makeshift defence than Messi will against the likes of Evra, Vidic and Ferdinand if he is fit.
May 24th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
It Were a Tored up real madrid team they met, hats of for barca, but manchester utd has been consistent for the past two years, and they have an incredible squad deapth, i don’t beleive it’s gonna be a matter of ronaldo vs messi, but each teams managers, guardiola is new on the stage, and ferguson, and man utd is more experienced, after all they won the final last year, and i bet they will win this one as well.
May 24th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
boost, no one can shine while being marked up by 3 men?
and EPL actually have great defences. so please, i’m not here to critisize anyone or anything, i respect barca and their good (and beautiful) game, but face the fact, the off form eto’o and messi? henry and iniesta just back from injury? a a quarantine-strucked barca deffence? don’t say they will win for sure?
and dont say that barca defeated real madrid 6-2?
this is a champions league final, not a 2nd squad, and a torn up real madrid?
i beleive ronaldo will score cause of the (weak) deffence.
he will get a lot of space on the wings, break free, or receive a free kick and most likely score just once, maybe twice, if he’s in a goal scoring mood
it’s bad for the final, but man utd are very clear fav’s and most likely winners.
as far as i know, a complete player (ronaldo) is always better than a single-footed dribbler… (messi)
May 24th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
and by the way, nike rules, adidas drools!
May 25th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
messi is better than ronaldo…ronaldo is good but not better than the KING LIONEL ANDRE MESSI…
LIONEL ANDRES MESSI VS CRISTIANO RONALDO DOS SANTOS AVEIRO
May 25th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
you clearly don’t know anything about the world talent of football, ive seen them both play (real matches) and in terms of technique and skill, ronaldo is by far better.
and he is great at FK’s set pieces and penalties…
also in the aereal part!
May 26th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
sbe7 i recall ronaldo of age 22 being the best in the premier league notching 23 goals and a pearl of a free kick against europe xi and also scoring countless important goals on our way to winning the epl
May 27th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
messi owning all players in the world!!
-)
May 28th, 2009 at 3:15 am
messi proved today that he is the better player, he was amazeing and even scored to reward his hard work
while ronaldo sat and cried the entire game
May 29th, 2009 at 9:36 am
ronaldo was immense in the semis cause he played against eh arsenal(the babies)while messi had to face the strong,physical team Chelsea who r the real men they covered messi so well that he couldn’t do nthin
May 30th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
messi showed that he was best ronaldo got angry
May 31st, 2009 at 2:49 pm
You clearly don’t know anything about football!
p.s messi scored a header in the final and ronaldo got angry!
June 1st, 2009 at 11:52 am
MESSI IS WELL BETTER END OF
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:26 pm
sorry, didn’t i put, “maradonna 2 is twice the player ronaldo is, with a twice as good/professional/likeable and respectable attitude.
ronaldo is a cry baby when he doesn’t get his own way - not the attitude of a role model or a legend”
earlier in this post??
how come you’ve only just realised that ronaldo is a big baby??????
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:38 pm
it was a all nike final.buh ronaldo didnt turn up.messi the adidas sponser did turn up an won the game for barca
i luv ronaldo and i love nike
i luv manchester united
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:51 pm
yes, but i’ll just ask you where ferdinand were at?
infact, where was manchester? this was a bad final, seen from a neutrals point of view,
besides, i’m not here to learn a 12 year old about football am i? take of your red and blue glasses, then we can start talkin football.. ok?
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:27 pm
RONADO RONALDO!!!!!!!!!
he is the champion nobody plays the way he does……portuguese players r the best….
June 10th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
messi and adidas f50 are the best
June 10th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
who’s the next icon for nike mercurial vapor and adidas F TUNit
June 10th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Messi iS BEST!
June 11th, 2009 at 4:09 am
messi is the best ronaldo didnt do anything in the game!!
MESSI player of the YEAR 09
June 17th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
i think Cristiano out played lionell because Ronaldo passes more and takes more shoots and also because he makes more goles and is more wide open
July 1st, 2009 at 10:16 pm
messi is way better than ronaldo cus ronaldo dives all the time