Ronaldo is an absolute div but he’s clearly more well known by the lay person than Messi for various reasons. Not that that matters at all.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 971/1000
- Thread starter Bastian
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You’ve only stated your opinion in these replies while I’ve provided factual data. There’s no metric where you can say Messi is a bigger “star” than Ronaldo.
Ronaldo is more popular outside of football and is as big of a star IN football as Messi. He has as many if not more players that idolise him as Messi.
Yeah you can keep saying Messi is the better player that was never my point. He certainly isn’t the bigger star.
Interesting thought experiment...if Ronaldo was less obsessed with records, money, status...how could his end of career played out.
Set the starting point is the return to United. We were a shambles but he could have accepted a role in the squad where he played the key games, led by example...might have bowed out with a Cup or at least a Casemiro type end to his stay at the club, moments of quality, adored by the fans and leaves with a legacy of being almost universally adored.
Then maybe a year for PSG/Bayern (win a trophy)...then a year at Sporting (probably win a trophy)... a year in the MLS and then somewhere random like Japan/Korea/Brazil or somewhere nostalgic like CD Nacional in Madiera.
It's probably due to the age I was when he joined...but I feel sad that his legacy will be dominated by goals, records, money, even fecking social media followers. For the first 4 years he was at United, Ronaldo was the most breathtakingly exciting football player I've seen in my 30 years of watching the game. I feel like Ronaldo will always have the records but never the affection that players like Messi, Rooney, Ronaldinho et al have.
Nostalgic ramble over.
Set the starting point is the return to United. We were a shambles but he could have accepted a role in the squad where he played the key games, led by example...might have bowed out with a Cup or at least a Casemiro type end to his stay at the club, moments of quality, adored by the fans and leaves with a legacy of being almost universally adored.
Then maybe a year for PSG/Bayern (win a trophy)...then a year at Sporting (probably win a trophy)... a year in the MLS and then somewhere random like Japan/Korea/Brazil or somewhere nostalgic like CD Nacional in Madiera.
It's probably due to the age I was when he joined...but I feel sad that his legacy will be dominated by goals, records, money, even fecking social media followers. For the first 4 years he was at United, Ronaldo was the most breathtakingly exciting football player I've seen in my 30 years of watching the game. I feel like Ronaldo will always have the records but never the affection that players like Messi, Rooney, Ronaldinho et al have.
Nostalgic ramble over.
Rooney?
In terms of general adoration by fans. Clearly he falls short on potential achieved and statistics. I reference him because in 30-40 years, Rooney will be named in conversations about United, England, even DC or Everton fans favourite player. I don't think any club fan would name Ronaldo.
You don’t really believe this? Surely not?
I will remember Ronaldo's final part of his career for stropping, being selfish and clogging up their national side.
I'll remember Messi for winning the World Cup finally after a good tournament.
I'll remember Messi for winning the World Cup finally after a good tournament.
Its hardly outlandish.
Any United fan picking him as their favourite player is just weird after how he engineered both of his exits.
For Juve hes not getting picked ahead of the likes of Del Piero and Buffon.
Same for Madrid with Raul, Casillas, Zidane, Ramos. Even the likes of Modric and Marcelo are far more likable from their more recent teams.
Social media doesn't matter because half of it is bots. Let's look at something tangible: football shirts bought.
Top football shirts bought in 2025:
- Yamal - 1.32 million
- Messi - 1.28 million
- Lewandowski - 1.1 million (call me shocked)
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/barcelona-rising-superstar-beats-lionel-135200037.html
Source
Yeah he just isn’t a likeable bloke, unless you are one of those manosphere types.
It’s very outlandish. We must live in two different worlds.
Everyone I know in real life that are united fans still appreciate Ronaldo.
All the Madrid fans I see online adore him too. The younger generation of Madrid fans aren’t even old enough to have seen the likes of Raul, Casillas and Zidane. Ramos, Modric and Marcelo, yes but they’re not more universally loved than Ronaldo.
Ronaldo is a mythical figure at Madrid. Pretty insane to think these guys are ahead of him in the eyes of the fans.
Juve is a different story though. That one I can agree that he wasn’t eulogised by their fans.
It’s not just about social media followers though? His name literally generates headlines. The football world still follows everything he does, even in Saudi. Both him and Messi.
I can’t verify the legitimacy of that article but if I was to accept it for arguments sake and take it at face value; you’re saying Lewandowski is a bigger star than Ronaldo then?
Are you genuinely saying he isn’t the top 2 biggest stars in the sport?
Yes. He'll be forever in the pantheon of GOAT in football, but as others have pointed out...the fact that he's turned into such a dickhead means he won't be remembered as a fan favourite. The great clubs Ronaldo played simply have too many other legends in their history for him to be 'adored'. It doesn't diminish his ability, but a degree of legacy is likability.
Everyone at Bayern recognizes that Lewa is a brillant striker and he is fondly remembered for that. But he isn't loved. Luca Toni is. And Lewa is 1000 times more likable than Ronaldo.
Messi's stardom directly correlates with his footballing ability while a significant portion Ronaldo's stardom is due to off the field stuff and social media. I think this matters.
And this matters why? Surely football ability matters more?
The general fan that support the clubs he played for really isn’t deeping Ronaldo’s character like you guys are. Also, what exactly did he do at Madrid that would’ve made him unlikeable to their fans?
hate this guy
My point wasn't that he was necessarily unlikeable, just not as beloved as other players with objectively smaller contributions. A Madrid fan could answer better...but I remember him and Perez going back and forth through media about contracts, transfer targets...then he had a tax fraud case...the US alleged rape and subsequent settlement/NDA...and general sense that Madrid became all about him playing in the best position to get Golden Boot, Ballon D'Or.
Ronaldo helped Madrid win gazillion major trophies, so I'm sure he's thought of quite fondly...but will many fans choose him as their favourite player over Raul, Zidane, Modric, Ramos, Redondo..et al? Doubt it.
How do Portugal fans view him now especially as he's going to continue to limp on to the World Cup when he really should've called it a day after Euro 2024 as he was certainly a hinderance to Portugal in that tournament.
I assume his plan was 2022 World Cup would be his last, his tears after the Morocco defeat and then subsequent social media post straight after the game said as much and now he seemingly wants to have another go because Messi finally won a World Cup?
Pretty sad he can't get enough validation from being one of the greatest players we've seen in recent times from all his current achievements individually and collectively.
I assume his plan was 2022 World Cup would be his last, his tears after the Morocco defeat and then subsequent social media post straight after the game said as much and now he seemingly wants to have another go because Messi finally won a World Cup?
Pretty sad he can't get enough validation from being one of the greatest players we've seen in recent times from all his current achievements individually and collectively.
I think him doing alright at the last nations league have given him some leeway.
Harsh on MrEleson
That’s silly because it’s not like Ronaldo was an average player…
If you wanna say Messi is better than him then fine but Ronaldo is literally far ahead of anyone else so not sure how you can claim his fame is largely due to non footballing reasons. It’s honestly a very laughable notion.
Did you read what I was replying to?
He's the favourite player of the vast majority of madridistas
Not mine, because of the rape allegations, but yeah, he's one of the most beloved players by the fanbase. It's not quite Messi to the arseholes, but not far off
Imagine the reaction on here if Portugal win the world cup with a late Ronaldo winner.
It'd make the Arse fam tv boys seem balanced.
It'd make the Arse fam tv boys seem balanced.
This is pretty much my stance too.
I just spit coffee out
It would be strange if Ronaldo wasn't considering the favourite Madrid player of all time between him and Di Stefano. Even with the narcissism because that turned toxic with United and Portugal in his latest years but his time with Madrid is legendary
Fair enough, I get what you’re trying to say to be honest.
968
1. when i watched Ronaldo during his prime, outside his goals (most important thing for any forward btw) i did not see a player "far ahead of anyone else" I won't even mention Messi here but someone like Ronaldinho in his pomp or Yamal right now actually look like they are far ahead of anyone else of their time in what they can do with the ball at their feet. That is not to say Ronaldo was average in his prime just not a genius.
2. I meant his fame outside football; many of those guys never really saw him. I can say that from their comments.
Not on the scoresheet again today.
Given that your a dark lord, be it like Sauron or voldemort, I thought you would like Ronaldo. I thought a dark lord would view him as his representative on the pitch or as an extension of himself.
Nope, he is DarkLord because he is always tan, like Cris himself
Almost won a penalty when the ref thought and assumed that the ball hit the defender's arm and gave the penalty which was overturned by var.
Plus the shot he took, he could have passed to an open player but turns a full 180 and has all the time in the world to get the shot away and still doesn't score.
The Sith operate in the shadows. I pretend to dislike him to keep up the facade.
Correct. Although TanLord doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
969
Couldn't even hit the net in a 5-1 drubbing. Pathetic.