Ok. Maradona.
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Titus Bramble..
I perceive it this way:
Cristiano is an example for an excellent sportsman maximising his potential
Messi is an example of a gifted sportsman failing to fulfil his potential
Not on a Gio dos Santos scale, but I don't get the impression that Messi is anywhere near as committed to his craft than Ronaldo is. The guy seems to devote every second to being the best, even if he might not be (subjectively speaking).
Isnt that a bit harsh though, because when you look at the amount of games he plays and the incredible stats he has i'd say that he has really fulfilled his potential. He could've won more with Argentine but that's about it. It does look like Ronaldo is a lot more committed but i am pretty sure that when you achieve what Messi has, you are committed to your sport.The thought of him being even better than now is almost scary.
And this is coming from someone who hates Barca as a team, fanbase etc.
He has never shown the leadership true greats have shown. Zidane was the best at leading a team using his footballing talent. In other words, using football talent, not leadership alone, to inspire the group around them. Other examples would be Cruyff, Maradona, Pele, di Stefano.
Messi is unable to use his talent to lead - he is undoubtedly one of the best ever, but shows a level of apathy in adversity. Ronaldo is too self obsessed to use his talent to inspire and lead.
Bale might be the only contemporary player showing this attribute.
Wether he is or isn't a good "leader" can be debated until the cows come home but that has nothing to do with him not fulfilling his potential.
Bale is a good example of leadership through skills and commitment, the way he pushes and supports his team and creates a team around him.
Football is a team sport. To fulfill a talent isn't about dribbling past four Getafe defenders and scoring a wonder goal. Not even if you're doing it weekly. It's being the one who the 10 other players look to both in good and bad times. Not sitting by yourself on the bench after missing a pen and losing out on yet another international trophy.
Messi has been fantastic for Barca, but he's always been surrounded by fantastic players in their own rights, and he's never truly carried a team and shown an inclination to want to do so.
You realize that Cruyff and di Stefano never won a major international honour, right? Between them they have a single major final appearance, Messi has 4.
I'm not going to say Messi is the greatest ever, I don't believe that. I honestly feel Ronaldo is greater in this generation of players. But Messi is great, and it's ridiculous to say he hasn't fulfilled his talent with everything he's done. And it's laughable to use major international honours as the reason he hasn't fulfilled that talent and invoke the names of players who did even less on the international stage.
He hasn't failed so much. What I mean is that Ronaldo has worked very hard and committed his life to get to where he is now - Messi seems to have put less effort in, so therefore you could assume he could be much better if he applied CRs level of dedication.
Levels of dedication? Again I'd take serious issue with that. You are aware that Messi as a child flew halfway around the World to become a footballer. He was so physically underdeveloped he underwent growth hormone treatment for years. What exactly is the difference between Ronaldo's levels of dedication compared to Messi's level of dedication? Just asking for the evidence here.
BTW I am not stating who is the more dedicated of the two, I am not in a position to lay claim to have the answer. I am genuinely interested to know the reasons that back up your claim that Ronaldo is more dedicated and Messi has put in less effort.