I feel like this "Ronaldo is the more complete player" talk is just a myth. Is he really a more complete attacker simply because his height and strength permits him to have an impressive vertical leap? And because he scores from far?
A complete attacker, in my opinion is one that can contribute to a team's overall play on offense from multiple perspectives. Close ball control, keeping possession under intense pressure, finding key passes in the final third, effective dribbling, consistant finishing, off the ball movement, vision of teammates positioning, making effective runs, intelligent decision making. Messi has already mastered all of this at a young age, which leads me to believe that even when he loses his pace and stamina, he will continue to be a much more effective and complete attacker.
Amazing 30-40 yard goals, a huge leap, and strength makes Cristiano seem the more "complete" attacker, but it does not.
Before i came to this thread, i swear i didn't even realize this was still a debate. I was sure most already knew who the superior attacker was.
Strange, isn't it? What seems to be obvious is still lost on some people, but certainly the majority of fans aren't as ignorant. All of what you said is true, but people like to make it a debate due to bias or because the subtler aspects of the game are harder to appreciate or because of some fallacious argument. Such as the Messi hasn't proven himself in other leagues argument, despite the fact that numerous legends have spent their careers at one club. Or that he wouldn't be successful in the EPL, despite the fact that Cazorla, Mata, Silva, and Michu have all dominated in England, and all are inferior talents. Or that he doesn't do it for ARG, despite the fact that his goal to game ratio was better for country than club this year.
Messi is the best player in the world, and never has it been more clear than this season. There is no reason to make it complicated - when an attacker receives the ball he needs to first control it using a certain set of skills. Then he can either pass, dribble, or go for goal - all of which use different skills. And then there is the mental aspect which enables a player to make the decision on which to do, and how/when to do it. Messi is gifted to a ridiculous extent in every aspect and phase of the game, and that makes him the best and most complete player. CR had an argument because he won Liga, and was excellent, but the Golden Ball has always been a calender year award, and seeing as how Barca all but locked up the title before Christmas there was only going to be one winner.
Fifa XI was poor. My picks would have been:
Casillas
Lahm/Kompany/Chiellini/Alba
Pirlo/Xavi/Iniesta
Messi/Falcao/CR
, I respect the Spanish National team but del Bosque should not have won it. They barely made it past a lack luster Portugal team and defeated a rebuilding Italian team.
