Nine of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s abilities have been compared in a side-by-side debate as both players were awarded an overall rating.
Barcelona captain Messi and Juventus superstar Ronaldo are widely regarded as two of the best players in football history.
And the folks over at Messi vs Ronaldo have looked into nine areas for both players, ranging from free-kicks and heading to team play and discipline.
Goalscoring is first up and both Messi and Ronaldo, unsurprisingly, were awarded 10s for their incredible finishing in the final third.
Goalscoring: Messi (10/10) and Ronaldo (10/10)
When the ratings were shifted on to heading, Ronaldo moved ahead of his fierce rival by quite a few points.
The 35-year-old Portuguese forward was awarded a nine, while Messi received only a six rating for his heading ability.
While the website pointed to his famous header against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final, Messi has never been in the “world-class attribute” due to his “lack of height and Barcelona’s style of play.”
Heading: Messi (6/10) and Ronaldo (9/10)
The 32-year-old Argentine superstar made up some ground in the dribbling department, scoring a 10/10 compared to Ronaldo’s 8/10.
Dribbling: Messi (10/10) and Ronaldo (8/10)
Messi once again beat the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in passing, with the website saying that his “vision and execution when searching for a teammate is up there with the very best who have played the game, past or present.”
Passing: Messi (10/10) and Ronaldo (8/10)
Messi and Ronaldo were awarded a nine and eight respectively for free-kicks.
Ronaldo’s “sheer power and ability to make a ball move in all manner of directions place him amongst the most feared dead-ball specialists,” according to the website.
Meanwhile, Messi’s “vision and creativity with a dead ball are what set him apart from most free-kick specialists.”
Free-kicks: Messi (9/10) and Ronaldo (8/10)
Ronaldo pulled ahead of the Barcelona forward in penalties, with him securing a nine rating in comparison to Messi’s seven.
Penalties: Messi (7/10) and Ronaldo (9/10)
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s amazing height and build scored him a perfect 10 for physicality.
While Messi has shown he can handle himself easily around bigger players, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner only took home a seven rating.
Physicality: Messi (7/10) and Ronaldo (10/10)
Messi made up for his score loss in penalties and physicality in the final two categories.
The Argentina captain scored a nine for his team play, with the website saying that his incredible partnership with Luis Suarez and Neymar in their famous ‘MSN’ trident “reached new heights.”
Team Play: Messi (9/10) and Ronaldo (7/10)
Messi also scored a 9 for his discipline, saying there are very few times that he will show “petulance and frustration” on the pitch.
Read Also: La Liga: Messi experiencing longest goal drought in six years
Ronaldo, in contrast, received only a seven and has been “accused of going down too easily or feigning injury to the benefit of his team.”
Discipline: Messi (9/10) and Ronaldo (7/10)
When the scores are all added up, Messi managed to edge out Ronaldo by a single point.
Final Scores: Messi (77/90) and Ronaldo (76/90)