Ronaldo aims to outshine Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo will try to
outshine Lionel Messi on his return
to Old Trafford when the two best
players in the world clash in a
friendly between Portugal and
Argentina on Tuesday, AFP
reports.
Real Madrid forward Ronaldo and
Barcelona striker Messi are locked
in a battle to prove themselves the
top player on the planet and their
latest showdown comes on the
former home turf of the Portugal
icon.
Adding spice to their rivalry with
Spain’s two superpowers is the
speculation that they aren’t on
good terms off the pitch either.
Whatever the status of their
personal relationship, the duo have
deservedly become serial trophy
collectors over the last decade,
with team and individual prizes
hoovered up on a regular basis.
Messi has won the Champions
League three times and Ronaldo
twice, while Messi has six league
titles in Spain and Ronaldo three
with Manchester United and one
with Real.
Between them they have won the
past six coveted Ballon D’Or
contests, awarded to the player
voted the world’s best by
managers, players and journalists.
Argentina star Messi has been
voted the winner four times in that
period and has come second to
Ronaldo the other two years.
Ronaldo hopes to add a third gong
this year, and few would disagree
if he pipped Messi and several
contenders from the German World
Cup winning team.
Ronaldo has 18 league goals
already this season, while Messi
has — by his standards — a
modest total of seven, although he
was voted player of the
tournament at this year’s World
Cup
Also in Ronaldo’s favour, he
became the record goalscorer in
European Championship qualifying
and tournament history with his
strike in a 1-0 victory over
Armenia at the weekend.
That was his 23rd goal in the
competition, surpassing the
previous high mark set by Jan
Dahl Tomasson of Denmark, and
his 57th in 117 caps for Portugal.
“I have done what I have to do. I
have won major titles, I have
beaten other records, and I now
have to wait calmly for the votes,”
he said.
Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford
will be his second since he left
United for Madrid in 2009.