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Messi and Ronaldo


If Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to lay down markers ahead of the Barcelona v Real Madrid showdown at the Camp Nou on Monday, scoring hat-tricks in their final La Liga games before El Clasico was a typically sublime way to go about it.

Messi and Ronaldo are the two best players on the planet right now. They play weekly at a level most can only dream of, consistently overshadowing the abundance of world-class players who line up as their team-mates and opponents alike, reports BBC sports.

They are the last two winners of the Fifa World Footballer of the Year award and, despite being far from stereotypical centre-forwards in a positional sense, have each won a European Golden Shoe prize in the last three years.

They have scored 27 La Liga goals between them already this term - four more than the next top scorers in the division, Villarreal.

"What more can you say about Messi?" asked Barca colleague and Spain's World Cup-winning goalscorer Andres Iniesta in the aftermath of Messi's eighth treble for the Catalan club, in an 8-0 destruction of Almeria last weekend. "There are no words left. Let's hope he continues as he is."

After firing in three more goals in Real's 5-1 drubbing of Athletic Bilbao on the same day to stay one clear of his rival in the race for the Pichichi (Spain's top goalscorer), Ronaldo preferred to do his own talking: "I'm very happy for scoring three goals, but the important thing is that we continue being leaders. Barcelona's 8-0 win at Almeria doesn't tell me anything, Let's see if they score eight goals against us on Monday."

Monday is the day when Spain's top two meet for the first time this season, with Real Madrid a single point ahead of Barcelona in the standings.

It is a game customarily filled with intrigue and the pre-match phoney war will be taken to new levels this time around with Barca's arch-nemesis Jose Mourinho overseeing his first Clasico in charge of Real.

But when the talking stops and referee Eduaro Gonzalez blows his whistle at 2000 GMT, the focus will then centre around Messi and Ronaldo - the two proxy leaders of their teams, the men who are almost certain to have the greatest impact on the result and, longer term, the destiny of the Spanish title.

So much has been written about them both before, these two fascinatingly contrary figures: Messi, the shy, formerly-fragile boy from Argentina who packed his bags aged 13 and put himself in Barcelona's care; and Ronaldo, the perma-tanned Portuguese with the perfect physique and arrogance to match his £80m attributes.

Perhaps it is because they are so unique, as far removed from each other as they are from the mere mortals who seek to attain their greatness, that they are so open to comparison.

It is a point Noe Pamarot made to me when I asked the well-travelled Hercules defender to compare two players he has done battle with in La Liga in the past three months.

"The stats are amazing for both of them, it is incredible how many goals they score," said Pamarot, who also played against Ronaldo six times during a five-year spell in English football playing for Tottenham and Portsmouth.

"But they don't play anything like each other. They have both got the speed and the skills, but for me, Messi plays only for the team and that makes him a more dangerous opponent. He isn't always looking to score himself - if he isn't scoring, he is making an assist or having a big influence on the game anyway.

"They are comfortably the world's best right now. But Messi is very, very special. He is starting to prove weekly he is on a different level to everyone else. Can he be the greatest of all time? If he carries on like this for some more years, he can end up the same or even better than Diego Maradona and Pele. Why not?"

Pamarot's thoughts cast my mind back to a study of the pair conducted by the University of Coruna in Spain in April. It found that more than 80% of Barcelona's passing moves involved Messi, compared to 60% with Ronaldo and Madrid. When Messi gets the ball, his only thought is getting it into the back of his opponents' net; when Ronaldo picks it up, his is to put it there himself.

At a time when the fluid passing and movement style of Spain and Barcelona is fashionable and everyone wants to watch tiki-taka, Ronaldo's fearsome power and single-minded selfishness when he is within sight of goal is, to some, considered an inferior alternative, aesthetically-speaking anyway.

Another player who has been on the receiving end of the genius of Messi and Ronaldo is Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora. The 29-year-old played against Ronaldo five times in his three-year stint with Spurs and was in the Sevilla team that suffered a 5-0 defeat at Barcelona a month ago in which Messi scored twice.

"The two of them are very good, for sure, but I prefer Messi," said Zokora. "Messi is perfect in the art of dribbling, while Ronaldo's shot is incredible. It is very difficult to stop them, they are very, very fast. Could one of them go on and be the greatest? It is difficult to say it, but maybe..."

For now, it is far easier to let the numbers do the talking. Courtesy of Infostrada Sports, here are the pair's breathtaking goal tallies in black and white:

Lionel Messi:

- 22 goals in 17 games for Barcelona this season
- 54 goals in 48 games for Barcelona in 2010
- Has scored in nine consecutive games for Barca
- In last five seasons (this season last), has scored: 17, 16, 38, 47, 22

Cristiano Ronaldo:

- 16 goals in 18 games for Real Madrid this season
- 38 goals in 42 games for Real Madrid in 2010
- Has scored 14 goals in 12 La Liga games this term
- In last five seasons (first three with Man Utd), has scored: 23, 42, 26, 33, 18

Chalk and cheese they may well be, but in the prolific way they find the net these men - who rarely play as out-and-out strikers - do at least have something in common. And according to the University of Coruna's study, that's not all. They also believe Messi and Ronaldo to be the two fastest players in the history of the game in terms of running with the ball.

So who do you pity more ahead of the game the whole footballing world will be watching, the Barcelona backline or the Real Madrid rearguard? I asked Pamarot who it is easier to play against, and he laughed down the telephone at me. "Haha. Seriously? OK, I want to play against both because they are the ultimate test of your abilities."

Plaudits from pundits and their peers have not been in short supply as the build-up to the most talked-about domestic fixture on Earth grows ever closer. "It is clear to me, Cristiano is number one," said Mourinho.

After watching Barca and Messi rip apart his Panathinaikoas side in Europe on Wednesday, midfielder Luis Garcia purred: "Messi is a phenomenon. One can only enjoy his play. Such a player only comes by once in several decades."

Even the Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has got involved in the debate, claiming he prefers the "dribbles" of Messi to the playing style of Ronaldo, though his opinion should be taken with the caveat that the 50-year-old is a lifelong Barcelona fan.

On Monday, these two footballing phenomena go head-to-head before an expectant audience of about 98,000 people in Barcelona and tens of millions more on television around the world. They will both feel they have an extra point to prove, too: in seven games, Messi has never scored or had an assist against a Mourinho team; similarly in five, Ronaldo has never found the net against Barca.

With the likes of Maradona, Pele and Johan Cruyff all reaching the peak of their powers in different eras, perhaps we should be grateful that for this generation, the stars will collide in front of our very eyes.


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Best Players of Barcelona

Victor Valdes: Victor Valdes (born January 14, 1982) is a professional football player who competes for Spain in World Cup soccer. Victor Valdes is a goalkeeper and is 6' and weighs 172 pounds. Spain was in Group H for World Cup 2010.

 





Carles Puyol: Carles Puyol (born April 13, 1978) is a professional football player who competes for Spain in World Cup soccer. Carles Puyol is a defender and is 5'10" and weighs 176 pounds. Spain was in Group H for World Cup 2010.







Xavi Hernández: Xavi Hernandez (born January 25, 1980) is a professional football player who competes for Spain in World Cup soccer. Xavi Hernandez is a midfielder and is 5'6" and weighs 150 pounds. Spain was in Group H for World Cup 2010.

  



Gerard Pique: Gerard Pique (born February 2, 1987) is a professional football player who competes for Spain in World Cup soccer. Gerard Pique is a defenderon FC Barcelona in the Primera División and is 6'4" and weighs 187 pounds. Spain was in Group H for World Cup 2010.



Daniel Alves: Daniel Alves (born 6 May 1983 in Juazeiro), commonly known as Dani Alves, is a Brazilian footballer 1.73m and weight 64kg. He plays as an attacking right back for FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team. 


Eric Abidal: Eric Abidal (born September 11, 1979) is a professional football player who competes for France in World Cup soccer. Eric Abidal is a defender on FC Barcelona in the Primera División and is 6'1" and weighs 163 pounds. France was in Group A for World Cup 2010. 
  



Lionel Messi: Lionel Messi (born June 24, 1987) is an Argentine football player on FC Barcelona in the Primera División. He also plays for Argentina's national team. He is 1.69m  and Weight: 67kg. He got Fifa best player of the year for two time.






 Andres Iniesta: Andres Iniesta (born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish attacking midfielder currently playing for FC Barcelona and The Spain national team. He is 1.70 m and Weight: 65kg. Spain was in Group H for World Cup 2010.





David Villa: David Villa (born 3 December 1981), is an Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and Spain and is 1.75 m  Weight 69kg






Sergio Busquets: Sergio Busquets (born 16 July 1988) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Barcelona, as a defensive midfielder and is 1.89m  and weight 73kg. He played world cup for Spain in 2010.






Pedro Rodriguez:  Pedro Rodriguez (born 28 July 1987)is a Spanish Forward currently playing for FC Barcelona and The Spain national team is 1.69m and weight 64 kg.






Javier Mascherano: Javier Mascherano (born  8 Jun 1984) is an Argentine football player on FC Barcelona in the Premier Division. He is playing Midfielder Position and is 1.75m and weight 77 kg.






Seydou Keita: Seydou Keita (born 16 January 1980 in Bamako, Mali) player on FC Barcelona in the Primera División. Seydou Keita is a midfielder and is 1.83m and Weight 77 kg.







Bojan Krkic:  Bojan Krkic (born Aug 28, 1990 in Spain) is an player of  FC Barcelona in the Premier Division. Bojan Krkic is a Forward and is 1.73m and Weight: 65 kg.

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Ikar Casillas

Ikar Casillas debuted for the national team in the U–17 level. At age 16, he was the youngest player in the Spanish squad that placed third at the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt. He was later made captain of the U-17′s. Two years later, he went on to win the FIFA World Youth Championship and the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup that same year. Initially second-choice, he soon worked his way up to first-choice and eventually earned his first senior cap following some brilliant performances at club level.
Casillas is currently the second-most capped goalkeeper in the history of the Spanish national team, behind Andoni Zubizarreta, who appeared in 126 matches. Following his full international debut at the senior level against Sweden (at 19 years and 14 days), Casillas was an unused substitute at Euro 2000. He was part of the roster for the 2002 World Cup, initially as the understudy to Santiago Cañizares. Coincidentally, Casillas became the first-choice goalkeeper when Cañizares had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury from a freak accident. At 21, he was one of the youngest first-choice goalkeepers in the tournament. He gained hero status when he saved two penalties in the penalty shoot-out during the round of 16 match against the Republic of Ireland.
Casillas played in all eight Group six fixtures during Euro 2004 qualifying, conceding just four goals. He kept a clean sheet in the second leg victory of the playoff against Norway which ended 3-0 in Oslo, and started all of Spain’s Euro 2004 matches. He was first choice for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, captaining the team twice, but could not prevent the La Roja from losing 3-1 to a Zidane-inspired France in the Round of 16.

With the exclusion of Real Madrid teammate Raúl from the squad for Euro 2008, Casillas was given the captain’s armband. He started the first two Euro 2008 Group D games against Russia and Sweden before being rested in place of second-choice goalkeeper Pepe Reina for Spain’s group stage elimination of Greece. Casillas saved two penalties from Antonio Di Natale and Daniele De Rossi as Spain eliminated Italy in the quarterfinals with a 4–2 shootout win following a goalless draw on 22 June. Spain later went on to win the competition with a 1–0 win over Germany in the final on 29 June; Casillas kept clean sheets for the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final matches, with Sweden’s first round goal by Zlatan Ibrahimović being the last one scored against him. In his 82 appearances for Spain, he has kept 42 clean sheets. On 29 June 2008 Casillas became the first goalkeeper-captain to lift the UEFA European Championship trophy when Spain beat Germany 1–0 in the final.

In October 2008, Casillas and deputy in goal Pepe Reina broke the national record for the longest time spent without conceding a goal. The pair went unbeaten for 710 minutes, longer than the legendary Andoni Zubizarreta and Paco Buyo.Wesley Sonck of Belgium ended their goalless streak when he scored against them a 2010 World Cup qualifying match.

One of his saves during the quarterfinals versus South Korea during the 2002 FIFA World Cup was rated by FIFA as one of the top 10 saves of all time.Iker Casillas was the highest ranked goalkeeper (4th place) in the 2008 Ballon d’Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and national teammate Fernando Torres.

He was named the world’s best goalkeeper in 2008 by the IFFHS. He also came in third place in the best goalkeepers of all time ranking; beating Oliver Kahn.

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Real fight back in stormy Spanish Cup derby

Real Madrid fought back from a goal down to defeat city rivals Atletico 3-1 in the first leg of the Spanish Cup quarter-finals on Thursday.
Atletico were ahead after just seven minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu when Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan was on target following a bright burst from Sergio Aguero which was ended by goalkeeper Iker Casillas's clumsy challenge.
But Sergio Ramos powered in a header from an Angel Di Maria corner in the 14th minute to bring the home side level before Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil added second half strikes to give Real breathing space ahead of the second leg next week.
Atletico's young goalkeeper David De Gea pulled off a string of fine first-half saves to keep his side in the contest, particularly alert to a header from Portuguese international centre-half Ricardo Carvalho. But he was powerless to keep out Real after the break. Ronaldo gave his side the lead in the 61st minute when he stretched to steer in a cross from German star Ozil past De Gea.
Ozil then grabbed the third in stoppage time after a defensive error allowed him to chip the ball home from close range.

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Messi dismisses talk of Barcelona Ballon d'Or rift

Lionel Messi
Argentine star Lionel Messi on Thursday dismissed talk that defeating his Barcelona teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi in the race for the Ballon d'Or had strained his relationship with the Spanish pair.
"I don't care what people say. I have the respect and the recognition of my team mates. All my colleagues congratulated me and were happy for me and that is what is the most important for me," he told a news conference.
"I am aware that without my teammates I could not win these prizes. We know what our relationship is and how we get along. The relationship is the same. I am fine with Andres and with Xavi. I have a good relationship with both."
Messi was selected ahead of his two Barcelona teammates at a ceremony in Switzerland on Monday. It was the second straight year that he collected the prize.
The Argentinian forward had been expected to lose out to either one of the two, who won the World Cup with Spain in July, after he endured a modest run at the tournament where he failed to score.
Messi, Iniesta and Xavi received a standing ovation from Barcelona fans on Wednesday when they took to the field before the start of their side's 5-0 Spanish Cup victory at home over second division leaders Betis. The Argentine forward hit a hat-trick in what was his first game since winning the Ballon d'Or.Set up in 1956 by France Football magazine the Ballon d'Or merged with FIFA's world player of the year award for the first time.

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