But at least it’s a worthwhile read. Written by a pair of Wall Street Journal reporters, Messi vs Ronaldo mercifully refrains from systematically going through their two careers season by season in a blur of goals and records. Instead, the emphasis is on the personal, drawing heavily on interviews with individuals who had ringside seats for both players’ rise to the top. The American perspectives of the authors are sometimes too noticeable – Walter Smith is referred to merely as “one of Ferguson’s assistant coaches from outside Glasgow”, Clive Tyldesley described as “an announcer” – but the writing is strong and detailed overall.

Ronaldo has reached 2 major international finals with Portugal, winning one of these at the 2016 European Championships, and losing the other at Euro 2004. He also won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal, and has the most goals in the history of international football! This unbelievable stat is testament to both Messi and Ronaldo’s elite mental and physical conditioning, which has enabled them to remain at the top for so long. Wall Street Journal reporters Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg offer a deeply reported account of the intertwined sagas and legacies of two of the greatest soccer players of all time—Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—examining how their rivalry has grown from a personal competition to a multi-billion-dollar industry, paralleling the stunning rise, overwhelming excesses, and uncertain future of modern international soccer. The book’s overriding theme is how their career arcs personified the radical transformation of football from a mere sport into a formidable tool of global soft power, which means lots of material about the behind-the-scenes machinations that powered their careers. In the summer of 2008, as Real Madrid try to unsettle Ronaldo at United by planting stories in the press, an outraged Alex Ferguson tells him: “If I do that [cave in to their tactics], all my honour’s gone, everything’s gone for me, and I don’t care if you have to sit in the stands… I will not let you leave this year.”Most goals scored in a Champions League match by a player – 5, in a 7-1 win against Bayer 04 Leverkusen on 7 March 2012. Ronaldo also holds the records for the most Champions League assists (42) and most successful penalties taken by a player in the Champions League (19). Messi requires two more assists and one more penalty to equal both records. Messi and Ronaldo have both played in five World Cups, sharing the record for the most appearances in FIFA World Cup tournaments by a player (male), however, Messi failed to score in 2010’s tournament, handing Ronaldo the record for the most FIFA World Cup tournaments scored in by a player (5). On the other hand, Messi holds the record for the most FIFA World Cup tournaments assisted in by a player (5).

The people that run these clubs are seemingly very bad business people or just have very short-term incentives. Their valuation of assets seems non-rigorous to say the least and the clubs seem to be on the brink of failure all the time. Man U seems different but the book didn’t share enough info to say that with confidence. This is in addition to his Olympic Gold medal (with an Argentina U23 side) and the FIFA U20 World Cup trophy. The title of the book is perhaps one of the biggest debates of the last decade. Messi and Ronaldo are not just mere footballers, but arguably the best two humans(many doubt if they are human actually) to ever play the game, global icons, most marketable and recognisable faces on the planet. They rewrite the record books almost everyday and we are privileged to be born in this era to watch these two geniuses who continue to set new standards and prove that age is just a number. Ronaldo also has the most Champions League appearances (183) and the most Champions League match victories by an individual (116). Not only has he won more games than every other player, but he’s also won more than most clubs, including the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal. Ligue Urrrrn latest: Jorge Sampaoli may be a fiery South American visionary, but that doesn’t mean he will recreate Marcelo Bielsa’s magic at Marseille.

Today I am on Team Messi only because I always cheer for the elder statesmen of sports. Once all these icons retire and there are no contemporaries of mine left competing, it will be harder for me to relate to professional sports, as I find myself more and more calling most of the competing athletes by the endearing term “kid.” Just as in my childhood cheering on Michael Jordan and the last twenty years being firmly entrenched on Team Brady, Ronaldo and Messi are beyond generational talents. They are international icons who drive the sport both on the field and at the bank. Seeing how they have modernized football into a 21st century game has been a thrilling ride. I just hope the World Cup final today is as thrilling as Ronaldo and Messi clash at the height of their careers.