Oleh Akhmad Zamroni
Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar (Source: www2.pictures.zimbio.com, www1.pictures.zimbio.com, http i.dailymail.co.uk)
Linonel
Messi (Argentina) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) are two of the best soccer
players in the world for the last 13 years (2008-2017). From 2008 to 2020, they
were alternately selected as best players (the world's best players) by winning
the Ballon d'Or award from FIFA-France Football. Messi won the Ballon d'Or six times, namely in
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019, while Ronaldo won it five times, namely
for 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Practically
during those 13 years, they both dominated world football. So far they have not
been able to bring the national teams of their respective countries, Argentina
and Portugal, to become world champions (World Cup). However, their game on the
gridiron was clearly unmatched by any other player. Both in playing skills
(skills) and scoring goals and leading the club to become champions (domestic
league and Champions League), Messi and Ronaldo are far behind other players.
However,
as they get older, they will one day be overtaken, rivaled, and replaced by the
young stars who appear later. Age will be an obstacle for both of them to
maintain their performance on the field. They cannot fight against their aging
age, which causes a decrease in speed, stamina, power, agility, and skills.
However, in their 30s they will begin to show decline.
They
both have now entered that age. Messi is now 33 years old, while Ronaldo is
even 35 years old. So far, Messi, who is two years younger, is still showing
quite good performance: he is still agile, sharp, able to bring Barcelona to
second place (runner-up) in the Spanish League 2019-2020, and become the top
scorer in La Liga (25 goals). However, whether in the next three or four years
he will still be able to maintain this state or not is a question to which the
answer is, most likely, "no." Unless extraordinary things happen, in
three or four years Messi will be in difficult times as his form will decline.
In the
2019-2020 season, Messi's record has begun to decline. Even though he remains
the top scorer of La Liga, he failed miserably to bring Barcelona to win titles
in all competitions (Copa del Rey, La Liga and the Champions League). As for
Ronaldo, at his current age, he is still quite good and sharp at the domestic
league level (Italian Serie A), but at the European level he has seen a lot of
decline.
Even
though Messi and Ronaldo are entering their declining period as soccer players,
we still hope that they will still be able to maintain their form in the next
few years. Without the two of them, world football would feel dry, monotonous
and uninteresting. Their individual actions so far have not been matched by
other players. Neymar, Gareth Bale, Kyllian Mbappe, Eden Hazard, Paul Pogba, or
Harry Kane, who are often referred to as new stars, are generally still below
Messi and Ronaldo.
Although
in real terms Messi and Ronaldo are starting to age and their game will soon
decline, with the frequency that is not high anymore (like when they were in
their 20s) they can still sporadically show their attractive game. We hope that
every now and then they will still carry out their charming individual acts.
The great stars of the past, such as Pele, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Maradona, Hagi,
Zico, Baggio, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in their former glory days in their 30s
are still occasionally able to show their stunning individual acts.
We
certainly hope that Messi and Ronaldo are still able to continue the traditions
of their predecessors. And if one day the two of them are no longer able to do
it — because
they are probably too old — we
hope that there are new stars who can replace them with the same level of play
or at least almost the same.
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