The Daily Heron: Ronaldo boast shows he’s no Messi; Thiago scores 11 against Atlanta

CR7 rates himself the greatest player of all time, ahead of Messi

Remember Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese male model and pro footballer? Once upon a time, pundits debated whether he or Argentine legend Lionel Messi was the better soccer player. After Messi, currently captaining Inter Miami CF, helped Argentina win its third World Cup title and received his eighth Balon d’Or as Europe’s best player in 2022, that argument began to fade. Instead, the discussion focused on whether Messi is the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT), in the same category as Pele and Maradonna.

In all seriousness, Ronaldo is supremely talented; he is supremely committed to maintaining his physical fitness and has a legendary work ethic. He has been incredibly productive over the course of his career, putting up eye-popping individual statistics.

But Ronaldo doesn’t make the players around him better and he’s never been celebrated for his leadership abilities; quite the opposite, at several stops over his long career he’s been considered a distraction and divisive in the locker room. Not so Messi. His numbers are superior to his arch rival’s, but it’s the intangibles — the qualities that can’t be quantified — that set Messi apart, not just over CR7 but also over his countryman, Diego Maradonna, and the iconic Pele.

Ronaldo, who turned 40 on Wednesday, is confident, some would say to the point of arrogance. So it was no surprise that he told reporters earlier this week that he, Ronaldo, is the greatest soccer player of all time. It seems the proud Portuguese is irked by the global attention Messi continues to receive after moving to the U.S. and Major League Soccer in 2023, while Ronaldo’s light has dimmed slightly since moving to Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Pro League the same year.

""I have a lot of respect for Cristiano (Ronaldo) and I don't have to analyse his opinions. It's what he thinks. I have my own thoughts and it isn't that.""

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano

Earlier this week, Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano — a teammate of Messi’s at Barcelona — was asked what he thought about Ronaldo’s boast.

“I have a lot of respect for Cristiano (Ronaldo) and I don't have to analyze his opinions,” Mascherano said in a televised interview, according to Goal.com. “It's what he thinks. I have my own thoughts and it isn't that."

Thiago Messi nets 11 against Atlanta United. While Messi sets new Herons records almost every time he takes the pitch, his son Thiago is forging his own legacy at Inter Miami Academy. He scored 11 goals in a 12-0 win against Atlanta United U13 earlier this week.