Messi vs. Ronaldo : one rivalry, two GOATs, and the era that remade the world's game

Messi vs. Ronaldo One rivalry, two GOATs, and the era that remade the world's game

Joshua Robinson, 1986-

Book - 2022

"For over fifteen years, almost any conversation about international soccer has always come back to two players--Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo--undoubtedly the greatest of their generation but with styles, attitudes, and fanbases that couldn't be more different. For millions of people around the world "Messi or Ronaldo?" isn't simply a barroom argument, or an affirmation of fandom, so much as a statement of philosophy, of values, of what global soccer is today and of what it will be tomorrow. Now Wall Street Journal reporters and co-authors of The Club, Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg, unite the stories of Messi and Ronaldo into a single modern epic of global sports, detailing how one rivalry changed both th...e game and the business of international soccer--forever. Based on dozens of firsthand accounts and years of original reporting, Messi vs. Ronaldo weaves together the stakes, color, and characters at the heart of each man's story, going inside the locker rooms and boardrooms where their legends were forged and revealing off-field drama as gripping as anything that happened on it. From their contrasting origin stories to their divergent career arcs and their conflicting reputations, these players have built their successes on opposite paths, yet each, in his own way, offers a riveting tale of triumph and excess. Taken together, their story embodies the astronomical growth of international soccer, how social media has revolutionized the power of sports celebrity, and how the desire to capitalize on the billions of dollars these players represent electrified some of the most storied clubs in Europe--Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United among them--and cost them almost everything. With the 2022 World Cup almost certain to be the last for both of these figures, Messi vs. Ronaldo offers a deeply researched look at their legacy and grapples with the impact that their talents have had on the game for better and for worse. Much more than a retelling of the dual accomplishments of these great players, this is truly a biography of a rivalry, one that has become a crucial lens for understanding the past, present, and future of global soccer."--

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Subjects
Messi, Lionel, > 1987-
Ronaldo, Cristiano, > 1985-
Soccer.
Soccer players > Portugal > Biography.
Soccer players > Argentina > Biography.
Soccer players.
Argentina.
Portugal.
Biographies.
Genres
Biographies
Published
New York : Mariner Books [2022]
Language
English
Main Author
Joshua Robinson, 1986- (author)
Other Authors
Jonathan Clegg, 1980- (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xi, 307 pages ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 297-298) and index.
ISBN
9780063157170
  • Authors' Note
  • Prologue: Zurich, December 2007
  • Part 1. Two Geniuses
  • 1. Across the Sea
  • 2. The Farm System
  • 3. The Two Jorges
  • 4. Playstation Footballers
  • Part 2. Greatest(s) of All Time
  • 5. Galáctico Brain
  • 6. Mes Que Un Clásico
  • 7. Gold Rush
  • 8. The Monuments Men
  • Part 3. Twilight of the Gods
  • 9. Messinaldo, Inc.
  • 10. Mergers and Acquisitions
  • 11. Super League Supernova
  • 12. The Last Dance
  • Epilogue
  • Acknowledgments
  • Appendix
  • Selected Bibliography
  • Index
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Two Wall Street Journal sportswriters chronicle a soccer rivalry that hinges on money as much as on-the-pitch performance. Facing off in the Spanish soccer league for years, Lionel Messi (b. 1987), a native of Argentina, and Cristiano Ronaldo (b. 1985), from the Portuguese island of Madeira, were a study in contrasts: the former small and, as often noted here, lacking in much of a personality, the other voluble and larger than life. Yet both have always displayed nearly superhuman skills, and both emerged as superstars, sometimes to the unhappiness of teammates--in the case of Ronaldo, for example, never passing the ball to them because, he said, "I'd only see the ball." Both were signed young to rising clubs from Barcelona and Madrid that would soon become the richest in the world--at least, write Robinson and Clegg, until Emirati investors pumped Manchester City and other British teams full of money. Part of the cash flow came from rival sportswear manufacturers Adidas and Nike, part from TV, part from gate revenues. With a huge publicity machine behind them, the rival players "accessed a level of recognition normally reserved for US presidents and popes." Messi has more social media followers than LeBron James, Ronaldo more than Kim Kardashian. So popular as both athletes and "lifestyle brands" were the two that their clubs had to pay exorbitant amounts to keep them. Fans may argue over which player is better, but for the amount they paid Messi, the authors note, "Barça [Barcelona] could have bought six F-35 fighter jets from the US Air Force," and Ronaldo commanded similarly huge numbers of euros. Messi and Ronaldo have gone on to other teams, but, the authors conclude, thanks to overreach, the clubs they once played for were left "out of ideas, running out of money, and increasingly desperate." An absorbing cautionary tale for soccer fans and students of sports finance alike. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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