Better Player? Ronaldinho or Ronaldo

[John Pedro]

Seems a bit of revisionist history after '06. He won the Golden ball in the 1999 confederations cup, was captain of the 2005 team that won (and was MotM in the final against Argentina) and was fantastic in the 2002 WC. The problem with Ronaldinho is that you don't get as big a sample size at the NT level and unfortunately he wasn't as dedicated to football as he could have been (his extracurriculars are quite well documented).

Sure he had good runs and tournaments, but overall it was an underwhelming int-career.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Ronaldo all day. Not close at all.

 

[Stray Wasp]

Ronaldo : pace, finishing, strong as a bull
Ronaldinho : flash, dribbling, creativity

Hard to beat that description.

I think that granted consistent health Ronaldo may well have achieved enough to enter the Di Stefano / possibly Maradona (Evilo will fume at me, but I doubt I'll ever escape the grip of 1986) / Messi / Pele bracket. His 97-98 Serie A campaign was mesmerising- and he began the campaign as a twenty-year old, new to a league that was then the world's best by a clear distance.

In contrast, wonderful as Ronaldinho was at his peak, I don't think he achieved anything specific to place himself above a whole pack of other players who were wonderful for five years or so. Maybe he suffers unfairly in my perceptions because almost immediately Messi surpassed him.

Admittedly outright centre-forwards are being marginalised now, but none of Ronaldo's successors leave me awestruck as he once did.

Anyway, I loved watching both of them.

 

[Stray Wasp]

R9 didn't win the CL... How come he doesn't get criticized as much as Messi for not winning WC( which is tougher to win might I add)?

I prefer to look at it through the other end of the telescope, and ponder how sensible are the people who'd try to diminish either player based on such superficial arguments?

 

[Luigi Habs]

I dislike Ronaldo but you gotta respect his dedication, his consistency and his overall approach to the game. Ronaldinho was brilliant and a magician but didn’t do it for long enough to be considered among the greatests.

 

[YNWA14]

I dislike Ronaldo but you gotta respect his dedication, his consistency and his overall approach to the game. Ronaldinho was brilliant and a magician but didn’t do it for long enough to be considered among the greatests.

I think you're thinking of the wrong Ronaldo.

 

[Luigi Habs]

I think you're thinking of the wrong Ronaldo.

Lmao you’re right.

Still would go with Ronaldo. I remember back then as a teenage Juve fan I would be sweating every time Ronaldo touched the ball when he played with Inter. Ronaldo’s peak was close to Messi’s. He was that good.

 

[Eye of Ra]

ronaldo had a better career but ronaldinho had better peak/prime.

 

[Il Mediano]

Well... doesn’t really seem like there’s a “split between them”.

And Seph, you either never watched Ronaldo , have a crazy bias distorting your view , or have no idea how to process what you watched.

 

[Il Mediano]

Also, I’m noticing dribbling skills being attributed to Dinho , but not to Ronaldo.

Don’t kid yourself , Ronaldo was one of the best dribblers ever.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

ronaldo had a better career but ronaldinho had better peak/prime.

Hell no. Ronaldo's peak was better. 2002 wc is better than anything dinho ever did and that wasn't even peak R9. And dinho didn't even have a prime, he was done at the top after 2 years.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Also, I’m noticing dribbling skills being attributed to Dinho , but not to Ronaldo.

Don’t kid yourself , Ronaldo was one of the best dribblers ever.

Agreed. R9 was basically CR7 and Messi combined. Pace, power, 2 footed, lethal finisher, dribbling, free kicks, IQ. He literally had no weakness

 

[The Abusement Park]

He literally had no weakness

Ehh he was pretty suspect defensively tbf

 

[Il Mediano]

Ehh he was pretty suspect defensively tbf

Haha , he was no Firmino for sure. Times have changed though. (Don’t tell that to Dzeko)

He wasn’t great heading the ball either to be truthful.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Haha , he was no Firmino for sure. Times have changed though. (Don’t tell that to Dzeko)

He wasn’t great heading the ball either to be truthful.

I feel like he never had to head the ball

 

[Deficient Mode]

Hell no. Ronaldo's peak was better. 2002 wc is better than anything dinho ever did and that wasn't even peak R9. And dinho didn't even have a prime, he was done at the top after 2 years.

Knee injuries had already slowed Ronaldo way down by 2002. A career highlight for sure, but not his best football.

His "bullishness" was arguably also the biggest cause of his curtailed peak career: carrying around so much weight makes players prone to knee and other leg injuries in this sport.

 

[Evilo]

Yeah, he turned himself into a pure finisher in 02 WC, but was hardly as good as his peak years.

 

[S E P H]

Deco: Ronaldinho tops Messi and Ronaldo

Ronaldo posted better numbers, no doubt about that, but still hard to take him over the amount of talent that Ronaldinho had. I just can't see it.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Where still quoting on here as if its meaningful? Why is Deco's opinion on the matter any different from anyone else?

 

[The Abusement Park]

Where still quoting on here as if its meaningful? Why is Deco's opinion on the matter any different from anyone else?

Because he’s so Deco-rated as a player?

 

[Deficient Mode]

Because he’s so Deco-rated as a player?

Take my like and get out

 

[The Abusement Park]

Take my like and get out

I already got hit with a few tomatoes so