The respective careers of eternal rivals Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the subject of comparison for well over a decade. More often than not direct rivals for the coveted Ballon d’Or prize, the pair have ruled the footballing world throughout recent memory.
However, while the Argentine captain has enjoyed a blistering start to the season at Paris Saint-Germain, Ronaldo’s herculean powers finally appear to be on the wane.
The 37-year-old Portuguese icon has very much fallen out of favour at Manchester United, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner an unused substitute in the recent 6-3 loss to Manchester City.
The differing starts that Messi and Ronaldo have had to the current campaign are reflected in Transfermarkt’s latest market value update.