On Second Look: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Affair With Lionel Messi

You know what? Taking a day off to assess the situation – and the predictable comments that became hardwired not long after, from fans either of or against Cristiano Ronaldo – we’re going to give the boy a pass on this one.

After all, if you had a sh*t game and were hear cat calls about the only person in the world who continually bests you in public opinion the entire time, how would you feel?

For 90 minutes, while Portugal struggled to beat Denmark and Ronaldo struggled to do anything, Danish supporters continually chanted Lio’s name. After the game, Cristiano’s televised response raised some eyebrows, certainly some in Barcelona and Buenos Aires.

“You know where he was at this time [last year]? Do you know? He was being eliminated in the Copa America, in his own country,” Ronaldo said at the post-game press conference. “I think that’s worse, no?”

Sounds a little childish, right? But, dig a little deeper.

When we see it in movies, or in our own lives, it’s justified. It’s called jealousy, and just because Ronaldo has millions doesn’t mean he can’t be jealous. Besides… Messi has millions, too.

Most of the discourse on this subject depends on how folks view the two superstars, but this is a flawed way of assessing the situation.

Messi appears to be humble. He’s short, he’s fast, he’s exciting, and he buries more goals than Putin buries bodies. Of course, Messi must be more full of himself than he appears to be. He has to be. He’s great, and truly great people know they’re great.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, has always appeared cocky. Full of himself. Part of it was his entrance, as a plucked teenager in the 2004 Euros. He had frosted tips. His hair is always gelled to the nines, and he’s not the kind of guy you’d want to introduce to your girlfriend.

I went to Portugal in 2009, before Messi was the undoubted number one, and I obviously partied with Americans and Australians. The boy’s face was everywhere. He’s on, like, five banks and every department store. Everyone loves Cristiano Ronaldo, even as they know they should hate him. I was walking around with a chick from San Diego, and I said, “Man, that guy is huge here. He’s a phenomenal soccer player.”

Her response? “Yea, and he’s fine as fu*k.”

And, in some small way, I hated that. It was a cheesy way of assessing the player he was, but it was a shadow he’ll never escape from. It’s why Ryan Gosling will never win and Oscar without playing someone who’s balding or fat and lonely, and it’s why Brad Pitt has never won one.

He just looks worse – because he looks better – but is that how we should judge this?

Ronaldo only scores a tiny bit less than Messi does, and neither have ever been great on a world stage. So, while Messi may not have won last year’s Cope America or either of his World Cups, Ronaldo hasn’t either.

Ronaldo just doesn’t have credit stored on reserve like Messi does. When Ronaldo screws up, it’s easier to nail him for it, because he has a cocky grin and he is second best.

Don’t you think he knows it? Don’t you think he feels it? Isn’t that why we got mad?

And, is that really that bad?