Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Who Would Be the Better Toronto Maple Leafs Player

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most cursed franchises in the NHL. It’s time for them to start doing things differently. There may be nothing more outside the box than bringing in one of the best athletes from another sport.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have notoriously struggled with their cap space. That’s why they only have room for one elite recruit.

]For that spot, they will pit two of the greatest footballers / soccer players of all-time against each other. This sets up Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi for a spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ronaldo is an active soccer player. He’s the captain for his club team, Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League as well as the Portugal national team. The man is heavily decorated in the sport having won five Ballon d’Or awards and a four European Golden Shoes as well as league and UEFA championships.

Messi also captains his club, Inter Miami, and the Argentina national team. As impressive as Ronaldo’s trophy count has gotten, Messi’s is even greater. He has won seven Ballon d’Or awards and six European Golden Shoes.

Ronaldo vs Messi: Who’d Be Better on the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Both Ronaldo and Messi have proven themselves to be exceptional athletes and leaders. However, hockey is very different from soccer, requiring different skills and abilities. With just one spot up for grabs, the Leafs need to sure which superstar is best to hire.

One advantage that Ronaldo would have over Messi is his height. Ronaldo stands at 6 feet 2 inches. Messi is significantly smaller.

He’s just 5 feet 7 inches tall. In hockey, height is far more important than soccer. Brian Burke appeared to have traded up in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft just to get a taller player in Tyler Biggs. Ronaldo would have the longer reach and more leverage in physical battles. With a longer fall to the ice, he’d also be able to flop more convincingly.

Another advantage that Ronaldo would have over Messi is his versatility. Ronaldo has played in various positions throughout his career, such as winger, striker, and attacking midfielder. He has also adapted his style of play to suit different teams and leagues.

Ronaldo could surely play all three forward positions with the  Toronto Maple Leafs. He would be a master on faceoffs, tying up his opponents and using his quick feet to kick the puck to a teammate.

Messi would outplay Ronaldo in some areas. Messi, for example, is more agile than Ronaldo. Messi is renowned for his ability to change direction quickly and evade defenders with his dribbling skills. In hockey, agility is a crucial skill.

Messi could use this to dodge hits, create space on the ice, avoid checks, and generate scoring chances.

Another advantage that Messi would have over Ronaldo is his vision. Messi’s socce IQ is off the charts. He has an exceptional ability to see the whole field and anticipate the movements of his teammates and opponents.

The same was said about Wayne Gretzky when he played. Messi would be a natural at reading the play as it unfolds and making a wise decision to exploit his opponent’s defensive errors.

The race would be tight to land a position on a new team in a foreign sport that doesn’t pay as well as both Ronaldo and Messi are used to. The successful candidate would also need to relocate to a different continent and change their lifestyle to fit that of an NHL player. Clearly, both men would compete hard for the spot.

In the end, Ronaldo would edge Messi out of contention. He’s been so good at soccer for so long, it’s probably best he left the sport for a little while to both help the Leafs and give someone else some time in the football spotlight.

Then again, perhaps both men should stick to soccer.