u/Hot_Quote2416

I told him he was innocent, and that he was proven not guilty. And then I get banned for being a "r*pe apologist" according to the mods. I honestly feel really upset. I am not an SA apologist. I think that SA is a horrible and disgusting crime. Feel free to look at my comment history in that thread. I don't think I said anything outlandish to warrant a ban. I promise, again, I think SA is a really bad thing.

Am I in the wrong for defending ronaldo here?

I think Ronaldo really only started to drop off in his second stint at United. At Juventus, he was still the same efficient striker. He won 5 domestic trophies and was the fastest in Juventus history to reach 100+ goals. And from 2019-2021, it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for Real Madrid. If he had stayed, how would it have been different?

Personally, I think Madrid would win by one goal on aggregate. What do you guys think?

EDIT: PLEASE REPLACE RONALDO WITH HENRY IN THE PREM ALL-TIME. That was my mistake. Also, feel free to swap terry with vidic if you want

These are the stats of Messi and Ronaldo after they turned 30.

(Apologies if this image is outdated or inaccurate. I believe Ronaldo has 500+ goals after 30 and Messi has higher assist numbers. Please fact-check this.)

As we can see, their achievements, trophies, and statistics after turning 30 are good enough for an entire legendary career. Throughout their careers, they had (almost) no major or long-term injuries and constantly adapted their playstyles to make up for their dwindling physical abilities. They dominated European competitions and high-level domestic leagues as well as international competitions with playmaking and positioning.

But it's no secret that Messi and Ronaldo are complete freaks of nature. Typically, after you turn 32 or 33, your abilities as a footballer slowly begin to decline, or even a long-term injury can ruin everything. 2026 Carvajal was not the same as 2018 Carvajal. Rodri was never the same after he tore his ACL. Neymar's career, which is still an all-time great one, was ravaged by injuries. Injuries and early fatigue especially happen when you get overplayed too much.

Now look at Lamine Yamal. Don't get me wrong, he is one of the best players in the world (if not the best). But he has already had to deal with injuries and a couple off-the-pitch controversies. He is constantly being overplayed by both Hansi Flick and De La Fuente. Look at Bojan Kirkic. Over 900 academy goals, but pressure and injuries destroyed him. It took Dembele a while to overcome injuries to become a world-class forward.

I obviously hope that Yamal stays healthy throughout his career. He's a joy to watch. But the question isn't if he can have a better peak that Messi and Ronaldo. We need to consider if he can still win Ballon D'ors and Champions Leagues after his physical peak. That's why I find comparisons to Messi and Ronaldo now a bit premature. We don't know what is actually going to happen to him in his career. Just like Toni Kroos says, a career is a marathon.

I've only been following football for a couple years, so I don't really know a lot about him. Was he better than Casemiro? What about the likes of Busquets and Matthaus? What was his playstyle, and how well did he perform for the club? Is he better than the likes of Rodri and Kante? Seriously, I want to know!

Okay, let's disect these:

Nigeria once again got obliterated. Let's be honest, they're about to get the Bayern vs. Barca 2020 treatment from France. But hey, at least Onazi probably scored.

Germany steamrolled Korea 4-1 and are likely going to top their group. This tells us more than we think. If Japan finish 2nd in their group, (which they will. Narratively, there is no way they get grouped), and Germany top their group, Germany and Japan will end up meeting BEFORE the final, which means that we might see them play in the quarter-finals or semi-finals.

Kaiser probably did not score 4 goals, but he likely got at least 2, and maybe Ness or Grim scored 1 each. He probably looks angry since Germany couldn't maintain a clean sheet because of a Korea last-minute consolation goal.

Bunny's Spain gave Qatar the 5-2 BTA. They have played 2 matches so far, and gotten 2 wins, so they likely topped their group. Bunny more than likely scored a hat trick while enabling his other teammates to score the other 2. Again, Spain have topped their group now, so they will likely face Japan before the final in either the quarter-finals, Ro16, or semi-finals.

It really depends on what Kaneshiro wants to do, but my prediction is:

Round of 32: Brazil.

Round of 16: Probably some form of elite opposition, like the Netherlands or Argentina. Very unpredictable. (EDIT: NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, JAPAN MIGHT FACE ITALY)

Quarter-Finals: Spain

Semi-Finals: Germany

Final: France.

What do you guys think?

I'll start.

Free Kick - CR7

Just look at the bangers this man was scoring from long range in his prime.

Header - Rooney

Rooney was an athletic freak in his prime. I am confident that he would be able to jump and slam the ball into the net with his head.

Penalty - Tevez

I am confident that he would be able to slot it away confidently. He does not seem like the guy to doubt himself, which I think would be important when taking a penalty.

What do you guys think?

4-3-3

GK - Iker Casillas vs Ter Stegen/Valdes/Courtois

You can also say Courtois, but either way, both are better than Victor Valdes and Ter Stegen. I prefer Casillas.

RB - Carvajal vs Dani Alves

Carvajal has 6 UCLs and is one of the best attacking right-backs ever. Also, frankly, I cannot separate what Dani Alves did off the field from what he did on the field. Just please do some research...

CBs - Ramos+Varane vs. Puyol+Pique

I went with Ramos and Puyol. They have an absurd trophy cabinet, are great threats from set pieces, good defenders, and amazing leaders. Puyol gets the Captains armband.

LB - Roberto Carlos/Marcelo vs Jordi Alba

You could also say Marcelo, but either way, both are better than Jordi Alba.

CDM - Sergio Busquets vs Casemiro/Makelele

Busquets is arguably the GOAT CDM, and as much as I love Casemiro and Makelele, Busquets clears both of them.

CMs - Modric/Zidane/Kroos vs Xavi/Iniesta

All 5 of these are the top 5 midfielders of all time (in my opinion), but I think I would edge it to Zidane and Modric as the two best.

LW - Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Neymar

I love Neymar, but let's not overthink it. It's Ronaldo.

ST - Johan Cruyff/Suarez vs R9/Benzema

I think Suarez had the highest peak as a striker, but all-time, it is certainly Cruyff.

RW - Messi vs. Gareth Bale

Again, don't overthink it. It's Messi.

Manager - Pep Guardiola vs Ancelotti/Zidane/Mourinho

Pep would be the manager, in my opinion. It depends on what style of football you prefer, but as an overall manager (tactics, transfers, mentality, etc) it is Pep.

So, we know Lorenzo is Italian.

And in Italy, the Ferrari F1 team is extremely popular.

So, my theory is that even while growing up poor, Lorenzo has always been a big Ferrari fan. He watches all the races, buys merch, and sometimes sneaks in the grandstands to watch the Italian Grand Prix.