Ronaldo or Messi? Virus or Locust?

In general I find the Ronaldo vs Messi debate tiresome. Both are the greatest, but they play different roles and have different values. Ronaldo only cares about goals and Messi just wants to win. As a Barcelona fan I lean towards Messi, but I will gladly tune in for a "Siuuuuu" (Ronaldo's goal celebration).

Tired as it is, this rivalry has reached new heights recently, with global implications. Each player has chosen similar (but opposite) paths and the ripple effect of these anti-parallel moves is shaping the world of club soccer as we know it.

Ronaldo followed green into the desert and signed a $214 million deal with Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr. Soccer is a prideful sport, but seeing one of it's greats cross a line in the sand is no joke. Ronaldo's move has made it OK for others to unabashedly pursue their own wealth and several high-profile players have followed his example. With the amount of capital Saudi Arabia has to spend, the competitive balance of the sport may never be the same.

Messi took a different path and rode his own coat tails to South Beach. There is money on the table but it is more discrete, and his move does not open the floodgates for other players. Despite being a modest and isolated venture, it has succeeded in unprecedented ways. In just 8 games (all wins), Messi has 10 goals, 3 assists, and 1 trophy (Inter Miami's first), with another within grasp. Alongside a few old Barcelona teammates and a former Argentina coach, Messi has flipped Inter Miami from the worst team in the MLS to a real contender.

But when it comes to flipping, there is always another side to the coin. As stated earlier, Ronaldo's move is upsetting the competitive balance of world club soccer, with European leagues losing major talent and bleeding viewership. Contextualizing this for the non-soccer fan, Ronaldo's move is like a virus that is infecting others and spreading quickly. It will endure for as long as the host (the Saudi League) can survive. Messi mania on the other hand is like a plague of locust. A wave of conquering energy that rises in an atmosphere of opportunity and leaves nothing but destruction and dead bugs in its wake.

I don't mean for all this to sound dreary and instead use these metaphors to illustrate the disparate consequences of these moves. The locust energy of Messi mania may last through the next World Cup (2026; N America), but the league he plays in could be left scorched by his blaze of glory. Messi is already getting booed at opposing stadiums and it will continue for as long as he succeeds. Ronaldo on the other hand is simply patient 0 in this New World Order and the future of his personal soccer journey is irrelevant. The Saudi League will gladly swell with viral particles until the money runs out, which may never happen.

Follow the drama @BE_Kiira