A Messi is worth two Ronaldos

Posted Friday, June 14, 2013 by Marca.com

In the never-ending saga of Messi–Ronaldo comparisons, the Argentine runs out the clear winner according to a study published this Thursday, which calculates his value on the A Messi is worth two Ronaldos football market to be between €217m and €253m, about twice as much as that of the Portuguese.

Lionel Messi wins this comparison with Ronaldo according to the report by the CIES Football Observatory in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The Argentine superstar beats every other player in the world for both his performances on the pitch, as well as the astronomical fee that any club would theoretically have to cough up in order to sign him.

The Swiss researchers calculated the financial value of every player in the five big European league championships, taking into consideration criteria including the player's age, his track record, the length of his contract, his performances, the club he plays for, as well as how many international appearances he has made.

The Barcelona striker tops the list ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, whose estimated value is calculated to be between €102m and €118m.

"There is more chance of Ronaldo leaving Real than of Messi leaving Barcelona, mainly because of his price tag, which puts him out of reach for potential suitors, except for a number of insane investors," said Rafaele Poli, the study's co-author.