Number 1 Athletes in 2012 by Sport

Association football 

– Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo

Association football is the most popular sport in the world, with an estimated 250 million players.  The FIFA World Cup is the most widely viewed event in the world and the 1950 match between Uruguay and Brasil holds the attendance record for a team sport (an estimated 210,000 people).  Association football has come to symbolize the highest level of athletic achievement and competition.    Many people consider Brasilian star Pele to be the best footballer ever.  He is the top scorer ever, recording 1281 goals in 1363 games.  However, as football has expanded, the game’s strategy has followed.  Some feel it is harder to score a goal in 2012 than ever before.

The Athletes

Lionel Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona.  He is currently only 24 years old, and already recognized as the best soccer player in the world.  Messi won the FIFA Ballon d’Or (World Player of the Year) in both 2010 and 2011, and the Ballon d’Or in 2009.  He is one of only two players to win three consecutive MVP Awards, the other being Michel Platini.  Lionel is known for his ball handling, unselfish play, trick shots, and incredible accuracy.

In 2012, Messi scored five times in a UEFA Champions League match and finished the season with 60 goals.  It was the first time that a player had finished with 60 goals in a European league since Gerd Müller in 1972-73.  Messi also holds the goal scoring record for FC Barcelona, with a total of 243 goals.  He is the clear favorite to win a fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or in 2012.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Real Madrid.  He is one of the highest paid athletes in the world ($400,000 per match), and holds a contract buyout clause of €1 billion.  Ronaldo is an incredible goal scorer, and is known for his acrobatic dribbling skills and power.  He is a relentless striker, and rarely misses opportunities to score.  Behind Messi, Ronaldo is recognized as the best soccer player in the world.  In 2008, he won the Ballon d’Or.  In 2011-12, Ronaldo scored 56 times in European league play and led La Liga with 42 goals.

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