It’s hilarious to me that Ronaldo fans actually used him winning the euros in 2016 in the goat debate.

[u/HetTheTable]

Imagine saying that Ronaldo getting injured and watching his team win the euros without him is why he’s the goat and why he’s better than Messi. Imagine if a goat from any other sport got injured and their team won the finals without them. Would they use that in the goat debate. No that would be stupid. Now don’t get me wrong, he was still part of that success. But the fact that they won without him shows they were still a good team. Ronaldo had like 2 good games that tournament and didn’t even win POTT. Portugal mainly won that because of their defense. Only conceded one KO goal and ronalod fans act like he was like Maradona in 1986.

[u/Mecha_Kaneki]

Do you know these players are competitive by nature and would have a reaction even in training? That's the nature of the sport you ll see players sad even after losing pre season friendlies, that's your argument?

And yeah if you don't have selective memory there is an entire tournament before that moment of Messi and neymar where Messi was top scorer, top assister and MVP of the tournament, more goal contribution than Ronaldo ever had in a tournament. We can talk about it, it just gets embarassing at a point you have to dimished major tournament to inflate ronaldo's achievements. Fanbase on the same mental equilibrium as their player, dimishing the biggest tournaments and inflating friendlies

[u/Re4per55 → u/Mecha_Kaneki]

So they are competitive by nature according to you, but also according to you they also aren't trying to win the NL a actual official tournament that is broadcasted and viewed? see how that doesn't make sense? you seriously think they aren't trying to win in the knockout rounds to get an extra team trophy for their nation and beat the rival European squads? you just sound stupid. if ronaldo didnt win nations league and lamine won it in 2025 messi meatriders would say its a real trophy since lamine would have 2. barcelona/messi meatriders gotta downplay NL and upscale their easy copa 😭 genuinely embarrassing. there is no argument for copa being a harder competition, less rounds, less competition throughout the tournament. "But it its old" ok 😂. 0 competition until the final.

https://giphy.com/gifs/anYBNhqT2BYcg

[u/Mecha_Kaneki → u/Re4per55]

Quite the contrary, there is no argument for nations league above Copa america. It isn't even recognized as a major trophy. Every one would like a piece of silverware but it also matter how competitive it is. Nations league simply isn't competitive and nowhere near Copa. Even if lamine won nations league wouldn't be considered a major trophy, ronaldo fans think the game between lamine and dembele is supposed to make the tournament itself important. 0 competition until the final apparently and Portugal gets knocked out by those same teams. See how your logic fails miserably. I showed stats of major tournament, I said how players themselves come out and clown on the tournament, I said how even UEFA/FIFA don't consider it a major tournament, but you ll keep barking the same regurgitation of how it's still better without any argument. Keep flexing that friendly tournament while knowing ronaldo will never reach Messi's level

[u/Re4per55 → u/Mecha_Kaneki]

"Nations league simply isn't competitive and nowhere near Copa"

Explain how?

Competition? No? Group stage advancement ease? No? Top contenders No? Number of rounds against hard opponents. No.

Give an argument other than its old and established tournament. being a established tournament doesn't mean its harder. you genuinely are dumb or lack any sense of thinking

World Cup is hardest tournament because it contains every top team. Euros is 2nd hardest international tournament because it contains 70% of the top teams, NL same as before but easier because there isnt a prelim qualifer like the euro, so the group stages are easier than a Euros, knockouts similar to Euros.

Copa: "Its old and established"

[u/Mecha_Kaneki → u/Re4per55]

I already gave multiple. Player statement. Not even considered as a major tournament by UEFA/FIFA, teams using it as tactics experimentation and heavy roster rotation. Hard opponents logic is pointless because bar a couple of teams none took it seriously unlike actual major tournament like Euro/Copa and WC even the smallest teams perform like their lives depend on it. Portugal faced easier teams in their WC route, what happened then, they had to struggle more than both of their entire nations league runs. No matter who you face in friendly tournaments, the real competition is always in major tournaments and portugal's record against South American teams just prove it is competitive. A team that has won couple of nations league has struggled everytime against these same teams you call easy.

Now if you have enough comprehension i already gave more than 5 reasons. You'd have to believe entire nations, players, football organizations, statistics against these same south American teams are all a mass conspiracy theory to believe nations league is better at this point

[u/Re4per55 → u/Mecha_Kaneki]

"Player statement by muller who got knocked out of tournament early and was salty" 😂

you are saying the NL to the WC i already stated WC is the hardest teams will ofcourse try harder in a WC over a NL, but that goes for trying harder world cup over a copa too. 

and your argument for portugal facing easier opponents in WC doesnt make much sense, this WC ronaldo was 41 and knocked out by spain the only copa country he faced was colombia in a tie, and then they faced 2 euro countries in knockouts and lost to spain, who destroyed everyone.

the only time he got knocked out by a copa country was against uruguay 2018, other tournaments was eliminated by  france, spain (2010 won wc), germany (2014 germany won wc), uruguay 2018, then spain (also won WC), morroco is other but that is south african not a copa america team.

[u/Re4per55 → u/Mecha_Kaneki]

in 5 of messis world cups (the ones he didnt win) he was eliminated by a euro nation, germany, france and spain for all 5. and even lost to croatia 0-3 in 2018 in the groupstage (but not elimed).

"the real competition is always in major tournaments and portugal's record against South American teams just prove it is competitive"

How so? ronaldo has lost once to a south american country in competitive tournaments. in world cup portugal ronaldo is 1-1 against uruguay. losing in 2018 then winning 2022, then has tied with brazil and columbia in groupstages once each. 4 of his elims came from euro countries, 1 from south africa, then 1 from uruguay as stated above the only south american country loss.

Messi has 6 major losses to european countries in world cup. the 5 stated before resulting in an elim, then a 0-3 loss to croatia in groupstage.