(MCT) — Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney both wear a No. 10 jersey — Messi's is adidas, Rooney's is Nike — and are, no doubt, the two best players in the world, (although Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba aren't far behind). Their statistics almost are identical, and their value to their clubs and national teams is unparalleled. The question is, who's better?
If you could have only one of them on your team, who would you pick?
That is the debate raging in Europe this week as the two superstars led their respective teams to the Champions League quarterfinals. Television commentators, newspaper columnists, bloggers, sports-talk radio hosts and fans at pubs are arguing the issue ad nauseam.
Messi, a 22-year-old Argentine who is called "The Flea," has 25 goals in 25 Liga games for Barcelona this season, including an exquisite hat trick against Valencia on March 14. He followed up that eye-popping performance with two goals and an assist against Stuttgart last week in the Champions League round of 16 and then another hat trick Sunday vs. Zaragoza. The streak ended when he was held goal-less Wednesday in a 2-0 Barca victory over Osasuna. Overall, he has 32 goals in 34 matches this season.
Rooney is hardly a flea. He is more like a Doberman. This 24-year-old English forward is a 5-10 bundle of power and pace. Built like an NFL fullback or linebacker, he barrels through defenses rather than dazzling with fancy dribbling and supple touch, the way Messi does. Rooney, who has scored 33 goals in 37 matches, is opportunistic and deadly in the box. Ten of his goals have come off headers, compared to four for Messi. He imposes himself on the game with his physicality, and is very hard to defend.
But if you're talking feet, style, and pure skill, Messi gets the edge. Let's put it this way, more people are watching Messi's highlights than Rooney's on YouTube.
Messi has scored 25 goals with his left foot and five with his right. Against Valencia, he scored on all parts of the goal — right post, left post and up the middle.
Two goals came off the inside of his left foot, one off the right. Rooney had just scored two goals in Man U's victory over Fulham, and Messi outshined him, as if to say, "Anything you can do, I can do better."
Everyone has an opinion on these players.
French veteran Thierry Henry, Messi's teammate, said of the young Argentine: "It's kind of ridiculous what he's doing. He's amazing."
Stuttgart coach Christian Gross went a step further: "His ability is incredible when you consider his age. I think it's fair to compare him to Diego Maradona."
Former Liverpool great Mark Lawrenson favors Rooney.
"On current form, Wayne Rooney is the best in the world — even ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi," Lawrenson said. "Rooney's heading has been sensational. But that also comes from great team play, as many of the headers have been put on a plate for him with superb crosses."
Arsenal will try to stop Messi in the two-leg Champions League quarterfinals (March 30-31 and April 6-7), and Bayern Munich goes up against Rooney and Man U. Both should be terrific quarterfinals. Arsenal and Barcelona played in the 2006 Champions League final, and Man U defeated Bayern Munich in the 1999 final.
In the other quarterfinals, Inter plays CSKA Moscow and Lyon plays Bordeaux in an all-French affair, assuring there will be a French team in the semifinals. If Manchester United and Barca continue to advance, there's a chance Messi and Rooney will go head-to-head in the final, a matchup most soccer fans around the world would love to see.
Then, in a few months, they could meet again in the World Cup in South Africa — on the biggest stage, with the biggest prize at stake. Then, and only then, will we really know who's best.
(c) 2010, The Miami Herald. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.