Let’s study a well-known statement.
Cristiano scored dwarf stats
The world record holder for international goals, who scored 122 goals for Portugal, scored most often against Luxembourg, 11 times. He also scored 7 times against Lithuania. Six goals against Andorra. He scored five times against Latvia. Does it seem to fit the theory that Ronaldo can only upset an opponent with a weak defensive line? Only if you forget that he also has a club career.
Ronaldo scored 27 goals against Sevilla, upset Atlético 25 times (and gave 9 assists in those games). As many as 20 times they went to Barcelona. Why such statistics? Because I have often met just such opponents. In the world of teams, the story is a little different. In Europe, small teams make up nearly half of potential rivals, hence the figures.
But alongside goals against Luxembourg and Andorra, the Portuguese have collected balls against Sweden (7 goals) and Hungary (6). He has scored against the Swiss five times. Portugal is no longer strong at the head of the most successful teams on the planet, but the Dutch have scored four times, the Belgians and Spaniards three goals each, the French and Argentines two each. In general, doubt the football strength of Cristiano’s bad manners.
You can’t accept his behavior. Krinzhova seems to be a way of presenting personal life. We doubt that the Portuguese allowed his bride Georgina Rodriguez to properly celebrate Argentina’s victory at the World Cup out of jealousy for the person she is running away from. But you can’t savagely criticize Ronaldo’s sniping talents. At the doors of others, he can do anything.
Lewandowski and Kane in a similar position
The discussion of goals against the “midgets” is most often heard about Ronaldo. But Kane was picked up the other day. Of course, his favorite opponents are weak. San Marino scored five goals. Four times upset Albanians, Bulgarians. He also sent four balls to other weaklings, the Germans. And if without sarcasm, Harry has three goals for France and Ukraine, two goals for the Czechs and Poles. With him, England saw the final.
On the account of the British sniper there are balls for the Italians, Danes, Croatians and Swiss. Normal record for a European striker. In addition to Ronaldo, four active players have scored more goals than the England captain for Old World internationals: Lewandowski, Lukaku, Dzeko and Ibrahimovic. Robert doesn’t have as powerful a team as Ronaldo and Kane.
But the success structure is similar. The Pole scored 6 goals each against Gibraltar and San Marino. He has upset Andorra five times. But he also sent three goals to Denmark and Sweden, upsetting the Germans twice. Robert didn’t play many matches against France, Belgium, Spain and Portugal to score more than once. Like Ibrahimovic, even though the Swede has been playing football for more than a quarter of a century.
Zlatan has 6 goals for Malte and 4 goals for San Marino. He has also upset England five times, but four times in a famous friendly. But Ibrahimovic has scored against Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia and the Netherlands. He scored three times against Denmark. Lukaku has a special love for the Russian team: he has passed five balls. Romelu didn’t fill the midget stats, but he scored all in a row.
The story of Messi and Neymar is a little different
In the qualifiers in South America you play the same opponents constantly. There are details, for example, matches in the highlands. You always have to take a long flight home from Europe, it’s exhausting. But in parallel with official matches, Argentina and Brazil earn money by playing friendly matches for money. Messi and Neymar scored a lot of goals in these games. But this is also work, they both coped with it.
Like their mutual friend Luis Suarez. A man who finds it difficult to keep his teeth behind his lips, he loved the defensive lines of Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Messi, who is waiting for his 100th international goal, Bolivia is also his favorite opponent of him: 8 goals. And then there are Ecuador and Uruguay, 6 goals each. The Brazilians Lionel scored five times, as well as the Chileans. Distinct against Portugal, Spain and Germany. He scored three times against the French.
Neymar has 9 goals against Japan and 6 against Peru. And next to it there are 3 goals for Argentina, 4 for the Croatians. Balls to the French, Italians and Germans. Formally, there are only two low ranked teams in South America Fifa, Venezuela and Bolivia. But the list of convenient rivals for Messi, Suarez and Neymar is not limited to these teams. And even if that were the case, what questions might the superstars have?
There are many true legends among leading snipers
In the past, Puskas has destroyed rivals not out of weakness, but out of his own coolness. Lewandowski has scored more goals for Poland than Pelé has for Brazil. One of the reasons is the increase in the number of games, but alongside it there is also an increase in the ability of defenders. In the 21st century, many people know how to play football. Even the dwarves know something they didn’t know fifty years ago. But even the attackers are not standing still.
The level is such that it rivals Klose, Robbie Keane, Drogba and other successful national team snipers. The roster of champions includes players from the middle class. For example, Ronaldo beat Ali Daei, and the Iranian loved to offend teams from the Maldives, Laos, Lebanon and Sri Lanka. But Europeans and South Americans meet the toughest opponents, so all their high performance is a great merit.
Giroud broke Henry’s record and that’s a feat. Mbappé, who has made 36 caps for France at the age of 24, is drawn to legends. It’s much more difficult for Haaland, but Erling will try to show off in the Norway shirt. All great forwards have both important passes and goals. We also remember the assists and participation in the combinations. In the case of any team, we are talking about a legend.
Ronaldo and Messi in the top three snipers in the history of the national teams. They know what no one else has shown. Can the legends of antiquity be singled out due to the difference in matches? But even this argument does not always work. You have to make a lot of effort, give up so many temptations, to get a call-up to the national team like Ibrahimovic at 41. Here are just champions to learn from.
