Ronaldo aims to outshine Messi on Old Trafford return

MANCHESTER: Cristiano Ronaldo will try to outshine Lionel Messi on his retur n to Old Trafford when the two best players in the world clash in a friendly between Portugal and Argentina on Tuesday.

Real Madrid forward Ronaldo and Barcelona striker Messi are locked in a battle to prove themselves the top player on the planet and their latest showdown comes on the former home turf of the Portugal icon.

Adding spice to their rivalry with Spain’s two superpowers is the speculation that they aren’t on good terms off the pitch either.

Whatever the status of their personal relationship, the duo have deservedly become serial trophy collectors over the last decade, with team and individual prizes hoovered up on a regular basis. Messi has won the Champions League three times and Ronaldo twice, while Messi has six league titles in Spain and Ronaldo three with Manchester United and one with Real.

Between them they have won the past six coveted Ballon D’Or contests, awarded to the player voted the world’s best by managers, players and journalists.

Argentina star Messi has been voted the winner four times in that period and has come second to Ronaldo the other two years.

Ronaldo hopes to add a third gong this year, and few would disagree if he pipped Messi and several contenders from the German World Cup winning team.

Ronaldo has 18 league goals already this season, while Messi has -- by his standards - - a modest t otal of seven, although he was voted player of t he t our nament at t his year’s World Cup

SPAIN TAKE ON GERMANY

MANCHESTER: Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has demanded his players put on a show as his rejuvenated side prepare to welcome Germany, the team that succeeded them as world champi-ons, in Vigo on Tuesday.

“When you get this kind of match there’s almost no difference whether the game is an official one or like in this case a friendly,” said Del Bosque, whose side go into the game on a high having rediscovered their form.

“We want to play well, to put on a show,” he said.

“They (Germany) want to remain at the highest level, and we want to keep up our post World Cup momentum,” said Del Bosque,