Sun Apr 11 2010 16:00:19
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has again been
upstaged by Lionel Messi of Barcelona in Saturday's "Clasico" at the
Bernabeu.Fresh from hitting four past Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday, current World Player Messi netted Barca's opening goal, while the previous year's winner Ronaldo was limited to a few sprints, a couple of shots and a smattering of showy stepovers and flicks.
To add insult to injury, disgruntled fans whistled the Portuguese late in the match, suggesting they have yet to be convinced he is worth the record £80 million Real paid Manchester United for his services.
"Too much Messi for CR9," was the headline in Sunday's Madrid-based Marca sports daily, while its peer in the Catalan capital, Sport, trumpeted: "Leo makes a fool of Cristiano in the clash of the stars."
Silverware is key to winning the FifaWorld Player award and Barca's 2-0 victory put the champions three points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of La Liga with seven matches left.
The defeat left Ronaldo and Real facing a trophy-less season after their exits from Europe and the King's Cup.
Barca, if they get through their Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan, will also have a chance to win a second successive title in May's final at the Bernabeu.
According to a team of Spanish researchers
Barcelona's Lionel Messi has outclassed both world stars Cristiano
Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in terms of media value.
Messi who was conferred Golden Ball last year
was rated by the team as the player with the highest profile in the
world for the second consecutive year.
The annual study named world's most expensive
player Ronaldo of Real Madrid in the second place followed by striker
Rooney of Manchester United in the third position.
Real's Kaka bagged the fourth spot ahead of
Spanish striker Fernando Torres and English midfielder Steven Gerrard,
both from Liverpool.
The others to find place in top ten include
Ivory Coast centre forward Didier Drogba, Brazil winger Ronaldinho,
Spanish central midfielder Xavi and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The top club rank went to European and Spanish
champions Barcelona followed by Real, Manchester United, Chelsea, AC
Milan and Liverpool. United’s Sir Alex Ferguson was named as the manager
with media popularity.