Zlatan v Ronaldo to play at World Cup 2014

Rhys Essien

Only one ego can land in Rio.

I would hope that is Zlatan as he is 32 now.Ronaldo will get another chance.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2505115/Cristiano-Ronaldo-v-Zlatan-Ibrahimovic-World-Cup-play-Who-want-brazil.html

RVD420

Ronaldo. I want to see the best player in the world at the World Cup.

gimmick

I always draw Sweden in one of the work/pub busters. And that is my €10 thrown down the drain immediately.

So Portugal!!

Skylinehead

RVD420 wrote: »

I want to see the best player in the world at the World Cup.

Luckily for you, he's already qualified.

RVD420

Skylinehead wrote: »

Luckily for you, he's already qualified.

Nah. Ronaldo > Messi

Mushy

For some reason I just really want Zlatan at the WC. It must be the unpredictable nature of him, cos I dont have anything against Ronaldo.

It's a shame both players can't make the finals. Both class acts.



Can't believe it's already turned into Messi v Ronaldo.

Skylinehead

RVD420 wrote: »

Nah. Ronaldo > Messi

Agree to disagree so, I'd rather not drag this into yet another Messi v Ronaldo thread. Team Zlatan!

BraziliaNZ

I could watch Ron all day, he is the football superstar of the world. Sweden are usually dire, out in the 2nd round (bar 1994 before some nerd corrects me).

GavRedKing

Its a shame one wont be the WC, we'll be missing out regardless thats for sure, I do want to see Zlatan go though because of my man love for all things Zlatan.

All hail Zlatan.

Moneymaker

The loser should be leased out to the highest bidder imo :pac:

A World Cup without either one of these players won't feel right.

Too Tough To Die

I don't care, they'd both do fuuck all as usual anyways, it being an international tournament and all.

Agent Coulson

I'd pick Zlatan just for the hope of seeing some backheeled goals

TheBunk1

Both have undeniable class but I'd look at it more from a team perspective and which would I rather watch? So Portugal.

Seen enough of Sweden from an Irish perspective in the last year!

dfx-

Neither 'should' go, so I'd rather see Ibrahimovic than Pepe at the World Cup and I'd much rather watch Sweden or most other teams than Portugal in most previous tournaments, so Sweden all the way and therefore Ibrahimovic.

Knex*

Ronaldo and Portugal have the greater potential for success, for me, so would have to go with him.

He's 28 now so it really is his prime time Tournament, so to speak.

Will miss Zlatan all the same, however, but the guy isn't at Ronaldo's level. People seem to almost under appreciate at times just how good Ronaldo and Messi are in comparison to even the best of the rest (Ribery being favourite for Ballon D'or being an example). Would be a big loss not to have them both at the WC.

bucketybuck

Too Tough To Die wrote: »

I don't care, they'd both do fuuck all as usual anyways, it being an international tournament and all.

Ronaldo was one of the best players of the tournament at the last Euros, he almost dragged Portugal to the final by himself. Your post is just lazy Dunphy style analysis.

GavRedKing

Actually it has to be Sweden.

The fans travel very well and are very easy on the eye.

:pac:

Super-Rush

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

I could watch Ron all day, he is the football superstar of the world. Sweden are usually dire, out in the 2nd round (bar 1994 before some nerd corrects me).

Finished 3rd in 50 and 94 and were runners up to Brazil in 58.

Too Tough To Die

bucketybuck wrote: »

Ronaldo was one of the best players of the tournament at the last Euros, he almost dragged Portugal to the final by himself. Your post is just lazy Dunphy style analysis.

You have some nerve to use the term "dragged", one of the most overused clichés in international football and call my post lazy in the same post.

His performance in that tournament is overrated.

bucketybuck

This isn't even a debate for me.

Ibrahimovic is good, but for goods sake Ronaldo has scored something like 149 league goals in just 125 appearances! It isn't even that long ago that a good strike rate for a top player was one goal in two games, Ronaldo is hitting more than a goal a game and he has been doing it for five years now!

Along with Messi he is clearly one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, preferring someone else to go to the World cup over him would be like preferring somebody else over Pele or Maradona.

sReq | uTeK

dfx- wrote: »

Neither 'should' go, so I'd rather see Ibrahimovic than Pepe at the World Cup and I'd much rather watch Sweden or most other teams than Portugal in most previous tournaments, so Sweden all the way and therefore Ibrahimovic.

Really ? you'd rather see sweden with their brand of football at the world cup than portugal....


okay.

Francie Barrett

Zlatan all day - best player on the planet after Messi.

sReq | uTeK

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Zlatan all day - best player on the planet after Messi.

:P

EuropeanSon

I can't deny Ronaldo is a much better player, but I'd rather see Zlatan at the World Cup.

Sir Gallagher

I'd go for Ronaldo as i really don't get the "Zlatan" love-in.

GavRedKing

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

I'd go for Ronaldo as i really don't get the "Zlatan" love-in.

Watch Zlatan reguarly then you'll see some of the love people have for him.

Iang87

Zlatan purely because i find him much more entertaining to watch than ronaldo and he also nearly always bring it on the international stage something i cant really say about ronaldo completely.

Queue someone showing me stats about hattricks against northern ireland and luxembourg, my point is he was nowhere to be found when portugal really needed him in the shootout v spain

Skylinehead

GavRedKing wrote: »

Actually it has to be Sweden.

The fans travel very well and are very easy on the eye.

:pac:

Hadn't even considered this. Not a hope I want Portugal there now, not when there's Swedish fans at stake!

GavRedKing

Skylinehead wrote: »

Hadn't even considered this. Not a hope I want Portugal there now, not when there's Swedish fans at stake!

I'd posts pics but ye can all use Google :pac:

bucketybuck

Too Tough To Die wrote: »

You have some nerve to use the term "dragged", one of the most overused clichés in international football and call my post lazy in the same post.

You said that Ronaldo had never done feck all at an international tournament. Its a simple fact that in one of the biggest tournaments in the world Ronaldo not only did something but he did more any other player on his team including, but not limited to, scoring the winner in the quarter final.

He finished joint top scorer for the tournament and was named on the team of the tournament.

Ronaldo clearly did more than "**** all", and to say he did is just lazy crap probably spouted because you just don't like the guy.

Vinz Mesrine

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

I'd go for Ronaldo as i really don't get the "Zlatan" love-in.

Possibly stop believing Eamonn Dunphy and Sky who say he doesnt perform in big games.

He has won league titles in 5 countries, has been top scorer very regularly. He is very much one of the top 10 players of the last 20 years.

Vinz Mesrine

bucketybuck wrote: »

You said that Ronaldo had never done feck all at an international tournament. Its a simple fact that in one of the biggest tournaments in the world Ronaldo not only did something but he did more any other player on his team including, but not limited to, scoring the winner in the quarter final.

He finished joint top scorer for the tournament and was named on the team of the tournament.

Ronaldo clearly did more than "**** all", and to say he did is just lazy crap probably spouted because you just don't like the guy.

I may be wrong but wasnt Ronaldo fairly poor until the 3rd group game last summer? Or was that the world cup in 2010?

bucketybuck

Iang87 wrote: »

Queue someone showing me stats about hattricks against northern ireland and luxembourg, my point is he was nowhere to be found when portugal really needed him in the shootout v spain

So you ignore his good performances throughout the tournament just because Portugal didn't beat the World and European cup holders Spain? Very logical.

Iang87

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

I may be wrong but wasnt Ronaldo fairly poor until the 3rd group game last summer? Or was that the world cup in 2010?

That was last year they won in spite of him then he **** himself in the shootout and didnt bother taking one early like your best should and always do

Iang87

bucketybuck wrote: »

So you ignore his good performances throughout the tournament just because Portugal didn't beat the World and European cup holders Spain? Very logical.

no cos he only had one in the euros maybe 2 but he was shocking in another 2 but you're ignoring that

Vinz Mesrine

Iang87 wrote: »

That was last year they won in spite of him then he **** himself in the shootout and didnt bother taking one early like your best should and always do

Yeah i just checked there.

He didnt perform in the first 2 games, scored 2 goals against Holland and the winner against Denmark in the QF and as you said, shat himself against Spain.

He didnt drag Portugal anywhere.

Too Tough To Die

Jesus i forgot about him wanting to take the last penalty because there would be less pressure and potentially more glory. Okay, i've decided.

Zlatan!

BraziliaNZ

In the last Euros they came closest to putting an end to the Reign in Spain - that was a good game and they really tested the Spaniards. Portugal can be semi finalists I think if Ronaldo shines or even a dark horse to win it. I think he's a joy to watch, and has a decent team around him, Zlatan is surrounded by muppets, he might as well be playing for Ireland.

Professional Griefer

It's all about Nani, come on Portugal! :pac:

Vinz Mesrine

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

In the last Euros they came closest to putting an end to the Reign in Spain - that was a good game and they really tested the Spaniards. Portugal can be semi finalists I think if Ronaldo shines or even a dark horse to win it. I think he's a joy to watch, and has a decent team around him, Zlatan is surrounded by muppets, he might as well be playing for Ireland.

Did you see their results in qualifiying? They were far from impressive, topped off with a home draw against Northern Ireland. They scraped through a lot of their matches.

LuckyLloyd

Ronaldo has been an ever more important part of Portugese squads that have made the Final of Euro 2004, the semi final of World Cup 2006 and the semi final of Euro 2012 yet you have posts in here insinuating that he doesn't do it on the world stage?

What has Zlatan done in a major finals?

Vinz Mesrine

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Ronaldo has been an ever more important part of Portugese squads that have made the Final of Euro 2004, the semi final of World Cup 2006 and the semi final of Euro 2012 yet you have posts in here insinuating that he doesn't do it on the world stage?

What has Zlatan done in a major finals?

If you put Zlatan in the Portugal team and Ronaldo in the Swedish team, theoretically would it have made any difference to how each nation finished in those competitions?

I dont think so.

Seaneh

Zlatan, no other player on the planet does what he does, regularly.

Nobody else is capable of regularly producing outrageous pieces of brilliance and scoring goals like these.

Seaneh

This match is pretty much just the full scale version of the Nike "Joga Bonito" ad from a few years ago.

dfx-

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

Really ? you'd rather see sweden with their brand of football at the world cup than portugal....


okay.

Do you remember Portugal's brand of football at recent tournaments?

Skylinehead

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Ronaldo has been an ever more important part of Portugese squads that have made the Final of Euro 2004, the semi final of World Cup 2006 and the semi final of Euro 2012 yet you have posts in here insinuating that he doesn't do it on the world stage?

What has Zlatan done in a major finals?

This:

Dempsey

I will be supporting Sweden during the playoffs. The WC finals will be a poorer place without the Swede's!

Sir Gallagher

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Possibly stop believing Eamonn Dunphy and Sky who say he doesnt perform in big games.

He has won league titles in 5 countries, has been top scorer very regularly. He is very much one of the top 10 players of the last 20 years.

Yeah it's not that, i just don't like the guy.

Vinz Mesrine

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

Yeah it's not that, i just don't like the guy.

He is one of my favourite players in the world, seems like a bloke you could sit and have a few pints and a laugh with. And on top of that he has talent that all of us can only dream about.

imtdub

Zlatan think's he should go, Period.

"I just need to make sure I do everything over the next two games to make sure that it is him who misses out and not myself," Ibrahimovic told the Metro.
"I think that the World Cup needs Zlatan more than Ronaldo.
He continued: "The excitement I can bring to the game and the goals I can score - nobody can rival me for that. I believe the fans would want to see me there above anybody.
"The World Cup is the greatest sporting competition in the world - it needs to have the best players."