Cristiano Ronaldo vs.

Lionel Messi
A Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick can generate greater acceleration
than a Formula 1 race car.
Lionel Messi covers so much
ground, he runs the equivalent distance
from Barcelona to Madrid during a
season.

New insights from Castrol and their

team of performance analysts reveal the full extent of
the astonishing physical attributes of Cristiano Ronaldo and
Lionel Messi ahead of the UEFA Champions League final on
May 27th.
United winger Ronaldo and Barcelona wideman Messi arent
just two of the most skilful players on the planet. Castrol experts
have proved that week in, week out, they demonstrate incredible
performances in terms of strength, acceleration and agility, and
pace and stamina.

And by using a unique system of data analysis, Castrols insights

demonstrate the very different qualities the two stars will bring
to the mouth-watering showdown in Rome.

STRENGTH

Ronaldo maintains his amazing physique by lifting in

excess of 20 tonnes - the equivalent of 10 Audi 4x4s - during a
full weight training session.

Meanwhile, the force exerted by Lionel Messi in full flight

is the equivalent weight of seven men. And when jumping Messi
generates more power than a cheetah does in full flight.

ACCELERATION & AGILITY

Victor Valdes be warned - if Ronaldo is given the chance to

launch one of his trademark free kicks, the Barca keeper will
face a ball accelerating at 32 metres per second compared to a
Formula 1 car at 4.6 metres per second.

And Uniteds defenders must somehow cope with Messis

astonishing agility that allows him to make more turns and

changes of direction in one game than a Formula 1 car

competing in the Silverstone Grand Prix race.

PACE & STAMINA

Ronaldos speed off the mark is well-known - no wonder

when he sprints 900 more times in a season than an Olympic
sprinter in an equivalent season.

Messi is no slouch, but he also possesses amazing

stamina which allows him to cover the equivalent distance
from Barca`s own Camp Nou home to Real Madrid`s
Bernabeu Stadium over the course of a regular campaign.

QUOTES:
Marcel Desailly - Castrol Ambassador and a two-time
Champions League winner with Olympique Marseilles and AC
Milan - is in no doubt that the two players pose very different
and potentially deadly threats.
He said: Ronaldo has great speed and skill but most of all his
unpredictability does not allow teams to anticipate what he is

likely to do. He is used in such a way that he often drifts, which

makes it hard for anyone to isolate him. He poses a threat with
both feet and equally, is very strong in the air in front of goal.
This combination is a huge threat and its rare that a player has
all of these qualities.
Cristiano cannot be marked one-on-one, purely because he has
the ability, quality and pace to win most of the individual
battles. The best way I would mark him would be to double up,
and make sure a midfield player closed him down as soon as he
got the ball, and pushed him wide.
And he added: Messi is also a very dangerous player but his
tactics are uniquely different. He uses other players in the team
to increase his threat he is supremely talented, yes, but does
not have the physicality of Cristiano to impose upon defences,
so you will see him bringing other players into his moves,
playing one-two passes to create space and beat players. He is
a specialist at that. Messi is difficult to mark, as you have to
consider who is also playing around him he is a genius at

making space and exploiting it. Cristiano offers more of an

individual threat, but Messi uses others to increase his.
Commenting on the findings, Mike Johnson, Castrol Senior Vice
President, said, "Castrol is all about using the application of
analysis, technology and innovation to deliver insights into
winning performances. We have used all three of these to deliver
powerful insights on two of the best players in the world. We
want to show football fans the extreme skills that it really does
take to win at the highest level."
If you wish to use the information provided in this document,
please credit the following source

HOW THE CASTROL INSIGHTS

WERE CALCULATED
CRISTIANO RONALDO
The weight lifted during a training session is equivalent of
lifting 10 Audi Q7s.

Assumption
During a full weight training session Ronaldo will lift in excess
of 20 tonnes. This is equivalent to some common mechanical
load.
Calculation
Total weight lifted during a training session based on 6 reps x 4
sets of:
Squat
150 kgs x 4 x 6 = 3,600 kgs
Bench Press
100 kgs
= 2,400 kgs
Clean
75 kgs
= 1,800 kgs
Leg Press
200 kgs
= 4,800 kgs
Dead Leg
200 kgs
= 4,800 kgs
Shoulder Press
70 kgs
= 1,680 kgs
Arm Curl
30 kgs
= 720 kgs
Tricep Curl
20 kgs
= 480 kgs
Pull up
75 kgs
= 1,800 kgs
Bench Dip
75 kgs
= 1,800 kgs
Bridge x 5
75 kgs
= 375 kgs
Total kgs lifted = 24,355 kgs
Audi Q7 (4x4) curb weight 2,400 kgs x 10 = 24,090 kgs
(approximate)
Cristiano Ronaldos free kick will accelerate as fast as a
Formula 1 Racing Car
Assumption
A Formula 1 racing car accelerates from zero to 100 kmh in 1.7
seconds.
A 30 meter free kick flies at 70 mph (112 kph) and has a 1
second flight time.

Calculations
F1 100kmh in 1.7 seconds
16.3 metres per second x 1.7 seconds = 27.78 metres.
Free Kick flies at 32 metres per second.
Therefore Ronaldos free kick accelerates nearly twice as fast as
an F1 car.
Cristiano Ronaldo will sprint 900 more times in a season than
an Olympic sprinter in a season.
Assumption
On average an elite footballer in the Premiership will sprint 20
times per game.
An 100 metre track athlete will compete an average of 20-30
competitive races in a season.
Calculations
Footballer - 20 sprints per game, average 50 games per
season. 50 x 20 = 1,000 sprints (Prozone individual club
information).
Athlete average 20-30 competitive sprints per season.

LIONEL MESSI
The force exerted by Lionel Messi at full flight is the
equivalent weight of 7 men.

Assumption
Foot contact force at full flight is similar to force (weight) of
several men at 75 kgs weight.
Calculations
At full flight 10/m second foot strike = 10,000N (Kryolanmien
etal 98).
Thus the equivalent of 10,000N / 750N = 13.3.Aaverage men at
75 kgs = 997.5 kgs.
7 men at average weight of 75 kgs = 525 kgs.
In one season Lionel Messi will run the equivalent distance
from Barcelona to Madrid.
Assumption
A forward in elite soccer will run an average of 10.5 kms in a
game. (Jonthan Bloomfield, Remco Polman and Peter
ODonoghue. Journal of Sports Science and
Medicine). Confirmed by individual club Prozone statistical
evidence.
Player will average 50 games per season (all games).
Calculation
50 x 10.5 kms = 525 kms.
Distance between Barcelona and Madrid = 504 kms.
Lionel Messi will perform more turns and bends in one game
than a Formula 1 Racing Car competing in the Silverstone
Grand Prix.
Assumption

It is estimated that between 1,000 and 1,500 movement changes

within each elite football match (physical demands, different
positions in premier league soccer). (Journal of Sports Science
and Medicine 2007).
Silverstone race track, 12 bends. British Grand Prix 60 laps,
total distance 308 kms.
Calculations
60 laps x 12 bends = 720
Movement changes in football between 1,000 and 1,500.
When jumping Lionel Messi will generate more power than a
cheetah does in full flight.
Assumptions
Comparsion between Lionel Messi jumping and in full flight
(dynamic action) against a Cheetah in full flight.
Calculations
Weight = 67 kgs
P = Force x Distance / time
P = 670N x 3 metres (vertical and horizontal combined) / Flight
time = 0.43 seconds
P = 670N x 3/0.43 = 4674 watts
Lionel Messi in full flight including jumping is 4,674 Watts
Cheetah in full flight = 1,000 Watts (Pople 1988)