Continuing to comment on the article, I also read an article today in which football superstar Ramos stated that in the history of world football, the universally recognized Ball King is only Maradona, and the closest to the level of a potential Ball King are Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Here are some of my own views on this perspective.
The key to being a Ball King lies in the word "King"! It embodies the aura of a king, leadership qualities, domineering, spiritual, and talented all in one! They are absolutely the cornerstone of the team, capable of enhancing the level of their teammates and improving the team's performance! Although Maradona was undoubtedly skilled at dribbling, what's most important is his passing vision and rationality. His often incredible and imaginative passes are surprisingly reasonable. In this aspect, Messi still falls short. Don't tell me about how many assists Messi has; it's not enough in terms of rationality, and many balls could have been passed earlier for better results. Mainly because Messi started out as a forward, his mindset for assists is somewhat fixed.
Both are incredibly talented top-tier players, neck and neck, but in terms of match intensity and team leadership, it's clear that Old Horse (Maradona) is superior. The early matches were more fiercely competitive, and the rules didn't provide as comprehensive protection for the players as they do now. There were no cards given for tackles from behind, and many stars had to retire early due to injuries. On the field, Old Horse was subjected to punches and kicks as a norm, and there's even a poster at his home showing Old Horse dribbling past opponents and getting punched in the head. In terms of team leadership, Old Horse was also more awesome. Think about the Napoli team and the Argentine team he led back then, which were much weaker than the teams Messi led. So saying that Maradona is the only Ball King is not excessive.
Although Ronaldinho's technique is gorgeous, he does not meet the standard of a potential Ball King in terms of leadership qualities and national team honors. The only ones who can be considered potential Ball Kings are Ronaldo and Messi. Personally, I feel that there are three main factors affecting Ronaldo's becoming a Ball King: 1) His playing style leans towards individualism with too much dribbling, which is pleasing to watch but not very efficient and prone to injuries, shortening his career span. 2) Self-discipline issues. 3) Poor career planning, whether it's his own fault or his agent's, he hasn't left enough of a mark at any of the teams he's been with, and it feels like he always leaves in disgrace. Messi's honors are indeed impressive, but he falls short in terms of the true Ball King's temperament. On the field, he's like walking, lacking the ability to turn the tide single-handedly, and his mental attributes are slightly lacking.
This article is original to the author, and any plagiarism will be pursued!