Cristiano Ronaldo's quest for world football domination has gone according to plan thus far. He is already regarded as one of the two best players in the world, but Thursday's Copa Del Ray Super Cup match will give him a chance to get a leg up on Lionel Messi.
The Madrid vs. Barcelona rivalry has devolved slightly in recent years, only because it happens so often. These two powerhouse clubs will meet again in October, making it 14 matches between the two since 2010.
The battle between Ronaldo and Messi is still the biggest reason to watch this match. There are a lot of factors that go into a club winning, but if Ronaldo or Messi takes over in this contest, it will give his club a decided advantage that the other side can't match.
Ronaldo has the added pressure of playing on what one could easily deem tired legs. He has been playing all summer long with no real rest. You could see clear signs of fatigue in Madrid's battle with Valencia earlier this week.
Which Superstar Is More Important To His Club?
Madrid was able to escape that match with a 1-1 tie, but without Ronaldo showing his best stuff, the club did not perform up to expectations. He looked tired and was fighting to keep his energy level up throughout the match.
In sports, a lot of teams find themselves so dependent on one player that if he doesn't perform at the highest of high levels, the team is in trouble.
Like Michael Jordan did with the Chicago Bulls in his prime, Ronaldo needs a heroic performance, or something close to it, in order to keep Madrid in this game and/or pull away with a victory.
This is the kind of match where Ronaldo shines. Messi will make a great counterpoint, to put it mildly, but when push comes to shove, you can't bet against the best player in the world shining on the biggest stage that world football has to offer.
If Ronaldo doesn't have a superstar performance, Madrid is in real trouble. This is not an infallible club, as we saw against Valencia. If he, and the club, plays like that in the Copa Del Ray, Madrid will be wondering what happened.