Moroccan Football

On Moroccan Football

After the first few days in Morocco, it was an unfamiliar transition from hearing names like Tom Brady and Eli Manning to hearing the names Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Morocco is a country where soccer is not only a sport, but rather a lifestyle. Everywhere I go, I see kids and adults alike playing soccer, not only with a ball but with coke cans, water bottles, rocks, and even lighters; just about anything they can get their feet on. As my time here in Morocco progressed, I slowly caught myself dribbling a rock on the way to class or kicking a water bottle back and forth with a couple friends. The love of this sport in this country is so ubiquitous that it is contagious.

Christiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi

From being so exposed to soccer by being in Morocco, I have noticed that most people watch two types of soccer, Moroccan soccer and Spanish Soccer. When talking about Spanish Soccer, two big teams come to mind: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Whenever I watch these games, which seems to be about every week, the two players that stick out the most to me, and I am sure every other soccer enthusiast, is Christiano Ronaldo, striker for Real Madrid, and Lionel Messi, forward for FC Barcelona. When watching these two players, it is almost hypnotizing to see their flawless plays, their incredible endurance and-how could I ever forget- their unfailing ball control. It is hard to compare the two players because they are both so good in different ways for they have very unique playing styles.

To get further information on how they are different from one another, I asked a Moroccan friend, a soccer enthusiast who has been watching soccer all his life, about the differences between the two players. First off, he tells me that Messi has played for Barcelona his entire career whereas Ronaldo has played for several different teams including Lisbon and Manchester United. Messi is the type of player where he plays very well in tight spaces and is able to control and dribble the ball in a very smart way when there is less room for him to move. On the other hand, Ronaldo is incredible in wider spaces and is known for his unfailing aim when it comes to long shots. He also describes to me that Messi is more of a team player whereas Ronaldo is more of an individualist. Additionally he comments that Ronaldo has unbelievable endurance, “He can play a whole 90 minutes without getting tired or injured. He’s almost super human.”

Although my friend’s point of view may be somewhat biased, it is very hard to doubt that some of his comments are correct when watching the two players battling it out on the field. They are very different from each other, for sure. But what both players have in common is their sense of confidence and their smart plays which contributes to making both teams powerhouse forces in the soccer world.

First week in Morocco and watching the Real Madrid vs Barcelona game with some new friends!