How fast is ronaldo ? One of the biggest reasons why the Portuguese superstar has ranked among the greatest sportspeople in history across his illustrious career has been his furious dedication the physical aspects of football.

Not only is Ronaldo remarkably strong and an expert at leaping for headers, but he also holds his own against top-class players years his junior when it comes to explosive sprints on a football pitch.

Ronaldo’s physical prowess

However, it’s one thing to be fast within the context of professional football and it’s another thing to be so incredibly rapid, period, that you can also hold your own against world-class sprinters.

And whether or not Ronaldo could achieve the latter, which so many fans believe he can if social media is to be believed, was investigated during the fascinating 2011 documentary: “Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit.”

From analysing his jumping ability to shooting strength, the experiments on Ronaldo during his Real Madrid prime remain gripping to watch with the sprinting challenge proving the finest test of them all.

Ronaldo does battle with 100 champion

That’s because it directly pitted Ronaldo against Angel David Rodríguez, who was the Spanish 100-metre champion at the time and competed in multiple Olympic Games, in a 25-metre race.

The pro sprinter was first in the blocks, putting on an absolute clinic for the analysts and infrared beam timing gates by romping his way to a time of 3.31 seconds with brilliantly efficient technique.

Solid, right? Absolutely, but Rodríguez himself said just moments later that he thought there was a chance that Ronaldo could actually beat his time.

However, when Ronaldo launched his own attempt across 25 metres, the difference between an athlete specialising in football and athletics quickly became apparent as he crossed the line in 3.61 seconds.

And while that might not sound like much of a difference, rest assured that it’s a considerable margin in sprinting and especially across a distance as fleeing as 25 metres.

However, it was still a valiant attempt from Ronaldo as he made up for what he lacked in sprinting technique with pure determination, so be sure to check out his ‘fastest man wins’ battle with Rodríguez down below

Ronaldo wins the zig-zag race

And that’s just where the two disciplines differ so much with Ronaldo proving the latest in a long line of speedy footballers to be prematurely and inaccurately heralded as quick as sprinters by supporters.

Having said that, there are ways in which ballers can indeed be faster than sprinters and that’s when you alter the state of play from straight-line running to the more slalom-like manoeuvring you see in football.

It’s a point that was perfectly illustrated in the documentary too with Rodríguez only clocking a time of 6.86 seconds over an alternate zig-zag course whereas Ronaldo took just 6.35 seconds to make it through.

How fast could Ronaldo run 100m?

Plus, Rodríguez was by no means pessimistic about Ronaldo’s chances over 100 metres when he was asked about his sprinting experience with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner year after filming.

According to AS, the Spanish sprinter reflected in 2020: “He is fast and very good at lateral movements. He clearly trains a lot. I took three tenths from him, which is quite a lot. If it was 100 metres, he may be able to get 11.60.”

Who Is Faster Messi Or Ronaldo?

Both Messi and Ronaldo are known for their speed, agility, and dribbling skills, but who has the edge when it comes to sprinting?

There are different ways to measure speed in football, such as top speed, acceleration, average speed, and speed with the ball. Depending on the method used, the results may vary.

However, based on the available data, we can try to answer the question of who is faster Messi or Ronaldo?

Top Speed

Top speed is the maximum velocity that a player can reach during a sprint. It is usually measured by tracking devices worn by the players or by cameras that capture their movements. Top speed can vary depending on factors such as fatigue, pitch conditions, weather, and distance covered.

According to FIFA, the official top speed recorded by Messi in his career is 32.5 km/h (20.1 mph), which he achieved during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. On the other hand, Ronaldo’s highest-ever measured top speed is 34 km/h (21.1 mph), which he reached during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

This means that Ronaldo is 1.5 km/h (0.9 mph) faster than Messi in terms of top speed. However, this does not necessarily mean that Ronaldo is always faster than Messi in every situation. Top speed is only one aspect of speed and does not reflect how often or long a player can sprint at that level.

Acceleration

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time. It measures how quickly a player can increase or decrease their speed from a standing start or from a lower speed. Acceleration is important for footballers because it allows them to create space, beat defenders and react to changes in play.

Acceleration is harder to measure than top speed because it depends on the initial and final velocities and the time taken to reach them. However, some studies have attempted to compare the acceleration of Messi and Ronaldo using GPS data or video analysis.

One study by ESPN in 2014 found that Messi had a higher average acceleration than Ronaldo over 20 meters (21.9 yards), reaching a peak of 8.7 m/s^2 (28.5 ft/s^2) compared to Ronaldo’s 7.6 m/s^2 (24.9 ft/s^2).

Another study by Sport Science Lab in 2018 also concluded that Messi had a faster acceleration than Ronaldo with the ball, reaching a peak of 9 m/s^2 (29.5 ft/s^2) compared to Ronaldo’s 8 m/s^2 (26.2 ft/s^2).

This means that Messi can reach his top speed faster than Ronaldo, especially when he has the ball at his feet. Messi’s low center of gravity, quick feet and balance give him an advantage over Ronaldo when it comes to accelerating from a standstill or changing direction.

Average Speed

Average speed is the total distance covered divided by the total time taken. It measures how fast a player moves over a given period of time or over a certain distance. Average speed can indicate how consistent or efficient a player is at maintaining their speed throughout a match or a season.

Average speed is also influenced by factors such as position, role, tactics and style of play. For example, a winger may have a higher average speed than a central midfielder because they run more along the flanks and make more sprints.

A counter-attacking team may have a higher average speed than a possession-based team because they rely more on fast transitions.

According to Opta Sports, the average speed of Messi in La Liga in the 2020/21 season was 23 km/h (14.3 mph), while Ronaldo’s average speed in Serie A in the same season was 22 km/h (13.7 mph). This means that Messi had a slightly higher average speed than Ronaldo in their respective leagues.

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