Messi v Ronaldo

Messi v RonaldoThe pair of modern-day footballing greats have been vying for the title 'world's best player' for several years now. The little Argentine has been clocking up the medals at club level as part of Barcelona's all-conquering side while Real Madrid star Ronaldo has had to play second fiddle in recent seasons since his record move from Manchester United. The pair have also had a monopoly on the Ballon d'Or over the last three years, Messi winning Europe's top individual prize in 2009 and 2010 to follow Ronaldo's award in 2008.There was no love lost as two of the greatest drivers of all time delighted F1 fans with their continuous clashes for ten years between 1984-94. Different driving styles made the contest intriguing, but the personal hatred between them made it unmissable watching. Even when in the same McLaren team the two couldn't get along, as they both came off at Suzuka in 1989 after a reckless passing attempt from Senna, who was desperate to try and win the championship. Prost just about came on top overall with four titles to Senna's three.Even ahead of Ali and Frazier, these two fighters probably hated each other more than any other two in history, and that general distained shone through in their enthralling battles. Eubank's arrogant antics really rubbed Benn up the wrong way, and in their middleweight title fight in 1990 every punch had some real venom in it - before Eubank recovered from two knockdowns to win one of the most exciting fights ever in the ninth. Fans had to wait three years for the rematch at super middleweight, with 42,000 packing out Old Trafford for one of the biggest fights ever. The bout ended in a draw and was maybe not as thrilling as the first, but equally vicious and although they never met again, the loathing in the rivalry will be hard to beat.If ever there was the classic mix of styles, then this was it. The ice-cool Swede versus load-mouth American made for compelling viewing for tennis fans. McEnroe was all mouth but also blessed with immense talent, while Borg dominated but could never seemingly be flustered. Their unforgettable fourth set tie breaker at the 1980 Wimbledon final must be one of the most replayed highlights ever in the sport. McEnroe won it 18-16 but Borg won the title - although the American got his revenge by ending the Swede's run of five titles on the bounce at SW19.This rivalry sparked major interest in golf, as new boy Nicklaus overcame popular veteran Palmer in what was one of the friendliest rivalries ever played out in top level sport. Palmer had helped make golf a sport for all and not just the privileged and won seven majors during his dominance, but Nicklaus was about to launch into an even more dominant period as the Golden Bear went on to claim 18 major titles. Nicklaus won an 18-hole play-off in the 1962 US Open and that really saw an end to Palmer's dominance and ushered in the Nicklaus era.The rivalry between the two British middle-distance greats spurred both athletes on to a string of record-breaking and medal-winning performances. The pair exhuded differing personalities which seemed to split the nation; Ovett, the rebellious man of the people who blew kisses to the crowd; Coe, the privileged university graduate who would go on to become a Tory MP. They first raced as schoolboys at a cross-country meet and ended up with the whole world watching their double duel at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Ovett won the 800m, for which Coe was favourite, but Coe turned the tables to grab the 1500m. They met again in Los Angeles four years later but Ovett was not the force he was and Coe prevailed to successfully defend his 1500m crown. These two heavyweight legends played out a trilogy of fights that will never be surpassed, both in events in the ring and the hype and controversy that surrounded the build-up to them. Frazier won their first battle on points in 1971 to end Ali's unbeaten record, but revenge was exacted in 1974 with a 12-round points win also in New York. With Ali's taunts raising hostility between the two to new heights, the pinnacle came with the 'Thriller in Manila' in 1975 which produced one of the most brutal fights in history. Both men were out on their feet when Frazier's trainer kept him on his stool before the final round - suggestions are that Ali may have done the same, but he took the win despite being on his last legs himself. Such a fierce and bitter battle will never be repeated in boxing.Call it the rapier versus the broadsword; the matador versus the bull. For several years now, the Swiss superstar and his Spanish adversary have stunned the tennis world with their contrasting but compelling claims to be the greatest player on the planet. Federer's light-footed movement and elegant, attacking style has, in head-to-head encounters, proved largely ineffectual against Nadal's counter-punching. Nadal holds the edge 17-8 in their matches against each other but Federer has a superior career record with his all-time best 16 grand slam titles.The snooker stars' rivalry has been going on for 15 years, beginning in the 1995 World Championship with victory for the Scot. As is often the case, these two sporting adversaries have hugely differing personalities, Hendry's methodical style contrasting with 'the Rocket's' more flamboyant play. Things came to a head in 2002 when O'Sullivan launched a stunning attack on Hendry prior to their Crucible semi-final, accusing the Scot of bad sportsmanship in a previous match and adding: "I know if I do get beat and he comes up and does a moonie in front of me and goes 'Ne ne ne', I'll just look at him and say 'well done' and say 'go back to your sad little life'. Hendry went on to win the match 17-13. The England cricketing legend and his Aussie counterpart have endured a deep mutual resentment going back more than 30 years. It started during the Centenary Test at Melbourne in March 1977 when the then 21-year-old Botham, playing club cricket in Australia, objected to the Pommie-bashing comments of Chappell. The pair were involved in an altercation in the hotel bar and in spite of working closely as TV pundits since, they have only traded insults. They were involved in another altercation during Australia's tour of England in 2010 amind reports of a punch up which both attempted to play down.