Standom robbed me of Messi

Ronaldo was the underdog in the debate and my love for the sobby unexpectant competitor storyline pulled at my heartstrings. The most confident and sometimes arrogant underdog there ever was but that too was appealing to me, especially because he backed it up. But as a result, my Standom-influenced adolescent self regrettably denied me the chance to enjoy the best to ever do it. I remember being a teenager and actively boycotting Barcelona games like a Rihanna Navy Stan boycotting a Beyoncé album. Yes, I caught a lot of Messi magic over the years but I wish I caught even more.

Ronaldo's rape allegations sobered me from my cult-like allegiance but simultaneously my knowledge and love of the game grew beyond partisan lines to the appreciation of the game in its purity. Tactics, technical qualities, grassroots, and the ever-growing football economy rendered a holistic engagement with the sport and its protagonists. I am certainly on the "you can love them both" side of the debate now because I do, from a sporting perspective. I just wish I was in this camp throughout their 16 duels for supremacy.

To be fair to me and anyone else who experienced the rivalry in the way I did too, football is a game of dichotomies. It's two teams against one another, you are bound to pick a side. Neutrality is seldom adaptable especially when one has an affinity with the human beings on the pitch. However, the influence of Standom is undeniable.