Football by its nature is a team sport and a solid performance from all eleven players is required to win the game. But for a fan watching at home, it is easy to identify the gulf in class between players or coach. Every generation has seen two outstanding players trying to one-up each other and attain ultimate success. We will look at five such unforgettable rivalries in recent times.

Nemanja Vidic v Fernando Torres

Not every rivalry has its foundations in contempt or hatred. Some are carefully cultivated through good-natured conflict and healthy competition. The battles between Nemanja Vidic and Fernando Torres are a prime example. Neither made any salacious claims in books, and social media was too primitive for players to accidentally post digs at each other from their pockets, and even in their respective retirements there is mutual respect but a curious reluctance to praise the other too highly.

But for 90-minute spells – often much less in Vidic’s case – between 2007 and 2010, there was a simmering tension between two Premier League greats.

The misconception is that it was one-sided, fuelled by the enduring image of Vidic sprawled on the turf as Torres raced past to equalise in Liverpool’s 4-1 win in March 2009; the reality is that the centre-half could boast clean sheets and commanding performances to silence the Spaniard.

4. Sergio Ramos - Gerard Pique

Guess who's back? Ramos can't stay out of the headlines and his ongoing spat with Gerard Pique is made all the more intriguing by the fact that they've played over 75 international matches side-by-side for Spain, and very successfully so. It was in 2015 that their relationship really started to disintegrate as Pique repeatedly took digs at Real Madrid: mocking them after Barcelona clinched the title, labelling defender Alvaro Arbeloa a 'cone' for his stationary defending, and laughing when they were thrown out of the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player. Ramos claimed that Pique's attitude was damaging to Spain's team atmosphere, but the two men have continued to trade barbs, and will presumably keep doing so until they retire.

Steven Gerrard vs Frank Lampard

It’s hard to say which of these English legends is better than the other. Both have mastered their positions in midfield, have proven to be able leaders for their respective Premier League clubs, and have both been the centrepiece in midfield for England for the past decade and more. They played the bulk of their careers with rival English teams, and have impacted those clubs positively for years. Their style of game is a little different.

Lampard mastered quick passing in tight areas, arguably one of the best passers in his time.

He has great vision long range, and a shot that can almost match Gerrard’s. Lampard has won everything there is to win as well, including three Premier League titles. The Liverpool man, on the other hand, created a name for himself with his ability to show up in big games. He plays an emotional game with the whole of Liverpool behind him, and that’s why he’s so loved in those parts. He’s notorious for carrying a somewhat mediocre Liverpool sides over the years, and although he’ll always be considered one of the best to play in the EPL, he leaves the Premier League never having won a title.

José Mourinho - Pep Guardiola

Friends who became foes, Mourinho and Guardiola represent opposite ends of football's ideological spectrum and their ongoing grudge match has shaped the game's recent history.

It all began when Guardiola's Barcelona clashed with Mourinho's Inter Milan in 2010. After the win in Camp Nou, the Portuguese ran onto the playing surface with his arm in the air and was held back by Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes, while someone turned the sprinklers on. It all turned a bit bitter and was a sign of things to come over the next two seasons.

Mourniho became the coach of Real Madrid, the arch-rival of Barcelona. What followed was a period of incredibly intense Clasico clashes between Barca and Real, including four in the space of 18 days at one point: games that were almost violent at times as Madrid made it extremely physical.

Over the years, the duo developed an infamous rivalry, not only with head to head matches, but also with war of words. The two met again on English soil, with Guardiola in charge of Manchester City and Mourinho of Manchester United

1: Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo

This is the rivalry to top all rivalries not only in football, but all over sports. There hasn’t been a more competitive contest between two athletes like the one that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have taken us through.

Both feed out of each other, they compliment the other with an even greater achievement and we have serious doubts if we will ever see something quite like this. Rather than comparing them without a limit, we ought to enjoy the time they have left as players and simply enjoy the two. This rivalry is another matter of taste, we can’t choose between one or the other because they are both unique and equally great in their own right. Please don’t make us choose between the two, we want them both in our squad.

NOTE: Can you think of another legendary individual rivalry that we might have missed on this list? Please share your opinion in the comment section down below.

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