I’m going to take my time with this one. If you’re busy, bookmark it and come back later.
Do you know the biggest problem with Cristiano Ronaldo? It isn’t that he never won the World Cup. It’s that he spent years telling everyone what separates legends, only to change the standards once he couldn’t reach them himself.
After winning Euro 2016, Ronaldo made it clear that winning a major international trophy was what completed a player’s legacy. At the time, Messi had just lost another international final and was going through the toughest period of his career. Those comments only added to the narrative that Messi could never be the greatest because he hadn’t won with Argentina. For years, that became the standard. Messi was called a bottler, while Ronaldo was praised as the player who had proved himself internationally.
Nobody wanted to hear about context. Nobody cared that Messi had dragged Argentina to a World Cup final in 2014 with a squad many considered weaker than the Portugal teams Ronaldo has had over the last decade. The only thing that mattered was that Ronaldo had won a major trophy with his country, and Messi hadn’t.
Then Messi won the Copa América. Suddenly, the goalposts moved. We were told one Euro was worth more than multiple Copa América titles because South America supposedly wasn’t competitive enough. That became the new excuse.
Then Messi won the World Cup. The excuses changed again. It was “fixed.” It was “scripted.” Then came, “A career can’t be defined by seven games.” Funny how nobody was saying that before the tournament, when many believed it would finally be Ronaldo’s chance to win it.
Now Portugal have been eliminated from the World Cup, and Ronaldo posts about Euro 2016 again. That’s what I find ironic. When international trophies favored Ronaldo, they were the ultimate measure of greatness. When Messi caught up, people started ranking competitions differently. When Messi surpassed him by winning the biggest trophy in football, suddenly the World Cup wasn’t supposed to define a career anymore.
That’s the contradiction.
The difference between Messi and Ronaldo was never just about goals, assists, or trophies. It’s about consistency. Messi never needed to diminish Ronaldo’s achievements to elevate his own, nor did he ask football to change its standards because they no longer favored him. He simply kept playing until he won everything there was to win.
League titles. Champions Leagues. Ballons d’Or. Golden Boots. Copa América. Finalissima. World Cup. Every major trophy that was ever used against him eventually became part of his legacy.
Cristiano Ronaldo will always be one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game. But this is exactly why I believe Messi is the greatest. He didn’t ask football to rewrite the standards.
He met every single one of them.
Dear President Petro,
I am writing to categorically denounce the recent, baseless allegations regarding my involvement in the election of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella as entirely and unequivocally untrue. Let me be clear: I have contributed zero dollars, not a single cent, directly or indirectly, to his campaign. My support for President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella has been strictly personal; it was rooted in my love for democracy and country, based on my unconditional respect and admiration for President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, his vision, and his direction for the great country of Colombia. It has never involved any form of financial influence.
Specifically, the allegation that I provided campaign funds via Meta is entirely false. I have made no financial contributions to President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, nor have I authorized or directed any such contribution through any person or entity connected to me. My records are open for review.
I challenge you to provide evidence to the Colombian people to support these demonstrably false accusations. You will not be able to do so, because no such contribution ever occurred. The Colombian people deserve the truth; please produce the evidence or retract your statement and apologize immediately.
Respectfully,
Dan Newlin
Estimado Presidente Petro:
Me dirijo a usted para rechazar categóricamente las recientes e infundadas acusaciones sobre mi supuesta participación en la elección del presidente electo Abelardo de la Espriella. Dichas afirmaciones son total y absolutamente falsas. Quiero ser muy claro: no he aportado ni un solo dólar, ni un solo centavo, de manera directa o indirecta, a su campaña. Mi respaldo al presidente electo Abelardo de la Espriella ha sido estrictamente personal, motivado por mi amor por la democracia y por Colombia, así como por el respeto y la admiración incondicionales que siento por él, por su visión y por el rumbo que propone para el gran país de Colombia. En ningún momento ese respaldo ha implicado influencia o contribución económica de ningún tipo.
En particular, la afirmación de que financié su campaña a través de Meta es completamente falsa. No he realizado ninguna contribución económica a la campaña del presidente electo Abelardo de la Espriella, ni he autorizado o instruido a persona o entidad alguna vinculada conmigo para que lo hiciera. Mis registros están abiertos para su revisión.
Lo reto a presentar ante el pueblo colombiano pruebas que respalden estas acusaciones manifiestamente falsas. No podrá hacerlo, porque jamás existió contribución alguna. El pueblo colombiano merece conocer la verdad. Por ello, le solicito que presente las pruebas que dice tener o, en su defecto, retire de inmediato sus declaraciones y ofrezca una disculpa pública.
Atentamente,
Dan Newlin
Deja de desconfiar de ti, sé consciente de todo aquello que eres capaz y camina hacia adelante. Tienes en tu interior muchas herramientas que te servirán para construir la vida que sueñas.
Ley de atracción
En vez de perseguir, atrae, cree en este simple hecho "lo que sea que esté destinado para ti, vendrá a ti". Manifiesta cosas buenas, gente buena y días buenos que vendrán a ti.
Enfócate en la ley de hacer y deja que la ley de atracción trabaje para ti.
Ya te lo he ordenado: ¡Sé fuerte y valiente! ¡No tengas miedo ni te desanimes! Porque el Señor tu Dios te acompañará dondequiera que vayas. (Josué 1, 9)
¿Entiendes la diferencia? No necesitamos un discurso para señalar lo mal que están. Hace cuatro años, con el mismo sistema electoral, llegaron a la Presidencia y nosotros aceptamos el resultado y nos quedamos en casa. Ellos hoy lo desconocen y salieron a destruir el país.