Man charged with murder for stabbing friend after Messi-Ronaldo argument

Messi or Ronaldo? Ronaldo or Messi? For many soccer fans, there can only be one -- and declaring allegiance to either means effectively thumbing your nose at the other. 

This, however, seems a little extreme: Indian police have reportedly charged a man with murder because he allegedly stabbed a friend to death after an argument about who really rules world soccer spiraled out of control. 

Police inspector Kiran Kabadia told the Agence France-Presse that 21-year-old Michael Chukwuma stabbed 34-year-old Obina Durumchukwu to death after an argument about whether Messi or Ronaldo is the superior soccer star. 

"The two Nigerian youngsters were discussing football players. One is a fan of Messi and the other was for Ronaldo," Kabadia told the AFP. "During the conversation a quarrel has taken place. The deceased threw a glass into the face of the accused person. The glass broke and caused small injuries. After that the accused took the broken glass and assaulted the deceased person who died due to heavy bleeding,"

The Guardian and Sky Sports confirmed the same cause of the fight, as well as the same tragic end result. 

Messi and Ronaldo have shared soccer's prize for the world's top player for the past six years now. Messi took home the award in 2015, 2012, 2011 and 2010, with Ronaldo winning in 2013 and 2014. 

It's enough to make someone pine for the good old days when Messi loyalists were content to simply deface Ronaldo's schlong-flaunting hometown statue. Those were simpler times.