Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: A Battle of Titans
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: The debate over who is the greatest footballer of all time often boils down to two names: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Their prodigious talent, relentless dedication, and unprecedented success have set them apart from their peers, carving their places in football’s history books. This article will delve into an in-depth analysis of Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo, covering their stats, accolades, and overall impact on the beautiful game.
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Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo Stats
Comparing the stats of Messi and Ronaldo is no small feat, as both players have consistently produced extraordinary numbers over their illustrious careers. Their goal contributions, goals, assists, appearances, minutes per game, minutes per goal, goal/assist per game, hat-tricks, goals per match type, penalties, free kick goals, right foot headers, and body part performance are unparalleled in the world of football.
Here’s a look at their all-time stats:
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Lionel Messi | |
| Full name | Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro | Lionel Andrés Messi |
| Also, known as | CR7 | Lionel “Leo” Messi |
| Date of birth | 5 February 1985 | 24 June 1987 |
| Place of birth | Funchal, Madeira, Portugal | Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina |
| Height | 1.86 m | 1.69 m |
| Main Position | Striker | Striker |
| Current Club | Manchester United | Paris Saint Germain |
| Club Appearances | 894 | 778 |
| Club Goals | 674 | 672 |
| National Teams | Portugal | Argentina |
| International Appearances | 179 | 151 |
| International Goals | 109 | 76 |
| Ballon d’Or | 5 | 7 |
| Trophies |
|
|
| Club Honors | 30 | 34 |
| Net Worth | around $400 million | $600 million |
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Who has scored more goals, Ronaldo or Messi?
At the club level, CR7 currently scored higher than Messi with 4 goals. However, we need to remember that the Portuguese football players started earlier than Lionel Messi for 2 seasons. He scored 11 goals at that time.
The most scored goals for Ronaldo was in the 2014 – 2015 season while he played for Real Madrid with 61 goals per season. In the 2010 – 2011 and 2015 – 2016 seasons, Cristiano Ronaldo still had more than 50 goals per season.
However, Ronaldo’s goals had been decreasing since his first season at Juventus with only 28 goals per season. On the other side, Lionel Messi still scored more than 30 goals per season at that time.
On the national teams, Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi had the same scored goals since the FIFA World Cup 2010. Messi had a total of 291 goals and assists while CR7 had 289 goals and assists within 220 scheduled games.
Messi vs Ronaldo trophy comparison
When it comes to trophies, both Messi and Ronaldo have impressive hauls. They’ve dominated the footballing landscape, leading their teams to numerous league titles, domestic cups, UEFA Champions League triumphs, and Super Cup victories.
Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or, and the European golden shoe in 2008 and 20116. He is also honored as the best football player of the year by FIFPro, the best football player in the world, Onze d’Or, and the FIFA best player in 2008. CR7 is also honored as the FWA best football player of the Year in 2007, and 2008 and won the FIFA Puskas Award in 2009.
On the other side, Messi received the Golden Ball and the best player of the year of FIFA in 2009, and FIFA’s Golden Ball in 2010, 2011, and 2012. He also won UEFA’s Best Player Award in Europe. 2010-2011 and also the name Onze D’or 2009, 2011, and 2012.
What about Messi vs Ronaldo’s champions league goals? Leo is also the player scoring the most goals in UEFA Champions League in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, and the Pichichi award in 2010 and 2012.
During both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s professional careers, Leo surpassed Ronaldo when comparing the number of titles won. While Messi won 10 La Liga championships with Barcelona, Ronaldo only won a total of 7 titles, respectively in the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A.
In the national team, the achievements in major tournaments such as World Cup or Euro/Copa America are equal. However, Messi won an Olympic gold medal, while Ronaldo has never.
Here is the statistic of Ronaldo and Messi trophies competitions overviews:
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Football League | Lionel Messi |
| 0 | World Cup | 0 |
| 1 | UEFA Euro/Copa America | 1 |
| 0 | Olympics | 1 |
| 7 | Domestic League | 10 |
| 5 | The UEFA Champions League | 4 |
| 4 | The FIFA Club World Cup | 3 |
| 4 | National Cup | 7 |
| 21 | Total | 26 |
READ: Mbappe vs Messi: Who Is the Better Footballer? (2022 Update)
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo records
Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in a season for Real Madrid, the first European player to reach 40 goals in a season for two consecutive years. And the former Real Madrid player reached 100 goals as quickly as possible. He is also the first player to score against all teams in a single season in La Liga.
On the other hand, Messi was the first player to score 5 goals in a UEFA Champions League match. He was the first player to score the most goals in the 4 consecutive Champions League. Leo set the world record for the most scoring goals in a 2011-12 season, and set a current record in a single La Liga season, with 50 goals. He is the youngest Argentina player ever to play at the FIFA World Cup and the first player to score against 19 consecutive teams in La Liga.
Beyond their team success, Messi and Ronaldo have collected a staggering number of individual awards. The duo has consistently topped the charts for top scorer awards, secured multiple WhoScored rating recognitions, and, most notably, shared 11 Ballon d’Or titles each by 2023.
Their individual accolades underscore their personal excellence and consistently high-performance levels that have marked them as the standout players of their generation.
Messi vs Ronaldo head to head competitions history
Throughout football history, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have directly faced each other in 35 matches, including 30 El Clasico matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona, 3 times United against Barca, and 2 times Portugal against Argentina. If only these matches are counted, only one person has won absolutely: Messi.
According to michelacosta.com – a website specializing in recording data on Ronaldo and Messi – the last time these two stars were confronted was a classic match on May 6, 2018, since then Cristiano Ronaldo played in Juventus and they have never faced each other again since then.
After 35 times confronting each other, Messi had 16 wins and Ronaldo had only 10, two people drew 9 times. The score of 16-10 probably made many people disagree that Messi absolutely won. However, what Messi does in the matches will definitely make Ronaldo’s supporters silent.
READ: Antony or Young Cristiano Ronaldo? Is He the Next CR7 at Man U?
Conclusion
The Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate is more than a comparison of two footballers; it’s a celebration of two remarkable careers that have graced the sport. Regardless of personal preference, one thing is clear: we’ve been privileged to witness two of the greatest footballers of all time plying their trade.
Here is a comparison between Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo. Hope that with this article, you can find the answer to this question “Ronaldo or Messi who is the best?”.
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