Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the most iconic soccer players of this generation. A comparison is often made between them, who is the G.O.A.T. of soccer? Both the players are contemporary and reached the top of the game with exceptional skills, consistency, and persistence.
Messi vs Ronaldo: Who is the Best?
This debate is making headlines every now and then, who is better? Is it, Messi or Ronaldo? Both the players have achieved something that no athlete has done before. The comparison is obvious as their careers coincide and they are ruling the soccer world for the past decade.
| Details | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Country | Argentina | Portugal |
| Birth | 24 Jun 1987 (35 years) | 5 Feb 1985 (37 years) |
| Game | Soccer | Soccer |
| Position | Forward | Forward/Winger |
| Appearances | 1003 | 1145 |
| Goals | 793 | 819 |
| Assists | 350 | 234 |
| Hat-tricks | 56 | 60 |
Here, we are making a comparison of various aspects of their career and will try to find out, who is the real GOAT of Soccer.
Messi vs Ronaldo: International Career
| Details | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Appearances | 172 | 196 |
| Goals | 98 | 118 |
| Assists | 53 | 33 |
Lionel Messi is an extremely talented forward who made his debut for the senior Argentina team back in 2005 against Hungary. He is the third-leading international goal scorer with 94 goals under his name and also the all-time highest goal scorer for Argentina.
Ronaldo started playing for senior Portugal’s National Team in 2003 since then he is a member of the team as a lead striker and won the UEFA Euro 2016 Cup. He is the all-time leading goal scorer in international men’s soccer history with 118 goals.
Ronaldo made their debut two years before Messi and played more matches so he has more international goals under his name. Ronaldo has a better goals-per-game record but Messi has a better goal-assist record.
Messi vs Ronaldo: Club Career
| Details | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Appearances | 831 | 949 |
| Goals | 695 | 701 |
| Assists | 297 | 201 |
Soccer is mostly dominated by leagues of various countries. Messi played a major portion of his career for the Spanish club Barcelona and now he is playing in a Ligue 1 club Paris St. Germain. Ronaldo played for Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus in his club career.
Ronaldo was picked by Sir Alex Ferguson while playing for Sporting CP against Man. Utd. back in 2003. But his exemplary performance was witnessed when he started playing for Real Madrid in 2009.
Ronaldo has played more games and scored more goals in his club career, but Messi is not far behind. Also, Messi faired well in the number of assists. So, Messi has a better overall goal contribution.
Messi vs Ronaldo: World Cups
| Details | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Appearances | 26 | 22 |
| Goals | 12 | 8 |
| Assists | 8 | 2 |
Both Messi and Ronaldo are playing their record fifth world cup in 2022. In the world cups, Messi has a better record in terms of the number of goals and assists but Ronaldo faired well in goal-per-game statistics.
After the 2022 Qatar World Cup, new records will be made by these players and try to win the world’s most popular sporting title of the soccer world cup for their country.
Messi vs Ronaldo: Major Trophies
| Trophy | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| World Cup | 1 | 0 |
| League Titles | 11 | 7 |
| Champions League | 4 | 5 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 3 | 3 |
| Domestic Cups | 7 | 6 |
| Olympics | 1 | 0 |
| Club World Cup | 3 | 4 |
Messi won the 2022 world cup but Ronaldo never won a FIFA World Cup. Argentina was also the runner-up in the 2014 Brazil World Cup.
Messi won 11 league titles whereas Ronaldo won 7. Ronaldo has won 5 UEFA champions league playing for Real Madrid and also more club world cups. Both players have won a significant number of trophies in their careers.
Messi vs Ronaldo: Individual Awards
| Awards | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Ballon d’Or | 7 | 5 |
| UEFA Player of the Year | 3 | 4 |
| FIFA World Player of the Year | 6 | 5 |
| European Golden Shoe | 6 | 4 |
| World Cup Golden Ball | 1 | 0 |
| Champions League Top Scorer | 5 | 6 |
| Player of the Year (league) | 6 | 4 |
Messi has won record 7 times, the Ballon d’Or award, whereas Ronaldo won 5 times, which is the highest soccer award given every year.
No doubt Messi has more individual awards but Ronaldo has been the champions league top scorer 6 times and UEFA player of the year 4 times and that is more than Messi.
Messi vs Ronaldo: Salary and Net Worth
| Details | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Net Worth | $640 Million | $534 Million |
| Salary | $79 Million | $63 Million |
According to Sun, Messi has more current net worth and salary. But the popularity of Ronaldo on social media platforms makes him more brandable also he owns the brand named CR7.
Conclusion
The competition between them is tough, and the answer to this conundrum is yet to be deciphered. Both players excel in one or the other departments.
Messi has a better overall goal contribution record but Ronaldo scored more hat-tricks under his name. So the answer to this question is to be left to the reader’s conscience. But Messi has faired well in most of the factors.
FAQ
Who has scored the most non-penalty goals in the history of soccer?
1. Lionel Messi (686)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (673)
3. Pele (671)
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